Bicycle and Kit

The Bicycle

• Frame: 22" Raleigh Mercury, bought for £25 from a chap next door in 1985
• Wheels: 27" Mavic MA40 rims built onto Suntour ATB hubs
• Tyres: 27" Schwalbe Marathon
• Front rings: 48/38/28 Stronglight
• Rear block: 14/16/18/20/22/24/28 Shimano
• Front derailleur: Unknown (came with the bicycle)
• Rear derailleur: Shimano Deore
• Saddle: Brooks B17 Narrow
• Peddles: Shimano SPD single sided

Kit

• Pannier bags: Carradice Super C, 2 x rear, 2 x front, bar bag
• Tent: Jack Woolfskin Gossamer, one person, 1.55 kg
• Extra ground sheet (for stony or thorny ground)
• Sleeping mat: Self inflating ¾ length Therma-a-Rest
• Sleeping bag: 2-season Karrimor Global 900
• Bag liner: Hi-Gear pure silk
• Cooker: Sigg Firejet
• Pans: Coleman stainless steel nesting set

Plastic sandwich box contents

• Swiss Army Knife
• Spork
• Knife/fork/spoon set
• Washing-up liquid in small bottle
• Washing-up sponge/scourer
• Flint & steel
• Cigarette lighter

Tools

In side pocket of left front pannier

• Double headed screw driver
• Adjustable spanner
• Small Molegrip
• Small flat multi-spanner (with bottom bracket cup adjuster)
• Cone spanners
• Crank extractor
• Allan keys
• Tyre levers
• Spoke adjuster
• Chain link remover

Spares

In side pocket of right front pannier

• Inner tubes x 2
• Patches and rubber solution
• Small nuts and bolts
• Cable ties
• Ball of string
• Spare spokes & nipples x 4 (left front pannier)
• Chain oil

Clothing

• Cycle helmet: Giant Realm (with sun-visor)
• Cycling shoes: Shimano SPD
• Sandals x 1 pair

In large stuff sack

• Cycling shorts (baggy with liner) x 2 pairs
• Cycling shirt x 2
• Khaki shorts (for off-bike wear) x 1 pair
• Polyester T-shirts (for off-bike wear) x 2
• Rab Vapoure-Rise warm top
• Mountain Equipment Gortex Paclite waterproof jacket
• Helly Hansen base layer (long-leg pants and long-sleeve vest) used for sleeping

In small stuff sack

• Briefs x 3
• Socks (bamboo fibre) x 3 pairs
• Swimming trunks x 1 pair
• Handkerchiefs x4

Toiletries and First-aid

In wash bag

• Soap in soap box (also used for clothes washing)
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Foot powder
• Nail file
• Sewing kit
• Face cloth
• Travel towel

In first-aid bag

• Adhesive dressings (various)
• Crepe bandage and safety pins
• Antiseptic cream
• Diocalm tablets
• Paracetamol tablets
• Water purification tablets
• Suntan cream

Maps

In waterproof map case; current map in map case on top of bar bag

• Michelin 1:400,000 Andalucía (578)
• Michelin 1:400,000 Extramadura etc. (576)
• Michelin 1:400,000 Castilla y León (575)
• Michelin 1:250,000 País Vasco etc. (573)
• Michelin 1:200,000 Aquitaine (524)
• Michelin 1:200,000 Poitou-Charentes (521)
• Michelin 1:200,000 Centre (518)
• Michelin 1:200,000 Normandie (513)