loadedcyclist2

Most recent activity

• Winter sleeping mats

  in Cycle Touring and Bikepacking • 3 weeks, 1 day

  

  Reporting back (yes I am loadedcyclist who started the thread - newID due to some techglitch) in the end, being a meanie**, I got this.

  https://www.outdooraction.co.uk/vango-tr­ek-pro-5-standard-self-inflating-mat-p11­152

  Curiously different R values are given for it - on the packing bag it says the R value is 4, on the tag it says the R value is 5.7. Vango assured me that the higher value is correct.

  Has worked well with a cheap Karrimor branded Z mat underneath - I used it last night and will be using it again tonight in the current cold blast.

  If anyone has any questions about it, fire away.

  **the shop is great but they did their usual thing of trying to sell me up. On my guard though after a truly bonkers attempt of theirs a few years ago.

• Lightweight tent recommendations?

  in Cycle Touring and Bikepacking • 3 weeks, 1 day

  

  miniscule when under it trying to shelter or when packed?
  Do you have a pic of it in use?
  Am somewhat wary of ultralight tarps - possible damage from tree branches etc etc.

• Bikes on Trenitalia

  in Cycle Touring and Bikepacking • 3 weeks, 1 day

  

  On Italy I'd check carefully about whether you need a separate ticket for the bike. It's a few years since I have had a bike on Italian trains but used to do it a lot and they had that rule then on faster trains for non-folded bikes. seem to recall that you could buy a single ticket for your bike or a bike ticket for the bike lasting 24 hours. Then once a year in their wild generosity the Italian trains had a special day where you could take your unfolded bike for free. I used to cycle with a local Italian cycling group sometimes that celebrated this mad generosity with a special bike-train ride. But as I say check. Cycling culture somewhat divided in Italy - practical cycling very popular in some areas, in other areas many folk wouldn't be seen dead doing anything practical on a bike in case neighbours thought they had gone down in the world.

• Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

  in Cycle Touring and Bikepacking • 3 weeks, 1 day

  

  I meant the drybags.
  as here:
  https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BAPODTOTV2­/podsacs-roll-top-waterproof-dry-bag

  Personally, because of issues noted above, I wouldn't go below the 25 litre one (but then I use a rack) - great value at currently £9.99 though. I like Podsacs stuff - used to do some good small strong mesh stuffsacks but haven't done those for a while.
  For straps I used rokstraps (beloved of the motorbike fraternity) and Nitize adjustable bungees - sod conventional bungees - work of the one-eyed devil.

• Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

  in Cycle Touring and Bikepacking • 3 weeks, 1 day

  

  know what you mean but I quite like them for the price. The smaller ones are definitely to be avoided though as the stiffness makes them pretty useless. The 15 litre ones are a really daft short stubby shape which makes them near useless for strapping to some things. When folded closed is nearly a football. Ortlieb medium weight (350?) far better, and ther 13litre bag is a nice long thin shape - good for strapping.