Asking for more advice about first tour

[barnesy]

Hello,

Not long ago i asked a few questions about a possible first tour.

I now have answers but more questions. I have decided that i am going to tour Ireland around late May or June, it will take roughly 3 weeks.

So i have the bike and now its coming to buy the things i need for the tour.

Unfortunately i have to do it relatively cheap but still buying everything at once seems expensive.

I need a tent (perhaps argos cheapie one man one, pro action. Any good?)

Sleeping bag and Mat - Any good suggestions (looking to spend no more than £50 on the bag as i may only use it this tour)

Set of panniers and rear rack. Im confused about the rear panniers though because i don't know how much i am going to take and until i see it all and try to pack it, most rear panniers seem to be between 20 and 40 litres per pannier, is this much?

As a rough idea i will try to pack light maybe 2 cycling outfits (bibs, jersey, socks) and a lightweight waterproof jacket. i will need something to wear about at night (tracksuit bottoms, hoody, 2 or 3 different t shirts and light shoes)
I will be bring a few toiletries, travel towel and i will buy food on the go so no need for cooking equipment.
So thats the rear panniers, is this a small amount?

The rest of the things to bring is a small tool kit and spares, everything else should go in a bar bag such as money, camera and maps.

So as a beginner i now need advice on a slight budget of things to buy.

Thanks

 

[snorri]

Quite difficult to answer, three weeks could be quite a long time to be touring with a cheapo tent, sleeping bag etc., particularly if the weather turns nasty.
Perhaps you could get a second hand tent?
You can get a sleeping mat roll (Google it) for less than £10.
40 litre panniers should be adequate, particularly as you do not intend to carry cooking gear.
It would be good if you could get away for say a two night/weekend tour before the big tour. This would help you make up your mind about what to take and what to leave at home. We all have our own ideas as to what is and is not essential on tour.
Touring Ireland is a good idea, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

[jay clock]

WEIGH everything. "a hoody" may be 1000g whilst a lightweight fleece may be 300g. Get a cheapish but lightweight down sleeping bag. If you are anywhere near a Decathlon they are a great place to get stuff. See here for my musings on kit and weight. http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=3Tzut&page_id=104184&v=e

Although I did not like Thermarests some people do. Decathlon do great copies of them

 

[andym]

I used to have a ProAction tent. For the money they were absolutely excellent. You pay a price in terms of extra weight, but for a first time cheap tent they are hard to beat - although if you have a Decathlon handy they are worth checking out.

I'd also recommend Decathlon for sleeping bags.

For a mat check out the airic range from alpkit.com.

Most people opt for the medium-sized rear panniers. These hold 20 or so litres each - giving a combined total of 40-44 litres.

 

[barnesy]

Thanks Snorri

I know its a long time but i can b&b it if the weather turns particularly bad and i have family scattered about Ireland if i need a warm bed.
I do plan to do a small 2 day tour or 2 before hand to get everything right, but thats why i need to get things in soon, within the next week or 2 so i can test it all. The pro action tent seems to get good reviews on all the out doorsy type sites.
Any links to decent panniers on the likes or wiggle or CRC?
When you say 40L panniers, does that mean 80 Litres total? I was looking at the DHB rear panniers but they are only 20L per pannier.

Im glad to hear you enjoyed touring Ireland, im planning to head south from Belfast, following the coast and spend the majority of the tour exploring the west coast because i know the area around the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher are beautiful

 

[ASC1951]

Agree about the west coast, but the interior is good too. I went from Dublin south through the mountains, then across to the south west through Kells, then up the west coast to Galway and train back to Dublin - only had a week.

Like you I wanted to spend time in Co Clare and the Burren from many years caving there, but I also wanted to go round the Dingle, which by my* reckoning had the most westerly licensed premises in Europe!

Your equipment list sounds sensibly small. If you aren't cooking 2 x 20L should be enough pannier space. I think a Thermarest or similar is worth its weight because it allows you to pitch on less than ideal spots and still sleep well.

*There is an argument whether Iceland counts, being on the European continental shelf. I say no, mainly because I shall probably never go there.

 

[vernon]

The Argos Pro Action tent is fine.

I purchased mine over five years ago and still use it, most recently, for a five day tour in Wales.

A Thermarest or equivalent is a wonderful sleep accessory.

I have a Coleman sleeping bag rated down to 2 celcius and supplement its warmth when necessary with a lightweight poncho.

I still have some Halfords pannier bags from six years ago that are still serving me well. They were cheap and cheerful.

You are on the right track with everything.

Enjoy your tour. Hope it's the first of many.

