[music] Conor: Going on a cycling adventure is
something that any of us can try. Whether it's one big epic ride, maybe an overnight trip, or
a big epic, epic multi-day trip. Going on a cycle adventure is an unbelievably incredible, rewarding
experience. If you're thinking about giving it a go, go for it. You can do it. Don't think it's an
unrealistic pipe dream. So to help you out and on your way off onto those roads, I thought I'd share
with you my top tips to adapt your road bike, yes, that one in your garage for your own adventure.
[music] To explain all
this to you I've decided to use my Pinarello. It's the bike I use for all my usual riding
here at GCN, getting beaten by Hank and sprints. Run to the cafe or just a couple
of easy hours cruising on the local lanes, but today I'm getting it ready for adventure.
[music] First up, storage. How are you going to carry
all your gear on a bike with no panniers or racks, you may ask. You could use bike packing bag. Bike
packing bags allow you to carry a large amount of gear, cleverly attached to the frame of your bike,
without the need for those pannier racks, which my road bike doesn't have. So, on they go.
[music] Here we have a seat bag, a frame bag,
and a handlebar bag. These bags are designed for carrying the bulk of your gear when you're going
off on an adventure. Things like toiletries, spare clothes, spare bits of equipment for
your bike. Maybe a sleeping bag upfront, or even nappies, if you're going on a family adventure.
You could carry the bulk of this gear in a backpack and carry it on your back and
don't let me stop you in that respect, if you're going to go for that, do it. Don't
let anything get in the way of your adventure. But if you can, put it on your frame because
it will take the weight off your lower back and your bike will be carrying the weight instead,
which will make for a much more enjoyable ride. So you can carry 24 liters of stuff in these bags
you see here. Actually, the seat bag comes in a larger size, this is 10 liters, but it can come
in a 15-liter size, which would mean you'd be able to carry 29 liters in total with this topic
bike packing bag set. That means you can actually carry 16.5 kilos in weight, which is
seriously impressive, if you ask me. Of course, you don't need to fill these bags
to their maximum weight and neither do you need to take all the bags together. You could use a couple
of bags or you could just use a single seat bag if you are on a shorter duration trip. Pack light,
travel far. Remember anything you do pack, will be weight, that you will be carrying uphill.
Be ruthless, really ruthless when you're packing. Do you really need those bulky trainers for
instance, or can you get away with lighter flip-flops, which will fit much more easily
in your bags. Do you really need that spare casual t-shirt? Just think about what you're packing
and try and cut down if you can. I'm going to pack this up now and show you how I get my seat
bag packed, my outer waterproof layer, jersey in as well, two bottoms. [music]
Jersey, flippity-floppities. I'll keep them out if I need them. A towel. Big towel. Bathing. [music]
I think I've been a bit ambitious with the towel. No, this can do it. There we go. Large
bulky items can be taken too. Camping, a handlebar bag like this one can carry a large sleeping bag,
and keep it dry too. All your gear will be kept waterproof too. With it all being kept safely
inside a dry bag inside an outer waterproof layer. So you can't use the rain as an excuse. [music]
Okay, so that's the bulk of my gear on my road bike. Next up,
lights. Even if you're doing an adventure in the middle of summer,
where you might not be riding in the dark, lights are still an essential, in my opinion.
You may have an unexpected stop which delays your riding, leading you to ride long into dusk. Also,
you may come across some tunnels, so it's always a safe and good idea to carry some lights with you.
So, at the very least, bring some smaller LED lights, just like this one I have here. This is
USB rechargeable and great if you do find yourself riding in darker conditions. You can attach these;
clip them on to your bike, on the frame. Or you clip them onto your bike packing bags, just at
the back there and leave them there, then they're ready to be turned on if and when they're needed.
Now I also use another smaller LED light, which is quite cheap one, to be honest. You can pick
it up at a bike shop or a petrol station that's plenty similar to this model. Just another little
handy one, which you can attach anywhere, I put it onto my helmet here. These LED lights are more for
making sure you're visible to other road users, rather than you actually seeing the road yourself.
