Bikes of Dales Divide 2022

Victoria Peel

Name: Victoria Peel

Age: 25

Cap number: 124

Location: Barnoldswick, Lancashire

Bike: Juliana Quincy, kindly supplied by Jungle UK.

Key items of kit: All Hope components: Fortus 23 wheels, Carbon seatpost, Pro 4 hubs, RX cranks, RX4+ breaks with 160mm floating rotors, silky smooth Bottom Bracket, Headset and Seventy Zero Stem. Drivetrain: SRAM Rival 10-42T, 40T chainring. All bags kindly supplied by Restrap- only the best.

Simon Usher

Name: Simon Usher

Age: 53

Location: Surrey

Bike: Cotic SodaMAX Ti hardtail.

Key items of kit: Sid 120mm forks. Hope brakes. 1x11 Shimano XTR. Garbaruk 11-50t cassette. BeerBabe half frame pack / seat pack first aid kit. Alpkit - feed bags & modified kanga front rack

Andrew Broadway

Name: Andrew Broadway

Age: 39

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Bike: Genesis Vagabond. Shimano GRX400 groupset, 30-46 upfront and 11-42 outback. Not sure I'm going to use the 46t chainring much, but didn't want to lose the 30/42 bailout gear by switching to a 1x setup. DTSwiss E1900 27.5" wheelset with Schwalbe Racing Ralph and Rocket Ron XC tyres, both 2.25”.

Key items of kit: All bags are from Alpkit, 13L handle bar bag, 12L saddle bag. Carrying a OR Helium bivvy and Alpkit inflating mat. Leaving the sleeping bag behind in place of down jacket and trousers.

Lynne Davies

Name: Lynne Davies

Age: 48

Cap: 50

Location: Peebles, Scotland

Bike: Pipedream Cycles Sirius steel hardtail, DT Swiss F232 fork, 29er Bontrager Line 30 wheelset, Vittoria Barzo 2.25 front and Mezcal 2.1 rear tyres. Shimano SLX 11 speed (11-46/32) 165mm cranks, XT brakes, Funn carbon flat handlebar, Funn stem 40mm, Profile Aerobars.

Key items of kit: Alpkit Koala Saddlepack and Wildcat Gear Frame bag. Wildcat Gear front handlebar harness paired with Wildcat Gear drybag. Wildcat Gear Lioness front pouch. Fidlock with water bottle, Evoc with bladder and extra water.

In my packs Thermarest Neoair XTherm mat, Thermarest Corus 20 sleeping quilt, Alpkit bivvy. Lots of merino layers, Rab PrimaLoft jacket, FNY Collective Hat, Endura Pro SL bib tights, Galibier winter gloves, Endura Windchill gloves. Wahoo Elemnt Roam bike computer, Exposure Six Pack front light. Anker powerbank. Spot Gen 3 tracker.

Neil Wilson

Name: Neil Wilson

Age: 52

Cap number: 200

Location: Peebles, Scotland

Bike: Santa Cruz Tallboy, Fox 34 fork, Roval carbon XC wheels, Vitoria Barzo 2.25 Mezcal 2.1, SRAM GX drivetrain, G2 brakes, Shimano XTR spd pedals, Rockshox reverb 150 dropper, WTB Volt saddle, Spank Vibrocore bars, Rev Grips, Deity Copperhead stem, Trans X tri-bars.

Key items of kit: Ortlieb handlebar and seat-pack, Alpkit stingray frame bag, Evoc with bladder hydro pack, Wahoo Roam, Magicshine lights. In packs: Therm-a-Rest Neoair mat, Therm-a-Rest Corus 32 sleeping quilt and Alpkit bivvy bag.

Chris Ellison

Name: Chris Ellison

Age: 58

Location: Austwick, Yorkshire Dales

Bike: My bike is a Salsa Cutthroat 2019 medium frame. The drivetrain is XX1 SRAM Eagle 12sp (10-50T) with adapted www.ratiotechnology.com shifters put into originally Force 11sp shifters. Up front is 34T. The wheels are Enve M50s with tubeless Terravail Spawood tyres. The Cowchippper bars have been swapped for a wider set and the saddle sits on a Canyon S14 VCLS 2.0 CF seatpost. The cockpit has my SPOT tracker and eTrex30 along with a regular odo-computer. The bags are a mixture of Alpkit, Wildcat, www.spokedUK.com with all the bags they contain being DCF ultralightweight by www.wildskygear.co.uk I’m hoping the good dry weather keeps up to make my tyres roll fast!

Key items of kit: I love rising in wool base and top layers and my trusty Northwave shoes and Assos shorts are indispensable. I often pack far too much clothing but being cold really hurts. All my really warm down clothing is www.phdesigns.co.uk as is my sleeping bag. For sleeping I have a 500gram TerraNova Ultra One tent and NeoAir pad. I ride with a Garmin eTrex 30 and backup map on my phone which is switched off. I’ll carry a camera as even though they weigh too much, having a memory of the ride is invaluable. I know the Dales really well and having ridden the route more than once I know what to expect! My highlights are riding in the peace of the night, especially if it’s calm and moonlit. My MP3 player is my piece of essential kit

Rich Shardlow

Name: Rich Shardlow

Age: 53

Bike: Sonder Camino Ti GRX 1x on 650b Hunts with 50mm rubber.

