UK Circumnavigation by bike - Not left yet!

I made a sensible decision yesterday and decided I needed a few more days to recover and sort myself out. I was having a conversation with my mother and out of the conversation came a great idea, that my grandmother's house in South Devon, which we are visiting for Easter and is on the sea would be a great start and end point! So instead of riding down there - starting the route at Southampton - I am going to go in the car with mum and start at the end of our Easter family gathering. Much happier with this, because then I can actually say goodbye to my younger bro as well!

I am very glad I made this decision in the end, because on going for a test ride yesterday evening, my packing solution failed within 100 metres of leaving home! Not great! I realised that I needed a wider base for the top of the rack, for my Alpkit Gourdon to sit on.

So where do you find an appropriate base?
Well in the shed of course! An old Skool 'seen better days' waterski.

Initially I just cut it to the size in the photo above, but it was half a kilo and it was a bit disappointing that after so much work and expense acquiring lightweight equipment, I'd be adding this lump to the bike. So I began 4 hours of what can only be described as ultralight bodging!

Great fun and great success! Sawing, drilling, sanding - All my hard work culminating in an under 250 gram base, satisfactorily secured and after testing, totally capable of supporting my pack.

I decided that I'd better go for a dress rehearsal, so having worked out a better means of securing the Gourdon with bungees, I set off with all weight and equipment. 

Three hours later, having covered some good miles, some steep ups, steep downs, tight turns, bumpy roads and four torrential downpours at 4 degrees above zero, I can safely say it was a pretty thorough test! 

My touring set up passed with flying colours, so I can actually leave now! I feel far better prepared now!

Circumnavigate the UK by bike

Best man duties are out of the way!!! RELIEF AND FREEDOM. Wouldn't change it for anything! A superb day and a happy couple, just quite stressful and nerve racking!

What this does mean though is that I can fully concentrate on the upcoming cycle tour.

So I might or might not be leaving tomorrow to start a circumnavigation of the UK. The intention is not in doubt, it is just departure date. I don't really know what the departure is dependant on. I am on a complete comedown from yesterdays wedding and as such, can't really consider my situation fully! I am in need of some down time.

If I start tomorrow, there will be a short section down to South Devon, before I spend some time with family for Easter.

I then intend to head South West from there, continuing round the coast.

I expect my trip to be punctuated with detours because of various other wedding commitments. So I don't expect to do it in one sitting, but as good as. As soon as weddings are done, then I shall continue.

Of course the whole thing is dependant on whether my knee can take the repetitive nature of cycle touring, so to a degree, we are just going to have to wait and see. I am not in a rush though! Plus, I have managed to sort the gearing out on my bike, so it is much more appropriate for touring and my knee.

Having also toyed with multiple packing options, I have now made the choice to dispense with the panniers and the trailer, over the minimalist and lightweight drybag on rack solution. I purchased a Gourdon 30 drybag rucksack from Alpkit and the idea is to use this as the only main bag and bungee it on top of the rear rack. I stole this idea along with many others from a great read, Ultralight bicycle touring. Check it out!

This means that I will not have multiple unweildy pannier bags and will be able to lock the bike up, stick the rucksack on my back and go exploring when the mood takes me. If this plan works, it allows me much more freedom. Granted I won't be able to carry as much, but this isn't a bad thing. More stuff equals more weight and with several thousand miles on the agenda, the less load the better!

Anyway, if you don't see ant posts for a while, you know why!

Less equipment

From this title, you may think that the subject would be lightweight or minimalism. Well, not quite, though in my rambling style it is quite possible this will come up.

It is actually a comment on my expectation, that I would talk about equipment on this blog far more. I think that was the plan originally, to spend time commenting on or reviewing equipment. However, so far, for the most part, posts have been more about experiences.

Interestingly, I think people like to see information about equipment on blogs. I think that is why I started reading blogs. Useful real world insight into what works and what doesn't.

I realise of course that equipment is intrinsically linked to experience with most activities and so I found recently in Dartmoor, where substandard equipment played a large part in that experience. There were a few negatives that lead to an interesting, (not so far as 'bad') time.

And so for want of being less cold and having better nights sleep, I have been looking at updating my 'sleeping system'. And with that, here come some posts on equipment.

First up - Sleeping bag!

I have been surprised by how good my £40 basic synthetic sleeping bag has been, keeping me cosy in some very cold, messy, damp, even sodden circumstances. Particularly being that it is coming up 8 years old, has a comfort rating of 0 degrees is huge in pack size and is 2.3 kilos in weight. It has done me well, but recently it has had it greatest tests, (particularly with the bivi bag), often being wet, and being in minus temperatures many times and a couple of times both wet and minus. I can't begin to complain, seeing that I am still alive and was asking a lot of it. I think the biggest factor even now was that the sleeping mat was sub standard in these conditions. Given a better mat, I am sure that the bag wouldn't have been such a problem.

