http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/showPart.asp?part=PN5738&product=Mountain%20Equipment%A0Xero%20200&utm_source=Issue+29%3A+SUMMER+SALE%3A+High+Altitude+Deals+on+Alpine+Climbing&utm_campaign=Issue+29%3A+SUMMER+SALE+Alpine+Climbing&utm_medium=email ME Xero 200, 635g bag at £170, ME Ion se...

Reece's Peanut Butter Cups, the king of energy food! Cliff bars still a favourite here. Eccles cakes and jam, peanut butter or PBJ sandwiches on brown rolls. Waffles. Trail mix - smarties, nuts and raisins - is a good one for the gas tank. Wholemeal pita breads with cold bacon and cheese. mmm.. good...

Hey BRP, thanks. Blackhound mentioned a list too, been a bit slack there sorry. I did make a kit list sheet for this trip = Item - Spec / details / notes - Grams : Sleeping Sleeping bag - PHD Ultra Minim ~8deg 350 Mattress - Neoair Small 260 Bivi - Terra Nova Moonlight 180 Tarp - small white one inc...

I know the TDR is kind of cheating / an unfair opportunity to get a lot of bivvies in, but motels were on offer so I'm claiming 16/16 from June alone :) 5/6 up to + inc june before that I think. 21 nights out so far this year, on track to top 2012 where it was 25 ish, from poor memory. Justifying th...

slarge, I've spoken to my Mum : ) she had been asking questions about reroute info distribution (as I was w/o phone etc) on BP.net and I had to explain to her who Matthew Lee was .. :oops: "well Mum, you were on a forum asking about TDR fairness with the man behind the race, the greatest Divide...

Moist of my bivies are solo trips, I guess I like some solitude and total freedom. Feels a bit more committing too. But the best times have been on bikepacking trips with good friends, talking crap around a fire, a few drams and finding great trails to talk about the next night. And harrassing the w...

A few more, because the Basin may be the most sublime place I've passed through alone on two wheels.

Chew, that's great, if I can do it.. :)

Cheers Ian.. I guess we find out what we can actually do sometimes eh : )
I wasn't going to take a camera, I wanted to race and it cost me some time, but others were tweeting as they went etc.. generally I know where I had a pee/food/faff stop from the pictures!

blackhound, thanks, it was a faster ride than I expected (the fear motivated my training quite effectively!) but I don't for a second think I'd have been anywhere near Aidan on the same course. We had an extra 100 miles overall after the re-routes but the Cuba and Gila sections would have been harde...

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3746/9203011262_ce84465e46.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5475/9203017530_29474cb074.jpg http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3775/9200234087_f69975cd0a.jpg http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3792/9200337647_ca92a438b5.jpg http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3705/9203136200_486fbc3c0...

Hey everyone.. thanks for the support! ) Mike Hall I'm certainly not and there was an entire Great Basin's worth of space between the 3 of us and Jesse most of the time, but what a ride. Mike seemed to redefine what people thought could be done on the TDR, he was a known name wherever we followed hi...

^ agreed.

Interesting adjustable h-bar-alike bodge.

We rode it last May, from st Jean to Santiago and then onto Finisterre. Lovely route, really enjoyed it. Some great trails too, generally not techy but had some fun sections that were almost alpine. Rode 100% of the walker's route and bivied every night but one - found a pilgrim's hostel based round...

Hi Anthony, that was just what I had for a try-out ride last year. Wanting to see at what weight I could be happy on a SS. Bag space is a bit small for a longer ride tho. Wish I'd seen that PHD bag you mention a while ago!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8178/7992545648_f146154d4e.jpg 30lbs all-in with a light and basic mug/stove. Ok for summer over-nighters, I could do a few days with 2lb or so more. I think the all-in weight is less important than the kit you add, I don't worry too much about my bike weight within re...

I rate Shimanos for generally hassle-free hydros but prefer BB7s for trips away. I've had issues with XTs getting too hot on big descents with a load on and then rubbing or needing faffing mid-ride. BB7s do need a tweak here and there but it's a doddle to dial the pads as needed. Once you get used t...

Thanks - it was around the Chilterns. Between Ivinghoe Beacon / Wendover end and Ipsden / Nettlebed / Nuffield area, with an extra loop around Watlington and Russel's Water.

1st bivi (of hopefully many) in June. All day sat, home for late lunch sun. My favourite kind of solo BP trip, follow a nice loop out, take a few maps or route guides and explore some new areas, pitch up + bivi, then ride out into new places early morning. Found a load of new trails and a perfect 'm...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8279/8875932003_9f285c6180.jpg more pics if you click /\ I'm selling these after a shoe-test period due to recurring foot issues. Specialized Sport MTB 44s, worn for one ride of ~6hrs in the dry, 99.9% mint cond apart from cleat fitting marks. They feel approx 1/3 size...

I was watching this over the last few days, pretty amazed at the pace and hours put in. Riding long days for a week or so is one thing, but these 24hr+ stints are hard to appreciate. A very humbling thing to see unfolding.

Good luck indeed. Hope they all have a good ride and the weather's fair. Looks like a great route.

Great pic Nick, I had that same bike, same year with those bars, pads etc!

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/images/pi_16536.jpeg - some of these Alpkit Ti pegs, very nice. Should compliment my chunkier Al pegs well and at 6.5g each for 6" pegs they're impressive. Would even make a nice pair of chopsticks for next time I forget / melt my spork. Unless my packets of noodles ...