The Welsh Ride Thing

You can stop emailing now ;o)

2011-12-05T05:10:00.000-08:00

For all those people who keep emailing to ask whether the WRT will be taking place in 2012 ... I can confirm that YES it will. We've lost our usual spot at the end of May (you can blame the Queen for that) and have been pushed onto the following weekend which is June 2nd/3rd and 4th.

You can't enter just yet ... lets get Mach' N Back out of the way first but you will be able to enter at the end of January. We'll keep you posted!

Mach' N Back ... Winter WRT?

2011-11-01T01:20:00.000-07:00

Mach' n Back takes place on the weekend of Jan 14th/15th in tropical mid Wales. You can think of it as a mini, winter WRT. It's non competitive and the emphasis is firmly placed on fun and socialising. To try and ease any potential weather issues the start/finish point will be Llanbrynmair community centre rather than Ceulan as with the WRT. If it sounds like something you fancy then you can find full details and a link to the on-line entry by going to http://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/pages/news.html#MNB2012

Bear Bones 200 entries are now open.

2011-08-01T00:43:00.000-07:00

Anyone who didn't get their full bikepacking fix on the WRT may be interested to know that on-line entries are now open for the Bear Bones 200. The BB 200 takes place on October 15th/16th in sunny mid-Wales and should hopefully prove to be a proper mental and physical test.

I won't go into the details here but if I've sparked your interest nip over to the Bear Bones site where all is revealed.

http://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/

The WRT is moving home!

2011-06-22T02:44:00.000-07:00

The Welsh Ride Thing is moving home. The WRT and everything to do with it, now has a new home at Bear Bones Bikepacking. Bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk is a new website dedicated to all things Bikepacking. There's reviews, trip reports, a forum and obviously a blog, where you'll find all the drivel and ramblings you've grown to love on the WRT blog.

Pop across, take a look and sign up for the forum. It's early days yet but the site will grow if people use it and join in. Feel free to send stuff in for inclusion, reviews, reports or anything else you think will be of interest.

Thank you.

2011-06-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

So this is the bit where I say thank you. Firstly, thank you to everyone who came and rode. You endured some pretty poor conditions ... considering how wet and windy things were the number of bail outs was remarkerbly few and I didn't have to play at being Thunderbirds even once!

Next up is a very big thank you to all those companies who donated their products for the raffle. Asking for prize donations is one of the jobs I hate but everyone who donated made it a pleasure. Obviously the list of companies that donate prizes is always shorter than those who don't ... so please bear that in mind the next time you're looking to buy something. What goes around comes around, so support those people and companies who support you.

Lastly, I'd like to say thank you to Dee. Without her the WRT doesn't happen.

The efforts of everyone above means that this years WRT raised £1481 for Wales Air Ambulance ... hooray!

If this years experience hasn't finished you off or even if you've decided to retire from active service and become an armchair bikepacker ... you might want to keep your eye on the blog over the next couple of weeks.

Once again, thank you.

Stuart

WRT ... The Finish.

2011-05-31T06:21:00.000-07:00

Waking up on Monday morning was just like waking up on Saturday morning ... only the weather was worse. High winds and rain were still present but as with Saturday, as the morning went on the weather started to improve. With that improvement came a steady trickle of returning riders. By midday that had changed into a flood of riders, all eager to grab a brew and stuff their faces with cake.

It was fantastic to see so many smiling faces. Some might have been smiling due to the relief of being home safe and sound, for others the smiles were proof of their achievements ... all were great to see.

Kevin ... ALL 15 GR and just about to ride 25 miles home!

How much cleaner this had been 2 days earlier.

No shortage of sheep shit on display.

Tea is the best recovery drink known to man.

More start line pics.

2011-05-29T00:52:00.000-07:00

• This belongs to Ian from Wildcat Gear ... looks fast stood still. There's a sleeping

bag, down jacket and spare clothes in that front dry bag!

• Roo ... never far from food.

• All smiles but it had stopped raining by then.

• Paul and his singlespeed Niner.

• The exit is actually to the left of the picture.

• The maiden trip for Pete's Singular.

• The one legged pedaling race got off to a fantastic start.

• Slugwash looking proud after his weigh in, not that he won.

WRT ... The Start.

2011-05-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

It's never a good sign when you open your eyes, switch your ears on and all you can hear is wind and rain battering the house ... that's how it was on the morning of the WRT. All morning the rain kept coming, you knew it was windy too as the rain wasn't just falling down but sideways!

The storm before the storm.

I knew a touch of Welsh liquid sunshine wouldn't put anyone off though and by around 10.00 cars started to appear and slither around the field in search of traction. Luckily, as more riders arrived the rain decided to leave ... it was obviously beaten by everyone's enthusiasm.

There's always faffing to be done.

The weigh in (off) started sometime around 11.00, riders had their bikes and kit weighed on the official WRT scales. There was some interesting results, the majority had implements of torture weighing somewhere between 50lb and 60lb all in. There were some that came in considerably lighter, Nick from AlpKit was the only rider to manage a sub 40lb weight but a few others weren't far off ... it must have been the last energy bar that tipped them over the edge. Almost more impressive was the heaviest bike/kit/trailer combination ... a total weight of 129lb!

Built for comfort not speed ... 129lb all in!

We were a little late drawing the raffle but once underway it was a tickets, prizes and shouting fest of the highest order. Some lucky people walked away with some very nice prizes ... £150 Rab and Phd down jackets anyone?

The pole dancing proved popular.

With most riders booted and suited it was time for the off. Some had a harder time than others deciding which way to get out of the field but in the end all were successful ... lets hope they all make it back on Monday!

If I press this button it'll turn on the teleport device.

Well that's it then ...

2011-05-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

... this time tomorrow the 2011 WRT will be underway. Riders from all over the UK will be pushing their bikes up big hills, squinting at maps and trying to understand the locals. I'll try and get some pictures up here after the start so you'll be able to see the panic, fear and anxiety in the faces of all those taking part!

Shape the future.

2011-05-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

Is there a certain bit of kit you always use? Perhaps you've an idea for something but no one produces it. Maybe you use a product that with a few alterations would be perfect or you might just want a chit chat about the stuff you use and why you use it.

If you nodded your head to any of the above and are riding the WRT then you might like to arrive a little earlier and come and have a natter with Nick and Kenny from AlpKit. They'll be knocking around from around 10.00 onwards and would love to hear your ideas and thoughts with regard to bikepacking kit ... you never know, your ideas might just become the future!

10 Questions ... Joe Meiser.

2011-05-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, Joe Meiser works for Salsa Cycles and has a wealth of bikepacking and ultra racing experience. He's been kind enough to answer a few questions, it makes interesting reading. You can read more of Joe's thoughts and see what he's up to here http://salsacycles.com/culture/author/13/

1/ Have you noticed much increase in interest in the whole bikepacking and adventure cycling thing in the last couple of years and do you think it's a market that will continue to grow?

Absolutely, in both anecdotal and quantitative measures. The Adventure Cycling Association publishes their fiscal results and is showing significant growth in both on and off-road touring/bikepacking. The Tour Divide race and the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, considered a top adventure for bicycle tourists continues to grow in popularity. This year, much do to the success of the film “Ride The Divide” the start list is over 100 riders long. Here at Salsa we consistently hear stories of individual’s first overnighter/S24O or multi-day bikepacking trip. We could delve into the external factors as to why it’s growing and they are important, but most importantly, we are seeing more folks wanting to experience an adventure using their bicycle as the tool.

2/ Do you think races like the Tour Divide have had a big impact with regard to increasing peoples awareness of bikepacking, etc?

The Tour Divide, or a tour on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, is clearly seen as the defining event or experience for adventure cycling and bikepacking. The Tour Divide has clearly increased awareness and been a catalyst for other events and for individuals to simply, get out there and try something. I imagine we’ll see many riders trying other events such as Trans Iowa, Dirty Kanza, Colorado Trail Race, Arizona Trail Race, among others as a stepping stone to attempting the Divide. The Divide will continue to be the penultimate event until something bigger and longer comes along.

3/ 29ers aren't as popular in the UK as they are in the US, so any chance of a 26" Enabler fork sometime?

Any chance the UK at large will get on 29ers? They’ve clearly shown their popularity and usefulness in these parts and we are certainly trying to grow their popularity elsewhere. Until then, we’ll consider your request, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.

4/ So, the Ti Fargo ... was it designed to be the ultimate long distance, backcountry bike?

The Fargo in general was originally intended to be the ultimate bike for touring and/or racing the Divide. It has proved itself on the Divide as well as tours elsewhere in the world. Over time we’ve made improvements to the Fargo and applied them to the Fargo Ti that I believe still make it the ultimate bike for riding/racing the Divide even though most others are ultimately still using flat bars. Is it the ultimate long distance, backcountry bike? I guess that depends on terrain. I’d rather be riding our Spearfish when the terrain turns to rocky, bumpy singletrack, like the Arizona Trail, or our Mukluk when it gets sandy or the snow starts to fly. You see, I really think it depends on the terrain and experience. The Fargo is best suited for gravel roads, rocky mountain passes, and less technical singletrack in my opinion. It really is a great “all-arounder”.

5/ Drop bars off road ... a growing trend or only for a small minority?

It’s funny…all things seem to come full circle. I’ve got a post card at my desk with Jacquie Phelan sitting on her drop bar equipped Cunningham, Mike Riemer (Salsa Marketing Manager) has a photo of himself aboard his Bridgestone MB-1 riding drop bars as well. Drop bars off-road will continue to remain niche. That’s my belief anyway. We are seeing growth in our Woodchipper bars, both in riders putting them on our bikes and others. The appeal of the Woodchipper extends beyond off-road riding to touring, gravel racing, and urban riding. I think everyone should have a fat tire(tyre), drop bar bike to keep the local trails interesting and the adventure rides comfortable.

6/ Do you have anymore bikepacking specific products in the pipeline or is it top secret?

Top Secret. In general you’ll see Salsa product continue to focus on multiple facets of Adventure cycling. Our bikes are built for adventure and we have many parts and accessories that support the experience. We’ll continue to add bikes, parts, and accessories built for Adventure. I wish there was something specific I could share…but keep your eyes open mid-late summer for new 2012 product from Salsa Cycles.

7/ Bivvy bag, tarp or tent? ... it's a hot topic in the UK .

I’ve used all three and they all have distinct advantages/disadvantages.

I used a bivy in 2009 when I raced the Divide. I found it to be clammy, and ultimately it didn’t serve me that well. I still use it these days, but mostly in lieu of taking a sleeping bag. I’ve since cut off the stake out points and bug netting. When the nights are warm I just wear a light down sweater and slide into the bivy for wind protection. If there are bugs I wear a simple bug net over my head and slather some DEET on my ears. I find that bivy’s collect too much moisture and are far too constraining so I typically trend towards my tarp. I’m still hoping to find a good use for the bivy though.

Tents are great in groups, for bugs, and in the winter. I’ve used tarp tents in the past and now have a Black Diamond Megalight that I think is great in the winter. I’ve added a woodstove boot to the peak of mine and made a small woodstove to heat it up. While it burns through wood quickly it will warm the tent into the 40’s on a 0F day. It isn’t something I’d race with, but it is definitely a nice luxury on a tour. Aside from that, tents have an enormous footprint to lay out gear in and hide under. I suppose this could be a disadvantage in some terrain, but mostly it is a good thing. In groups, tents can actually be lighter when considering overall gear weight. My BD weighs roughly 2 lbs, where a bivy or tarp weighs 1 lbs. So, for two people the tent can weigh the same per person and provide more useable, comfortable space. I still don’t have a bug net for my tent and so I continue to use DEET and the head net. Some day…

Tarps are my go to most of the time. Currently I have a Mountain Laurel Designs Grace Solo Sil-Nylon. It’s got plenty of footprint for sleeping under. On tours, like our California Central Coast trip, I pair it with a ground cloth (a piece of Tyvek house wrap). During races I use it with just my quilt and a sleeping mat to keep weight and simplicity in check. If the night is dry I’ll just use it as a ground cloth to protect the inflatable air mat. If the night is going to be wet with dew or rain I’ll pitch the tarp with a couple of sticks. I never carry poles with me. There is always some sort of found object than can be used for a support. So far, I’ve yet to be in a situation where the tarp didn’t suit me well.

In the end it comes down to choosing the right shelter for the environment you’ll be in and that is only something that can be determined with planning and experience. Who am I to say what will work in the UK, or anywhere else. I hope my experience helps the debate!

8/ Fat bikes such as the Mukluk are obviously great for riding on snow and sand, do you consider them viable for more 'normal' trail conditions?

