Bike Touring Gear List

Just for interest, or if you’re planning a two-wheeled escape here is the list of stuff I carry on wild and woolly bike trips, some stuff can be left out if temperatures are staying above freezing.

Clothing:

• 2 pairs padded lycra cycling shorts (not bibs, to wear under baggies or 3/4 knicks)
• 1 pair non-padded lycra boxer shorts
• 2 pairs cycling socks (1 lightweight, 1 slightly warmer wool mix)
• 1 pair lightweight ‘trekking’ trousers’
• 1 pair baggy cycling/hiking shorts
• webbing belt that doubles as luggage strap when riding
• 2 ultra-light short-sleeve base layers (currently using North Face)
• 1 long sleeve light-weight merino wool jersey
• 1 cotton t-shirt
• 1 pair ultra-lightweight fleece tights (only for the really high altitude trips)
• 1 lightweight fleece (Polartec 100) pullover
• Insulated jacket (750 fill down) – packs down really small (or for less extreme trips – a down gilet)
• Featherweight windproof pull-on smock
• Lightweight long-fingered riding gloves (Specialized Ridge glove)
• Waterproof, insulated gloves (Specialized Subzero, but only for extreme trips)
• Montane superlight waterproof riding jacket
• Waterproof (LoweAlpine Rush) trousers (only for extreme weather trips)
• Sealskinz LongLight waterproof socks (only for extreme weather trips)
• Sunhat
• lightweight baseball cap.
• Windstopper fleece hat (only for extreme weather trips)
• ‘Buff’ bandana
• Sunglasses
• Cycling helmet (really just for mountain descents on bad roads, if I have an old one I sell it at the end to make room for souvenirs..)
• Specialized cycling shoes
• Leisure shoes – old pair of lightweight runners that I sell or trade at the end… or flipflops for less extreme journey

Personal care:

• Toothbrush (cut down)
• Mini bottle of combination toothpaste/mouthwash
• Lip salve
• Film container of sunblock
• Tube of moisturiser cream
• Small tube hydrocortisone cream
• Small bottle of waterless antibacterial wash/gel
• Small bottle multipurpose liquid soap (later replaced with a quarter bar of soap)
• Disposable razor
• First Aid kit (usual stuff – tape, bandages, sterile wipes, plasters, painkillers, antiseptic ointment, throat lozenges (useful in dry air at high altitude), wide spectrum antibiotic, Immodium, laxative etc)
• Sterile Set (needles etc

Camping/Cooking/Hydration Gear:

• The North Face Mountain Marathon tent, (or Mountain Equipment Dragonfly for longer journeys with more camping) packed in roll-top dry bag
• Piece of lightweight plastic tarp to use as groundsheet for the tent and also a makeshift raincover for whatever.
• Mountain Equipment Lightline down sleeping bag, packed in a roll-top dry bag (I just replaced this with a sub 1kg Rab Quantum bag though that has same warmth rating…)
• Silk sleeping bag liner
• Indian Sarong (towel/sheet/sunshade etc etc)
• Thermarest Ultralight ¾ length sleeping pad
• MSR Dragonfly stove with spares, and 1 litre fuel bottle (ran on petrol)
• Small plastic funnel and paper coffee filters for filling fuel bottle.
• Leatherman Juice multitool (scissors, awl, can opener, pliers etc etc but still very small)
• Petzl single blade knife (decent sized blade and lightweight)
• Lighter/matches
• MSR Titanium pot
• Titanium Spork
• Pair bamboo chopsticks
• Polycarbonate mug
• Ortlieb 10 litre water sack (only for extreme trips)
• MSR water filter.
• Petzl headtorch and spare AAA batteries.
• Ditty bag with various odds and ends such as ty-wraps, strong cord, gaffer tape (wound round a film container), needle and strong thread, superglue etc, sponge/scourer pad, thermarest and goretex repair patches etc.
• Selection of spare zip-lock plastic bags

Bike tools/support:

• Spares kit containing assorted nuts/bolts, brake and gear cable inners, replacement brake cartridge inserts, insulating tape, length of steel wire, spare chainring bolts (2), spare chainlinks, puncture repair patches and glue, small piece of tarpaulin material to use as an emergency tyre boot, spare spokes to suit front and rear, ty-wraps
• Toolkit comprising: 13 and 15mm cone spanners for XT hubs, Topeak Hummer multitool, 8mm socket for allen-key drive, cassette remover modified to use a 15mm cone spanner.
• 2 x spare inner tubes
• 1 spare folding tyre
• Small bottle Teflon lube
• Film container with grease
• Small rag and brush (cut down) for cleaning drive train
• Couple of pairs of super-light plastic gloves swiped from a petrol station at home to keep hands clean when mucking around with the drivetrain.
• Light steel cable and padlock (or a luggage/motion alarm cable lock which works well as a deterrent with an ‘armed’ indicator and a seriously loud alarm)

Bike and luggage (bike is here)
Thorn Nomad frame built up with Shimano XT components with thumbshifters converted from Dura Ace bar end levers, Mavic 618 Ceramic rims, Thorn steel front and rear racks. Pedals are Shimano M540 SPDs. I use straight bars with bar ends to give me better control of a loaded bike on bad roads.
Ortlieb ‘Roller’ front and rear waterproof panniers with all excess strapping removed (tho I now have an Extrawheel Trailer instead)
Selection of webbing straps (4) for carrying tent and sleeping bag.
Tyres of choice are Panaracer Pasela TG, 26”x 1.75” (Specialized inner tubes) – brilliant, grip well in dirt, roll fast on the smooth and pretty puncture resistant without being too heavy/sluggish.