- Bike Parts and Tools
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Allen keys x 2 Easier to manoeuver than multitool in tight spots Bike grease, tube Bike touch-up paint Ordered from Argos in the UK (the bike painter, not the catalog store) Brake cable, 2 gear cables Brake pads x 8 Rain covers x 6 (Agu and Halfords brands) Bought for visibility. Agu covers ripped and faded after a few months. Halfords were good value and stood the test. Bungee cords x 4 Cable locks x 2 One Abus brand (preferred), one Kryptonite Clear nail polish For bike paint touch-ups Cone spanners x 2 Always double check the sizes you need. Finding a single spanner on the road can be a chore D-lock Abus Granit Too heavy, we still have it but would not buy it again Duck tape (small portion rolled onto cardboard) ***** Use frequently Finishline wet lubricant Inner tubes x 2 Nuts and bolts, various Ortlieb dry bag Ortlieb backroller panniers x 2 ***** As good as everyone says (no complaints for any of our Ortlieb products) Ortlieb frontroller panniers x 4 Ortlieb sportpacker panniers x 2 Prefer to backrollers, easier to close Proofide Puncture repair kit Rags For cleaning Replacement spokes x 6 Stored underneath seatpost Spoke tool Stein mini cassette lock For spoke replacement Take-a-look cycle mirrors ***** Fitted to our helmets Timani bike alarm ***** Weighs very little, good for peace of mind Tire levers x 3 Topeak multitool Contains allen keys, chain breaker, screwdrivers, tire levers, spoke tool Topeak Pocket Rocket pump Tubus racks, front and back Wrench, 6″ or 150mm Wrench, 8mm Zipties x 6 Not yet used, but often recommended as good to have, possibly to fix a broken rack - Camping
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Aqua Mira water treatment drops Camelbak Unbottle 70 water holders x 2 Good after we got the plastic taste out, side clips can be hard to close Hilleberg Nallo 3GT tent ***** Nice and spacious for two people, although for shorter trips the 2-man version would be just fine and slightly lighter Hilleberg Tarp XP10 ***** For extra living space in rainy weather. A fantastic addition to our kit Hilleberg Tent Groundsheet ***** Protects the tent, makes porch a fully usable part of the tent Long life supermarket bags x 2 ***** Surprisingly useful for shopping, sitting on and as dry bags for gear on rainy days MSR Miniworks EX water filter MSR water filter maintenance kit Petzl Tikka Headlamps x 2 ***** Great battery life Plastic sandals for shower Sleeping bags, Mountain Equipment Helium 400 x 2 Good down to -5 C, haven’t been cold yet but the down filling seems to be getting thinner with use. We used them for 200 nights at least in our first year, which is equal to many years of normal use, so perhaps we have just worn them out, or maybe they need to be cleaned. Sleepsacks (homemade from cotton) x 2 Not bad but a bit heavy. We are often tempted by lightweight silk ones! String, 6 meters ***** Loads of uses: clothesline, getting water from wells Thermarest Prolite 3 mattress Warm and comfy but tend to delaminate after extensive use. Great lifetime guarantee but if you’re on the road long term it could be a hassle to arrange a replacement. Thermarest ZRest mattress We traded our Prolites in for these. So far they are standing up to the test and keeping us warm in cool weather. -
Black fleece jacket (Decathlon) Good but the Merino Wool is sufficient in most situations Cold weather gloves Cycling shorts x 2 (Decathlon / Coolmax) Decathlon cycling shoes Goretex jacket Goretex Paclite rain pants AGU Waterproof Bike Boots Headband (for ears in cold weather) Long cycling leggings Long Johns Merino Wool top Merrell Shoes Off-bike trousers x 2 Padded cycling gloves Shirts x 4 Socks, Merino Wool ***** Amazing, can wear them for days! Socks, SealSkinz waterproof (mid thermal) Bulky but very warm and cosy, like wearing slippers Sunglasses Teva sandals Nice luxury but not necessary Swimming trunks Underwear x 2 (North Face & MEC) ***** MEC underwear best, dry very quickly - Clothes (Friedel)