I consider the Mukluk a viable option for all kinds of trail conditions, both with and without the fat tires. This summer I plan on riding it with a fat front some days and a fat rear with a 2.4 front others. I’m going to continue to play with our bike and figure out just where the limits are.

Our second Mukluk prototypes came in the heart of our summer riding season. Fortunately, the River Bottoms Trails, two miles from our offices had seen a good amount of flooding that year. It was perfect Fatbike terrain with deep sand and flood debris strewn about. The bikes saw quite a bit of time down on the River Bottoms to and from work on my 25 mile commute before the stinging nettles drove me away.

I’m not sure if you guys have stinging nettles in the UK or not? They are a perennial plant with leaves covered in thousands of microscopic stinging needles. The needles inject several different chemicals that cause a serious amount of itching and pain for some time after they are touched. Sections of the River Bottoms are so densely packed with them that exposure is inevitable. I’ve literally teared up from the pain, riding through them on a hot summer day even wearing full leg and arm covering to ward them off.

There has been chatter in the past from riders considering a Fatbike for the Divide because of the tire clearance and I was curious to see how it would ride with typical MTB tires. For the second half of that summer I rode my Mukluk with Salsa Gordo Rims and Schwalbe 2.4 tires. Now that it is summer here again inMinnesota I’ve put a new set of ‘summer’ wheels on another iteration of Mukluk prototype that I plan on riding through this summer.

Bottom line is that Fatbikes work well for regular mountain terrain, but the wheels weigh a lot more than a standard MTB wheel and tire.

9/ Which frame set do you sell most of?

Salsa used to be a frame and component company, but today we are focused on complete bicycles, frames, part, and accessories. In 2011 we’ve seen strong sales in our core bicycle and frame models. The Salsa Vaya, Fargo, Spearfish, Mukluk, and El Mariachi are very near even in sales this year. They are our core products. It is quite satisfying to see how each of the bikes has been received by our dealers and ultimately the consumers.

10/ If you could only ever take one more ride, where would you go?

Easy. I would go around the world with my family. It would be an epic adventure to travel through dozens of different countries immersing ourselves in different cultures, languages, foods, and beliefs. There are several inspiring adventure riders out there doing just this. It is inspiring to see them ‘leave it all behind’ in pursuit of understanding. I’d start south through Mexico, Central, and South America then fly on to Australia and New Zealand. Asia, China, India, and Africa would be next. I’d wrap it up in Europe, Canada, and parts of the US…as a nice way to ease back into society, or on my way out, depending on the circumstances. I think 10 or so years would be sufficient time period to take on this last trip, but it could last a lifetime. If you know of anyone willing to fund such a thing, please send them my way.

WRT Weigh Off.

2011-05-18T01:58:00.000-07:00

With all the fascination and discussion about kit weight I thought it might be an idea to have a WRT Weigh Off before the start for anyone who fancies it ... The rules and procedure are hopefully very straight forward.

• There will be a stand / balance outside the signing on tipi.

• Bring your loaded bike and any other packs you're riding with to the tipi and weigh them.

• Write your total kit/bike weight on the paper next to the scales.

• Don't cheat, you're only cheating yourself, blah, blah, blah ... and someone might check.

• Someone will win a prize for something.

See, told you it was simple.

20 Years of the Polaris.

2011-05-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

If your longing for 2 wheeled self propelled adventure hasn't been completely destroyed after the WRT, then perhaps you'd be interested in the Polaris Challenge.

The 2011 Polaris Challenge takes place on the weekend of June 25th / 25th in the Dark Peak ... 2011 is also the 20th anniversary of the Polaris Challenge. You'll get to ride your bike, sleep in a field and even get lost, so all the prime ingredients for a great weekend are present. The event is open to solo riders or teams of 2 so you don't even require any mates to take part.

Nip over to the Polaris web site and have a look http://www.polarischallenge.com/index.html you'll also be able to pick up an entry form at the WRT.

Midges ... great!

2011-05-16T00:53:00.000-07:00

I've received an email asking about midges ... will there be lots and how best to avoid them, so I thought I'd share a few thoughts here.

Firstly, it's fair to say that there's a very good chance you'll run into the odd midge or 2 whilst on the WRT, they do seem to be getting worse year on year. Midges thrive in certain conditions so if you avoid the places they're most happy, you'll greatly increase your chances of returning with less spots than a leopard.

Winged teeth from hell.

The areas to avoid will be anywhere that is:

Damp

Still

Warm

Dark

So setting up camp in a forest, next to a pond when there's no breeze is a sure fire way to get bitten. Instead, a camp on a open hillside, 300m from the nearest water would be a far safer bet. The more you stomp about around camp the more midges will spring into action from the ground, so tread lightly or try levitation. Midges are also attracted to dark colours, so while your black, brown and navy cycling gear may look stealthy to us, the midges will see it as an open invitation to an all you can eat buffet.

It's worth taking something to cover any bare skin in camp, a pair of leg warmers (day glo obviously) will help stop your lower legs turning spotty and won't weigh you down much. Some kind of repellent is always wise, there's far too many on the market for me to comment on but if in doubt just pick the one with the most severe health warnings. If you're going to be sleeping in a bivvy bag then your face will become a delicious target for the midges all night ... a cheap midge head net should ensure that your face will remain all yours.

If you're really bothered by biting things then I'd consider carrying a full net. They don't weigh much, pack up very small and are relatively cheap ... best of all, you'll remain un-bitten all night.

Some are more annoying than others.

Inspiration.

2011-05-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

If you enjoy reading about other peoples suffering as they go on their self propelled adventures then buy a copy of this. The Cordillera Volume 2 is a series of stories, pictures, etc about the Tour Divide.

I've not read volume 2 yet but volume 1 was a fantastic read with lots of different perspectives on what's often called the worlds hardest bike race. Profits from the sale of volume 2 are going to be donated to the family of Dave Blumenthal was was killed while taking part in last years TD.

You can buy Cordillera in either print format or as a download from the link below ... you won't be disappointed.

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-cordillera/15659154?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1

So wrong it might be right.

2011-05-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

When I ride I don't like trying / having to maintain the same position for long periods ... it's one of the reasons I ride flat pedals and quite enjoy drop bars off road. The idea of adding clip-on bars to a mountain bike is nothing new, a large number of TD bikes run them so the riders can alter their positions throughout long days.

I happened to be on the internet looking for some bits when I came across some cheap clip-on bars and thought I'd give them a whirl ... after all, the orange Inbred seemed like a good candidate.

I must have one arm longer than the other!

The general consensus seems to be that when fitted to a mountain bike, clip-ons need to be raised with some kind of spacer. Rather than start machining / bodging something I thought I'd give them a quick go first ... nothing ventured, etc.

Oddly ... quite comfy.

They still need some fine tuning to get the position right but first impressions are quite promising. Once you get used to the position things aren't bad and the unstable steering sensation soon goes. I certainly wouldn't like to try and ride anything technical when using them but for those tarmac bits you can't avoid or long draggy fireroads I think they might offer a noticeable advantage ... we'll see!

WRT Exclusive ... Wildcat Gear.

2011-05-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

There's been quite a bit of rumour and speculation regarding Wildcat Gear over the last few months. For those who don't know, Wildcat are based In Brecon and make equipment which is specifically aimed at the bikepacking world, with bar harnesses and frame bags being the first items to go into production. Now, there's nothing new about harnesses and frame bags, both have been available from the US for a few years (if you didn't mind the wait and the import duty). What makes Wildcat products different is the attention to detail and the little touches that make life so much easier. An awful amount of prototypes have gone through testing before the final versions were finalised. Take the bar harness for example ... the way the harness fits to the bike is very different from other makes and utilises the fork crown so once fitted there's no sway or swing, your gear stays put even over the roughest trails. Another nice touch is an elastic strap across the top so you'll never be stuck for a place to slip your gloves, map or whatever else you need handy ... see what I mean about detail?

Harnesses ... not just in black.

Wildcat offer a full custom frame bag service for either full bags (Leopard and Snow Leopard) or half bags (Lynx). You can pretty much go as mad as you like here. There's a list on the web site of what I can best describe as 'standard custom options' such as battery lead port, outside map pocket, internal pockets, etc but if you've any specific requirements you might be surprised what's possible.

There'll be a few bikes at the WRT sporting Wildcat gear (Ian will also be riding) so you'll get chance to view it there. In the meantime go and have a look at the web site http://wildcatgear.co.uk/ and get yourself sorted ... you really won't regret it and yes, I have tried it for myself ;o)

It's Nothing New.

2011-05-05T02:24:00.000-07:00

It's easy to think that bikepacking is something pretty new, whether it be the act itself or just the term. There's been a massive surge in interest within the UK over the last couple of years, so the feeling that we've all discovered something new isn't surprising. This book arrived from the US the other day, I've known of it for years but I've never seen a copy until I stumbled across this on Amazon.

It's been around a while.

The information it contains is pretty much as relevant today as it was when it was written. Obviously we've had advances in technology since the book was written which has made our lives easier, lighter and more compact. There's certain aspects missing from the book that today we'd almost take for granted such as frame bags and harnesses but all in all not much has changed. The book was written nearly 30 years ago which is really before mountain bikes as we know them existed ... sleeping under tarps and trying to source the lightest down bag possible is nothing new!

Orange Inbred ... First Outing.

2011-05-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

Well, the orange Inbred had its first proper outing this weekend and I'm glad to report everything performed well. The only small problem encountered was the rear wheel slipping in the drop outs under heavy pressure ... easily cured with the application of 'big allen key'.

Ready for the off.

It was the first time I'd ridden it loaded and at first was slightly worried by the front bias weight distribution ... I shouldn't have given it a second thought. The Salsa Minimal rack and Anything cages held everything firmly and didn't seem to have any negative effect on handling. I'm sure the Conti' Race Kings added to the whole easy rolling nature too ... once moving, it just keeps going with very little effort - ideal for those long fire road climbs, of which there were plenty.

Sallys first night out.

On the very high ground (above 500m) the wind was howling, so a retreat to shelter seemed like a sound option. After a mammoth fire road climb we found a flatish pitch on the edge of a forest. The floor cleared of branches and twigs, tarps were strung up, mats inflated and within half an hour we were sorted ... tea in hand.

Worlds heaviest shelter?

2011-04-29T00:35:00.000-07:00

While out riding on Monday I came across this. There's plenty of room inside for sleeping and even cooking. It'd certainly keep the worst of the weather at bay.

Nearly enough room for 2.

There must be loads of these all over the country. Just think of the weight saving advantages if you knew where they all were!

Natural Shelter at it's best.

2011 WRT Grid References

2011-04-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

The grid references for this year will be emailed out at 9.00am on Thursday April 28th. If you don't receive them, then first check your spam folder. If they're not there then email me. There's a couple of forms without an email address so I'm expecting at least a few anxious emails ... enjoy!

Help for tarpists ... Part 2.

2011-04-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

Erecting a tarp can be as easy or hard as you want to make it. In it's simplest form as either a ridge or lean- to it can be thrown up very quickly and if pitched with a little care and consideration to the conditions, should offer adequate shelter ... obviously, that depends on your understanding of adequate!

Even these simple tarp configurations will require something to support the material of the tarp though, trees, sticks, walls or your bike can all prove useful for the purpose - simple!

Last summer I found myself riding down through a small, high sided valley. It was starting to get dark and I was looking for a spot to set up camp. Flat ground was at a premium so the first bit I came across became the evenings spot. Obviously the first job was getting a brew on and the second was sticking my tarp up as the folk who know had promised heavy rain in the night. Did I use sticks? No there weren't any. Did I use trees? No trees, hence no sticks. So you used a wall or fence then? Nope, didn't have the option of either. In the end I took my front wheel out and used that to support one end and my upturned bike to support the other. So there I was sorted, I had shelter ... I also now had everything in my bags upside down so looking for stuff in the dark involved emptying everything out and losing it in the grass, fantastic!

122cm tarp pole ... erm nice!

I lay under my tarp, listening to the rain and thinking. My main thoughts were about finding something else to help hold my tarp up, something that I could pack easily, didn't weigh much and would actually be a benefit rather than an ill conceived burden ... the picture above shows my solution. This foldable aluminium pole is 122cm long, weighs 120g and folds down to 33cm, so it fits the criteria I mentioned above with regard to packing and weight ... but is it a help or hindrance?

Yes, I know I've used this pic before.

Well, I can safely say taking a pole along with a tarp makes a massive difference not only to where you can pitch but also to how you can pitch. With a little practice and thought your tarp can become much more than a basic ridge or lean-to. The big advantage with a pole is that it allows you to support the tarp from underneath and 'inside', so much more coverage is possible than if you only support it from the edges.