So if you are riding in the dark for a longer period of time, then you might
want to consider something, a bit bulkier and a bit more powerful to light the way.
Not that bulky, is it? It's not that heavy either, it's pretty light. Now, this is a front light,
and it will give you a whopping 1500 lumens with a maximum battery life of 36 hours, so perfect
for lighting your way. And I've got a rear light as well. This one, a rear light will give you a
maximum 80 lumens with 48 hours battery life. I use these two, when I did my summer solstice ride
with Hank throughout the night, and worked perfectly. Really easy to light up the road
and see where you're going. Also pretty light and easy to attach to your frame so all that goes on.
I must say brighter than my brother-in-law Nigel's tractor too.
Phone, bike, computer, lights, GoPro batteries, maybe an e-reader. I know paper books are great,
but heavy. Think about it. Whatever electronics you do decide to take though,
you will be able to charge them, so don't worry, there's a number of options. If
you're staying in an accommodation, what I'd recommend is bringing a multi-socket USB plug,
that way you can plug in all your devices into one plug without the need for carrying
multiple plugs and you can take lighter cables to get all those devices charged.
If you're staying in remote areas, perhaps you're camping, then maybe think about getting a
powerpack. I picked this one up in my local electronics store it's about €50,
but it's got 15,000 milliamp-hour capacity, so that can charge your phone around five times over.
It's got multiple sockets, weighs 340grams and it's slim enough that you can fit it
in your bags rather easy. So it is a good option, if you are going into remote areas.
You can also think about getting a solar charge, if you are going to remote areas
for a long period of time, and you want to top up your electronics after a number of days,
and you don't think a portable battery pack will quite do the job. [music]
I always like to take a few more spares with me, when I go out on an adventure.
Just to make sure, that I can overcome any setbacks which may arise once I'm out on the road.
Here's a list for your own reference of things that I like to take with me when I go out myself.
Spare tire, a number of spare inner tubes, and also a puncture repair kit is very handy. It
means you don't have to take as many spare inner tubes. Spare chain links, spare brake pads,
a couple of spare spokes for the wheels that you're using. Small tub of wet chain
lube when I'm out and about in my adventure. That way you can give the chain a quick top-up
in-between days because well your chain does tend to need re-lubrication out and about.
I also like to put on new tires and regrease any bearings on the bike before leaving. Just making
sure the bike is in good condition really and also don't forget to charge your electronic gears.
Done that before. If you can store all your mechanical bits in a small little pouch or maybe a
dry bag, just so you can keep it separate from the rest of your gear. You don't want all your beloved
t-shirts getting greasy, do you? If you can, store it in the center of your bike in your frame bag
for example. If you put all the added weight in your frame, you'll keep a better center of gravity
and also your frame bag can actually take more weight, because it's got much more support from
the frame. Just a little tip there for you. I like to chuck in some cable ties. Nice long
strong ones, you never know when you might need them, and they're quite a handy thing to have
for any kind of eventuality. Also, they're very light and won't take up too much room,
so it is worth chucking in a few. I take a really good multi-tool with me,
with plenty of options including a chain breaker. That way you stand the best chance
of fixing any mechanicals whilst you're out on your adventure and you won't have
to curtail it or take a detour to a biker shop, if anything does go wrong. [music]
I recently did a video on route planning which you can find here. Here are some of the basics for
you. Creating a GPX file is a great way of staying on track once you're out on your adventure.
You can download it to your head unit and it's really simple to follow on the go,
creating less navigational hiccups. If you're doing a multi-day trip, I'd advise creating
all these GPX files in advance. Downloading them to your head unit so you can select each day's
riding when you're leaving in the morning or afternoon, if you like the lightning.
Commute's multi-day trip planner is a great tool, which does this all in one place. You simply
create your adventure from A to B, and then it will split it up in today's riding,
so it's all ready to go for you to select once you're out on the road.
