Category: Gear Reviews
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The Hennessy Deep Jungle Camping Hammock: Long-Term Review & Photos
I love hammock camping on bike trips. It’s convenient, comfortable, and a lot easier to find a pitch than people tend to think. Rather than hammock camping in general, which I’ve written about in the past along with other alternative sleeping systems, in this piece I will be taking a closer look at my own camping […] Continue reading →
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Terra Nova Starlite 2 Bikepacking Tunnel Tent: Long-Term Review & Photos
Full disclosure: Terra Nova sent me this tent on long-term loan for review on my blog. I agreed on the basis that I would return it after the testing period was over. I’ve received no payments or other benefits for this. For the last 12 months I’ve been road-testing a relatively new tent from veteran British […] Continue reading →
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Kona Sutra 2015 Touring Bike: A Preview
[UPDATE: Kona’s updated 2016 Sutra has recently been announced. Check out my preview here.] The Kona Sutra has been my short-haul road tourer of choice for the last few years, ever since I rode a 2012 model of the Kona Sutra down the Pacific Coast of America in 2012. When I reviewed the 2014 Sutra, it seemed […] Continue reading →
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Ridgeback Expedition Touring Bike Review & Detailed Photos
Disclosure: I was eager to test-ride the Ridgeback Expedition, as it looked on paper like a brave and welcome entry at the lower end of the 26-inch wheel expedition bike market in the UK. It was returned to Ridgeback after the testing period was over. I’m not affiliated with Ridgeback in any way. Overview Released in 2014, the Ridgeback Expedition is a 26-inch wheel equipped touring […] Continue reading →
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Crosso Dry, Twist & Expert Pannier Review & Detailed Photos
Disclosure: The Dry and Expert panniers reviewed here were originally supplied by Extrawheel during my testing of their prototype Voyager trailer. I then bought a pair of Twists on the strength of their performance, and use them to this day. Crosso are a Polish manufacturer of waterproof drybags and bicycle panniers. I’ve used their panniers and […] Continue reading →
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Ridgeback Panorama Touring Bike Review & Detailed Photos
This guest post was written in 2014 by my friends Tim & Laura Moss, who spent 16 months riding two Ridgeback Panorama touring bikes 13,000 miles (20,000km) around the world. The bike has changed little since then and has kept its reputation as a classic British road tourer. The Panorama is British bicycle manufacturer Ridgeback’s […] Continue reading →
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Kona Sutra 2014 Touring Bike Review & Detailed Photos
Disclosure: I asked Kona’s UK rep to send me a demo model of the 2014 Sutra for review, to which he obliged. It was returned after the testing period was over. The Kona Sutra 2014 reviewed in this article has been positioned by Kona as a mid- to high-end steel-framed adventure touring bike with significant potential […] Continue reading →
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Surly Disc Trucker Touring Bike: Legacy Review & Detailed Photos
This review was originally published in April 2014 and is based on the specification of the Surly Disc Trucker at that time. The platform has been substantially updated for 2021, as explained in this blog post on the Surly website. This post will remain online for posterity and for those buying second-hand. The Disc Trucker […] Continue reading →
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Introducing Affordable Custom-Built Touring Bikes from Oxford Bike Works
Disclosure: This is a fully impartial review of Oxford Bike Works’ Model 2 touring bike, based on real-world testing of a demo bike on temporary loan from Oxford Bike Works at my request. I am not affilated with or sponsored by Oxford Bike Works in any way. As bike touring has grown in popularity, major bicycle […] Continue reading →
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Biologic ReeCharge: A Dynamo-Powered USB Charger for Smartphones & More
Since the start of this year I’ve been making extensive use of a nifty on-the-road power solution from Taiwanese manufacturer Biologic called the ‘ReeCharge’. It’s billed as an effective — and environmentally respectful — way to put your pedalling efforts to use in keeping your smartphone, GPS or other USB-powered device charged while on the road. […] Continue reading →