I got my pole from Ultralight Outdoor Gear, they are available in 3 different lengths, 90cm, 115cm and 122cm ... bear in mind that when packed, the 122cm pole is shorter than the 115cm one due to it folding into 4 sections rather than 3.

http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/gram-counter_gear_lightweight_aluminium_tent_pole.html

Food for thought.

2011-04-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

If you're riding you've got to eat ... it's that simple. If the riding is a 2 hour blast around the trail centre then chances are, any eating can wait until you get back, if it's a 'proper' ride then you'll have to re-fuel at some point. One of the big problems with food can be weight, if you carry the stuff you really feel like eating then you'll possibly also end up with a big increase in the weight of what you're carrying. Compromises may be the only way!

Another consideration is the energy content of what you're carrying / eating. You might have reduced the weight of your food down to ultralite acceptable but if you've sacrificed its energy content in the process, then it may all be in vain.

Yum yum

I'm informed that when mountain biking, you burn 3.9 calories per pound of body weight every hour. That means that if you weigh 11 stone and are going to be riding for 8 hours, your body will use 4805 calories ... that's a lot of calories when you consider that government guidelines advise 2000 calories per day for the average adult.

There's also health issues to consider. Fat contains more calories per g than any other food type ... however, stuffing 4 blocks of lard down your throat isn't going to do you much good in the long run, although it will supply you with lots of calories. I once heard of an ultra runner who survived on nothing but pork pies throughout a rather epic run as they contained the highest number of calories per g than anything else he could carry.

Obviously the figures above are going to vary for numerous reasons. However, if you only use them as a rough guide it's still surprising how much food you might be eating and unfortunately carrying.

T, T, S and S Part 4 ... Six Moon Designs.

2011-04-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

While searching the internet for something I payed a visit to Six Moon Designs. I haven't been to their web site in a while so it was a nice surprise to find their new 'tent' the Skyscape.

Skyscape Scout

The Skyscape is a double skin 1 man tent. It pitches with a single pole and has more than enough internal size to sit up and even the tallest will be able to lie down without contacting the tent walls. What's interesting is the fact that the same tent is available in 3 different guises, just factor weight against cost to determine which is right for you.

The heaviest version is the Scout and it weighs 960g ... yes that's right, 960g and it's the heaviest model! At the top of the tree is the 'X' which although the same size weighs a silly light 450g!

All 3 models are available to pre-order (you won't get one in time for the WRT though) and both the Scout and the middle model Trekker (680g) have special pre-order pricing with the scout coming in at $90 and the Trekker $175 ... that really has to be a bargain and remember those prices are $ not £.

If you're on the look out for a light, 1 man shelter that should stand whatever nature throws at it, go and have a look at http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/ and yes, they do other things too.

Light, Cheap and Compact.

2011-04-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

No, not really but 2 out of 3 isn't that bad. The good old, closed cell foam camping mat ... it's been around for a long time and kept thousands of people off cold floor's the world over. Let's be honest though, it's old hat. Modern technology brought us the self inflating mat so we had more squidge and you could fold it up so it was more compact. Then came the new breed of inflatables, supremely comfortable, easily packable and if you bought wisely, pretty light ... so what am I doing messing about with this thing for?

The most boring pic I've ever taken ... std £4.99 mat

Well, the foam mat does have some things going for it, even in today's blow up world. Firstly price, the mat above was the grand sum of £4.99. The second thing to consider is weight, this mat in it's full length guise weighs 180g. Lastly it's nearly impossible to damage, it won't puncture and it doesn't matter if it gets wet. The big drawback is how much space it takes up, however I'm wondering if this is a real issue when packing your bike ... After all, I have a dry bag harnessed to my bars, that bag is roughly the same shape as this mat once it's rolled up. If I roll the mat around the dry bag then it adds virtually nothing to my pack size.

When something costs less than a fiver you're more inclined to have a play about with it, which is exactly what Mr Stanley knife and me did. First job was to shorten it (it was bigger than me anyway) 30 seconds later and it was now a 3/4 length mat. Then we tapered the sides from about waist height down ... no point carrying stuff around I'm not going to be using.

Just a few minutes later

Whatever kind of mat I use, I always stuff a dry bag with clothes (or anything I can find) and use it as a pillow. This works great until the bag / pillow rolls away from me in the middle of the night ... I wake up, retrieve it and go back to sleep until the whole process starts again an hour later. The idea of an integral pillow seemed like a good one. I cut the top of the mat so I was left with 2 arrow shaped 'ears'. When the top of the mat is rolled over these ears line up with 2 holes. Push the 'ears' through the holes, stuff the tube with pillow material and there you go ... an inbuilt pillow which can't escape in the night.

Integral pillow ... just Stuff 'N' Go

With the addition of a few more holes (for added weight saving effect) we were finished. The mat now weighs 115g and fits quite snugly around my bar mounted dry bag. I know it's not going to be the most luxurious of mats but I think for shorter trips it'll be fine ... After all, what did we do when that's all we had?

10 Questions ... Aidan Harding.

2011-04-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

Here we go ... 10 questions with Aidan Harding. For those who don't know, amongst other things Aidan has competed in 2 Iditarod Trail invitationals and raced the Tour Divide last year. He'll be racing the TD again this summer but I'm sure the highlight of his year will be the WRT ;o)

You can follow Aidans adventures via his web site www.aidanharding.com

• On last years TD you rode singlespeed, was that for simplicity, weight saving or just because?

Mostly just because. There's no doubt that gears ought to be faster, especially on a route with as much flat as The Divide. There were definitely times when I would have killed for a big ring. But, singlepeed does impose a certain rhythm to long distance riding. You can't get to the top of a hill, whack it up a few gears and stay on the power - you have to slow down a bit when the going is easy. I like that. And if you ride singlespeed all the time, hulking up climbs is just normal.

• Are you going to have another go at the WHW double and how fast do you think it could be done in perfect conditions?

I'm not. I didn't enjoy it at all. That's not entirely the trail's fault - I did go there to train for the Iditarod Trail Invitational so I wasn't 100% committed to finishing the WHW double. What I got was a lesson in mental toughness and how much I'd let it slip. That was a useful lesson and helped me to get my head right before Alaska.

The thought of carrying around Loch Lomond again fills me with boredom, so I can't see the temptation to go back. I think someone will make it this year. The best person for the job would probably be a 24 hour racer rather than a multi-day rider. When I get tired, I just want to go to bed. To make the WHW double, you'll be going way into sleep deprivation.

• You ride a Singular, do you believe 29ers offer a big advantage over long distances?

I don't think that wheel size is the whole story. I absolutely hated another 29er I rode a few years ago, but the Swift is the best XC bike I've ever ridden. I was a sceptic when I first met Sam for a test-ride, but I rode the tightest trails I could find and it was great.

So, it's hard to speak from personal experience about 26 vs 29 without having ridden enough 29ers. But the numbers on a race like the Tour Divide are pretty compelling. In 2010, there was only 1 rider on 26" wheels. Maybe we're all sheep, but I think there's something to be said for having big wheels for long distance.

• Do you have one piece of kit you wouldn't be without?

In Alaska, my neoprene face-mask was the best thing ever. This year was the first time I've used one and I had no idea how much my perception of cold was dictated by my face getting chilly.

But overall, it's my Leatherman. Ever since a wet ride in The Chilterns when my brake pads wore out and my fingers were too numb to change them, I've always made sure I have those pliers. On that ride, I had to limp home in the dark with one brake and a light that kept cutting out. Eventually, the other brake was worn out too, I lost feeling in my hands and feet and I started to feel dizzy. It all started from not having the tools to sort my brakes out. I've used that tool loads of times since and it considerably increases my bodging options. With that, duct tape, and cable ties I can get out of pretty much anything. (Just ask Aron Ralston!)

• What keeps you motivated during an ultra endurance event? ... there must be times when you just want it all to stop.

The truth is: every single time, I reach a point where I don't want to carry on. Then, I have a sit down, eat and drink, and eventually realise that I couldn't quit if I wanted to. When you're a day or more away from help, quitting isn't very practical.

I like to read books about Polar exploration and I'm greatly heartened to find that those guys go through the same thoughts. And they reach the same conclusion, once you're committed, you're not going to be able to give up so you might as well get on with it. They also face much harsher challenges than I ever have and come through them.

In general, though, the places I've raced through are so amazing that they motivate you. If you can postpone your bad feelings, eventually some view or some section of trail or some local person will blow you away and then you realise why you're there.

Aidan ... Tour Divide 2010

• You're racing the TD again this year, will you do anything differently from last year?

I'm riding a lighter bike - a Singular Pegasus; and trimming down my kit. The biggest difference in kit is switching from a 35L drybag on the front (cheap but difficult to keep off the front tyre) to a smaller front bag and more stuff directly attached to the frame.

I'll also be going harder tactically. I slept in hotels a lot last time and that meant some days ending earlier than they ought to. I know I can do the distance, and just finishing isn't my aim so I can risk more in the direction of possibly breaking myself :)

• How many calories a day did you get through on this years Iditarod?

I have no idea. When I rode to McGrath in 2009, I had spreadsheets with calories per gram and all sorts. The food that I took as a result was dreadful. I didn't want to eat it, so I was undernourished for the whole trip.

This time, I just took the kind of foods I know I crave and guessed the amount per day by sight/heft.

But, I can tell you I ate about 2000 calories in one sitting in Kaltag (the village at the end of the Yukon section). My food had gone missing and the stuff I managed to get hold of had the calorie totals written on it.

• If you could ride with one person who would it be?

It's always fun to ride with my friends and I don't get to do that enough.

Aside from them, it would be Mike Stroud. He is a polar explorer, adventure racer, medical doctor, and researcher into endurance sport.

• Which do you worry about most bears or moose?

Moose. They're belligerent animals that will take you on just to have supremacy on the trail. Bears aren't generally that interested in messing with people.

• Is there anyone you'd like to thank?

There are way too many people, but here's a short-ish list:

Emily and my family for putting up with me.

Sam at Singular Cycles for making great bikes and helping me out loads.

9 Bar for helping me out with food for Alaska. Tastier, more nutritious, and easier to eat frozen than anything else out there.

And all the race organisers: Bill & Kathi Merchant, Matthew Lee, and your good self.

Something to suit everyone.

2011-04-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

I came across a couple of interesting things while I was out today. You stand a fair chance of coming up against one of them on this years WRT ... I think you'll be (un)lucky to find the other one!

A picture doesn't really do this justice, when I say it's steep I do mean steep. There are 148 steps in total and quite a few switchbacks like the one in the picture ... it is quite mad!

Hopefully you should be able to make out the zig zag track in the picture. The track in question would appear to be about the only way to cross the ridge. For a sense of scale, all the trees you can see are fully grown! It was one hell of a climb to get above it.

WRT ... How hard?

2011-04-11T00:56:00.000-07:00

That is a difficult question to answer. The nature of the WRT means that it could be as easy or as hard as you want to make it. Doesn't really answer the question though does it? Yesterdays scouting trip might be a little more helpful. Knowing the facts and figures still won't answer the 'how hard will it be?' question but it might help put things into perspective ... If your longest ever ride is 4 hours around a trail centre you might want to skip this ;o)

Silly bike in nice place caption

The bad points ... I chose a silly bike to ride which made things harder but I have to say, lots of fun.

The good points ... I knew where I was going so didn't have to navigate. The weather was just right, dry, sunny and not too hot. I wasn't loaded. I was running 'special Welsh 29er' gearing of 32:20.

Total distance covered was 30 miles (48k) and the total height gain was 3015 ft. We (hello Sally) had 2 fords to cross and did stop for the odd breather. All seems pretty straight forward so far. However, add the fact that we were out for 7 hours and actually riding for 6 and the picture starts to look a little different ... an average speed of 5 mph is not massive. We could have gone faster in certain places but not much faster!

When you receive your list of grid references and you start to plan your route just bear the above in mind. Due to the terrain and the load carried, your average speed will possibly be quite a lot lower than you imagine it will ... you don't get far by going fast, you get far by going for a long time! (but obviously that doesn't always work either).

Return of the spoon

As an aside, you'll all be glad to know that I was able to retrieve my AlpKit Ti spoon ... it was still hanging in the tree where I'd left it 3 weeks ago.

Define Bikepacking ...

2011-04-08T11:27:00.001-07:00

Someone asked - in their mind bikepacking was just a different name for off road touring. At the time I struggled to give them a decent answer but I knew, that to me bikepacking is different, so here's a few thoughts on what makes bikepacking different to off road touring.

