Alpkit Squalline Jacket - first test/review.

Here's one I did earlier. 

It was my first look at the competitively priced Squalline Jacket from Alpkit.

It's been designed as stash-in-your pocket go-to waterproof/windshell for fast paced activities like trail running and mountainbiking. I like it, it's ideal for those days were the weather can be a bit mixed but there's no need for full-fat waterproof like the Gravitas Jacket.

At £49.00 it's well worth a look.

Alpkit Soloist Backpacking Tent - First Look.

I've finally got my hands on one of these little fellas. The  Alpkit Soloist 1-man tent.
It’s a big deal in a tiny package.
Every batch has sold out on pre-order so far (Alpkit have the knack of delivering the right product at prices that are extremely attractive to consumers).  It’s a product that I’m really excited about and I’m looking forward to getting out and using it.

It's a mighty little atom that weighs only 1.2kgs and is retailing at only £125.00 inc the footprint. Take a look at the video and see for yourselves.

Alpkit - Woodsmoke Shirt - Review.

If you are a mountainbiker, skateboarder, snowboarder, or even a general outdoorist, you may well own a version of the ubiquitous chequered flannel shirt - it's very much a part of the look.

I recently purchased one such example from Alpkit.com

It has quickly proved to be one of my favourite things. I have been out in it, I have cycled in it, and I have, appropriately, chopped up some wood in it.

The Sonder Signal Ti - Building a Dream Machine.

The Motel du Mugling is an oasis of calm on the bustling Kathmandu-Pokhara Highway. I called in and ate an unplanned lunch with my friend Sagar, the manager. It was unplanned because I had already eaten breakfast there a few hours previously; inbetween times I had made a minor navigational error and cycled 26 or so kilometres in the wrong direction before retracing my steps to begin all over again. My initial 90km trundle to Pokhara was now to be a slightly more hectic race against daylight.

I'd arrived in Kathmandu a few days prior to this and spent my time pleasantly hanging out in the - now traffic-free - tourist hub of Thamel, catching up with old friends, drinking coffee, and riding familiar trails around the valley rim.

Familiar trails with familiar friends on an unfamiliar bike.
I'd been given a great opportunity to ride the final prototype of the new Sonder Bikes Signal Ti 29" Hardtail with the explicit purpose of capturing some high mountain images of the bike in its natural environment (see my initial review here).

A Signal of Intent. The Sonder Signal Ti.

The Signal Ti is soon to be the latest addition to the Sonder(Alpkit) range of highly regarded, and highly capable, bikes.

I was in the very fortunate position to ride the final pre-production model during my recent trip to Nepal.

It is an astonishing machine.
Anyone who visited last September's Big Shakeout Festival or the recent London Bike Show may have spotted this bike already. I spotted it nestled innocuously at Big Shakeout and immediately interrogated Neil Sutton about it - in my mind it had Nepal written all over it.

Rumble in the Jungle 2017.

“Do you fancy going out to Sri Lanka for The Rumble?” was a bolt out of the blue from my friend, the Race Director at Yak Attack(MTB Worldwide), Phil Evans. “In fact we’re going out three weeks early to recce the trails if you fancy that too?” was his second question.

“Erm… not sure. I’d like to… err… fuck it, yeah” My initial hesitation was due to the fact that I had an impending shoulder operation (which I’ve been putting off for four years) and really I needed to get it done. However, the “fuck it” principle came into effect and bypassed any modicum of common sense.

The timing was also perfect, I was working away in London and we would be flying out exactly a week after my contract finished.

Review: Alpkit Morphosis - first look.

I called in at Alpkit on my return from Nepal to check out their new Morphosis Jacket. I was so impressed with it that I also bought the Half-Zip Top too.
My old Softshell has started to see better days and I was looking to replace it. The Morphosis is Alpkit's modern slant on the classic softshell. It's classic Alpkit - all function and no faff, just how I like my gear.
It's made from a breathable, wind resistant, DWR coated outer material that has a bit of stretch, and a 140gsm micro-gridded fleece liner. The fleece liner is exempt from under the arms and the sides, ideal for heat control under exertion. The usual stuff like internal baffles and hem & hood adjustment are simple and effective. I'm a regular medium and the fit and cut are excellent.

With some foul weather on the near horizon I'm looking forward to giving them a rigorous test. I'll let you know how I fare in a couple of months. Below is a bit of information to be getting on with.

