20 Years of the Polaris.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.