At first glance the 2 things are the same. Take a bike, load it up with what you need and ride it from place to place, spending each night somewhere different from that mornings starting point ... I think the differences are a touch more subtle than that though. To me, off road touring (ORT from now on) places a real emphasis on the final destination and the actual bike riding, in much the same way road touring does. Covering a certain mileage each day, staying in a predetermined location each night with a schedule to meet. B&B, hotel, hostel or campsite pre-booked and waiting at the end of a long day ... always close enough to the real world that you can jump back in for a hot shower or pub lunch.

I think that bikepacking shifts this emphasis and whilst the destination and riding is still important, it's the nights away that define a bikepacking (BP) trip. I believe that BP has much more in common with backpacking (that's proper backpacking, not lazy students having a year off) than anything else. Perhaps that's why there's such an interest in kit and and an almost overwhelming desire to minimise the weight of kit with BP. In my mind, where you choose to spend the night also plays a role in deciding whether you're BP or ORT. Self sufficiency is a big part of BP, so once you leave the 'trail' and head off to the B&B or pub you cease to be BP and have become an OR Tourer. If you roll out a bivvy bag, climb under a tarp or erect your tent right there at the side of the track then it's BP.

Trip duration or at least its importance could also be a factor. The word touring seems to imply at least a few days away. On the other hand, a valid BP trip might only involve a 10 mile, 2 hour ride out and the same back the following day ... remember the emphasis is on the 'night out' with less importance placed on the ride itself. It would also appear that how you choose to carry your kit could have a bearing ... BP does seem to have developed a certain style and has come up with solutions to problems that ORT doesn't seem to have considered.

Like I said at the start, these are just my thoughts and I'm pretty sure not everyone will agree ;o)

Salsa Anything cages and rack.

2011-04-07T04:36:00.000-07:00

I'm glad to report that the Salsa Anything cages I've being waiting for have arrived this morning. It's been quite a struggle to get them but thanks to Adrian in the US they're now fitted to the orange Inbred. The Salsa minimalist rack arrived last week but that was in stock at the UK distributors so didn't require any underhand tactics to buy!

The rack has a weight limit of 5kg which doesn't sound like much until you consider that my entire kit only weighs around 6kg. The cages don't have a stipulated limit but I'm thinking you wouldn't be putting anything heavy in them ... just bulky. I did have a few concerns about clearance between whatever was in the cages and the frames downtube but these seem unfounded as long as you don't go too mad with the height of the dry bag you fit ... the pic shows a 5l dry bag in there. The rack and cages come with some rather nice Salsa straps which while not a deal breaker is a nice touch.

Even with a loaded rack there's still room to run a bar harness if required without the 2 things getting in each others way. I'm hoping that teaming the rack and cages up with a frame bag and bar harness will open up a few different carrying options particularly for winter trips or longer multi- day excursions ... I'll let you know if I'm right.

Water

2011-04-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

Being blessed with an iron constitution and burdened with a cavalier attitude to personal safety means that I've never really bothered with any form of water filtration or purification. I've never suffered any ill effects from drinking straight out of streams, rivers and lakes. Obviously I use common sense when sourcing water ... only taking water from fast flowing streams, checking for dead animals upstream, collecting water away from paths, etc.

A few weeks ago I found myself in a position that made me reconsider things a little. We (Taylor, Steve M and myself) found ourselves in a Welsh forest in the rain, which in itself isn't very unusual. What was unusual was the fact we were struggling to find a source of water, no rivers, streams or springs. The forest in question was however about the wettest, boggiest forest I've had the pleasure to sleep in. The only (just about) running water source we could find was in a drainage ditch!

My super sense of, 'tasting for nasty water' led me to believe the water we'd collected would be fine to drink, even if it was brown but you could be easily mistaken. To cut a slightly long story short, we did drink the water and no one died but we'd filtered the water first! As luck would have it Taylor had brought along a Platypus gravity filter and everything we drank went through that.

Water good ... Sheep poo bad

Yesterday while walking around the outdoor emporiums of Betws I came across this water filter. It filters out 99.9% of Giardia and Cryptosporidium, both of which would end anyone's ride very quickly. You can use it in-line in conjunction with you normal bladder or screw it onto a water bottle or platypus pack. The filter is good for up to 50 gallons before it requires changing and the best bit is, they're selling them for £15 at Cotswold Outdoors. It's small enough to loose in a pocket and weighs 50g so there shouldn't be any issues with packing one. There's a few of these on the market from different manufactures but I've never seen them at this price, so if you've any concerns about whether the water you find is safe to drink it might be a sound investment.

Don't think that you need a filter for the WRT though, you shouldn't have any problems finding clean, safe water, as long as you're sensible ;o)

Last Chance!

2011-04-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

So, March 31st was the final day to enter this years WRT, however there's quite a few forms still coming through and seeing as I'm such a nice person, I've decided to extend the entry period until April 15th. After the 15th you'll have to offer some substantial bribes to get in!

If you meant to enter but didn't ... get on with it. If your riding partners forgot ... tell them they have one last chance. As forms arrive back I'll add the names to the start list a few posts down, so keep checking.

AlpKit make (k)it easy.

2011-04-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

I received an email this morning telling me that AlpKit had put some more bikepacking related stuff on their website. This email reminded me that I needed to buy a new Lahoon long handled spoon, as I'd left mine hanging from a tree a couple of weeks ago, so off I went to AlpKits website.

As I was reading and browsing it dawned on me that AlpKit have made entering the shady world of bikepacking as simple as can be. No matter how minimal your kit is (or how minimal you'd like it to be) there's certain items that you pretty much can't do without. Shopping for said items can be a literal minefield, particularly if you buy your stuff from an army surplus outlet. There's just so much stuff out there and so many choices ... buying the wrong stuff can be both costly and uncomfortable.

I whizzed my mouse around a bit and came up with a little list of AlpKit items all of which I'd consider to be pretty much essential for UK bikepacking. I haven't necessarily picked the lightest or least expensive products either ... here you go.

Sleeping Bag - SkyeHigh 600, 1215g and £100.

Sleeping Mat - Numo air mat, 468g and £40.

Bivvy Bag - Hunka, 420g and £30.

Tarp - Rig 7, 515g and £45.

Some pegs for your tarp - Candy Canes, 15g each and £6.50 for 10.

Just so no one says I've forgotten something - 3mm Fredd cord, 85g and £4.50 for 20m.

So, lets tot all that up then ... £226 and 2.85kg. Now, obviously there's lighter stuff out there and there's cheaper stuff out there too but light and cheap are most certainly at opposite ends of the scale. I think that AlpKit have done a superb job in bringing those 2 ends much, much closer together ... they've also achieved it without sacrificing quality.

Don't forget that they produce other stuff that's equally suited to the needs of people who should really know better, titanium cookware, dry bags, lighting and my favourite Gourdon backpacks are a few that spring to mind. If you're looking for some new gear get over there and take a look, if you've more gear than you'll ever need, still get over there and read about other peoples adventures http://www.alpkit.com/extend-your-ride including Nick and Kenny's, Snowdon - Cadair - Snowdon trip, both of whom will be taking part in this years WRT.

T, T, S and S Part 3 ... Force Ten Helium.

2011-03-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

If anyone can be bothered to search back through the posts you'll find that sometime last year I wrote something about Gelert Solo tents. The Solo is about the cheapest 'useable' one man tent on the market, if you search around on-line you can pick them up for under £30. As much as it's a 'useable' tent there are a few compromises you have to be willing to accept. It isn't the lightest of tents, pack size isn't the smallest and it's not unknown for the fiberglass poles to break in rough conditions or with rough treatment. The solo also pitches inner first so if it's raining trying to keep the inner dry can be a struggle. Something else I don't like is the fact I can't sit up in it ... and if I can't, there won't be much chance of you doing.

If you've decided that tents are for you and you can't accept the compromises of the Solo then perhaps this is for you ... a Force Ten Helium.

Pitching nose into the wind is a good idea

It still shares the basic concept of the Solo but differs dramatically in most areas. The first thing is the weight and pack size, the Helium weighs just over a Kilo and packs down to the size of a 2/3 man tarp, so you shouldn't have much trouble carrying it. Pitching is either 'as one' inner and outer together or you can just pitch the outer if you wanted to ... even in poor conditions it can be erected in under 5 minutes. Head height at the centre is just under a metre so sitting up is much less of a problem.

It's like a little palace in there

The porch isn't massive but there is enough room to store your gear and shield you while cooking ... I wouldn't recommend cooking in the porch with the door shut, it really is just too small. Now the worst bit, you can buy at least 6 Gelert Solos for the same price as one of these ... perhaps those compromises aren't too bad after all.

WRT 2011 Start List.

2011-03-30T02:11:00.000-07:00

So here it is (in no order whatsoever) the WRT start list for 2011. If you can't see your name, have another look and if it's still not there but you think it ought to be, get in touch. If I've spelt your name wrong then I apologise and you'll be quite welcome to give me a hard time about it at the start ... you may also want to sort your handwriting out too though ;o)

John Talbot-Jamie Talbot- David Everard-Taylor-Peter Bragg- Mark Ward-Jamie Warder- Simon Jones- Sally Harrington-John Wright-Paul Twidell-Andy Chadwick-Jane Chadwick-Paul Dytham-Matt Houlbrook-Paul Faulkner-Joshua Ward-David Ward-Craig Nimmo-Jim Collins-Will Good-Sam Good-Nick Gilling-Aidan Harding-Matthew Cockerham-Amy Baron Hall-Alison Mitchelmore-Dominic Bradley-Scott Manley-Daniel Lee-Patrick Adamson-Gareth Wooffitt-Mark Goldie-Richard Smith-Nicholas Blake-Paul Pomfret-Pete Bartlett-Andy Davidson-Ian Barrington-Kenny Stocker-Matt Harvey-Richard Lowerson-Adam Houlbrook-Steve Morgan-Johnathan Beech-Jason Habberfield-Andrew Adlington-Matthew Alder-Jason Stapleton-Jim Hawans-Nick Smith-Will Kemp-Roger Baker-Keith Pitcher-Philip Wise-Duncan Mellor-Mike Clarke-John Rowlands-Deb Wood-Gaynor Morgan-Mark Landan-Chris Narborough-Nick Robins-James Davenport-Mark Weldon-Graham Everard-Zak Fine-Leigh Waldran-Matt Treanor-Mattphew Robertson-Richard Billyeald-Dave Llewllyn-Oliver Webb-Anthony Rampley-Stuart Beardow-Neil Parkes-Darren Hartley-Kevin Roderick-Thom Bostock-Sally Smith-Chris Lang-Patrycia Pinkowska-Jakub Jablonowski-Mathew Ellis-Andrew Denton-Stephen Pike-Andrew Nordquist.

If anyone's form is still in the post then don't panic, you'll be added once it arrives.

Rideable at last.

2011-03-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

Well the orange Inbred is pretty much ready to go. I'm still waiting for the Salsa Anything cages and minimal rack but I'm told they've been dispatched and will arrive shortly. I think it's turned out pretty well all in all. There wasn't a fixed budget but it also wasn't a money no object, fit what you like affair either. Certain things have fallen by the wayside as cheaper alternatives came along and were too good to miss ... fitting Shimano hydraulic discs rather than Avid BB7s is jut one example.

I've set it up with a 2 x 9 drive train as I don't think I'll be missing a big ring (certainly not when it's loaded off road). I had considered going 2 x 10 so I could use a 36t cassette (I know you can get a 12-36 9spd Deore one but it weighs 500g!) but I still don't fully trust 10spd chains even though I have a Carver set up 1 x 10 and it's given me no cause for concern.

The front wheel is fitted with an 18t SS cog so if disaster strikes my gears I'll hopefully be able to keep rolling ... common sense may dictate this changes to a 20t at some point.

First impressions seems pretty good ... pulling wheelies around the yard would indicate size and fit are pretty much spot on, saying that, I've enough bikes to know what suits and what doesn't suit me. One thing to bear in mind is, it's a 29er and I'm a P.O.R.G (Person Of Restricted Growth) lots of people will tell you that you can't ride a 29er when you're 5' 7" ... obviously they've not tried.

Confessions of a part time swinger.

2011-03-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

If you value a good nights sleep when you're out in the hills (or local park) braving the elements and wino's while you connect with nature, then you might like to consider a hammock. I'm not going to pretend that swinging from the trees is for everyone but neither is a bivvy bag ... you pays your money, etc, etc. One thing I do know is that I've had some of my best nights in a hammock, so perhaps you would too.

