As someone who has suffered severe frostbite, although it was working in a poultry abattoir as a student, and hypothermia as a squaddie, neither is much fun! The top tips given to me over the years that all i can think of to add to the above: - Your sleeping bag insulation whether it be down or synt...

Always really liked these, found it good for bikepacking as it has a lock blade on it, plus all the allen keys come off making it a lot easier to reach awkward places and good chain tool that works and metal hook for holding the two ends of the chain, coupled with a chinese copy of the Wolftooth cha...

For a weekend i tend to use on the smaller 5200mAH one, that allows me to charge phone and Wahoo computer overnight and top up light if needed, i'd say it was equivalent of 2 full charges of my iphone 11. For an extended trip like Torino-Nice i had a big 20,000mAH one, this topped up phone, Wahoo an...

They are around £2400 for complete bike or you can get frameset for £700, so leaves a lot to spec your own build?

If you have a fat bike already, why not have a 29+ set of wheels for that, and spend some nice money on custom racks for that? i have full fat and 29+ for Beargrase and works well..

Other thing to do is to book an event (which i know is all up in the air) that slightly scares you that you'll compete it, every time you think about rolling over in bed, remind yourself just how many miles/ how long in the saddle the event is..... Or what about just doing something new, i had a wei...

Always found Kate Bush is in the same league as Bjork, of "brilliantly batty!"

There are days where it is difficult to scrape myself out of the door, but l know once out, especially if with a mate, then it'll be worth it. What i have found best in winter, is make my outside rides easy going, do the hard work a coupe of times on the turbo, just set your bike as best you can for...

I've stopped carrying cash or cards, because i thankfully can pay with iphone and apple watch... There was a guy at one of the bike shows a few years ago, that had a company where you bought a ring with a chip in it you could pay with, cannot remember the company name, but something like this: https...

Similar to above, i have one of these Madison ones, good coverage, but not too thick, so can regulate heat pretty well: https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Madison-Isoler-Merino-Winter-Hat_68837.htm?sku=208723&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiAiML-BRAAE...

Shame that accommodation isn't chucked into the deal, it is a beautiful part of the world, especially that west coast.

Whereabouts in ROI? Around half the muslim population is the Dublin area and there are three mosques from memory there? Outside of Dublin, i think there may be one in Cork. In terms of great places to cycle, i have only toured the West Coast, from Cork out to the Ring of Kerry, very rugged, but very...

Best ride (s) for me this year, i have only left county twice for a ride this year, but that first lockdown when we had the great weather that seemed to last for months, i went our nearly every day and mileage went from being 80-90 miles a week to nearly 200, but i would start on a familiar route, b...

I think that the common travel even for an XC bike now is 120mm, i think that with weights coming down and change in geo, good xc racers are often racing full suspension, 120mm travel bikes with dropper seatposts these days, instead of 100mm hardtails, and what the top guys and girls race tends to t...

What about a Sonder Frontier? Very good value, able to order without too longer build times, and you can order with a rigid or suspension fork?

I have the Morvelo Overland bib shorts and the base layer that have the built in pockets, love them because you can put what you'd normally put in jersey pockets in the shorts or base layer, and wear a looser fitting top over the top, has the advantage that the phone or battery is near to skin also,...

Now that we can have a group of 6, i am hosting one in North Norfolk, so far, just the 3 of us, but got to be done.

I would give both Zwift and Sufferfest/Training Peaks a go, both have a free trial period. I found Zwift best for social aspect and riding with others. But for actual solo training found Sufferfest/ Training Peaks better, i like the funny abuse and music on sufferfest, plus the training plans, have ...

Have to go with Mr Page, having had 6 Garmin over the years, the hardware and head units are well made, but the software can so glitchy and frustrating when it goes wrong, then i had two were battery life just gave up. Had a Wahoo Element for 2 1/2 years now, and the best thing is that it just works...

I find the Sufferfst videos and training plans good, you get really involved and now it is coupled with Training Peaks, you can get all the metrics you want.

Good bottle of cockle-warming sloe gin or damson vodka (my bivvy snifter of choice..).

Some down tent slippers and a pipe?

Taking it away from the raptors, rode out to Blakeney here in Norfolk this morning, where we have a huge grey seal population, talking to the warden, they are not sure quite why but the number of seal pups has grown from 25 in 2001 to an expected over 4000 this year, so many they are having to chang...

I entered, but wasn't successful, i don't think my cycling CV was strong enough, but i used to take people on 5 week trips round Morocco and 3 months down into West Africa, so know the area well. As to snakes above, i remember rock climbing in Todra Gorge in the Atlas, pulled myself up so my eyes we...

BIg fan of the Defeet Woolie Boolie socks in 6" length, Sportful also do a high winter merino sock which i really like coupled with 3/4 length bib shorts.

Purely for ride quality, i love skinny steel, but my "nice" bike is a Reilly Gradient ti gravel bike, chose it over the Mason Bokeh i was eyeing up, purely because it was going to be used for a few events like TNR, and i knew that i could attach bags to frame and not have to worry about pa...

They have gone up a bit, i bought mine as a frameset at £1400, but i love my Reilly Gradient, easily fits 700X45c tyres and i have had it set up with everything from 1x for locally to 2x with MTB gearing for Torino-Nice and never skipped a beat really.