The 2014 Bear Bones 200 was a weekend of two stories. Had the papers featured the first story, the tabloid headline might have read “Bear attacks man in Wales”, while in the broadsheets it may have read “Cyclists face biggest challenge yet”. The second story was altogether different and would have appeared in the papers […]
Although the vast majority of riders within the bikepacking community have an interest in how much their chosen equipment weighs, there are those who swear that they have no idea, couldn’t care less or it’s of no concern … I do wonder how many of these people are (a) telling the truth, (b) have ever […]
I can’t believe how quickly time goes … the 2015 WRT is over and a seventh year ticked off. Really, where does the time go? Although entries have risen from less than 10 to more than 160, the WRT still retains an almost sub-grassroots feel and maybe that’s the appeal? The ‘fun’ is all around […]
Fat bikes are brilliant. They’re fantastic at covering the frozen, snow covered wilderness of America, Canada and northern Europe. They’re superb in the arid, sandy deserts of the world from the Sahara to the Australian outback. They’re great when things get soft and boggy, often allowing you to keep riding when you might otherwise have […]
Once you choose to ride your bike somewhere other than a designated cycle path or sculptured bike trail, you should accept that not every inch will be ridable. If you take things a step further and decide to ride so far off the beaten track that no track exists, then you really should prepare yourself […]
A few months ago, we had a look at the Bridgestreet Saddlebag, I said at the time, I’d been putting it through its paces and that I’d continue to do so … well, done so I have and here are my thoughts. However, the first thing I’d like to do, is pull some holes in […]
Aside from Dartmoor, wild camping in England and Wales is illegal, it’s against the law, it’s naughty. If you can be bothered to look up the word ‘camp’ or ‘camping’ in the dictionary, it’s almost certain there’ll be mention of tents or temporary structures … so what if there are no ‘structures’?Imagine you’re strolling across […]
Contrary to what you might have seen or read, the thermal efficiency of bravado is actually quite low. It may appear perfectly adequate at 3pm on a sunny afternoon but roll the clock forward twelve hours and you’ll probably wish you’d packed something a little heavier. Staying warm through the night is often the difference […]
I’ve long been a fan of using CO2 when the time comes to mend the almost inevitable puncture and for a number of years I’ve been particularly partial to using other peoples CO2. There’s obvious benefits to using someone else’s, less weight, lower cost and just so much less trouble than having your own. However, […]
Bikepacking is the perfect hang-out for the gear geek, no matter how deep your need for the lightest, latest or smallest, chances are there’ll be someone else with an even greater ‘need’ than yours. Just knowing that there’s someone else who’s obsessive geekery is even more out of control than yours, somehow helps to reduce […]