The hammock in the pictures is a DD Travel Hammock, they cost under £50 and come with everything you need to get going. As you can see, there's a full midge net to keep the teeth with wings at bay, each side has a full length zip so you can access the hammock from either side then zip yourself in, nice and snug. The base of the hammock is a 2 layer affair, this means that you can slip a sleeping mat beneath you (you will need to do this in all but the warmest weather) to insulate you from cold air underneath. The 2 layer design also allows you to climb in between the layers for weather protection if things got really bad and / or use the whole thing as a ground shelter if you find yourself with no trees.

You can do your own caterpillar impressions

Setting the hammock up is about as quick as it gets. Tie each end to a tree then get in ... it really is that simple, however you may want to practice your knot work and experiment with setting the hammock at different angles before you get too carried away ... oddly having your feet higher than your head tends to work best.

Look comfy?

As with everything in life, there's always going to be drawbacks and compromise and using a hammock is no exception ... here's the negatives.

• Weight ... this weighs 1250g (lighter hammocks are available).

• Pack size ... could be an issue depending what you're used to.

• Obviously you need trees or something else to swing from.

And the good bits.

• Comfort ... hammocks are very comfy.

• No spiders crawling into your mouth at night!

• No need for a flat / smooth camping spot.

• It's actually fun ... don't underestimate this one.

I'm sure there's loads of other pros and cons but these are things that spring to (my) mind. I'm not a hammock evangelist by any means, I've only taken a hammock on 2 trips so far this year the rest of the time I've been in a bivvy bag spitting out spiders all night long but sometimes there really is nothing better than swinging about in the trees.

A question of weight.

2011-03-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

It's an unfortunate fact that you possibly won't notice the negative effects of riding a loaded bike until you start to go up hill. On the flat it just rolls and on the downs it can be a bonus, so long as you haven't gone mad ... It's the ups that become the concern. Bikepacking just like backpacking is synonymous with weight saving, the lighter your kit the less work you'll have to do on the hills. This should mean you'll get less tired so you should be able to ride faster and/or further.

Getting your lightweight kit together isn't always simple. There are lots of factors you have to consider and compromise is usually the name of the game ... this balancing act has to take into account cost, weight, performance, pack size and practicality amongst other things. It must be said that even if you have bottomless pockets and aren't afraid to use them it won't always mean you'll get the equipment best suited to your requirements ... as an example, the lightest bivvy bag in the world weighs less than 100g, costs more than anything else BUT it's not breathable, so regardless of how super lightweight it is I personally wouldn't even consider it.

When you are trying to select kit and lets be honest there's such a vast choice it can become bewildering, you need a starting point. For many of us this will be cost and everything else will have to fit in around it but another starting point could be weight. I've had a think and compiled a list of what I would consider to be MAXIMUM weights for various items I'd take on a SUMMER over night trip. Obviously there's stuff out there that weighs much less but there's also plenty that's far heavier ... When I see a tent advertised as, ideal for backpacking with a weight of 3.5kg or a sleeping bag described as lightweight even though it weighs 2kg I have to wonder what type of medication certain members of the outdoor retail world are taking.

How much do you want to carry to the top?

• Sleeping bag - 1kg

• Bivvy bag - 500g

• Tarp (inc pegs/guys) - 600g

• Sleeping mat - 500g

• Stove and fuel - 200g

• Mug/cup/pan - 200g

• Groundsheet - 200g

• Evening insulating layer - 500g

Remember those weights are MAX so if I was looking for kit and the item in question weighed more but didn't offer me a significant increase in performance then I'd start to look elsewhere. Your biggest potential weight savings are likely to come from the above list. Also, remember it's not really worth buying that titanium spork if your sleeping bag weighs 2kg and packs to the size of a small country and those ultralight tent pegs won't have much of a noticeable effect if your tarp weighs 1.5kg.

AlpKit Rig7 ... best in test.

2011-03-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Thought some of you might be interested in this, seeing as how we (me) likes tarps. The latest issue of Trail magazine has a tarp test ... 5 different tarps go head to head sort of thing. Anyway our friends at AlpKit have walked away with best value (not surprisingly) and also best in test ... hoora I hear you cry.

Their Rig7 tarp saw off some big names and some big prices to come out on top. The test makes interesting reading in itself, so you might want to pick a copy up, especially as there's a sleeping bag and sleeping mat review in there too. Obviously if you're on the look out for a tarp then make your way over to AlpKit and buy yourself a winner.

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16474&category_id=290

ShellTA update.

2011-03-15T03:33:00.000-07:00

I took along a Furtech ShellTA on last weekends trip but unfortunately wasn't able to get any pictures of it erected so I've erected it again and here you go. The ShellTA can be used in many guises, it can be worn as a poncho, zipped up into a bivvy bag, converted into a 2 man storm shelter or as in this case turned into a tarp. I took along 8 pegs and a 115cm foldable alloy pole. The total weight was 570g ... obviously you don't require a pole, instead you could erect it as a ridge between trees or bikes, hang it from a tree or just use a stick.

I tied the 'hood' off with its elasticated drawcord and that gave me a very secure pocket for my pole to sit in. By moving the pole off centre I was able to have one side lower than the other to offer more protection and increase the available floor space. I chose to use 8 guys but 4 or 6 would work fine ... 8 does allow a taughter pitch though. Internal space is very good, the usable floor space is around 7' x 4' and I'm able to sit up without any problems. There was more than enough room for me to sleep, store all my kit and carefully cook underneath the ShellTA.

Saturday night saw persistent rain and a fair amount of wind but I remained dry, as did all my stuff. The pitch also meant no water gathered on the 'roof' which can be a problem ... Taylor was able to collect 4l of water off his tarp on Sunday morning.

I haven't tried the ShellTA out as anything other than a tarp yet but when I do I'll report back as to how I get on but so far I'm impressed.

A bit like, Last of the summer wine!

2011-03-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

Friday morning saw me loading the old Inbred up and awaiting the arrival of Taylor. We were setting off into the mountains for a couple of nights for no other reason than because we could ... I may however, have had a sneaky look at a few WRT grid references along the way. I still consider early March in Wales to be winter, so tend to pack accordingly. I was carrying or to be correct, the bike was carrying:

• Deuter Atmosphere 550 down bag.

• Outdoor designs 2 star bivvy bag.

• POE Ether Thermo 6 mat.

• Furtech ShellTA (plus 8 pegs and 115cm alloy pole).

• MYOG Plastic groundsheet.

• Sea to summit Thermo extreme bag liner.

• Rab microlight down jacket.

• Nanok sleep socks (borrowed from Dennis).

• Pop can stove.

• Alloy .9l pan and MYOG foil lid.

• AlpKit Ti Lahoon (now hanging from a tree somewhere, lost).

• MYOG foil windshield.

• Polystyrene cup.

• Disposable plastic bowl (think kids party).

• Disposable lighter.

• Meths.

• Tiny, dinky little knife.

• Phone ... don't know why I bother really.

• Montane featherlite smock.

• Buff type thing.

• First aid kit (bare minimum).

• Maps x 2 (different ones).

• Petzl head torch.

• Rab inner gloves.

• A fiver.

I also had the usual tools and spares you'd carry for most rides and I was obviously fully clothed but nothing exotic. Food was also present ;o)

Packed and ready to go.

Friday night was spend in a small wood. Nice and sheltered with a good water supply. We arrived there around 7.00 so by the time we'd set up and made some food it was pretty near bedtime ... the only noise was the river and the bloody foxes doing their best to keep us awake.

Yes, this is a sign in Wales ...you've been warned.

We had a nice steady start the following morning, we were meeting Steve at 10.00 a few miles away so weren't in any great rush ... so much so that we were late! The first real hurdle of the day was a road pass, the highest road pass in Wales. The picture below really doesn't do it justice.

Riding not compulsory.

Saturday turned into quite a long day with us eventually setting camp in the wettest forest in Wales around 8.30. I won't mention the hour long quest for water, the thigh deep bog, the missing Oakleys, lack of brakes, multiple punctures within 4 yards or the vanishing RUPP ... the owners of those stories can keep them for themselves.

The good weather made a return on Sunday after heavy overnight rain which made the 3 hour ride back all the better ... the very last climb still hurt though!

I've gone all Fanny Cradock.

2011-03-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

You know the feeling, legs feel like they're not yours and no matter how much you will them to keep spinning they just don't want to play ... you've run out of energy and you need to do something pretty quickly or sitting on the edge of the trail sobbing may be the result. Flapjack is your saviour, I'm not going to get all scientific and start talking GI and carbo loading, so you'll just have to trust me when I say, flapjack will get you home. Even folk who can't boil water without burning it can make flapjack if they follow the WRT 'almost fool proof' recipe ... where vagueness and near enough rule.

1/ Get yourself a pan.

2/ Put 6oz of marg' + 6oz of brown sugar (normal granulated will do) + 6 tablespoons of syrup in your pan.

3/ Locate the oven and turn the hob on, stick the pan on the hot bit until everything in the pan has melted.

4/ Find some oats (the porridge you bought, promised to eat but never did, will do) pour the oats in to your pan and keep stirring. Add more oats until you've got something that's around the consistency of thick porridge.

5/ Go mad and fling something else in there (not compulsory), dried fruit, nuts, choc chips, belly button fluff ... whatever you fancy.

6/ Now you'll need something to cook it in. A baking tray 1/2" deep and 10" x 8" would be great but whatever you find will more than likely be fine.

7/ IMPORTANT grease your baking tray with marg'. Give the inside a right good rub.

8/ Spoon/tip/fling your mixture in to your tray, level it out a bit and stick it in the oven. 200 degrees for 20 minutes should do the trick.

9/ Get it out and while it's still warm cut it up.

That's it, job done, the trail food of the gods ... told you it was simple.

Stuff sack or Tardis?

2011-03-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

The bag I'm holding doesn't look that big does it? So you might be surprised when I tell you that it contains, a bivvy bag, a tarp, a 2 man emergency shelter and a poncho.

Inside the bag is a shellTA, an ingenious bit of kit that can be transformed in to all of the above items. I'm going to take this one out for a couple of nights later this week and see how we get on ... I'll report back next week but in the meantime go and have a look over at http://www.furtech.co.uk/scripts/prodlist.asp?idcategory=15 to see what's what ... and yes, they've promised it's going to rain!

The Joy of M.Y.O.G

2011-03-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

I think there's a certain satisfaction to be had from making stuff. Perhaps whatever it is has cost you less than it would to buy one or maybe what you've made isn't available to buy ... either way it can be a nice feeling.

I've been meaning to sort myself out with a new stove wind shield for a while but didn't get round to it. My present one is alright but I knew it could be better and certainly lighter. I've used tin foil in the past too but it's not exactly the most robust of materials, so on multi day trips it's never really proved that successful. What I needed was something light that was flexible yet strong, cheap to buy and easily sourced ... not that I was asking for much.As luck would have it a shopping expedition turned up just the thing. While begrudgingly pushing a trolley around Morrison's I came across a pack of heavy duty foil serving platters ... 3 in a pack for £1.80. Any bikepacking Ninjas will be glad to hear they're also available in stealthy black but cost twice as much.

The separate pieces are joined by simply folding the doubled up material 3 times then 'rolling' the joints with a piece of wood (rolling pin, broom handle, etc). They're plenty strong enough and still retain enough flexibility. All the edges have been folded twice and rolled ... just to add a little more strength and remove any nasty edges. A slot near each end allows the thing to be joined to form your (almost) circular wind shield.

It rolls up to fit inside my 900ml mug, weighs next to nothing, should last a while and even has what I can best describe as etchings on the surface, so looks a little bit posh. There was enough material left over from 2 platters to knock up a new lid for my mug too, something which saved me over 100g in unnecessary weight ... now I'm proper geeky!

More Scouting ... dib dib dib

2011-03-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

A few pictures from this weekends grid reference scouting. You may or may not find yourself in the location of the pictures, obviously it'll all depend on your individual route. I'm sorry to say I didn't quite break the magic 2000ft barrier today. I think I was short by around 250ft, so it would be slightly unfair to call it mountain biking ;o)

Just needs a few slates and pointing

It was very, very dark in there

The Waltons weren't at home

Believe me ... it's a long pull up from the far valley bottom

Yes, it is all downhill from here

Bike Buddy ... adjustable cage.

2011-03-03T05:12:00.000-08:00

Following on a little from the orange On One build up and in particular the Enabler forks / Anything cage combo. I thought this may be of interest.

