Monday 28 May 2007

An inventory

I travelled quite light, although I could have economised more, and the bike itself isn't the lightest. But, for interest, here's a list of what I carried with me:

2 cycle shirts, one short-sleeved, one long
2 prs cycle chorts
4 prs cotton socks
1 pr cycle shoes, comfortable enough to wear to walk around in, with cleats to fit in my SPD pedals.
1 pr light cotton shorts
1 light cotton t shirt (last two for wearing in the evening)
1 sports vest (base-layer)
1 Berghaus waterproof jacket
1 pr waterproof trousers (only used on day 2)

1 travel towel
1 first aid kit
5 OS road maps (1:250,000)
3 End to End guidebooks (two of them left at Perranporth)
2 novels (only 100 pages read in 12 days)
1 camera
1 pocket DAB radio
1 mobile phone
Rechargers for above 3 items
4 inner tubes (only one required)
Tools and stuff - WD40, oil, spanners, allen keys
1 heavy duty lock - left in a pub in Cornwall, far too heavy
1 combination lock
Sundry power bars (disposed of after a week)

I tried to wash and dry my clothes at each stop, but that wasn't always possible - often radiators wouldn't be on, and it takes more than 12 hours for cycling clothes to dry, and far more for cotton socks to dry. At one point I had 4 pairs of wet socks.

I had plastic bags to keep the books and maps dry, but not the clothes. The panniers weren't waterproof, and the detachable covers I had pooled water inside their elasticated lining, which made the panniers wet at the bottom anyway. I should have remembered the tip to have plastic bags inside the panniers. It's always good to have, at minimum, a pair of dry socks to change into after several hours of rain.

But apart from the heavy ABUS lock, which was a mistake, I'm happy with the amount of kit I took. Remember that you can always buy anything more you need en route.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Next time you should tape a clothes-horse to the back of the bike.

That way, any breeze created as you pedal/walk/hitch-hike/get-a-bus will help dry your socks...

Anonymous said...

Or perhaps ride the clothes horse from LE to JOG, remembering to go via Hay...

Very well done to you, Mr Marsden/Armstrong, hope your bits are recovering

Anonymous said...

Now try reading Tony Hawks, Round Ireland with a Fridge

Marcelo Rayel said...

Well, dear, you can buy anything that strikes your fancy. My simple, single, humble question is that you've got Visa, Maestro or Amex?!

Anonymous said...

Very intresting blog. Always a problem trying to get things dry on any trip.
I plan to do the LEJOG in September.I will let you know how it goes. I have already tied a clothes line to my bike.