Inspirational indeed Montgomery.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/J4BYkA]Untitled[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/HZnBoN]Untitled[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

Bivi view

Early morning views when leaving a bivi spot

Just got a chance to see the latest posts , great pictures especially the black and white and also giving me ideas for bike kit and camping kit.
Cheers guys

Still mulling over whether to run one bike or two?

Two things;

(a) Try not to focus too much on the bike. With the right kit selection and routes choice you can enjoy it on anything (though I appreciate that in your current situation, dreaming about kit/bike choice is extremely inviting).

(b) I wouldn’t not have a traditional, “flat-bar” MTB for bike packing, even though I may use other bikes on occasion too. Gravel/adventure bikes can be ideal on the right routes but for me would be too limiting on most others. The CAADX would, I reckon, be fine. The Habit could be made to work too, though you might question the compromises imposed by a FS frame.

A pic from earlier in the year, Friday evening after work heading to Birchover, Derbyshire

A few from this year’s trips.

Top of the Highland Trail 550

Dropping of the Galibier on our 3000 mile 1955 Tour de France trip.

Early morning on the Lakeland 200

Bothy trip in the Borders.

One more from Scotland.

@ scotroutes
A 29er hardtail and keep the CAADX?

Well, that would probably be the most conventional option. Of course you then start the whole B+/29er game and a frame that would take both tyre sizes would certainly be the most flexible solution.

At the start of the Ridgeway

My XLS outside the Grwyne Fawr bothy

My mate Dave coming down from the top of Black Mountains

Keep em coming…. good inspiration.

Sadly spending another weekend at the hospital but it’s giving me a lot of reading , well browsing time. So I’ve decided to hold on to my Cannondale Habit and kit out my CAADX for some Bikepacking trips locally at first to get the hang of it and refine the kit I’ll need.
As much as I really like steel the CAADX is a sweet ride and will take 650b wheels if the notion takes me.
So more pics and some kit advice would be brilliant while I wait away the hours here.
Cheers Guys

For lots of (confusing and conflicting!) kit advice check out the Bearbones forums There’s quite a few of us who frequent both forums. Also worth checking Stuart’s reviews (he posts on here as still_s8tannorm)

Bikepacking kit and getting the right stuff is nearly as frustrating as finding the right bike! After you have most of the kit it’s usually a case of mix and match – the stuff I use for ITTs is quite different from pottering around and doing overnight bivvies for example.

There was a long thread on these forums on bikepacking but it’s probably closed now.

Hope your wife recovers quickly.

Whitestone many thanks for the info and also your message of recovery for my wife.
I have an apidura top tube pack and a frame pack already so going to grab a saddle bag and eventually a handlebar pack. My son is doing d of e so an opportunity for some father son bonding with him once things calm down.