BowlandBeyondBiketouring

All packed up and ready to go Epilogue Part one: Equipment I know some folk like an organized kit list and/or photo. Can't say it was always this neat and ship-shape on the trip. I think that's why we prefer a before or after shot! The tarp was being used in anger for the first time. The sleeping pad for the last time, as it had already been repaired twice before. I like to carry a separate radio on my bike-packing and backpacking trips; one that can receiver LW (i.e.  BBC Radio 4), as you can usually get LW reception anywhere in the UK, including in the hills...it's to do with long waves matching the gaps in the hills. There were a few other sundry items: spare batteries, tent repair material. The food in the blue bag: Mixed nuts/salted peanuts, raisins, bulgur wheat, brown rice(quick cook), red lentils, stock cubes, green mint tea, instant coffee, brown sugar, cereal bars. Main kit used:            Claud Butler MTB (£90 2nd hand)   Hea...

NCN61:The only significant stretch of off-road track on the trip Day six: Betws Garmon to Bangor The picnic table beside the river was the perfect place to have my last breakfast of the trip. The low-mileage blackberry tea-infusion was special too, but my staple cereal bars had me dreaming of freshly caught wild brown trout roasting over an open fire. There were even a few sunbeams peeking over the hills. Breakfast in Snowdonia Out on the road, mid-morning, I quickly came across numerous camp-grounds that probably would have suited me and my wallet more nicely, but I was enjoying the lovely sun-kissed valley ride towards Caernarfon, so I didn't fret over it too much!  Shortly after that, grey clouds filled in all around and I felt some gentle specs of rain for the first time on the tour. The ride still had another of those surprises in store in the form of NCN61, which turned out to be a gem of an off-road cycle route, the only significant one of the tour. The track dropped me down...