Less is more. Finding Nemo.

The Final Frontier.

Last year I awakened a whole new passion: singlespeed mountainbiking. I hadn't ridden a singlespeed bike for well over 20 years.

I brought a cheap, but good value, Vitus Dee 29er from Chain Reaction Cycles for commuting. it proved to be something of a personal revelation. I had been a bit of a sceptic when it came to singlespeed mountainbikes, partially dismissing them as ridiculous, and a hipster fashion accessory. I was wrong (well partially wrong, they're still a hipster fashion accessory).

After 15 months of regular use I decided to build myself something a bit more suitable to my all round needs, a bit more trail friendly if you like. Fortunately I have a shed full of components stuffed in boxes or just laying around so the actual build hasn't cost me an awful lot of money (well it cost me money once upon a time but not on this occasion).
Also considering the support I have had from Alpkit over the last few years I thought it was about time I stepped across one of their very highly regarded Sonder machines.

So my starting point was their new entry level hardtail frame & fork bundle - The Frontier - a bike they have designed as an all-rounder for everything from "campsite and crag" to "trail centre and bikepacking". It's sound like just the bike for me, plus I was particularly enamoured with the "Nemo" blue colour scheme, and the ability to run plus sized tyres should I wish to. 

Alpkit announce their #ContinuumProject

Perfectly in line with their "Go Nice Places, Do Good Things" tagline the good folk at Alpkit have announced their latest social & environmental initiative through their Alpkit Foundation.

The Continuum Project is a partnership with several other organisations to donate, recycle, and redistribute, your old and unwanted outdoor gear to those people in society who are less fortunate.

Here at Chase The Rainbow we love things like this and we'll be digging out as much of our old kit as possible. If you have some stuff kicking around then why not donate it to a good cause; you'll feel good about it and so will the people who benefit from your generosity :)

You can read all about the project here:

The Alpkit Continuum Project

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Consume less, live more. Plant more trees.

The green light.

"No Gain Without Pain" it says near the top of Cramp Hill; the final, brutal, climb into Haputale at the end of "Rumble in the Jungle" Stage One. I doubt whoever painted it knew that it would eventually greet a plethora of international mountainbikers in the last throes of the pain train during their baptism of fire on the lush island of Sri Lanka.

It is also relevant to me this very week. My long awaited operation to repair my previously dislocated shoulder has the go ahead and I undergo keyhole surgery on Thursday afternoon. I'm looking forward to regaining normal mobility, but I can't say that I'm especially looking forward to three months of post-op recovery, or the immediate post-op discomfort come to think of it.

No Gain Without Pain. 

Talking, as we were, of Sri Lanka, I have written a two-part blog for the Daring Deeds section of Alpkit's website. If you fancy reading about my Asian adventure you can do so using the links below:

Jungle Rumble Part One.

Jungle Rumble Part Two.

Talking, as we were, of Alpkit/Sri Lanka, I got an email from AlpCol recently, asking me if I would consider doing a talk in The Yurt at their end of season outdoor festival The Big Shakeout.

It's sold out now so if you're are fortunate enough to have secured a weekend ticket you will be able to listen in on my adventures.

I'm finding the thought of talking adventure to a big tent full of adventurers a bit scary. Fortunately I can talk the back legs of a donkey, so once I get over the initial stage-fright I think I should be OK.  If not then my potential public-speaking career will be over on the night it begins. Thankfully The Yurt only holds about sixty people so my humiliation could remain well contained... ahh... they film the talks and put them on YouTube. Oops. Potential global humiliation then... Ho-hum.

Given that I may have some time on my hands for a couple of weeks I'm going to attempt to finish off one or two pending posts and reviews, and also refresh and update one or two other bits of the blog that have been niggling at my tiny brain.

I'm sure that you are now struggling to contain your excitement. Watch this space :D

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Consume less, live more. Plant more trees.

Wherever the wind blows.

Life in the last year or so has been something of a whirlwind (slightly more than it normally is).

During last Summer I moved house. At the end of Summer I finished a contract that had lasted two and half years and took off on a trip, at very short notice, for almost three months in Nepal. The Nepal trip concluded unexpectedly with me being at the sharp end of helping to run the 2016 Yak Attack Mountainbike Race.

Two days after returning from Nepal I purchased a 6 acre wood with a friend, which then ended up being a solo purchase. Then my Uncle offered me a ten week contract rebuilding a fire damaged recycling plant in South-West London, which happened to start just five days after formally signing for the purchase of the wood, and ended up being a sixteen week contract.

