Touring Equipment

But have you consulted with Dan what you're taking, so you don't double each other? :-)

It is...I've watched it many times now. :]
Poor old fixie dave hasn't had much luck this year either. He spent a whole year saving and planning for another divide attempt....had a custom titanium fixed frame built exactly to his spec...went out riding every day to train...then shipped his bike and stuff on ahead prior to him getting to the start, only for Greyhound to lose his bike! He waited and waited as they pissed about trying to figure out where in the country it was. In the end He had to go back home. Greyhound eventually got their heads out of their arses and found his bike and shipped it back home to him.
Gutted for him.

Bad luck. Very bad luck.

But have you consulted with Dan what you're taking, so you don't double each other? :-)

No tent.

2.5kg reduced.

The compressor reduced my bulk rather well to the size of my sleeping bag that I decided to just strap it onto the... many top tube.

Looking at my stuff, I realise I'm taking quite little item, the major bulk are basically the camera but otherwise that's it.

Bin the 5D pick up a disposable camera? Job done!

**only joking, I love my 5d even with the battery pack and 28-70 lens.

I'm seriously thinking about buying Olympus Pen with a pancake lens for travelling.
It's not like you will have time for artistic shots.

Or getting a compact 35mm Contax T2/T3 again. The only camera you can shoot slides without thinking with.

If I was on a fully loaded tour I'd probably take my 5D.

Last year I used my Ricoh GX8, great camera, but as you said no time for artistic shots really. I'd probably take it again or a olmypus mju II with the 35mm lens, weather proof and very light absolutely brilliant camera.

So many times I took Nikon D2 with lenses. And why?
Ended up doing snapshots anyway - same I could do with my iPhone in a good light.
I actually made more use of film cameras - compact Ricoh AF-5 35mm rangefinder and Yashica GTS (with B&W film). Really chuffed with the results, only scanning is a pain.

I have Pentax K-m I bought for my step-daughter's college course. I thought I'd take that with me for trips, but it's bit shit after using full frame camera. Dingy viewfinder, attrocious in-camera colour processing, noise in low light and still bit bulky.

I'd definitely prefer digital **micro fourthirds **camera for ease and picture quality.

I think Ed should reconsider his options.

Just take a film compact, very light and full frame quality, job done!

+1 film compact/ rangefinder does a good job, often very small & light yet still get good enough photos (depending what you take).

I have a bit of a dilemma, I can't get hold of any panniers small enough to fit on my rack (race bike so short stays and heel interfacing problems) and no-body I know or even the bike shops locally have anything they are willing to lend.

Anybody got any genius 'HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN MINI PANNIERS' guides? I've got 24hrs, a rusty old rack, some cable ties and a few tough thick kayaking dry bags (one is about 25litre). Maybe I just bung stuff in it and bungee it to the top of the rack?

should probably also add I have no money, I'm doing 4-5days on about £60 to include everything lol.

You might get some inspiration from the good folks at Instructables:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-DIY-Bike-Panniers/

So many times I took Nikon D2 with lenses. And why?

This is a question I asked myself when I went backpacking and concluded that while I may miss out on that ultimate shot that I'd rather not worry about expensive kit. I took a £40 Cannon and watched others struggle with full up SLR rigs and multiple lenses while I was able to leave my kit (sans memory card) and really not worry if it got soaked, stolen or anything else.

I'm no photographer but still managed to get some really nice shots and some interesting effects playing with basic options like colour balance and ISO settings. As a photographer friend of mine commented composition is far more important than ultimate image quality. Get creative with what you have, unless you're intending to do large prints or publish does it really matter that much?

will see what I can cook up. Right now trying to make a huge monster rusty steel rack fit a frame with a tiny back end and no-braze on's. arhghgh.

As for cameras, probably going to take a fixed lens 35mm rangefinder (35/40/45mm lens) or maybe a small plastic body 35mm slr + 19-35 or plain old 55mm f1.4

Perhaps we're getting off topic now, but most people will document their cycling trips for the purpose of a blog or an online gallery. Overall quality isn't critical - a good sharp lens is more important than megapixels or noise.
Personally, I found Lumix GF-2 with a pancake lens on sale.

By the way, which handlebar mounted bag is the best for a camera?
I know that one of the waterproof Ortliebs has camera inserts as an extra accessory.

I just (depending on whether the guy pays up or not) ebayed my Trip 35. It was fun, and I put about 40 rolls through it, but it's too much of an ongoing cost, both time wise and financially. I'm not enough of a photographer to bother, am now looking at the sx220 (Canon).

I think Ed should reconsider his options.