This is a Bike Buddy, it's a fully adjustable bottle cage but obviously it can hold other things besides bottles. It can be adjusted (by changing springs) to carry things up to 6" in diameter. The whole thing is made in the UK from lightweight stainless steel and there are a few different versions available depending whether you want to fit it to bottle cage mounts or not.

If you want to get your hands on one or just want a better look, go to http://www.bikebuddy.co.uk/ and take a look.

WRT 2010 ... One mans ride.

2011-03-02T09:23:00.000-08:00

Thought some of you might find this interesting. It's about one mans 2010 WRT, great words and some lovely pictures. If you were there it might spark some memories. If you weren't but are planning on riding this year, then it might offer a bit of an insight ... whether that be good or bad!

http://www.alpkit.com/daring-deeds/welsh-ride-thing-part-1

It's over on AlpKits website, so while your there reading pop into the shop and get some supplies. Nice work Paul.

Taking shape ... slowly.

2011-03-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

Well, the new very orange bikepacking bike now rolls ... as you can see. I'm still waiting on various bits and pieces but I thought I'd give you a quick run down of what's there at present and the thinking behind the choices.

Lets start with the frame. It's a 16" On One Inbred in 29 inch wheel flavour. I've played around with 29ers for a while and once I found a frame that fitted (it isn't easy being a person of restricted growth) I started to feel and appreciate the benefits big wheels offer. I also find that they can cover ground easier than their 26" counterparts ... especially if the ground in question is non technical, fire road, bridleways and gravel tracks, etc. The Inbred offered me everything I was looking for, other frames came close but not just close enough. I needed / wanted:

*Steel - I like steel frames would be enough here but I also like the fact they're easy to repair should the need arise.

*Rack mounts - Just in case.

*Easy to convert to single speed - Slot drop outs on this, so no worries there.

* Cost - Some of the other stuff I looked at cost nearly 3 times more.

So, the Inbred ticked all the boxes and we now had a frame sorted. Next on the list were the forks. For some folk, rigid forks wouldn't be a consideration but for me, putting suspension forks on never entered my head ... I'd seen the forks I wanted, all I had to do was wait until they came in to the country. The forks in question are Salsa Enablers. There were a number of reasons for choosing them above anything else.

*Steel

*135mm spacing - This means I run a rear wheel in the front, the front wheel has a single speed specific rear hub. The idea is that if something happened to my rear mech' or freehub I can just switch wheels and we're still rolling (hence the need for a single speedable frame). Another bonus is the ability to fit a Surly Larry or Endomorph 3.8" tyre in the front when the snow returns.

*Carrying - Salsa designed the fork to work with various 'bolt ons'. The first is their Anything cage. Think of it as an oversize waterbottle cage but it's not designed for water bottles ... it's designed to carry Anything (that'll be where the name comes from then), sleeping bag, tarp, food, spare clothes or whatever else you like. Stick it in a dry bag, strap it in the cage and off you go! There's mounts for 2 cages, one on each fork leg. Salsa have also added rack mounts but not just any rack mounts, they've produced a

minimalist rack that isn't designed to carry panniers but dry bags ... a bikepacking dream.

135mm fork spacing ... rear hub in front

That covers what I'd consider to be the 2 most important bits ... I'll stick more bits on as and when they arrive and report back.

Breaking news just in!

2011-02-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

It would appear that the poly tarp experiment is over. First reports point towards a frontal collapse, possibly due to fatigue. Obviously a full investigation will need to be carried out before we can be certain of the chain of events that led to today's disaster. Eye witness reports indicate that no one was injured in the catastrophe, although rescuers are still searching the remains for 2 squirrels who are as yet unaccounted for.

The devastating devastation from today's devastating disaster!!!!

Yori Plas from the farm down the lane, witnessed today's events and had this to say, "We've had some rain and some wind but the thing had been fine for 4 days, what happened today was a total surprise".

More news as we get it from the disaster scene!

Pauls bracket.

2011-02-27T01:22:00.000-08:00

Actually it's not Pauls, it's mine. This lovely little bracket is however made by Pauls Components in the good old US of A. It takes the place of your normal headset top cap and allows you to fit stuff that would otherwise be cluttering your bars ... lights, GPS, computer, etc.

If you use a handlebar harness to hold your kit then the bracket is fantastic. I've always found that if I have a harness fitted (to the bike, not me) and put a light on the bars, the 2 things interfere with each other. Fitting a light to the bracket raises it out of the way and keeps it central on the bike, so a win win really. They're available in black if you don't like silver and come with a nice new stainless centre bolt. I haven't seen them available over here yet but it's easy enough to order one on line. This one came from Aspire Velo Tech http://www.aspirevelotech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=PAUL_STEM-CAP-MOUNTS and cost $28 plus a couple of quid shipping ... worth it for the very exclusive, Pauls sticker it comes with!

WRT 2011 ... One month left to enter!

2011-02-25T10:33:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder folks, you've now got just over a month to get yourself entered for this years WRT. If you've already got an entry form then crack on, if you haven't but would like one, email me stuart@forestfreeride.co.uk and I'll sort you out.

Everything's swinging along nicely this end. The grid references are taking shape, raffle prizes are starting to come in and the 2011 logo has been sorted. I've also booked 3 full days of sun for the proceedings and you wouldn't want to miss that would you?

Danger of suffocation!

2011-02-24T09:03:00.000-08:00

We all know that the whole lightweight thing can get pretty expensive, once you get bitten by the bug it can be hard to stop. If the bug has bitten, then spending large sums of money on something to save a bit of weight or because it packs smaller makes perfect sense! However, if the bikepacking bug is still to infect you but you'd quite like a dabble, the potential expense can be off putting ... in our quest to bring bikepacking to the masses we've already looked at ultra cheap and ultra light stoves, so now I give you the polythene tarp. Once again lightweight and much cheapness team up to bring you something which may or may not work.

A trip to the builders merchants to buy 2 polythene dust sheets was a little too successful and instead of returning with the 2 single dust sheets ... I returned with a 50m roll of polythene, which I'm sure will come in handy. For anybody who lives near 'normal' shops I'm assured that a 3m x 3m sheet will cost you around £2.50. I knew that the thing would have to be put together as simply as possible and the simplest method of attaching the guy lines was by using pebbles. A few minutes splashing about in the river resulted in wet feet and 8 small round pebbles. I'm hoping that 3 guy lines on each side (plus the 2 ridge lines) will suffice but there's nothing stopping you adding more if you want. I wrapped each pebble in the polythene a couple of times then gave them a twist (bit like a boiled sweet wrapper) before tying a piece of string around them. Just to be on the safe side I also gave each one a couple of wraps of duct tape ... we now had some guy line points.

A handy tree and a stick provided the points at each end to tie the ridge lines to and there you go, a poly tarp. I set it fairly low to the ground to help minimise any sail effect but this may be at the cost of water collecting on the flatter roof but we'll see. There's enough room in there for 2 plus gear or possibly 3 at a push. I've really no idea how well it'll stand up to the Welsh weather (or any weather) so I'm going to leave it erected and see what happens.

I haven't got any scales that'll weigh it, so let's just say that it weighs next to nothing ... it's the lightest 'tarp' I've ever picked up. If you don't carry the pebbles about then obviously it weighs even less. As for pack size, you can easily fold it up and put it in a normal jacket pocket. Is it worth bothering with? Don't know yet, we'll find out but for what it costs and weighs, it must be worth a go.

Bear spotted in Wales!

2011-02-24T04:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry, that should say Bear Paw not Bear ... anyway. Living in the UK as most of us do it's easy to get slightly blinkered. As an example when you see or use the word shelter it tends to imply, sheltering from the weather, so rain, wind, cold and snow, etc. I think that at certain times of the year there are things to shelter from that are much, much worse than the British weather ... things that bite!

Midges are a curse, it seems that the nicer the place the more midges there'll be ... a kind of natural karma at work I suppose. The forests of Wales have their fair share of biting critters and at times it can be enough to make you leave the bivvy bag at home and pack a tent instead. That's a real shame though ... you're missing out on the best bivvy weather to be couped up inside a tent, just doesn't seem right, karma or no Karma! For me the solution is this.

It's made by a company in the States called, Bearpaw Wilderness Designs. They make all kinds of lightweight tents and shelters (inc' Cuben fibre stuff). This is the inner from their Pyro tent but can be used as a stand alone item. The ground sheet is sil nylon and the rest is very fine noseeum mesh ... so it keeps the nasty's out. You can either, string it from a tree branch, use a pole or stick or hang it inside a tarp. There's a nice big J shaped zip up entry (you can choose which side you'd like it on) and seven

pegging / tie points around the base.

This one is slightly different from the standard production model, I've had the height of the back and sides increased by 12" to keep any draughts out. That's one of the great things about Bearpaw, they'll happily custom make or alter designs to suit ... it's only your imagination which limits what they'll do. You might also have a pleasant surprise when you find out how much alterations and custom work costs. I won't quote weight / pack size with it not been standard but lets just say it weighs nothing and packs down to the same.

If you're on the look out for something to keep you from being eaten alive or even something to keep the weather off then pop over to http://www.bearpawwd.com/index.html and take a look.

If you ride all year ...

2011-02-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

Winter's a time for the hardcore, a time for those who can't or won't wait till spring. The misery and suffering won't kill you but it'll toughen you up and hone you down, so when the snow, wind and ice go you'll be ready ... sounds great doesn't it? and those clear, crisp and sunny days are but the rain, cold and wind isn't quite so nice. I've enjoyed riding through this winter more than ever before. Even though there was snow (lots of deep snow) and the coldest temperatures ever recorded since the last time they told us the same thing, I enjoyed myself ... why did I enjoy myself? I'll tell you why, because for the first time ever, I could finish a ride and still feel my fingers, my hands weren't soaking wet, nor had my gloves tried to freeze themselves to my grips ... I didn't have to endure the usual winter misery because I discovered Bar Mitts!

Bar Mitts are like gloves for your handlebars. Your hands go inside where you can still do whatever needs doing, change gear, brake, etc but the nasty outside elements can't get to you.They're made from Neoprene (to a very high standard) there's a small zip and velcro loop for your bars to pass through and on the other end (inside) there's a simple sleeve with a velcro adjuster that fits over the end of your grip ... so, as you can imagine fitting is a straight forward job of around 3 minutes. Once on they're very secure and obviously the fitting makes them universal too.

You could be forgiven for thinking that they might somehow interfere with your riding or perhaps you might get your hand stuck inside in an emergency ... these fears are unfounded. You only notice them because your hands aren't in pain! The first outing I had with them convinced me of their worth. My hands really don't like the cold, swollen joints, split skin and fingers much larger than they ought to be. So a ride in temperatures down towards minus 10 would usually involve the biggest, thickest pair of gloves I can find. With the Mitts fitted I chose to wear my lightest summer gloves (that could have been a really bad idea) ... the outcome was, warm and dry hands. At one point, on a long climb I even took my gloves off!

If you think, great idea but are a little worried about what the cycle fashion police might say, then if were honest, you don't really ride in winter do you? If on the other hand you think, great idea, I'll get some in September, my advice would be ... get some now. I can see these being on everyone's list and once the first signs of winter appear they'll be sold out ... remember, book early!

Not that I need much excuse!

2011-02-21T01:54:00.000-08:00

Anyone who's ever visited the Forest Freeride inner sanctum, or workshop as certain people refer to it, can't help but have noticed the number of bikes. The natural assumption is that the majority are hire bikes, that assumption is, I'm afraid, quite wrong ... 70% of the bikes are mine. It would seem that I really don't need much of an excuse to build a bike. A pair of handlebars or saddle might be all it takes to set me off on yet another build.

However, I feel slightly more justified with this. I'm 40 this year and the birthday fairies won't be bringing me a new Indy Fab but a 40th does deserve something a little special ... doesn't it? I'm like most people with too many bikes, each bike has a specific role. There's the PA I use for instructing, the Alpine I use for guiding, the SS Cyclo Cross bike for winter, downhill bike, SS monster crosser, 69er, etc, etc it's seemingly endless. One thing I haven't got though is a specific bikepacking/multi day bike (actually I have but I could always sell it). Combine 40th birthday with 'not having one' and you have the perfect excuse to build it, right?

All the bikes I've ridden on past trips have served the purpose but each one has been a compromise. Overcoming each bikes shortcomings has enabled me to forge a pretty good idea of what I want from a bike built to cover long distances, off road, while carrying my gear. You can see my starting point in the picture below. Over the next few weeks it'll get built up into what I'm hoping will be MY ideal bikepacking bike. I'll keep you posted and try to explain my choices and decisions as it progresses. I've a maiden voyage planned to celebrate my birthday, so fingers crossed eh.