During this time period I, unexpectedly again, ended up with a small shareholding in Yak Attack (due to the overwhelming generosity of others). Shortly before finishing my contract in London my friend Phil Evans (Yak Attack head honcho) asked me if I would like to help out with this years Rumble in the Jungle race in Sri Lanka which quickly escalated into a month long pre-race expedition to check the condition of the trails and to reconnoitre any potential new ones.

See what I mean? And breathe...

A Daring Deed indeed.

The stunning Rara Lake in Western Nepal.

Because I have been quite lazy of late I thought I should probably post a little update. I am in the process of writing several pieces for the blog. At least one covering some of my extended visit to Nepal and another one with some very exciting news to share.

Watch this space.

I have written a couple of pieces for Alpkit's Daring Deeds section. The first was a preview of my recent trip to Nepal...

Coffee, Curry, Cake, Beer, and a Bicycle.

...and the second is a travelogue of our time exploring the area around the rarely visited Rara Lake National Park in the Wild West (just click on the links).

Rara Hurrah

A curious couple and a curious cottage - Western Nepal.

It's not much of a blog post but there is plenty to come over the next few weeks as I get caught up.

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#DestinationUnknown - Independent Short-Haul Travel - Packing and the Pitfalls.

My son Dan in Luang Prabang, Laos; proving you can travel anywhere with 35 litres.

So now that we've booked our impromptu flight, sorted out some cheap accommodation, and figured out how to transfer from the airport it's time to look at how we're going to pack efficiently.

I'm going to look at suitable packs, the type of clothing that is best suited to travelling, essential items that are worth considering, and the sort of shit that you might be tempted to carry but shouldn't!

Neil's Mountain Bike Indispensables.

I've spent a lot of money over the years on Mountain Bike kit and components. Not all of it proved a wise investment. I bought a few turkeys in my time, so I've put together a little list of the things that I have found to be indispensable in recent years. I appreciate that many of them are quite high-end products but for me it is value for money that counts and everything here has proven itself over and over again for bombproof long-term reliability. 

Review: Alpkit Bikepacking Luggage.

Over the last ten years or so there has been a growing trend (or sub-culture) in cycling for Bikepacking.
(I have added a few useful links at the bottom if you are interested).

If you're not familiar with Bikepacking then it's a bit like off-road bicycle touring encompassing anything from an overnight adventure with a bivvy, multi-day (or multi-week) racing like The Tour Divide, right through to global adventure travel. The great thing about Bikepacking is that it can take you as far, or near, from the beaten path as you desire. It has developed alongside the desire to have these adventures.
Pioneering routes like The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route or The Israel Bike Trail have given more mountain bikers a thirst for just such an adventure.

Hand-in- hand with its growing popularity are a bunch of companies innovating solutions to packing gear on a mountain bike. The age old practice of fitting pannier racks on a cycle tourer just doesn't work on a mountain bike.
This is where the likes of Alpkit, and others, have stepped up to the plate and filled in the gaps.

Destination Unknown. A little road trip in the making.

My new project, a bargain basement hybrid for a budget bike tour.

In recent weeks I've had my eye on bargain basement hybrid bike for commuting, during which time a spark of an idea has been forming in my mind.

Given that I've had to defer my Tour Divide attempt until another time I've been musing over other adventures.

I'm also embarking on a little side project that I am tentatively calling #DestinationUnknown (or maybe #NewHorizons) in which I'm trying to encourage the ordinary holidaymaker to embrace independent travel and try a little adventure of their own.

As a consequence of that I have bought said bike with the idea to show that it's perfectly possible to do a budget bicycle tour on a £200 (ish) bike, and to share the planning and the journey with you.

Fabulous Fatty!

Phwoar! Check out this beauty. 

The new Alpkit Vir Fortis Adventure Fatbike.

I spotted one finished up in the final build over at the Alpkit showroom the other day

It's a beautiful beast! I think I want one :P

It's definitely gone on to the "Most Wanted" list. 

Take a look at it here

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First look: Alpkit Hooped Bivvy-Bag (prototype).

Some time ago I had a chat with Nick at Alpkit about the possibility of adapting one of their Hunka Bivvy bags in to an ultralite hooped bivvy for The Tour Divide.

After a little brainstorming session Nick went away to work on something for me.

