When you look at most bike boxes, the design, even of the newest models, often seems to follow the classic design from our own favourite brand – Bike Box Alan. Now, we’re based in Yorkshire too, so let’s get this out of the way immediately; yes, we see BBA as a partner, now and into the future. Why – well, simply because they cannot be beaten in terms of looking after your precious bike.
Modern bikes are expensive and difficult to protect when travelling. Thankfully, Bike Box Alan have developed their Easy Fit, which caters and looks after all manner of bikes with integrated handlebars and seat posts etc. Larisa likes it so much that she became an ambassador 😉
Yakima make carriers all kinds of bikes, and their Front Loader is probably one of the most secure and well fitting bike carrier on the market. We tested it both in Romania and in the U.K.
Any mountain biking pack needs to first of all perform as a pack on the hills. After all, it’s pointless carrying anything on a bike that doesn’t perform in its basic function. Thankfully, the Deuter Flyt 14 backpack performs superbly in its base function as a mountain bacpack or for adventure days on a gravel bike.
The Yakima High Road is a top of the range heavy duty piece of engineering, designed with typical Japanese effectiveness. The front wheel is locked into place by a moveable set of hoops that wrap around the wheel. Simply lift the bike up and place the front wheel into the front hoop, bring the second hoop in towards the wheel and tighten things up with a calibrated ratchet that clicks when the correct tension is applied.
I used to be a bit of a philistine when it came to coffee, coffee was just coffee and instant tasted okay. That was until I started drinking freshly ground and freshly made coffee. What a revelation and how bad instant now tastes. Far from being any kind of connoisseur, but I can now appreciate the subtle undertones of flavours in different coffees, although this has created a bit of hole for myself, demanding good coffee wherever I travel, even bikepacking.
Stuck for trainer options due to space? This well engineered trainer from Feedback combines the best aspects of rollers & fixed trainer
Everybody in cycling seems to talk devices these days. Strava has become a pain, yes a pain, Garmin is a close run second and there are a plephora of other devices that cyclists seem lost … literally without. I’m no technophobe, but I do believe that you should first learn to use a map and compass, and in truth, with great devices like Quad Lock which allows you to pop you mobile phone onto the handlebars, Google Maps simply can’t be beaten – or can it 😉
We’ll be looking at brands such as Quad Lock, Beeline and others that produce tech to take your riding out to new places. The tech market is always changing and it’s too easy to spend a lot of money on something that will simply not perform as expected. Our aim is to keep it simple and to look for the best and most efficient options for you.
Anyway, take a look below and get yourself kitted out for your own global cycling trip or a simple day in the hills.
Larisa Chinces at Dalby Forest, using Quad Lock