Colour blindness has its advantages!

Help for tarpists!

2011-02-20T07:03:00.000-08:00

I like tarps, I like the flexibility they offer over most other types of shelter. However, when the winds whistling through the trees or charging over the hill tops the main weakness of a tarp often becomes apparent and it submits to nature ... resulting in you laid under a flat tarp!

By their very nature, a tarp when erected will usually have at least one big, unsupported side or sail as it may as well be. We'll have plenty of pegging points around the edges but not much else. If we could support any sail like areas then we'd have a shelter that could take much more of a battering from the wind ... The answer is, tarp clips.

These two bits of plastic are fantastic. They work a little like a button, trapping the tarp between themselves and locking into position ... importantly, without damaging your tarp.

By either using the eyelets or just the outside edge you can add guy lines to your tarp, you can put them pretty much anywhere. Besides adding strength, if you place them correctly you can use the new guys as lifters to raise the sides of the tarp helping create more internal space ... cunning eh!

As if by magic, here's one I made earlier. There's two clips each side on this example, hopefully you can see what I mean about using the guys as lifters. You can get then in the UK from Ultralight Outdoor gear, follow the link below and it'll take you straight to them.

http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/shelter_systems_grip_clips.html

Worlds lightest stove? ... possibly.

2011-02-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

I saw something on the Internet this week that got me thinking about solid fuel stoves. Some of you'll remember firing up your Mamod steam engines as kids, using the little white solid fuel blocks ... no, just me then.

My knowledge of cooking with fuel tablets pretty much stops and starts in the same place ... don't bother, they take ages to warm water, let alone boil it. So, I never bothered, until today. Obviously the first thing required was a 'stove'. My thinking was, make the stove support the pan, contain the flame and concentrate the heat and try to minimise the effects of a breeze/wind. I set to work and 10 minutes and a couple of cans later I had a rough mark 1 stove. I put 2 fuel blocks in, lit them, waited a few seconds for them to get going, put my pan on ... and the flame dwindled to half the size. Stupidly I'd forgotten to put any sort of air gap at the top of the stove between it and the pan. I quickly remedied the matter with some tin snips and a piece of aluminium (as you can see in the picture). Once more the pan was placed on the stove, I checked the flame, it was the same size as it was prior the the pan going on ... all was well. I sat back and waited, and waited. 21 minutes and 47 seconds later I had half a litre of boiling water! I'd started to suffer the effects of tea withdrawal at around 14 minutes, so had nipped back in to put the kettle on anyway.

Point proved then ... that's why no one bothers with the things. I couldn't leave it there though. I'd obviously had plenty of time to stand and stare at the thing and I'd decided that the fuel block wasn't really burning as well as it could have. The conclusions I came to were, even though the stove had a large air hole, the air been drawn in wasn't fully reaching the rear of the stove. I also guessed that the pan wanted lifting above the stove (as I'd done with the cobbled aluminium ring) but the air gap wanted to extend over a greater percentage of the circumference. Armed with another cup of tea I had a little think. Perhaps Mark 1 was just too complicated, I needed to make everything as simple as possible.

You'll die of thirst first

This is it, it doesn't get simpler. A base to hold the fuel block, 4 legs to support the pan and as much air from nearly every direction as the thing could ever need. As you can see from the picture, I put a fuel block in, lit it, then put my pan on top. I wasn't really expecting much to be honest ... possibly because it doesn't look like much.

To my surprise 7 minutes and 38 seconds later I had boiling water, proper boiling water, none of your little bubbles rubbish. It had just about used a complete block to achieve it but I was quite impressed. I was even more impressed when I realised that I'd possibly just built the worlds lightest stove ... that's right, the worlds lightest functional stove. I know there's a few titanium Esbit stoves out there but they're all over 5g ... this is just 3g and you could easily shave another off.

Oddly, it works

Pop can stove ... part 2.

2011-02-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

Our first job is the make the inner sleeve which will fit between the two can bottoms. We're going to use the split cylinder we lovingly made last time. The picture below should help a little.

A/ The circumference of the inside of the can (black line in can bottom) PLUS 30mm.

B/ The height of your tallest can bottom.

The lines with cut against them will hold the sleeve together. To measure them, pop your sleeve inside the can bottom, your aiming to get the sleeve to fit snugly into the lowest point (where the black lines are on the pic below). You'll find the ends of the sleeve will overlap ... use a pen to mark 10-15mm inboard of the over lap, mark it inside and out. Transfer the marks to one side and draw the lines ... half way down from the top for one and half way up from the bottom, for the other.

Once our lines are cut we need to add 3 or 4 notches to the bottom edge. Be as accurate as you want, it wont make any difference to how well the thing works! We should now have something that looks a bit like the picture below.

Roll it up and slot the two cuts together to form a cylinder ... as below. If you've loads of excess material on the join trim a bit off if you like.

I'm hoping that you haven't drunk your last full can just yet as we're going to need it. Use a full can (remember it has to be the same size) and CAREFULLY stretch ONE on your can bottoms. Don't go too mad or you'll either get them stuck or split the can bottom.

Doing well aren't we? ...This is the part that requires a little patience. First, put your inner sleeve into the stretched can bottom, with the notches you cut at the bottom. We now have to get the other can bottom to slide into the stretched one. It will be tight, you will get it in, apart from a tiny bit that won't behave itself. If you're struggling, cut yourself a shim from your scrap cans and use it like a shoe horn ... take your time, don't swear and be gentle. Once the two cans are lined up they should slide together fairly easily. Give 'em a good old squeeze and the end result should look something like below.

You did remember which way up it goes didn't you? ... the notches in the inner sleeve must be at the bottom. The picture below shows where we're going to cut to remove the TOP. I find that if you cut the crossed lines first, then score the outer circle you can often just break the quarters off.

The picture below shows the top removed and I've also cleaned up the outer edge ... don't feel you have to though. You can go as mad as you like tarting it up, file/grind it down, polish it or paint it ... whatever you like. You should also see some black dots, these are your potential jet locations. I've played around lots with sizes and location of jets and depending what your going to be cooking in these aren't bad. The upper dots, will produce flames that point more or less upwards, very good if your pot is a small diameter one, however you'll also need some kind of pan support, otherwise the pan will smoother the flames and put the stove out. The lower jet location will produce flames from the stove sides, so are more suited to a wide pan. In this configuration you can get away without an additional pan support too ... just sit your pan on top of the stove. Use a drawing/notice board pin to make the jet holes. Twist it like a drill and be careful not to push too far, you only want holes in the outer skin remember. I find that 8-12 jets works ok. Again be as precise or slap dash as you like with marking them out.

That's it, job done. Pour 20ml or so of meths in to your new pride and joy and fire it up. It'll take a couple of minutes to bloom but once it does it should look like this. Something to note - I've put two sets of jets in the stove below to try and show how the low and high jet locations will burn. Have fun!

Pop can stove ... part 1.

2011-02-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

If you've decided to enter the slightly dark world of M.Y.O.G, then a pop can stove is a pretty good place to start. Do it right and it should last years (unless you stand on it), there's no moving parts to break, no jets to clog and nothing to wear out. We'll do this in a Blue Peter two part style. In part one we'll prepare our cans and in part two we'll assemble our collection of scrap aluminium in to a meths burning work of art.

The first thing you'll need is two cans, doesn't really matter what they are as long as they're the same, obviously something 'diet' will produce a lighter stove though. You'll need a sharp blade and a block of wood, book or anything else about 2" high that falls to hand ... when I say about, I do mean about ... we'll be making this with absolute minimum precision.

Start with this

The first job is to cut the bottoms off the cans. We need as 'clean' as cut as possible. If you go in there hacking and chopping then our cans won't become the butterfly we were hoping for and will remain the scruffy, hairy caterpillar for all time. This is where your blade and lump of whatever comes in. Rest the blade on your 2" high platform and LIGHTLY press the can against it and start to turn the can, keep turning (you should be able to hear the blade scratching the can) and keep turning. After what feels like far too long, your can should have a very pronounced scored line around the it.

Cut like this

Now, with the tip of your blade make a small incision on this score line. Using your thumb nail gently start to press down along the score line starting from the incision. You should find that the can splits very easily and you end up with the 'clean' cut we mentioned earlier. If the can tears or splits below the score line while your getting it apart ... put it in the bin, it's scrap. Start again with a new can and spend a little more time scoring, the deeper the scored line the easier the can will split.

I'm afraid you now need to do the same thing with your second can. This time however, either raise or lower your blade by a few mm (put a magazine under it?) ... the can bottoms want to be slightly different heights. If everything has gone to plan you should now have two can bottoms and two can tops. Put the bottoms to one side and find some scissors. Cut a line bottom to top on one of your can tops, then cut the whole top of the can off (the ring pull part). This should leave us with a split cylinder and our two can bottoms. Everything left can go in the recycling bin, we have what we need.

End up with this

We'll turn it in to a working stove next time, so you'll need, your blade, a pen, a drawing pin and a ruler ... you'll also require a FULL can, the same size as you've already used.

*Come on baby light my fire.

2011-02-15T09:36:00.000-08:00

I introduced the MKettle a few weeks ago and have finally got round to testing it out ... read on and see how it turned out.

MKettle in full swing

Here we go then, a semi scientific MKettle test. Firstly I'd like to point out that it was windy and rainy but I stuck with it and did it out side rather than sneaking off in to the barn.

The first job was obviously finding something to burn. I hunted about and collected a small handfull of dead twigs. I didn't get them off the floor as they'd be fairly wet so I collected ones that had fallen in to some bushes ... surprisingly given the amount of rain we've had over the last few weeks they were still pretty dry. Next up I needed to get the twigs going, luckily the contents of my pockets never cease to amaze me ... 2 mini Haribo packets and an old route card later and we were ready.

I started the stop watch as I lit the fire. Once I could see that my assorted rubbish was alight I placed the kettle on to the fire pot and waited. It took about a minute for the fire to catch and I started to hear the twigs crackling. Looking down the centre of the kettle (or chimney as it is) revealed some nice flames, so I dropped a few more twigs down there and sat back.

View down the chimney after a couple of minutes

I'd filled the kettle with cold water taking care not to overfill it ... it held just under a pint, certainly enough for 2 proper sized brews or a brew and a dehydrated meal. At exactly 6 minutes and 30 seconds from putting a match to it I had a steady rolling boil. The neoprene sleeve on the kettle meant I could just lift it straight off with my bare hand, without the usual swearing that sometimes accompanies tea making.

The amount of wood required was surprising ... as it required very little, literally what you could bend down and pick up in one hand. I believe dead leaves, pine cones, bracken and pretty much anything else will work too.

I imagine pack size and weight will be the main concern for many ... so, my trusty scales and tape tell me that the kettle ready to go and including its rather smart bag weighs 375g. When you consider that a small gas cartridge when full weighs nearly 250g, then add the weight of the gas stove itself, plus a pan, the MKettle starts to look like a real contender. A really nice design touch is the fact that the fire pot sits inside the kettle when you're storing/transporting it but still leaves room for other bits and pieces in there too, important stuff like, tea bags. The overall dimensions when packed are 170mm x 110mm (or 6 3/4" x 7 3/4").

Something which may or may not concern you, is the fact that the entire kettle is made in the UK, every last bit, the bag, neoprene sleeve, even the medical grade stopper are all produced on home soil. If you fancy the idea of free fuel then follow the link over there > and get yourself a kettle or if you believe you're lucky then you might just win one at the WRT.

*Sorry for any Jim Morrison fans (see that I said for and not to)

T, T, S and S Part 2 ... Two worlds meet.

2011-02-14T03:18:00.000-08:00

The two worlds in question are those of tents and tarps. It's very easy to imagine that by allowing tents and tarps to join forces the outcome would be a technical, over complicated disaster. A Frankenstein shelter that only carries the 'bad' genes from both parents and non of the good.

However, I'm glad to say that the union of tent and tarp has managed to produce a well balanced and pleasant offspring ... this bundle of fun was christened, Go-lite Shangrila 3 ... I know, I know, it's hardly Simon or Roger is it?

The Shangrila 3 is a single skin, tipi type shelter. One of the nice things about it is its slightly modular nature. In its basic form there is no floor but you can add a clip in bath tub style ground sheet if you wish. If it's midge season then a full mesh inner can be attached which includes a floor. If you're using it solo then a 'half hex floor' is available, so you sleep in one half and the other (without ground sheet) becomes your porch. It's marketed as a 3 person shelter and yes you can sleep 3 in there but it's very cosy. With 2 it's ideal and if you're alone you'll be rattling off the walls there's so much room.

