Winner!

I got home from work today to the news that I've won a Lezyne LED Super Drive from cyclesurgery.com in their Christmas competition.
I'm looking forward to trying it out when I receive it. For touring it seems to be a great light. With a claimed 450 lumens output it should be bright enough for mad night-time dashes to campsites. Also it's USB chargeable. Which brings me nicely onto the topic of power. I'm split between getting a dynamo hub with a USB charger or a solar panel USB charger. I'm still researching the topic; when I've made a decision I'll post it here.

Image from www.cyclesurgery.com

Merry Christmas

And all the best for 2012!

It's now a tradition that I go out on the bike on Christmas Day and this year was no different. However, it was the last ride of the year as I won't get the chance to go out again until 2012.

The build begins

When I first decided to go bike touring I really wanted to build my touring bike rather than buy it complete. This changed after failing to find a decent frame at a decent price. There are lots of well priced frames out there but few proper touring frames. So when I seen a Kona Sutra frame going cheap I bought one. So now I'm going to build!

Here she is :

I'll begin building next year unless I find some more bargains in the sales. So keep checking back to see how she's getting on.

Topeak computers and bar bags - an update

I got a response from Extra UK, the UK distributor for Topeak. This is the response I got -

I see no reason why your cycle computer shouldn’t go straight onto the designed bar on the Bar bag Fixer. In essence that bar is just replacing your bar/stem.

You shouldn’t need any extra parts for your computer.

I was just being stupid. The computer mounts directly onto an additional piece of plastic which mounts onto the bar mount. It took me a while to figure it out!

Watch this space.

Well, after a long period of inactivity this will be my third post today. This one is a very special post. I have purchased a 2006 Kona Sutra frame, new, for a very good price. Already build kits are going through my mind. She'll see XT/105 throughout with no compromises made. The biggest thing I need to decide on is disk brakes or rim brakes. Disk brakes are more powerful but can be difficult with racks. Rim brakes are less efficient but aren't a problem with racks. Thankfully I've got plenty time to decide.


I'll be updating the blog with the progress of the build so keep checking back to see how she's getting on.

Topeak computers and bar bags

I've had a Topeak Panoram V10x wired computer for a long time now and I think it's great. So good, in fact, that I got Emily one for Christmas. Unfortunately the mount supplied with it attaches across the stem. This is fine for use on the mtb but if you want to use a handlebar bag (which you most likely will when touring) you won't be able to use this mount.

Image from Topeak.com

Now, here comes the solution! Topeak's TourGuide bags have a handy mount for their computers!

Image from Topeak.com

In my view, this is better than having your bar bag mount and a stand alone computer mount. Having your computer, bell, light, mirror and bar bag attached to your bar (particularly drop bars) could mean there's no room for you! Don't forget there are many bar extenders on the market such as this one from Topeak.

I have e-mailed Topeak's UK distributor Extra UK to confirm compatibility with the Panoram V10x and if I would need to purchase any extras in order to use the computer with the bag or if all the fittings were included with the bag but so far they have not replied. When they do reply, I'll update the blog with their response.

An update

It's been a while since I've posted anything up on here. Not much has been happening to be honest. However, I've not forgotten about touring! So here's a list of new stuff that has arrived along with our first impressions.


Firstly, when I/we go touring I/we will be taking everything including the kitchen sink. That's right, we got the Sea to Summit Kitchen Sink. First impressions are overall good. For washing clothes and dishes on tour I reckon it will be very useful when a sink isn't available - such as at wild camping spots. Washing items in a running river can be a bit tricky and the water will be cold. The kitchen sink means you can use hot water; and if you let go of an item it won't disappear downriver to be reclaimed by Earth. Made from their dry bag material and with taped seams it won't leak. It has 2 handles for carrying which could prove useful. To test it out we filled it with water in the bath. It seems the more water it has in it, the more stable it is. We found it a bit tricky to put back into it's case. After a bit of searching we found this video on Youtube which solved the puzzle!
Available in 5, 10 and 20 litres we went for the 10 litres. It's the ideal size, large enough to wash clothes in but not so big that it requires so much water.

Image from www.seatosummit.com.au

To go with this I have some Sea to Summit Laundry Wash which I haven't tested yet. All I know is that it smells nice.

Now for something I wasn't so sure about but now I think it's great! It's the Sea to Summit (you could have guessed it would be!) Outhouse Toilet Roll Holder. At first I was of the what's-the-point opinion. A plastic bag would do the trick just fine. Made of dry bag material with taped seams and a roll top closure it will keep your valuable paper dry. It's easy to use, the holder is attached by a button-popper inside and, importantly, it works! The website also suggests it use as a vacant/occupied sign which might be useful at campsites with no locks! The hanging cord is adjustable and the holder can be hung from a tree or round your neck or anywhere really. Available in various colours we opted for our favourite orange.

Image from www.seatosummit.com.au