4 weeks today the big Tour starts. William and Kate(!) will be getting hitched, and I'll be making the most of my free day off work to head West for a new adventure. Hopefully going cycle camping touring on the western isles at the start of May won't be too early in the season and the weather will be ok. This weeks weather has provided a good reminder of how wet and windy it can be in Scotland, even in landlocked Stirling. The thought of several days staying in a tent in the weather we've had this week isn't particularly inspiring, however it has prompted me to have a good look at my kit list and think about what I need to keep warm and comfortable.
Since deciding last year this was something I wanted to do I've been slowly accumulating the kit I think I'll need. As posted before I already have a Giant TCX which I'll ride. I've just given it a good service - its had new cables all round, a new chain and cassette in the last 2 months, and the wheels have been looked at too. Only slightly dodgy part is the bottom bracket which is going to need replaced, but I think has a few thousand more miles in it yet. I've fitted it with a freebie rear rack I'd got from Ian a while ago, and a Tubus Tara front rack I got 2nd hand off ebay. Xmas and birthdays provided the Ortleib Roller panniers I'll be taking. They're basically like dry bags that attach to the racks. Once adjusted properly they're really secure and hopefully won't rattle too much and drive me nuts!
Clothing wise I've already got a huge amount of cycle clothing, so the problem is just deciding what to take. Hats, and waterproofs are obvious. I'll probably go with 2 pairs of gloves (short and long finger), arm warmer and knee warmers to go with short sleeve jerseys and bibshorts, rather than taking tights and long jerseys. Gilet, few pairs of socks, buff, and a pair of MTB shoes will cover bike wear. Off the bike I've got a pair of Craphopper trousers, and Altura shorts that are water repelant and quick drying. I think I'll avoid taking any cotton gear, and just take a couple of Lifa vests and a Mountain Hardware down gilet for on top. How many pairs of boxers? Given I'll be wearing cycling shorts a lot I think I'll probably just go for 3 pairs! Last thing is a pair of light weight Addidas running shoes. I've gone for these as they weigh bugger all, will dry really fast as they're basically a mesh upper, and they've good grip for any walking i might do.
Camping and cooking gear is a tricky one. Obvious stuff is tent: I bought a Wild Coutry Aspect 1 in the sale (£75) weighing 2kg and has plenty room. Sleeping bag I'm taking my Alpkit down bag, and Therma-rest 3/4 mat. I've been debating buying a Therma-rest trekker chair which allows you to convert a mat into a seat with a back. £25 online, if i've spare cash later in the month I might still get one. After looking at stoves a while ago I've decided to just go with the Trangia I've already got. Its just the basic one, but I got a gas adapter for it a couple of years back which is brilliant. I've just ordered a 'Light My Fire' meal set (compact spork, plate, bowl etc) and lighting flint. As well as this theres some washing up gear and swiss army knife.
Food wise I hope to cook most of my meals myself with the odd cafe lunch. Buying most stuff en-route and hopefully saving some weight, I'll still start with some basics needed for any meal and top up where possible. On top of that theres all the other gubbins that is needed - repair stuff for the bike (tools, spares etc), and luxuries(!) like a camera, phone, garmin (how do I charge these?!), book, maps, etc. And not forgetting the wet wipes.....
Hopefully all this will fit in the panniers and I'll still be able to pedal the bike - I'll be trying this out in the next few days, so might post a picy. I'm pretty confident the panniers will provide ample room, I think one problem is the more space you have the more stuff you take! Who knows, maybe i'll not have room and need to chop some of the clothing off my list! Pedalling up hill fully loaded will certainly be a test, as the TCX only has a compact double, so my crawler gear ratio is a 34/25, rather than what tourers probably often have which is a 30/27. Hopefully I've got enough power in my legs to overcome this!!! well see. Next post I'll do a route preview
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