Two large vents at the top combined with the fact air can get in underneath seem to cope with the potential single skin condensation issues pretty well. Any condensation which does form on the in side tends to run down the steep sides rather than dripping on you, which is obviously a big plus. If you're tall then the space in side should be most welcome, centre height is 160cm and the internal area is 5.5 sq/m.

Pitching couldn't be any easier or quicker, simply peg down each corner (6 pegs), climb in and push the telescopic aluminium pole into it's little reinforced seat, push up and that's it, your home for the night is erected (there's a ladder lock adjuster on each pegging point to adjust tension). It's surprising just what a battering it'll take before you realise that your prayers to the wind gods have gone unheard and it falls over ... Go-lite refer to it as 4 season which must say something. I think when you consider the potential it offers then weight seems pretty reasonable, the quoted figure is 1010g, mines seems to weigh a touch more at 1100g but that is including stuff sack, etc and a full compliment of spare Ti pegs. Even my figure of 1100g doesn't seem bad when you consider it really will sleep 2, you can sit up (hey, I can nearly stand up), cook, change clothes, etc. I think for multi day trips this might be one compromise that doesn't look like its been designed by a committee. It does what it sets out to do very well.

Need a lift from north Wales?

2011-02-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

I've had a very kind offer from Mark. He says he'll be travelling down to the WRT from north Wales and if anyone would like a lift down, then he's your man. If you do require a lift then the easiest thing would be to email me stuart@forestfreeride.co.uk and I'll put you in touch with Mark.

Cold, wet feet?

2011-02-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Do you suffer with cold feet while in your sleeping bag? Do you want something to put on your feet while sat in your tent or swinging in your hammock? Are you tired of spending the evening in the same wet socks you've had on all day? ... if you answered yes to any of those questions and don't want to look like you're on a surf safari in flip flops, then here's a possible solution ... Nanok Sleep Socks. Here, you can see Dennis modeling a M/L pair which would fit anyone with feet from 9-13 (they're roomy). A smaller size is available, which should please Dennis as he gets 2 paws in 1 sock, which obviously isn't so good for walking.

The insulation is synthetic hollow fibre and the outer is ripstop Pertex, so whilst not waterproof they are water resistant ... and if they do get a little damp it won't be the end of the world. Now the important bit, a pair weigh in at just over 140g and will compress down to about the size of a small orange, so they're not going to be a massive burden to pack/carry. So far I've tried them down to around minus 4 and my feet were very, very toasty but not uncomfortable.

The quality appears good as does the price, online you should be able to pick a pair up for under £20. Nanok also produce a 'Bivi Boot' which is higher and has a true sole, so might be a little more suited to wondering around camp looking for all the stuff you 'put safe'... but obviously they'll be a bit heavier.

*Socks mine, sofa models own

Coke can cheap V Titanium chic

2011-02-06T05:39:00.000-08:00

So here we are then, 2 meths stoves, the first made from Coke cans and costing £0 whatsoever. The second constructed from titanium *by virgins in the low lying valleys of southern Tibet and costing around £25. Which one should you take on your next trip? Should you invest your money and go titanium or invest your time and slum it? ... lets find out.

I first (tried) to put 20ml of meths into each stove. Can stove was no trouble, the Vargo stove however would only hold 15ml before it started to look full, so we left it at that and carried on. I was interested to see how long each stove would take to 'bloom', once bloomed you can then start to cook but not before. From past experience, I knew the Vargo stove wasn't the quickest but I'd forgotten just how slow it was.

Coke can: Lighting to blooming 1min 37sec

Vargo: Lighting to blooming 4min 16sec

Next I wanted to see how long each stove would take to boil 450ml of cold water. The same pan was used each time, the pan was also fitted with a lid. I wanted to see a rolling boil not just little bubbles.

Coke can: 5min 16sec

Vargo: 6min

Now, I'm sure you're all finding this most interesting but what can we deduce from these riveting results. Well, firstly the Vargo stove is much more efficient. There was enough fuel in the stove after it had boiled the water, to boil another pan. The can stove on the other hand only just managed to bring the water to a rolling boil before running out of fuel (remember it also had more fuel to start with). It's also possible to blow the Vargo stove out when you've finished, something that's not as easy with the can stove. That is a bit of a double edged sword though ... you can conserve fuel by putting it out once you're done - bonus. If you're trying to cook somewhere breezy your stove keeps going out - not a bonus. The Vargo is also slower, not much in boiling time but when you add on the time it takes to bloom, then the can stove is almost twice as fast. Real world experience tells me that the big trouble with the Vargo is keeping it lit, it's not unusual to light it, let it bloom, start to cook and the next time you look its gone out. I have found that raising the pan a few mm above the inbuilt pan supports on the Vargo helps it to burn fiercer and stay lit more of the time. The can stove is pretty much the exact opposite, once it's going you'll have a hard time to stop it, until it runs out of fuel.

I'm not going to say that one stove is better than the other, they're just different. Each has pros and cons. The can stove is cheap and pretty fool proof but there is a certain something about the Vargo, you just need time to get to know it ... or perhaps I'm just trying to convince myself.

*This is a lie.

Can't resist ... sorry.

2011-02-06T04:53:00.000-08:00

If anyone other than me has checked the answers to the polls over there >>> can you please try and explain to me how it can be that only one person is riding in a 'big, massive group'? ... I don't understand.

Tarps, tents, shelters and stuff ... part 1

2011-02-04T11:22:00.000-08:00

I've been outside a lot today and it hasn't been nice. Low cloud and rain backed up by 60mph winds have made things pretty hard work ... including smiling. It did however get me thinking about what I'd choose to supply some shelter if I were out all night. Most of the time, if I'm looking to keep a bit of weather off I'd reach for a tarp. The size would depend upon whether I was on my own or not, whether there'd be any additional natural shelter (trees, etc) and what I was expecting weather wise. The smallest, lightest tarp I have is around 2m x 1m, weighs 200g and fits in the palm of your hand. On a summer evening, even with a little light rain expected this can be rigged to keep most of the elements at bay. It's only ever going to supply a simple roof, either as a lean to or set up with a ridge, so on a night like tonight it might be best left at home.

The next step up would obviously involve a bigger tarp. The picture below shows Taylors tarp (with Si under it). It's a 3m x 3.5m and set up as a ridge between the trees, pitched low to the ground and in a position to make the most of any natural shelter, would offer a surprising amount of protection ... it's also pretty spacious in there too, so great if you're not alone (or think you'll get lucky in the woods). On a trip just before Christmas a 3m x 4.5m tarp, rigged as a very simple roof covered 5 1/3 men (sorry Steve). The weight of that tarp was 800g, so while not light in the great scheme of things, it's actually very light for the space/protection it offers.

Returning back to tonight's weather, I might be looking for a little more protection though ... remember the wind driven rain. Well, a tarp can offer as much or as little protection as you want, just as long as you're willing to invest some time playing about. Once you do start thinking about folding rather than just tying, then you can knock up lots of interesting shapes and forms. The top picture is a 3m x 3m tarp, it hasn't been sewn into that shape only folded and pegged. It's enclosed on 3 sides, has a 'sewn in' groundsheet and a beak/porch for cooking and storage. If the weather really took a turn, the beak can be dropped almost to the ground, giving the happy camper inside almost total coverage. Total weight including, pegs, guys and pole is around 800g.

Tarps are always going to be something of an acquired taste. Some people will point out you can get an ultralight tent that weighs the same and that's true, but ... you can't get one that packs as small, is as quick to pitch and strike and then there's the problem of the ultralight tent costing you around 4 times as much ... origami, it's the future!

The Postman always rings twice.

2011-02-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

And I'm sure he does for some people but here it's more likely he'll pull in the yard beeping his horn. He's great *Gwyn the postie and he was even greater today because he brought me a box containing shiny things ... shiny things that make tea, so that was even better!

What we have here is an MKettle. Some of you will be familiar with Kelly Kettles, well the MKettle works on the same principle but the design has been brought bang up to date. Very importantly, it's also been designed with the lightweight market in mind. I haven't had chance to try it out but over the next few days I'll put it through it paces and report back. I have to say, if the performance is as good as the quality then it'll be a winner.

*But not as pretty as the other one who sometimes comes.

Entry forms have left the building!

2011-02-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

If you emailed and asked to be put on 'the list' then you should have now received an email containing your pdf entry form ... the covering email should make everything clear.

If you emailed but haven't received an entry form and have checked your spam folder, let me know and I'll send it again.

If you haven't emailed with a request to be added to 'the list' then pull your finger out and do it now, otherwise the 2011 WRT will forever be a 'what if' moment in your life!

Bikepacking UK on Facebook.

2011-02-01T10:49:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I don't really get the whole Facebook and Twitter type thing ... think that might just be me though, afterall I don't have a telly. However, lots of other people obviously do get it and one of those is Andrew. Andrew wants me to let you know that he's set up a Facebook page (or should that be group?) entitled Bikepacking UK. So, pop over and take a look, there's some WRT stuff on there already for those who can't get enough and if you're lucky you might just meet the women/man of your dreams ... or so the ads down the right hand side of the page tell me!

A somewhat strange relationship at times.

2011-01-31T10:04:00.000-08:00

Besides tea and bikes I also have a love of maps. I think the UK must have the best mapping in the world, what with OS, Harvey and BMC all producing high quality mapping. Taking a map to bed rather than a book could be seen as a little strange ... but I'm not alone am I?

Every time you unfold the map and start to pick out the green dashes, black dots, faint yellow lines, etc a picture starts to form in your mind. It's almost like you're already riding this stuff while tucked up in bed ... however it isn't always that simple, it certainly isn't that simple here. A gigantic area combined with a minute population can sometimes lead to the relationship between ground and map not always being what it should.

The picture below was taken at the junction of 2 bridleways, there's even that nice post to lean your bike against telling you so. Your trusty OS also tells you you're at the point where 2 bridleways meet ... on the ground there isn't any sort of track or path, not a mere hint, nothing, nowt!

The second picture shows a very well used track through a forest. An orange marker I picked up close by, tells me that it's been used for some kind of motorsport not so long ago ... but this track doesn't appear on any paper map! I'm sure it'll show up on Google Earth though, so no need to panic.

If you can read a map then finding yourself with your bike lent against the post in the top picture shouldn't really cause you any concern ... just follow the bridleway in the direction the map tells you. The second picture could be a little more tricky, perhaps you've decided that you should take the second fork on the right. You've already passed one junction and you've now reached this one ... be honest, you'd go down it wouldn't you!

The White Road (and foxes).

2011-01-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

I was meant to be riding with Tiger Matt On Saturday morning but due to one thing and another couldn't make it. This left me at a bit of a loose end on Saturday afternoon ... of course there were plenty of jobs to do but they'd still be there next week. I decided to take the opportunity to look at some trails I'd seen from a distance last year. There was a bike in the workshop pretty much packed, so I stuffed the Tangle bag full of flapjack, stuck a hammock in a dry bag and off we went.

Four hours later, I'd found the trails and a couple of bonus sections that aren't on the map. It was now time to look for a bivvy spot. After a little searching I find the perfect place to rest my head. Close to a decent supply of water, not too far off the track and nicely sheltered.

I woke up in a bit of a panic ... I'd dreamt about foxes raiding my camp for some deep subconscious reason and when I went for my tea bags, they were gone! (anyone who knows me will understand my panic). Luckily the foxes hadn't been stealing during the night and the precious tea bags turned up safe and sound, stashed in a dry bag ... panic over. So brewed up and packed up I set off the 20 miles or so home.

I had a vague route in mind but nothing set in stone and was quite happy to just follow my nose. About half way home I came to a gate, the bridleway on the other side was something I'd ridden a few times over the years, nothing special but there is a long descent on the far side. Now, my rear brake and freehub had both frozen solid a while back ... I was now riding fixed, so I thought skipping a long, fast descent might be wise (yes, yes, big girls blouse, etc). Near this gate is a second gate, which oddly I've never really noticed. A quick glance on the map confirmed it was 'just' a white road with access rights and would bring me out at the same point as the bridleway would.

Well, what a turn up. My poor camera skills combined with an even poorer camera really don't do it justice. Steep, rocky, steppy, droppy and loads of other great words ending in y are all there. It's gets much more severe out of shot ;o)

The full descent is somewhere in the region of a 1/4 mile but unluckily for me contained some large stretches of sheet ice ... not good for impromptu fixie riding! I've a grid reference in mind which will put you pretty close to this, it's well worth trying to find. However, please check the contour lines on the map ... you really, really don't want to be going up it!