Field n Trek email today - Vivo 'Barefoot' running shoes on offer at £18-22. Maybe a good lightweight evening shoes for tours. http://www.fieldandtrek.com/vivo-evo-ii-nylon-mens-running-shoes-189165?utm_source=FT-Email-130213&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=FT-vivo-barefoot-130213 Extra 10% of...

Hope to see some pics from Tenerife, looks good for exploring.

Tip, if you can't find meths and end up trying naptha in a pop-can stove in a hotel bathroom the night before a trip.. just be careful ) particularly if they have a towel stack above the bath ...

Load of pics on Jones blog about this. Looks useful. My next front wheel will be a 50mm rim, probaly a Knard while I'm at it. I have 35mm rims already but the volume-to-weight seems worth going the whole 29+ hog. No real interest in a heavy full-fat front, would go for a full fat bike if I needed th...

Not much, had a lot of the gear from fumbling-climbing days and had done a few trips before joining - late to the party. But then my Wildcat Tiger arrived today - the best bit of kit in a while. I don't need any new stuff but took a punt on what looked like a better way to pack and I'm impressed wit...

Rigid's great. I'd take the 'fail-proofness' and lack of dive of my rigids over a sus fork for any loaded trip. Bikepacking means you're rarely hitting things as hard and fast anyway. Climbs better. Copes with hard, loaded braking better. Suits any terrain. And the added weight of kit makes sus fork...

Monkey cage looks good.. could be ideal for my under-DT cage mounts. Thanks for the link )

restlessnative wrote:love that Jones Jameso, what's the wee red bag?

Thanks. It's a dinky Profile ~cough~triathlete~cough~ feed bag. £2 in a sale ) I have a large Rev gas tank but don't use it on trips where food is in easy supply / I'm happy stopping often (ie Spain where that pic was. mmm Tortilla..)

Thanks - useful to know. Maybe next year I'll mail you for some tips if that's ok? We rode a route in Spain that wasn't typical MTB-resort trails but it really opened my mind to that kind of tour. Eastern Europe is the next area I'd like to see.

How to get stuff on handlebars securely. - zippy's right, a drybag or even a cut-down rubble sack and 2 webbing pull-straps with lock-buckles? Pull them tight and they should be fairly secure but much depends on your bars and controls positions. Also see here for a simple DIY seat bag on the cheap -...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8328/8439066726_194b52351a_z.jpg Pretty much settled on this set up, sometimes with a Revelate gas tank or road tyres, or different gearing. Only thing to change is to get a Tiger seat pack, I reckon it'll be quicker, lighter and more adaptable than the usual type of s...

Ok, got it. Initially it doesn't seem to work with an event like that, but taking a different attitude to it appeals.

It's an appealing idea, I was planning a Self-Supported-Solo 24 end of last year but didn't feel up to it after a busy summer and autumn. I posted the plan on STW to see if others had done it / general chat about it and got zero replies ) I can't be arsd with the laps format and crowds of events but...

- this is what I want in the morning : )



Beats my breakfast of warmed-up cereal bars last week. And any meals I've eaten since Christmas in fact...

(pic via random tumblr image site)

http://vimeo.com/43613878I saw this on MTBR - a relaxing bikepacker film. I imagine it's hard to convey the solo trip on film but I thought it worked well. I liked the occasional narrative.

That is excellent ) I like the idea of using a bladder in my frame bag, but creating space as I drink seems to be the issue - I like a tight-pack and rattles drive me nuts on the downhills, so seperating the two like that is a great idea. Stable in use? Edit/ Reminds me, I have this from my alpine b...

My reduced and fine-tuned garage now has 5 regularly used bikes. Jones steel + truss - bikepacker and travelling bike - road, off road, geared, ss. Jones Ti spaceframe - SS 98% of it's time, local singletrack enhancer, bought as a treat to myself as well as being a bike design geek / fan. 953 road b...

That looks fantastic.. are all the pics from one trip? There's a great mix of terrain. We all seem to daydream about the usual Alpine destinations but the Tatras have always interested me.

Depends - what are the other 4 or 5? (and how many coffees have you had now?!)

A rigid fargo is a great do-all dirt tourer and bike-packer.. maybe we all 'need' something like that in steel.

Amazing... ! A few yrs ago I had 14 bikes in varying stages of use / completeness in my garage, plus a load of frames and forks etc. It got silly.. Down to a handful now. Never thought people had a complete tent-village at home.. I have a Rab bivi, 2 MYOG (not by me) tarps, a minimal one (150g) and ...

Decided to get in a school-night Chilterns trip for Jan since the weather looked rubbish over the weekend. Out just after 5pm, rode out for 6hrs and got a load of fun cheeky trails in, noodles followed by Talisker for dinner, 4hrs sleep-doze and then the 'sht, late again' route home. Got back just a...

Actually, I'd go for Flows, or wider. They are heavier, but on a rigid bike efficiency and overall weight is good as it is. What you may come to love (I have) is the bigger rims and tyre's float at lower pressures - a real bonus when you're tired or slogging over rough ground when loaded up, more so...

On my GPS I have the display set to riding time (i.e. time actually moving), and total time (i.e. since the ride started). The game is to keep both as close to each other as possible Good point.. minimising faff time is worth many hours of hill training ) I've been reading up on all this again rece...

Quality ) I'm in, minimum one overnighter a month. Last year I think I managed 22 between April and Sept but 2 holiday trips helped the total along.

Karrimor light down gilet, £18 inc P+P? http://www.fieldandtrek.com/karrimor-li ... merreviews Arrived today. Bargain.. Size M suits me at 6ft/11.5-12st, nicely snug fit, not gappy at arm or waist hems and reasonable length. No tug adjusters tho. Thin, low fill power down but feels warm enough as a...

Karrimor light down gilet, £18 inc P+P?

http://www.fieldandtrek.com/karrimor-li ... merreviews

Dunno if it's any good but at £18 I've ordered one, will report back