The Bike....and kit.

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There is no doubt in my mind about which bike to use when I am planning a long, self-supported trip. My trusty old Dawes Ultra Galaxy is a tried and tested workhorse that is well up to the job.

I've had this bike for over ten years now, having bought it from Spa Cycles in Harrogate. At 14kg it is not the lightest of bikes, (my newest bike, a Focus Izalco Pro 1 weighs in at 7.4kg!), but a touring bike is not built for speed. Its steel alloy frame and bomb-proof wheels will carry any load with great stability and comfort.

On the flat it rolls along beautifully, eating the miles with little effort, whilst going downhill fully laden it is as steady as a rock. Start to climb, and the weight lets you know it is there! But the weight on a touring bike is fairly academic as a lot depends on what luggage you choose to carry on it. And, with a triple chainring combined with a huge 'granny gear' on the back, almost anything is rideable.

My trusty Dawes Ultra Galaxy on a previous trip to Scotland

The set-up that you can see in the photo above is more or less what I will carry on this ride. I often see touring cyclists loaded up like they are going on a two week Caribbean cruise.

Look at this fella!

Put huge panniers front and back on the bike and the chances are you will fill them! Restrict yourself to two medium panniers on the back, along with two small ones on the front, and you can carry everything that you need - and the journey will be a lot more enjoyable. Sometimes I substitute the front panniers for a bar-bag. So what if it does cool down and I need another sweatshirt? You're never far from a charity shop in the UK, and if you don't pay much for it you can always either throw it away, or give it to another charity shop up the road.

My tent is a Vango Force Ten Helium Ultralight 100. Weighing in at only 1.1kg it is one of the lightest two skin tents on the market. OK, there is not much room in there, but all I use it for is sleeping. I don't stay in one place for more that a night so it is up early, quickly pack everything away, and on the road. I usually have either a cold breakfast before setting off or, if I want something hot, a cafe is usually not very far up the road. Same in the evenings, if wild camping get a hot meal before finding a place, on a site get a meal at the nearest pub. A light Thermorest self-inflating sleep mat and a Snugpac Lite sleeping bag complete my overnight arrangements.

If the forecast is for cold nights I may take my down jacket rather that a thicker sleeping bag. It is much lighter and has a much smaller pack size. It's also more versatile - a sleeping bag booster in the tent, and a warm jacket for going to the pub. Two lots of cycling clothes, wear one - wash one, and some lightweight evening wear. I find Rowan clothing the most versatile for the evening stuff, being light, warm, and quick drying, as well as packing down small without creasing too much. I pack everything in Dribags to ensure I have dry clothing to put on after a day's ride. A big Dribag for dirty clothes ensures the clean stuff doesn't end up smelling as bad as the dirty!

Scroll down the page for older posts about my ride