Before I leave I thought I’d put up a full equipment list of everything I’m taking for all you bike geeks/travel junkies out there. Feel free to drop me a line to chat gear if you’re doing something similar - most of my items were chosen after a lot of research!

The Bike!

This is a custom-built expedition touring bike by Koga Signature with various cool components like a Rohloff hub and a Gates drive.

Rear rack by Tubus

Front rack by Surly (although heavier than its Tubus counterpart, I particularly like the storage area above the front wheel which should act as a useful overspill area!)

I’ll be carrying all my gear on the bike using Ortlieb classic front and rear panniers, and an Ortlieb handlebar bag. I also have an Ortlieb waterproof bag to strap to the back for my sleeping equipment.

Cycle Clothing

Dhb Race Pro cycling shorts

Customised cycle jersey from Custom Planet

Shimano MT43 SPD cycling shoes

Gore short fingered cycling gloves

Dhb thermal base layer

Dhb cycling tights (for those cold mornings!)

Gore waterproof overgloves

Dhb Minima S waterproof jacket

Dhb waterproof trousers

Gore waterproof overshoes

North Face beanie

Buff headgear

Giro sunglasses

Knog cap

Fox helmet

Normal clothes

Underwear x4

Socks x5

Shorts

Trousers

T-shirt x2

Shirt

Microfleece

Swimming trunks

Canvas boat shoes

Flip-flops

PJs

Bike spares/tools/other

Schwalbe inner tubes x2

Schwalbe foldable tyre (Marathon Extreme)

Durace brake pad inserts x2

Duct tape (never go anywhere without it!)

Zip ties

Spare spokes

Kble spare brake cable x2

Knog bike multitool

Knog puncture repair kit

Koga tyre levers

Small pot of multi-purpose mechanical grease

Brook’s Proofide for saddle

Rag

Bike pump

Kryptonite D lock

Retractable cable lock

Knog bike lights

Toiletries

Normal toiletries (toothbrush etc!)

Hair trimmer (for head and beard)

Sun cream/aftersun

Anti-histamines

Sportique lip balm

Lifesystems first aid kit

Sportique chamois cream

Small mirror

Toilet paper (the easiest thing to forget!)

Laundry powder

Elastic washing line

Lifesystems earplugs

Trekmates travel towel x2

Lifesystems mozzie spray

Sportique joint and muscle gel

Sportique cooling cream

Small foam roller (for releasing those tired muscles!)

Sleeping

Terra Nova Voyager Superlite tent

Terra Nova down sleeping bag

Trekmates sleeping bag liner

Coleman micro-pillow

Vango inflatable sleeping mat

Lightweight fleece blanket

Cooking

MSR Whisperlite Internationale stove

Stove expedition repair kit

Lighter & matches

Coleman lightweight pan/pot/cup set

Spork

Washing up liquid & sponge

Salt and OXO cubes

Oil

Ortlieb 10 litre water carrier

Lifesystems chlorine tablets

Other

Laptop

Camera

Garmin GPS + maps

Relevant paper maps/guidebooks

iPod

Batteries, chargers, cables and international plug converter

PowerGorilla battery (which can charge pretty much anything)

Head torch

Journal

Digital thermometer (entirely so I can later complain about how hot it was!)

SPOT personal satellite tracker

Mobile phone

All told, without adding in the weight of whatever food and water I’m carrying, this adds up to around 22kg of gear!