Buy one in July or August - there are usually some great deals from the usual outdoor kit outlets. I got a mountain hardware lightweight down jacket for £60 a couple of years back

I use vinyl self adhesive film on all my bikes - not as hard wearing as gorilla tape but a fraction of the cost and its been good enough to resist some serious frame bag / granite filled mud abrasion on Krampus, mukluk and fargo.

Richpips wrote:A glove puppet.

You can then idle the hours away chatting to it when your miles from civilisation and haven't spoken to anyone in days.

A bit like the football in the Tom Hanks movie Castaway.

For flips sake don't give Alan Goldsmith ideas!
Although you could eliminate the crappy west highland way bit of the current route....

+1 raleigh Grifter which I got just before the bmx craze in '80 so it got single speeded and a brooks mx seat to drop some weight and had f**k knocked out of it down the local woods.Then a cheap road bike, saw my first mountain bike in '83 so my road bike got used off road until I got a raleigh mave...

Its funny Bike Biz were banging on about this saddle last april so I assumed the usual but then they announced a UK distributor the other week....

I cannot see how that could be anything other than agony but it seems too elaborate for a wind up.... Oiyaa!

Paramo Quito - light for paramo and totally waterproof

I use Sealskins mitts for skiing - good to -14 plus windchill, waterproof (used in plenty of wet Glenshee ski days) and plenty of bargains around

I was a bit underwhelmed by the missions. I got them for my ride round the cairngorms loop and found them to self steer like mad below 10psi. they were also pretty crap grip wise and by the end of the ride canvas was showing through the side wall on both tires thanks to caringorms granite. OK on the...

.... to Bothy Bikes with my Ice Cream Truck frame, to go with the large box of bits I've been accumulating over the last couple of months

This thread should become 'You know your a bikepacker when.....'

Makes a hope stem at 65 quid seem positively cheap - made by dudes in Yorkshire as well

A CTC better bodge for a slashed or blown out tube was to cut it at the slash and tie a knot in each end, bung back in the tyre, inflate and ride home....

Hmm useful although its best if the lower loops of the straps are the same width as the upper loops but I guess you could adapt that bracket to suit

Because I favour ultra short stems (35mm) I found that the harness ends up rubbing on the head tube. So I dug out an ortleib light bar that bolts onto the hole in the fork crown (you get them with ortleib bar bags) and spaces the lower straps out by 2". this keeps the harness of the head tube a...

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x88/Phil_Clarke/Jocksroad2.jpg Crappy ortleib saddlepack which broke its plastic bracket and Helium 200 tent strapped to the bars. Not shown is my 35l rucksack stuffed to bursting. Can't really remember what I had in it to make it so full. Actually my first bike p...

You may be cold, wet, tired, hungry, thirsty, bald, ugly and have bad breath but you're a damn sight more special than those on the couch. You're writing a story, they're reading a script. Dave, that's one of the best things I've read on here : ) Well said. +1. I was in a right old huff after scrat...

Breakdown + missed ferry = proper ride - Well done!
Looks like ideal fat bike territory - it would cruise over the shingle with ease plus you could have bagged some beach riding as well

Got to be better than bauffin' freeze dried 'meals' at £8 a shot
Good find!

Vargo triad if you want some titanium bling. Works a treat with an Alpkit Ti mug or cup
Beer can options work well too - google 'em

Goretex boots (currently Northwave canion), sealskins and merino socks. I have terrible problems keeping my feet warm and this works spring through to autumn. In the winter I rely on plenty of hike a bike to keep the circulation going. I'm pretty adept at avoiding above ankle deep bogs and tip-toein...

Ray
Any chance of a direct link to the gpx file as map my ride is insisting I register which I'd rather not....
Many thanks
Phil

Nice one, looking forward to giving this a shot next year.

Nice one, another convert to the cause!

Maxxis chronicles due in end of October, V tyre trax fatty out now but no uk dealer has them....
Panaracer are bringing one out as well aledgedly....