My Dales Divide kit list was definitely overpacked – a full bivvy, sleeping bag & pad is little overkill for the sake of two hours sleep when trying to compete on the front of a bike race. Truth be told, this was my first ever ultra-distance race & I hadn’t expected to find myself so…
All Points North is predominantly road racing, in some of the more rural parts of Northern England. At 1’000km, the fast riders would be aiming to finish in 48hours, meaning an all points north kit list needs to factor in night riding & very little sleep. All North 2021 was held in September, where the…
We planned to do the Cairngorms Loop at a leisurely pace, over a 3 day bank holiday weekend in May. My Cairngorms loop kit list needed to carry equipment for cooking, & camping in temperatures close to zero. The Cairngorms national park ranges from 650m to 1300m, with the highest point on the loop being…
I rode the Badger Divide in May – this is the best time to do anything in the Scottish highlands; period. The days are warm enough & nights are cool enough to keep the midge away. General rule is to expect 4 seasons in the same day in Scotland – so my Badger Divide kit…
I rode the Lakeland 200 during the Covid summer of 2020. I was still figuring out what I needed & didn’t for bikepacking trips. Some might say my Lakeland 200 kit list was overkill for a summer night in the UK, as I write this years late, I’d agree! At the time however, I didn’t…
October in the Pyrenees would see equal amount of darkness and daylight – which means my TransPyrenees kit list & bike set up needed to consider riding at night. Given the mountainous terrain, it will also be cold both in the evenings & on the descents. Bike – As a 5ft8 rider, my Ribble is…
I wanted to share some first-hand detailed insight into TPRNo2 from the perspective of someone relatively new to the ultra-distance racing world. This post will discuss problems I had to solve pre-race; logistics, route planning, kit & bike choice & route planning. I’ll also share my thoughts on my race in general & a few…
I do these events & races as it allows me to see more of the world, these rides take me off the beaten track & to places I’d probably never otherwise visit. The Veneto Trail was another example of that; another awesome adventure in a beautiful art of the world. Logistically it was easy. Rail…
I’d categorise the Veneto trail as a bikepacking trip, where I was prioritising comfortable & sufficient night’s sleep, rather than riding all night. As such, my Veneto Trail kit list had a few extra home comforts – more than I’d carry on a race – but not as much as I’d carry on a longer…
Cross training is one of those things we all know we should probably do, but ultimately never actually do! A lack of motivation for bikes right now is my main motivator for writing this, but ultimately, the importance of cross training for ultra-distance cycling cannot be understated. Those of you who follow my social media…
Following on from the last blog where I talked about high cadence pedalling, I wanted to share how I’ve adapted & made a change my training philosophy for ultra-distance cycling, following a traumatic brain injury. Back in December 2022, I went for a bike ride in Fort Worth, TX. I woke up 5 days later…
‘Fancy a beer? – that age old question that brings with it social pressure to fit in, or the FOMO from not going out. Yet how many times do you wake up the next day & regret it; sore head from too much booze, regretting the dodgy kebab, ill from dehydration or just tired from…
The reality is that this year has been a massive setback; I feel like I’ve gained nothing – yet come away with everything. I write this post without any specific objective other than to share the importance of creating a positive mindset & how it can help other people going through tough times. Growth &…
I’m relatively new to world of cycling & ultra-distance, I’m learning all the time, however understanding the effect of bike position has been revolutionary for me. I wanted to write this post to share a couple of things I learned about bike position during 2022 & how you can get the perfect bike position for…
The PreTents Soloist is a 1-berth, pyramid, double walled tent. Single pole, pyramid tents should be the answer for a lot of bikepackers – they’re advantageous in terms of pack size & wind resistance, at the detriment of freestanding design. Specification (provided by PreTents, actuals may vary); After doing not much research when buying the…
The MSR Hubba NX is a 1-berth, semi free standing double walled tent. Probably the most popular tent brand in Europe at the moment? I’d had a lot of success car camping with the 2-berth Elixir II, hence I figured I’d try a smaller & lighter version for cycle touring & bikepacking. Specification (provided by…
The Hilleberg Allak 2 is a free standing, double walled & double entry 2-berth tent. Perhaps the gold standard in tents; Hilleberg is a brand synonymous with bomb-proof tents. The Allak 2 comes from Hilleberg’s ‘red label’ range, which favour lighter materials over absolute strength – whereas their black range is reserved for the most…
I thought I’d share some thoughts on some different sleep systems for ultra-distance racing, touring and bikepacking. I’ll start this post with the age-old classic caveat of ‘it depends’! Each event/race/trip brings with it different challenges & considerations, so here is no right & wrong answer. Very helpful! 2023 hasn’t been about racing, or really…
The Veneto Trail is a 500km unsupported bikepacking adventure through the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Starting in Cittadella, the off road loop takes in the spectacular views & trails of the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park. I came to the Dolomites a few years ago when touring across the Alps – It rained the entire…
The Badger Divide is a 340km bikepacking route between Inverness & Glasgow in the Scottish Highlands. Stuart Allan is the brainchild behind it, taking inspiration from the famous Baja Divide in Mexicali. May is undoubtedly the best time to ride in Scotland, after the cold & wet winter, but before the heat & midge season…