Life On The Bike

After 5 months, 5,122 kilometres and far too many pies, we have wrapped up our ride around this beautiful part of the world. It has been an absolute dream to spend the summer pedalling through New Zealand and we have experienced some moments that will last a lifetime.

It has been the perfect place to get a feel for long distance bikepacking, with everything being so accessible and the ease of riding through the expansive trail network. That hasn't been the only thing that has made this trip so simple to enjoy though, our bikes have been an absolute pleasure to ride. This is all down to our bike set up and specifically our Restrap bags.

We're now heading to our next location, the mountains of Nepal, so we thought we'd break down what we've loved so far and how we'll be switching things up next.

After riding over many months, through all weather conditions and a mixture of surfaces we've really thrown everything at our bikes and bags and they're still looking prime and ready to go.

We chose to use the Restrap fork bags on the front and back to help balance the bike when riding fast or down a technical descent. This has really given us peace of mind that the bike is going to perform as it should, and everything stays in place, wherever you go.

Ease of life on the bike has been made super simple with the multitude of sections and pockets, allowing each piece of kit to have its own place and it's easy to find, always. The cockpit, that includes the stem bag and top tube bag, is probably used the most often, to store snacks, treats and the odd boiled egg to keep us going.

The versatility of the bags are great for switching between a touring set up one day and a lightweight setup the next. For example, when we rode the Paparoa Trail in one go, we left our heavy items and forks bags behind, for a lighter and more streamlined ride. The next day we fitted everything back on and we were ready to tour again in minutes.

It’s not just about the bike though, there’s a few of other items that we use everyday that make our lives a whole lot easier. When we pop to the shops, we throw on our satchels and sandals to collect the goods and allow our smelly feet to breathe. Then there’s the camera bag, we couldn’t be without this item, it holds and protects our camera at all times and also doubles up as a great place to hide snacks from Britt or any other creatures at camp.

Nepal

For long days, weeks and months bikepacking, this setup has treated us well, but for Nepal we're going to be switching things up a little. Riding here is going to be different to New Zealand. We're going to encounter higher altitudes, steeper ascents and the rugged roads of the Annapurna Circuit. We won't be camping on this section of our journey and won't be carrying our stove as there will be tea houses dotted along the route, where we can eat and sleep.

This means we will be happily dropping some weight off for the big climbs we'll be experiencing and the testing trail and road conditions. We'll be looking to keep the bikes nice and balanced to help with the varying surfaces, so the aim will be to keep the heavier items in the frame bag, close to the bottom, with our clothes and any snacks stored in our bar bag and rear rack bag. Our cockpit will remain the same, to keep bottles easy to access and the top tube bag providing space for items we need to grab on the go.

The bikes are packed, snacks are secured and we can't wait to get into the mountains.

Words by Alan Danby

Follow along here @britt.walkerrr & @alan.danby