Before we begin this inflatable voyage, I’d just like to point out that I have no packraft experience – none, nothing, zero, in fact bugger all. I have never sat in one, paddled one or fallen out of one … which is handy because it probably means that I’m in (or not) exactly the same […]
Packrafting. Personally, I find it a very tempting proposition. It appeals to my sense of adventure and seems like something that could broaden my bikepacking horizons … but where to begin? There really isn’t a vast amount of information out there for the would be packrafter but this new book could be just the thing […]
The world has many names to describe the latest incarnation of drop-bar, wide tyred, do anything bicycles but my personal favourite is ‘Gravel Bike’ – I like the term, it’s compact, direct and uncomplicated. There’s no ambiguity or confusion attached to it and even just whispering the name produces a feeling of solid, workmanlike certainty. […]
I’m sure the manufacturers of your bike never gave a seconds thought to the fact that you’d start strapping bags to it. If they had, then they might have put the bottle cage mounts somewhere different. Frame bags and water bottles is rarely a match made in heaven – side access cages help but you […]
The titanium mug. Once upon a time it was almost a novelty, a blatant extravagance, an aspirational item that made a statement about the owners intentions, yet now it’s borderline mundane, bikepacking standard issue and a prerequisite for every self-propelled vagabond. It’s probably no surprise that the ‘Ti mug’ has found its way into the […]
The internet is a wonderful place. Not only is it full of cats doing the funniest things, it also provides a welcoming home for bigots of every persuasion and a safe haven to every (un)imaginable perversion. The internet allows you to do your weekly shop without ever lifting a single lardy arse cheek from the […]
I very rarely sleep in a hammock. It’s not because I don’t like it, on the contrary, I find gently swinging beneath the trees to be both pleasant and comfortable. No, the reason I don’t ‘hang’ on a regular basis is two-fold. Firstly, hammocks are inherently cold; that might sound odd if you’ve never experienced […]
The Welsh Ride Thing is fourteen years old this year. In that time, it’s done many things to many people. It’s inspired, acted as a catalyst, brought people together, opened many eyes and raised a few eyebrows, broken a handful but made hundreds more smile. The WRT doesn’t restrain or restrict, on the contrary, it […]
I value freedom above just about anything else. Knowing that, what, when, how and why are blank pages in an open book that I’ve yet to write is a genuinely precious thing but as with many truly precious things, it’s something that can be hard to find. At this point, I could write about how […]
It’s a time of year for reflection. The mark on the calendar when we look back and acknowledge the deeds and achievements accomplished by the great and the good amongst whatever peer group we subscribe to. There was a time when I used to anticipate the arrival of news. News that ‘Bear Bones’ had received […]