 

[ontheroadtofrance]

These panniers are bigger
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/creek2peak-pioneer-56-litre-rear-pannier-id46919.html
They are 44 quid i bought some for touring later this year. My sleeping bag was 25 quid its this one http://www.gelert.com/products/X-treme_Lite_600.aspx Google it will come up cheaper, sleeping matts you can get from 20 quid i'd suggest a 3/4 length one. like this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....419458&cguid=6af29b6f11f0a0e2055716a7ffcf4342

Enjoy the tour

 

[eel28]

These panniers are bigger
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/creek2peak-pioneer-56-litre-rear-pannier-id46919.html
They are 44 quid i bought some for touring later this year. My sleeping bag was 25 quid its this one http://www.gelert.com/products/X-treme_Lite_600.aspx Google it will come up cheaper, sleeping matts you can get from 20 quid i'd suggest a 3/4 length one. like this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....419458&cguid=6af29b6f11f0a0e2055716a7ffcf4342

Enjoy the tour

thanks for the link to panniers, they look just what i am looking for

 

[rualexander]

This sleeping bag from Tesco looks like a good deal :
http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.200-7415.aspx

Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Op own brand stuff is pretty good :
http://tinyurl.com/calbqq

 

[barnesy]

Thanks for the replies,

So im thinking the panniers shown by ontheroadtofrance seem good value for money, but i was also looking at the DHB waterproof ones on wiggle, at 20 liters each and knowing Ireland i could well experience alot of rain this summer.

Sleeping Bag, i had seen the tesco one before, anybody have any experience of how small this packs down? I also like the look of this one on alpkit.

Sleeping mat, i do like the look of the Airics here. I take it these will do the job?

Also i have the standard saddle that came with the Subway. I've never done more than 40 miles on the Subway and it wasn't all tat comfortable. Should i look into buying a different saddle or will i get used to the long mileages on the current one?

Also id like to wear baggy shorts whilst touring because i don't like walking round too long in lycra, tend to get a few strange looks. Any suggestions on comfortable baggy sorts with a built in pad, or should i just wear baggies over a pair of bibs?

Im sorry if my questions seem tedious but everybody has to start somewhere. its nice to have friendly people to answer and help out, cheers guys.

Brendan

 

[andym]

Also i have the standard saddle that came with the Subway. I've never done more than 40 miles on the Subway and it wasn't all tat comfortable. Should i look into buying a different saddle or will i get used to the long mileages on the current one?

Also id like to wear baggy shorts whilst touring because i don't like walking round too long in lycra, tend to get a few strange looks. Any suggestions on comfortable baggy sorts with a built in pad, or should i just wear baggies over a pair of bibs?

The saddle is a difficult one. If you don't find that it's comfortable then it probably is worth changing it. But don't do that just before you go away.

The best baggy shorts I have are my Endura Singletracks. However I hate the liner shorts that come with them. The best bet is probably to buy some separate lycra shorts with a good-quality pad. I have some really nice liner shorts from Sugoi that are ideal, but they've changed the design.

 

[willem]

If your gear is good enough to avoid the need for B&B as a backup, and if you cook your own food, you can easily save the money you would need for some better gear. Cooking your own food in particular saves a small fortune for little outlay. A mini Trangia (plus windscreen) only costs some 20 pounds, and is enough for basic cooking. A Trangia 27 (get the UL HA model, with a non stick frying pan), is more expensive, but facilitates real meals. Basic gas stoves (plus windscreen) are also cheap and light.

Rear panniers should be enough. The normal size is about 20 litres per side. In the wet but mild climate of Ireland or much of the UK I would prioritize good waterproof panniers. My favourites are Ortlieb Classic Back Rollers. Even if this will be your last cycling holiday (I bet it won't be), they will last you half a lifetime of commuting, weekend rides etc. Sometimes there are sales of old or special models (try German mailorder suppliers who do then cheaply with their logo), and there may even be some second hand ones. I recently bought a pair of brandnew white 25th anniversary frontrollers for my daughter for only 40 euros.

In mild weather almost any sleeping bag will keep you warm enough. The biggest drawback of cheap ones is that they are big and heavy. Also, they don't last very long.

As for tents, I personally hate cheap ones. Once upon a time you could buy cheaper tents that were still robust enough to be functional. The price you paid was that they were heavier. These days, the cheap ones are almost as light as the expensive ones. The price you pay now is that they leak, their poles break, they are unstable in heavy wind, etc. The cheaper end of the The North Face range seem pretty decent, and are still surprisingly cheap compared to their admittedly better top of the range models, or compared to Hilleberg (the best there is, in my view).

With decent gear you will never need to take refuge in hotels, B&B etc. We have never needed to, not even when camping with young children. Good gear is designed to make you survive much worse weather than you are likely to encounter on your trip. It is an investment in comfort, safety, but also in expensive restaurant meals and B&B nights avoided.

Happy camping,
Willem