Still with intended cycle touring coming up, over 2 kilos of bag and a huge pack size, I have convinced myself that it should be retired, or at least put in the reserve team as back up for those occasions, when I might stay at a mates on the floor or something and don't want to take my posh bag, which I really hope to look after.

So, introducing - after way too many hours on the internet for an active outdoors lover - the Cumulus Quantum 350 > left hand zip.

I have to say this was one of the items I have spent most time mulling over in a long history of equipment buying. I think I can even go so far as to say that I don't even think I had this much cognitive dissonance (purchase guilt) after purchasing my £[almost two grand - ouch] road bike. However, when it comes to safety, health, amount of usage, I am likely to get out of it, then it is great value even at the best part of £250 quid.

Down vs synthetic?!! I read one site, where the guy said, don't even consider synthetic. I think this is a foolish comment! If you are expecting your bag to get wet, for much of it's usage, then you'd be foolish not to choose synthetic. Just watch Leo Houlding and Jason Pickles film, 'The Prophet' about their free ascent of  a new line of El Cap if you want to see some truly 'how to make your sleeping bag wet' conditions.

In my case I was very much thinking major damp, bordering on wet would be the case, in that I am using a bivi a lot. However, I came to the conclusion, that I just need to make better choices in pitching and set up and that if the issue remained, I'd consider lightweight tent instead. Yes it would be a bit heavier, but then if you've carried a wet sleeping bag around you'll see how this will negate the issue on a wet trip and I know that piece of mind is worth I think -400 grams anyway! ;-) I am also sure that with the better warmth rating of a new bag, I will be able to vent the bivi better and so avoid the terrible condensation issues I have had before. It is just that foot box that I'd worry about.

Then I also made the choice to spend the extra to also get a water repellent outer, hopefully solving much of the damp/condensation issues. I think you can account for an extra (£60 minimum) to get Pertex (or equivalent) water repellent outer on a down bag, so explaining the price disparity below between something like the Rab and the Alpkit Pipedream.

My thoughts went as below >
- Require a lightweight, synthetic bag > Found PHD or 'PHDesigns Mountain Software' > Zeta synthetic bag. 1200grams (-5) and £210. There are very few other similar options I could find.
- Alternative was to consider mates' suggestion- Rab down bags he'd seen with a water resistant outer. So best option seemed to be the Alpine 400 1010 grams (-5). £240
- Then saw PHDs ultralight down range and amazed how light they could get. E.g. Minim 400 - 670 grams (-5). £265 - Made the Rab, at the same price look obsolete.

-Ahhhhhh too much money- why don't I just get a non water repellent down bag like the Alpkit Pipedream 400 which is almost equivalent in weight and warmth rating, just without repellent outer for £150? Well because it is still £150 and it will probably be getting damp a fair bit so ruined and useless. That's why!
- Last I came across Cumulus and the quantum range. The quantum 350 £240 (-6), with a very similar weight to the PHD Minim, same warmth rating but with the 'Diamond grade' polish goose down with the higher loft rating - widely renowned as the best shit out there! 

It became a straight fight between the Cumulus and the PHD

Quantum 350                                            Minim 400
(-6)                                      vs                     (-5)                            > but a more reserved rating at PHD
870                                     vs                     800 fill power
665-695                              vs                    670 grams
Pertex Quantum          vs                     Drishell (claimed best) outer
239                                      vs                     £265 + (£24 for drishell)

The decider came when I read the comments on the Quantum pack size being super small and the fact that the already more expensive £265 PHD required a premium for the MX outer or £24 more pounds for the desired Drishell outer.

Decision made! Finally!


So adding to the above backwards and forwards, the unsure sense of whether synthetic would be better,  the review finding, the general reading up with regards to loft rating etc and the further technical materials learning i.e Pertex and Drishell + opinions, bag issues, pros and cons, real world trial, even comment on how optimistic different manufacturers were with ratings, sourcing, recycling and delivery consideration and of course over all cost, this must have accounted for a good 15 hours on the web. Gosh, I am so happy that is done and likewise that reliving it in blog form is done also!

Is it worth it?!! HELL YES! Tomorrow morning, I am going to have a 700 ish gram -6 rated water repellent tiny super bag! Sweet! More outdoors and earth and world appreciation to come people!

Taking stock and leaving work 1

This is close to running thought process, so forgive the randomonium and lack of structure!

So this is a bit of a period of change for me. It seems I've stopped being lazy in my outlook and have decided to think about every aspect of my life more thoroughly, rather than living comfortably in ignorance. In my immature thinking as it is, I feel that change is required. There is just 'too much', to commit my years to a 'career'.

I keep on thinking that I have to say as a fall back, [almost a justification] that "I know this is a cliched thought and a romantic notion to think that I can just give up work and still live a good life" but why should I have to say that, to justify? Surely it is also a romantic notion to want to have a career, to be happy in your job, to get a nice house and have a nice family. (And how often is this romantic notion achieved these days?- not as often as you may hope)

Doesn't it come down to the fact that if your life is to work, are you really happy with that? Are you happier working or not? I know which one I'd say.

