1. DRY SACKS: Heaven is a dry nights sleep after a long wet
day
I have three dry bags that I pack into my ortlieb panniers. One for my sleeping bag,
down jacket and mattress. The other for my MSR hubba hubba tent, fly and ground sheet.
The third one is for my laptop and electrical equipment and
chargers. The panniers keep things dry but the dry bags give you
even more weather protection and allow you to stuff a lot into a
small space.
INDY TIP: Get different coloured dry sacks so
you don't have to open all of them to find something. Orange =
Clothes Yellow = Electronics Green =
Tent etc.
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2. CYCLE SHORTS: Mix and match for extra comfort
I recommend investing in two different styles of cycle shorts so
the seams don't rub in the same place each day. I have a merino
wool icebreaker Halo shorts, perfect in the rain
because you don't get cold and in the heat they don't get too hot.
I also have a quick-dry lycra pair.
INDY TIP: On the long days when your bum is
definitely not smiling, put on both pairs of shorts at the same
time - your tush will enjoy the cush!
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3. SHOES: Keep your twinkle toes happy on and off the bike
I had a pair of MTB cycle shoes which lasted 6 months of heavy
wear but they finally died on a 5 day jungle trek last week. (The
sheep and tiki lace clips were a present from sister in NZ.)
Plus I have a pair of grey ballet Crocs - not the gaudy bright coloured
abominations. Mine are like slip on ballet flats made of PCCR, a
closed-cell material that virtually eliminates odour. They are
lightweight and can be (dare I say it) worn with socks when it's
cold. The first 5 weeks cycling in Ireland my cycle shoes were
perpetually wet and I wish I'd bought a pair of crocs sooner.
INDY TIP: Wear your crocs in campground and
hostel showers to avoid picking up a nasty infection.
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4. THE BIKE: Meet my best friend Meg
I started off cycling around Ireland for the first 5 weeks on my
Giant Hybrid bike. It was ok for a short-ish tour but because it
was a few years old and wasn't built to carry a touring weight
things started to go wrong. I sold 'Snowy' to a man in the park in
Belfast and upgraded to 'Meg' my Ridgeback Voyage touring bike. With a steel
frame, Shimano RM70 hubs, Continental Contact tyres
and Shimano gears she's been a dream to ride, especially when
I hit the hills. Plus, with a price tag of around €1000 you don't
have to empty your bank account to start touring.
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5. MATTRESS: Sleeping beauty recommends…
I started the trip with an inflatable Alpkit mattress which I loved. I
was inspired to buy it after my friend wisely said:
"Would you rather spend 5 minutes blowing up a
mattress each night and have 8 hours good sleep or spend all night
trying to get comforable on a foam bed roll?"
The problem was it punctured after a month and my patch jobs
couldn't stop the new leaks I kept finding. I swapped to a Prolite Thermarest self inflating mattress, a
bit more pricey but it rolls down to nothing. Not quite as comfy
but it comes with a lifetime guarantee.
INDY TIP: When you're rolling it up, squeeze
out all the air and then seal it and roll it up again, you'll be
surprised how much more air you can squeeze out of it.
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6. JERSEY: Cycle geek vs cycle chic?
I have to be honest, before starting this trip I'd never worn a
tight fitting cycle jersey but I decided thousands of tour de
france riders can't be wrong. The folks at Spin 11 in Dublin
hooked me up with my yellow and black design and they have been
invaluable. Firstly for visibility on the road, combined with my
yellow ortlieb panniers, I'm like a ray of cycling sunshine for
approaching motorists. Plus having a distinctive shirt, people come
up and talk to me later in the day when I come across them at the
next town. I'm also quite a fan of the pockets on the back, great
for stashing a snack or keeping a map.
INDY TIP: Beware keeping bananas in your back
pocket. I forgot about one for 12 hours and kept wondering why I
was getting whiffs of banana, when I finally worked out why it was
a mushy mess.
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7. PEDALS: To clip in or clip out?
I opted for double sided pedals so I can clip my MTB shoes in
when I'm doing a big cycle but can still cycle in my crocs when I'm
cruising around town. Being clipped in takes a bit of getting used
to and I'll never forget the time I stopped at traffic lights,
forgot I was clipped and in slow motion hit the pavement because I
couldn't get my feet out in time. The good thing is, you only do
this once and generally the only thing bruised is your pride.
INDY TIP: When you're starting out just clip in
one pedal at a time, get used to it and then try the same with the
other foot. That way you won't have a traffic light incident like
me. Also, if you're finding it hard to unclip chances are your
cleats are loose so tighten them up with an allen key.
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8. NECESSARY ITEM: Every girl needs a LBD
As a touring cyclist there are odd occasions when I want to feel
like a female again! I bought the Muji cube dress (it actually comes in a cube).
it's a loose fitting knee length black dress that can be worn as a
nightie to bed, a sundress to the beach, on a dinner date or for a
night of dancing.
INDY TIP: I also carry a brightly coloured
scarf which dresses it up and takes up no room, plus it doubles as
a tea towel or a bandana.
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9. LAPTOP: I heart my Macbook air
I started my tour with a cheap netbook notebook which was ok
until I wanted to start working with video. Plus it took a long
time to load photos and upload things to my website. The lovely
folks at Boxerchips loaned me their Macbook
Air and it has been incredible. I was worried that something
that can slide into an A4 envelope, weighing less than a magazine
wouldn't be up for the rough and tumble of cycle touring. But I've
been proved wrong and the battery life is good for 3-4 hours.
INDY TIP: Turn the brightness of your screen
right down to save loads of battery power.
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10. GIRL TALK: The monthly drama!
Guys avert your eyes for a second. Being a female cycle tourist
has it's own unique challenges especially at that time of the
month. Without going into too much detail, after being introduced
to the Mooncup at Glastonbury festival last year I've
never looked back.
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If you have any cycle tour gear tips I'd love to hear about
them, just write a comment below.