The large sale payer itself when I need to.take certain press.shot of Dan on our 380 miles fast tour (very fast, yesterday we did 150 miles).

But generally I used my old sigma dp1, user interface is crap but when you know how to work it, its perfect.

Will replace that with a Fuji finepix x100 soon, look like a worthy upgrade with the right focal length (sigma is too wide for my liking).

Nice nice, Ed.
Can't wait to see some photos.

By the way, which handlebar mounted bag is the best for a camera?
I know that one of the waterproof Ortliebs has camera inserts as an extra accessory.

The cheap Carradice CarraDura handlebar bag I've used to carry my film and digital compact were perfect, it also worth noting that unlike other handlebar bag, it come with it's own waterproof cover in case it's raining, and it does make a difference.

It's the same with my Carradice Racktop bag, cost a mere £28 but also come with it's own waterproof cover (both are bright yellow), the inside is still very dry and kept my big DSLR safe.

Continuing the discussion about bringing the DSLR, it really does make a massive difference in weight, when I removed it from the racktop bag, the bicycle is noticeably lighter, very frustrating to ride with that weight for 3 days straight, especially on a fast tour, but I took some great portrait with it that I couldn't do with the current camera I have (wide angle), hopefully the Fuji Finepix X100 will be a worthy alternative to my worn but trustworthy Sigma DP1 (the X100 have a field of view of 35mm F/2, whether the Sigma is a wide 28mm F/4), it also worth noting that the Sigma weren't an easy camera to use.

I almost forget to take photo of our bicycles during our fast tour, so here it is;

Dan's bike is his normal road bike with a massive Carradice Super C saddlebag, after all it's the only way he can carry it on his carbon/alu Pinarello, which was still very light even with the additional weight of his saddlebag (consistent of your usual puncture repair kit, inner tube, pump, flip flop, t-shirt, short, spare cycling top, etc.) and he carry stuff he can use while riding in his rucksack, like food and rain jacket for example, the fact we don't carry a tent help massively to keep the weight down, he trained extremely well to the point that he rarely venture onto the small chainring, unless the hill get harder/ankle get sorer, his bike fit the critical of an ultralight tourer without the tent;

Mine on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish, a fast touring bicycle that can carry more weight without affecting the handling/ride, which were a godsent, however due to the nature of needing to documents the ride, I end up needing a handlebar bag (which proven useful to quickly grab the camera, food, whatnot) and the big DSLR almost fill up the racktop bag that I have to carry my compressor with my clothes in it on top, when it rain, I just put a waterproof cover on top and it'll be fine.

The Moulton perform brilliantly on everything but the ascent and worn/muddy road (at that point I need to get off the bike as I kept wheelspinning on the deep mud), it was a sad disappointment as I grew fond of that strange bicycle, I knew I climb hill better on a 700c bicycle, I think the lack of rotational weight actually make it harder uphill than a normal bicycle;

Ed, forget the Fuji (yes, sharp lens, but fixed and still wide). I bought a cheap Oly Pen E-PL1 which can be used with two fast pancakes or any other lens you have already with an adapter. Perfect for touring.

I've played with the Fuji and I liked it, remember I used to have a Contax T3 which were perfect (35mm lens), until it got stolen, now that Fuji sound just about right, for me, 35mm is the perfect balance between portraiture and landscape.

The E-PL1 is a great camera but you're not winning me over with using lens I already have with an adaptor, of which will have a different field of view says, a 28mm will be something like a ridiculous 56mm, unless I used Olympus' own lens.

Here are some sample of our ride, going to sort them out tomorrow as it's getting quite late and I got work tomorrow.

(finally found the B&B, dan's in the background).

Descending after a hard climb, this is where the Moulton come in effect - being able to take photos at 27mph without losing control is a Godsent.

Ed you sound disappointed in the Moulton (forgive me if I'm wrong) was it just the hill climbs that suffered on that bike? Maybe you just needed to practice hills more, or was it the fact you were riding with someone who had 700c wheels?

You can't make them smaller than their actual size. :]
But whether you have the patches inside the tube, outside the tube, on the top or bottom of the tube...same with the glue and levers, attached or not...they'll still take up the same space silly cucumber.

Personally I wouldn't take glue AND patches....I'd stick with self adhesive patches if you want to travel light and conserve every bit of space.

Personally, I wouldn't skimp on something that's already the lightest thing you're carrying and could save you from an embarrassing walk in the pissing rain to a phone booth/taxi rank etc. Getting ride of one of the racks would be my goal. Lose the big stuff.

3 bottles, Ed?

The more I see different variations on ultralight touring the more I am tempted by it - esp. for england/europe etc