So I am seeing if it is possible that I just work a little, but live my life better. Living for the weekend is just not how it should be. I mean, come on. My friend and I have tried to be spontaneous in our adventures, but we have had to book that months in advance!so......

I suppose I'd prefer to actually learn that a career is a neccesity rather than just assume it. Is this the problem. We just assume! It is easier to assume than to spend time learning isn't it?

We assume it is easier and better for us to do as others do right?! -And work to provide ourselves with endless comfort.
We assume that the more money we have, the better life will be.
We assume that we are weird for thinking that 'this can't be right' (certainly those who read on might have)- and because of this...
We assume no-one else feels this way
We assume wrongly

We assume that humans are progressing! And this is the one that I am loving particularly at the mo. Now, these are very basic thoughts and lets just say, convenient for someone caught in a whirlwind of new found thought, so possibly not that well thought out or balanced, but as general views, perhaps you will just let it go.

So human's are progressing?! yes, no? In my book, the fact that our bodies can't deal with our lifestyles is funny. We can no longer run correcty. We have obesity issues. Our liver can process 3 teaspoons of sugar in a day, yet we ignorantly over reach on this point every single day. Smoking and alcohol. We neglect our bodies. Me myself as much as anyone> something I hope to rectify.

We are destroying our planet. Progress? To destroy what allows us this life. Hmmm?
We are probably the only animal on earth where we are our own problem - separate to those animal on animal problems naturally designed to restore balance - as there is no balance with humans.
Biggest progressions in human history - Guns, money and capitalism - all germs/infections really!

If progress is to make our population growth exponential, so that our own limited resources can't provide for us, then great.

Progress is what? In these terms to end up in a position better than before. That is really funny when we are speeding up our own demise.

Anyway, so instead of just thinking about how wrong I feel this all is, I've gone for active change. Change my life and hopefully be one more person seeing this all as madness and hopefully acting as much as possible not to add to the madness. And if in doing so I can influence some others on the way, then great!

Of course, to do this in a society set up as it is, is not a fair test, so I don't doubt to fail, but fuck it! It'll be experience, whether good or bad.

I am now officially leaving my job and just seeing what happens. Officially seeing what happens. I have some plans, but after reading a quote about 'plans breeding the mundane' and many discussions following this, I am going to try and be less rigid. Hopefully the expression "I don't exactly know" will follow the queries surrounding my plans. And if that can replace my current default of, "oh you know, same ol'". Then more the better!

This is all a learning experience and so it would not be realistic to go cold turkey on current aspects of my living. I am already changing a lot. Vegetarian, more considerate of the environment, more mindful/aware in general. I suppose 'one step at a time' right!

I started writing this post about taking stock of my active self, but it didn't seem enough, without looking at the general 'me' situation. As I started writing it, I kept on being drawn away in my thoughts to more overriding issues. As always, these posts are almost like diary posts, a tool for me to think about, investigate and record my thinkings and doings, so please if you are reading out of interest, forgive the ramble. I think I need the ramble as part of my thought processes. Anyway, I can do what I want, it's my bloody blog! haha

So this post is a basis for more to come! Taking stock part 1 I suppose.

Minimalism or Lightweight

The logical progression is light weight, right?

Being a serious road cyclist, it is quite possible you have at least flerted with the idea of buying lighter components for increased performance. Spend money = increased speed. Simple! This is the domain of the weight weenies - guys and gals worried about loosing every last gram from their equipment, for promise of athletic gain - who’ll spend an extra 100 quid to save 50 grams, or even more for less in the most extreme cases. For me, this is one of the most real world examples of diminishing returns, though using the ‘real world’ expression in the context of leathery hearts, white man tans, shaved legs and lycra, seems laughable.

Let me explain further this crazyness with the language of the universe; numbers. Take for example a relatively large (in road riding terms) 200 gram saving, by replacing say, a saddle. In the grand scheme, it is laughable.

In my case my bike weighs 7 and a half kilos or 7500 grams. That 200 grams represents a tiny percentage. Now put that 7500 grams of bike weight up against my weight 75 kilos or 75000 grams. The 75000 grams that my 7500 gram bike will be carrying. You will see that spending that much money on saving 200 grams from a total of around 80000 grams is going to do very little, particularly when your average drink of water probably weighs the same and your body weight is likely to fluctuate quite easily day to day in those regions. [Granted, that is a really baseline look at weight in cycling terms, but an interesting subject eitherway]

So what I’m saying is, I’m a sucker for it! Weight weenie right here!

Now, taking the 'lightweight' theme across genres, when referring more closely to the ‘outdoor’ side of things and the relationship between 'lightweight' and 'minimalism', I wonder if there is becoming an ever increasing grey area that overlaps these categories. The line can blur for me! My impressions certainly overlap.

I wonder! Is this possibly the way that we as consumers are being led? Lightweight means minimal, when actually…well, stores can’t make money from the minimalist concept, right? Lightweight though...

Synical?! Maybe…

...Probably!!! but definitely something to ponder.