Extend the battery life of your bike computer by turning off the Bluetooth connectivity and
any other wireless connectivity, too. Also, if you turn down the backlight, that will also
save battery and make your device last for longer. Similarly, if you're using a phone,
download the maps for offline use. This way, you're not relying on mobile internet or Wi-Fi
to check where you're going. [music]
What food to bring? Now, that is the question, always an important one for me actually,
I never want to be going hungry at all. In terms of food in your adventure, you want to know
where you're going, if you're going to a remote spots or if you're passing through towns where
you might be able to refill. Refilling as you go is always a good option; it means you won't have
to carry the excess weight for the whole trip. Equally, though, if you are going into remote
spots try and calorie-dense food that you can pack into a small space. Things like
porridge which you may [unintelligible 00:10:57] porridge which you may be able to cook on a gas
stove or rice, which you may be able to boil on a stove as well. It's not super exciting, but
it'll get your calories and give you the energy you need to keep riding. Equally, if you are using
bike packing bags then use the elasticated mesh on the outside to stuff a few bits of bars and
sandwiches maybe, a bit of extra food externally to the bag which you can quite easily take
whilst you're riding. It's also handy spots for a spare rain jacket as well.
Another option to consider is getting a small stem-mounted handlebar bag, just to carry a bit of
extra food. This is great even if you're going on a big one-day ride and your pockets are bulging,
you can't fit everything in. It's great just to keep all your food in a convenient position. This
one will take one liter so you can get a bottle or maybe some food or you just stuff it full of food
like I like to do. I call it my food pouch, a nice easy position, easily accessible to get
munching on the go. [music]
As I said early, try to whack some new tires on before leaving for your adventure. This way will
be less chance of getting a puncture and it'll also mean you'll have a greater
amount of time before your tires wear out, especially if you're going on a long trip.
I'd also try and switch to as wide a tire as possible. For many of us,
this will be 28 mil, but for some of us, it could be up to 32 mil if you're talking about
[unintelligible 00:12:18] or Orbea orca. I think the wider the better, in my opinion.
With all that extra gear, your bike will be heavier than usual. If you run a wider tire,
you'll be able to run a lower pressure without the risk of a pinched flat.
You have a more comfortable ride and also, I think, as a result, you'll be able to handle
the bike a lot better with the bags on it. If you're more stable and confident
as a [unintelligible 00:12:39] for the wider tire. Also, if you can, I'd opt for disk brakes. I think
with all the extra weight, again, if you have disk brakes you'll be able to handle your bike
a lot better on the descent, a bit more superior braking power, especially in the wet. I think
it'll just make for a more enjoyable adventure. You may also want to think about relaxing your
position a bit. If your bike is set up in a super aggressive racer style position,
you might want to think about changing this when you go out on your adventure, maybe raise your
handlebars a little bit at the front, or double wrap your handlebar tape for comfort. Also, before
you set up on your adventure, try riding with your bags attached to your bike with your full set up,
so you can really get an idea not only how the bike feels, but also if the bags are hindering
your peddling style. If it is, then you can make changes, adapt, and prepare for when your
adventure starts for real. [music]
Another thing to think about is gear selection. Now, with all these bikes, you'll have extra
weight, which is going to mean it's going to be more work up those climbs. If you can,
select an easier gear before you leave. That could mean putting a compact chainset on front
or a larger cassette on the back just to give you more options and an easier gear
that'll allow you to spin up those climbs. So, those are some of my tips for your next
cycling adventure. I hope you found this video useful and I hope it's inspired you
to get out on your bike and try something new. But, if I've missed anything, please
let me know in the comment section below. It's great to share all this information, I think.
Let's get a poll going on the GCN app. Have you been on a big bike adventure before and if so,
in what capacity? I'd be interested to hear what everyone's say is on that and what the spread is.
I guess I better get back to my ride already. I've got some mountains to conquer and a lovely river
to see. See you all soon, everyone. Ta-ta. [00:14:30] [END OF AUDIO]