Category: Gear Reviews
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The DIY Beer Can Stove Is The Best Camping Stove You’ll Never Buy
Jetboil? Trangia? Primus? I laugh in your faces! The lightest, cleverest and most practical camping stove I’ve ever seen can be made by hand from a single empty drinks can. Continue reading →
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Extrawheel Voyager Single-wheel Bike Trailer Review
Extrawheel’s original Classic model, with its cargo nets and canoeists’ drybags, is no longer in production. Why? Because Extrawheel, after a lot of prototype-testing and feedback by myself and other intrepid riders, have hit upon something that’s even simpler, lighter and more practical: the Voyager. The Voyager was launched last year and I’ve been able […] Continue reading →
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First-Impressions Review Of The Extrawheel Voyager
During 2007 and 2008, Andy and I road-tested some prototype trailers for the Polish company Extrawheel who have been helping to support Ride Earth. Today we took the final production version of the Extrawheel Voyager for a spin to see how it compared to those early models. Continue reading →
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Magura Louise Hydraulic Disc Brake Review
Disc-brake technology for mountain-bikes has progressed at lightning speed in the last few years. Based on long-standing concepts originating from motorbike technology, disc-brakes have traditionally suffered from complex set-up and maintenance procedures, and reliability issues. It’s just not as simple as a piece of wire attached to a caliper. It’s messy and expensive. People get […] Continue reading →
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Magura Odur 100mm Front Suspension Touring Fork Review
Choosing suspension forks for cycle touring usually involves a preliminary question — should I use forks at all? The answer, as usual, depends on where you want to go on your fully-loaded bike. A tour on good quality asphalt doesn’t call for the control, comfort and arm/hand protection offered by a good pair of suspension forks. […] Continue reading →
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MSR Dragonfly Multi-Fuel Stove — Owner Review
It was somewhere in rural France that I first put the MSR Dragonfly multi-fuel stove to the test. I soaked the wick with fuel and set a match to it — whereupon a huge fireball erupted into my face. I resolved to read the manual before trying a second time. Continue reading →
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Carradice Super C Rear Pannier Review
Full disclosure: I was given these panniers by Carradice in 2007 for my first expedition, in return for feedback and a review. I’ve used them ever since, and extensively rewrote and improved this piece in 2012. Ortlieb might be ubiquitous, but they’re not the only pannier brand worth looking at. I’ve been using Carradice Super C […] Continue reading →
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Tubus Logo Rear Carrier Rack Review
Full disclosure: I was given the Tubus Logo by Lyon Equipment (Tubus’ UK distributor) as part of their Expedition Grant in 2007. The German manufacturer Tubus’ range of racks might occupy the upper end of the pricing scale, but for good reason — the racks are immensely strong. The Logo is specifically designed for mountain-bike geometry, […] Continue reading →
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Extrawheel Classic Single-Wheel Bicycle Trailer Review
Looking at getting an Extrawheel? The trailer reviewed here has been replaced by the improved Extrawheel Voyager and is no longer available. Go and read the new review. There are quite a few trailers on the market nowadays, but none seem to be able to shift BOB and his Yak and Ibex single-wheeled trailers from […] Continue reading →
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Touring Wheelset Review — Sun Rhyno Lite rims on Shimano Deore XT 36h hubs
First, I’d like to tell you a story. We began the ride on different wheelsets. Not because we wanted to, but because of a balls-up with the wheel order. I departed on what we’d originally planned for — Sun Rhyno Lite 36-hole rims, DT Swiss plain guage spokes, and Shimano Deore XT disc-compatible hubs. I’ve […] Continue reading →