This is the result. It's the first working prototype of, I believe, a potential production model. I hope I haven't jumped the gun here and let the cat out of the bag.

I've christened her "Little Nellie".

Nick pretty much nailed it first go.

Mitch Bryan and I will be doing some CO2 testing on it for safety purposes (breathability) and then I'll take it out in the field and see how I get on with it. It's a new laminate material and Nick seems pretty excited about it.

Three Strikes. The Strathpuffer 2016.

Puffertime!

Neil, Mitch Bryan, and Simon Owen with the all important race numbers!

Every year in Northern Scotland, in January, there takes place a remarkable event, The Strathpuffer 24; fondly known as The Puffer.

"The Puffer"; it's an endearing abbreviation, it makes it seem somehow cuddly. Don't be fooled!

In the UK it's the type of event that we might best describe as "character building".

It's an event that attracts a lot of characters, and a lot of people with character. As Winston Wolfe so profoundly put it in Pulp Fiction all those years ago "Just because you are a character doesn't mean you have character". The Puffer can help you solve that particular conundrum.
Fundamentally it's a 24 hour mountain bike race; nothing unusual in that, there are plenty of them on the calendar, there's even a World Championships. It has Solo, Pairs, Quads, and Team of Ten categories. The Solo's, quite rightly, attract the most attention; and the places sell out in less than five minutes every year!

What The Puffer has is 17 hours of darkness and the wild vagaries of Scottish winter weather; snow, ice, rain, sleet, hail, wind, and mud, (in varying permutations) along with trail conditions that destroy drive trains, chains, brake pads, bearings, tyres, clothing, skin, and spirit, with merciless impunity.
It is probably the hardest 24 hour race going. Any self respecting endurance racer should have this on their palmares.
It's the most fun you can have in January with your (many layers) of clothes on!

As far as I was concerned this was to be my third and final attempt at completing it, if I failed this time that would be it, I would accept defeat.

Yak Attack - 2015. Inside out.

The NorthFace Nepal Yak Attack from TheYakAttack on Vimeo.

 ^^^ Check out the new video ^^^

Yak Attack 2015 was a very different experience for me this time. Race organiser Phil Evans asked me if I would be interested in supporting him with the day-to-day running of the event in one form or another.
We've become good friends over the last four years and I jumped at the chance to be involved. 
(For those that don't know; Yak Attack is an 8 day mountain bike stage-race held in Nepal and is considered to be one of the toughest races in the world). 

2015 had been a tough year in Nepal. The devastating earthquakes in April & May decimated not only communities but also much needed tourism. This was swiftly followed by a long and still ongoing border blockade, a political crisis caused by a short-sighted, and divisive, new constitution, and deep political corruption, that has resulted in chronic shortages of essential goods and fuel.
For Phil Evans to be able to convince and cajole 29 riders to take part in the race is nothing short of amazing, especially considering it was on the verge of being cancelled at one point.

I have actually raced it three times previously; in 2012, 2013, & 2014, and with mixed results I might add!
In 2012 it was part of a bigger adventure; the first half of my trip was spent trekking the "Old Expedition Route" from Jiri to Everest Base Camp with my friends Dave Slater and Wilco Voulon after which I stayed on in Nepal and took part in the race, more for the adventure than for racing.
In 2013 I decided to do it again to actually race it proper and see how I could do. Unfortunately it ended in disaster with a high speed crash on Stage Six which resulted in a dislocated shoulder!
Fortunately (sic) that year the race was being filmed as one part of a documentary series for Channel Five in the UK and I made a cameo appearance for all of the wrong reasons.
(You can read my account of that here in Part One and Part Two).
So in 2014 I had to return again! Fortunately it went well and I finished the race in one piece and happy with the performance I put in.
And that was supposed to be it for me, "No more!" was the cry!
But it's a special event, it is one of those races that pulls you back again and again. I'm not the only one with this affliction either, several international racers have returned two, three, and even four times. Paul Cooper, Yuki Ikeda, Peter Butt, Andre Deplechin, Sonya Looney, and Tyler McMahon are all multiple veterans.
2016 will be the Tenth Anniversary and it is set to be very special; if it can be pulled off logistically then the race might well have some new stages in The Forbidden Kingdom of Upper Mustang. I may or may not go back and race it once more; but then that's it, no more!!! Hahaha :D
This years event was definitely the best one yet, for a multitude of reasons, read on to find out all about it.