GEAR You can see the list of gear I took on the Equipment List page here. I’m no expert, but here’s a list of things I learned and did. Duct tape is your friend – tape up any exposed metal that you will be touching regularly. Metal sucks the warmth from your hands! Things like pan handles, [...]
When is a Brooks saddle buggered? My saddle caused me so much pain towards the end of my last trip I thought it was finally time for a new one. It did me well for many miles. It was a Brooks B17 Ladies saddle. This time I’ve gone for the Imperial version with the cut-out [...]
This frame bag by the textile manufacturers Buggy Bags, is custom-made to fit the bike. Originally, the company produced bags and equipment for kite buggies, but to meet demand for bike frame bags in the UK, they have since expanded their range. One of the good things about a small company is the personal customer [...]
This down vest by Rab has to be my favourite item of clothing. Ever. It’s perfect as an extra layer around camp, or wearing to sleep in -13C November Utah with only a 0C rated sleeping bag. Best of all though, it looks great and so you can wear it on your walk to the [...]
There were two reasons I wanted to protect all my gear in waterproof bags and cases. Firstly, my Ortlieb panniers are no longer waterproof, being scarred with small holes from the Africa ride. Since besides their waterproof properties, the panniers are still fully functional, I decided not to replace them yet. Therefore, to keep everything [...]
Update: Having now completed my cycle through North and Central America, I figured it’s time for an update on how the tent fared over the 8 months. Looking back at the review I made, I would say that everything I said is still valid with one exception – that the plastic clips have proved to [...]
The North Face Hedgehog GTX III is a lightweight trail running shoe made of Goretex fabric with a Vibram sole. This makes them waterproof, breathable and durable with good grip without weighing you down. That’s the theory. But how do they really hold up? Firstly, I need to say that I got these shoes, not [...]
My Thorn bike made it the 25,000km to Cape Town. Just. It needed a makeover well before that, but it always seemed, ‘just a little further’. So I kept delaying the inevitable repairs. And so I finished the trip on a bike that looked like it had just been pedalled across a continent. Which it [...]
Well, what is there to say about a pair of black leggings? Pretty standard stuff. Black. Leggings. Nuff said? But these are not just any black leggings… these are Icebreaker leggings . So, ‘what does that mean?’ you may well be asking. That means NO Stink - just one of the sales points for Icebreaker [...]
My first impression, before I’d even got the new Icebreaker top out of the cellophane packaging was, ‘Wow! That’s bright!’. I have the cranberry colour top. Pink isn’t usually my colour. But I’m open to trying new things and my usual preference for black is really a bit boring. Icebreaker clothing is not new to [...]
