All Blog Entries

I was born in Leeds, hence my Liverpool - Leeds canal ride this year, but at the age of 7 our family moved to Stafford.

So I thought a quick intercity 125 to Stafford and ride back.
The problem was to find a traffic free route with off road sections took me over into Derbyshire.

My bike set up


Ride 1 - To the local train station - 1 mile

Hop on the train, until ...

Since my first bivi bike ride I've been trying to find perfection in looking for a long distance, low maintenance, comfortable bike that can carry me and my kit.

I've got 29er's and Fat bikes but I've never found perfection that was until I test rode my first 29er+ at Fat Forth in Scotland over 12 months ago in April 2013. It was here I rode a Surly Krampus for the first time, it felt just right for what I had in mind but was set up as a fun bike rather than a tourer, luckily for me ...

I recently rode the full length of the towpaths along the Leeds - Liverpool canal.

Why? I live in Liverpool and ride short sections of it nearly every time I ride on my local trails as it runs straight through the village where I live so I use this rather than use the busy roads and because I was born in Leeds it would be good to ride to it rather than drive to it on the M62.

I've thought about doing this ride for a few years now but never had the chance, bike, work, home ...

Reading Art Dave's comment on the MTL how it went thread, which read.

"p.s for Kiwi, I was chatting part way round to a rider on an Orange 5, with bar bags, saddle bags, and all kinds on his bike. He'd done 4 days riding / bivvying in Wales, had ridden over, was doing the Towneley loop, then riding back to Hebden After it. He's a proper Bivvy'er, not scared by a drop of rain.........."

It got me thinking why I Micro Adventure? Why do I go out for single night ...

Here are the things you need for a Micro Adventure typical of the mid week 5 to 9 rides I'm planning on doing in the future

Starting from the most important to take with you down to the least important that could be left at home, where you draw the line is up to you.

1, A sense of adventure
2, A desire to break from the norm
3, The ability and wanting to go a little out of your comfort zone
4, A sleeping bag (to suit the season, I have a summer bag to ...