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Bandanas x 2 Black Lafuma fleece Good but the Merino Wool is sufficient in most situations Cold weather gloves Cycling shorts x 2 (Decathlon / Pearl Izumi skort) Goretex jacket Goretex Paclite rain pants AGU Waterproof Bike Boots Headband (for ears in cold weather) Long cycling leggings Long Johns Merino Wool top Nike cycling shoes Comfortable but had to repair after a few months Nike Shoes Oakley Sunglasses ***** Wouldn’t cycle without them! Off bike trousers x 3 Only 1 pair long and 1 pair short necessary Padded cycling gloves Purse (cloth, foldable) Not needed Shirts x 4 (Patagonia, Decathlon Quecha) Decathlon brand are cheap and as good as more expensive brands Socks, Merino Wool Socks, SealSkinz waterproof (mid thermal) Bulky but very warm and cosy, like wearing slippers Swimsuit Sports bra x 2 Underwear x 5 - Cooking
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Bottle cleaner Aluminium coffee pot (bought in Morocco) Cheap and cheerful Cooking knives, Victorinox (1 paring, 1 serated) ***** Worth buying good ones if you cook a lot Dish soap Dish Towel Disposable lighter Film canisters x 2 For loose spices Fork/Spoon x 2 Fuel bottle MSR expedition stove repair kit MSR stainless pot kit (2 pots, lid and handle) Reasonably light but easy to burn food in these MSR Whisperlite stove ***** Hot flame, easy to maintain Ortlieb foldable bowl ***** Invaluable for dishes, washing, taking to the shower, as a shopping bag etc… Plastic cups x 2 Quecha plates x 2 Slightly deep so they work for soup as well Swiss Army knife (corkscrew, bottle opener etc) Vegetable peeler Hard to clean, makes things quicker but could do without Wooden spoon Nice when we are frying things Non-stick frying pan Just a cheap one but great for doing all kinds of meat and veggies, especially nice for cooler meals in the summer, when we don’t want hot pasta or rice Small chopping board Not entirely necessary but it does make doing some things like onions and garlic easier. Whether you get one depends on how much of a gourmet cook you are! Bottles with oil & vinegar/honey Screwtop mountaineering bottles, Quecha brand Scrubbing pads - Entertainment
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Backgammon game Books x 2 Trade for new ones at campgrounds etc Card games book Not needed Deck of cards Use frequently Roberts R9968 SW radio ***** Long battery life, compact - Food (pantry stock)
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1 jar instant coffee Transfer grains from glass to plastic jar 1 kg bananas 1 small jar of jam 2 x tins of fish (tuna, sardines) 250ml UHT milk 3 x small tins of tomato paste 500g pasta Cinnamon Livens up porridge, coffee, fruit salads Fresh vegetables (onions, carrots) Hot sauce Oatmeal The best breakfast to keep you going, nice with an apple sliced in Soy sauce Oil Honey or Vinegar Salt and pepper Sugar In packets, what we don’t use when we buy coffee in a cafe - Other random bits and bobs
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Spare keys, stored in front pocket of one pannier Just in case!! Paper notebook Cod liver oil pills To keep our joints well greased - Personal Hygiene
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Sunscreen 30 SPF First Aid Kit (kathmandu brand) Plasters, Antiseptic cream, Scissors, Tweezers, Emergency Blanket, etc Lens cleaner for glasses, camera lenses Mooncup ***** Top option for women travellers Toilet paper Not all campgrounds supply this! Toiletry Bag Washing powder Towel, Lifeventure/MSR soft fibre, large ***** Bought MSR after we lost our Lifeventure one. Very pleased with both, large and dry us well - Technology
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12-24 Tokina lens 50mm macro lens CD Case w/CDs To burn CDs en route with photos etc Edirol 09 recorder ***** Use for field recording iPod A nice luxury but could drop it Lensbabies Rarely used but very light to carry Nikon D80 *****Heavy but a great semi-pro choice Padded bags x 2, for laptop and gadgets sfbags.com ***** Top quality and made to fit, good to protect electronics Panasonic CF-W4 laptop ***** Expensive but light and durable, bought on eBay from Japan Sony T9 Not very good at balancing light conditions, do like it for video Spare AA and AAA batteries For audio recorder, headlamps and cycle lights, also need to get some cycle computer batteries for future use Ultrapod II tripod ***** Fits nicely onto the bike handlebars for rolling picture taking USB / CAT5 cables