Key items of kit: Mix of bags, sleep kit to the front, spare clothes to the rear, tools and food in between 😊

Kevin Francis

Name: Kevin Francis

Age: 52

Location: Canterbury, U.K.

Bike: Chiru Kegeti, Rock Shox Sid Ultimate, Carbon Endurance Component Rims laced to a SON 28 at the the front and Hope Pro 4 at the back. GRX shifters with Hope cranks and an XT rear mech - made to work together with a Wolftooth Tanpan. Hope brakes make it stop efficiently! Carbon Ritchey Venturemax Bars provide comfort for the hands.

Key items of kit: K-Lite lighting, the trusty Tailfin, Wizard Works frame and feed bags. Inside them are the excellent Apidura hydration bladder and my sleep system - OR Helium bivvy, Sea to Summit sleep mat and pillow, and Alpkit pipedream 200 and liner.

Martin McShane

Name: Martin McShane

Age: 65

Location: Shireoaks

Bike: Cannondale Topstone (aluminium) Shimano GRX. Schwalbe G One Tubeless 40mm tyres.

Key items of kit: Ortlieb QR Handlebar bad and tailfin bad. Alpkit front handlebar pouch, Restart bolt on top tube bag. Alpkit Hunka bivvy bag, Cloud Peak 200 sleeping bag and Numo sleeping mat. Exposure Max D Light.

Olly Bowles

Name: Olly Bowles

Age: 23

Cap number: 17

Location: London, UK

Bike: 2018 Specialized Epic Hardtail Comp with Sram GX shifting and Rockshox Reba RL fork.

Key items of kit: Restrap bike bags, Camelbak Rogue Light backpack, Bontrager Flare R and Ion 800 R lights, Wahoo Elemnt Bolt.

James Stockton

Name: James Stockton

Age: 34

Cap number: 178

Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire

Bike: Cannondale Scalpel Si

Key items of kit: Barzo front and Mezcal rear tyre combo. Alpkit Elan Bivi and sleeping bag and Restrap / Alpkit bags. Fork cages for additional storage if needed as frame space is limited on a full sus! Route will be followed on my Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt v2.

Jade Saskia Field

Name: Jade Saskia Field

Age: 30

Cap number: 54

Location: Leeds, UK

Bike: My bike is a 2021 Genesis Fugio 30 in the most rad colourway. I have upgraded to a wide range cassette for the Yorkshire hills, 50mm tyres for chunky gravel and steel Kona forks because I like to have fork bags. I have a Son dynamo for lights so I can ride through the night and I have flat MTB pedals so I can wear my Sandals.

Key items of kit: Between my Restrap fork bags, food pouches, a 14L saddle bag and a big bar bag I have loads of space for warm layers and food. I will be carrying an Alpkit bivvy bag and 3 season sleeping bag, and trying out a new Klymit sleeping mat. I always carry a LedLenser M10 head torch, spare batteries and a down jacket, and I think i'll carry my Sawyer filter water bottle. My luxury item will be merino pyjamas.

James Pilgrim-Morris

Name: James Pilgrim-Morris

Age: 57

Location: Henley, England

Bike: Wyhte 29-C hardtail XC bike running Shimano 1x drive chain. This bike has been raced and has traveled and is sturdy but nice and light.

Key items of kit: I have Alpkit bags front and back. Will use my secondhand Big Agnes tent - unless the sun comes back. Tent and sleeping bag and pillow in my bar bag. Air bed and spare clothes at the back. Absolute favorite item if kit are my Rapha Pro leg warmers - amazing!

Dave Hawkins

Name: Dave Hawkins

Age: 31

Cap number: 92

Location: Monmouth, Wales

Bike: Home-built Orange Clockwork. Probably running a Vittoria Barzo/Mezcal combo. Components are a real fruit salad; my favourite bits are the oval chainring and thoroughly unnecessary dropper post. Hopefully I'll be trundling round with a big grin on my face!

Key items of kit: A Restrap bar bag carries an Alpkit elan bivvy and Big Agnes UL mat for kips. The weather will dictate warm layers or full sleeping bag. Apidura frame pack carries tools, food and whatnot. A Dakine hip pack has water and quick layers. Hammerhead Karoo 2 for nav. One key item I will be reliant on is a jar of peanut butter, one bit I hope not to need is the first aid kit!

Steve Wikeley

Name: Steve Wikeley

Age: 39

Cap number: 197

Location: Lapford, Devon

Bike: Bright Orange Mason Bokeh with Hunt 650B Dynamo wheels with tubeless 47mm Terravail Rutlands, 1x setup mix of Shimano GRX 42-11t Cassette with a 38t Force Chainset. Lighting SON Dynamo lights, Exposure Sirius MK9, Exposure TracerR rear light and head torch.

Key items of kit: Bags: Trying a new combination - reducing the weight on the front of the bike. POC sac 11l Saddle bag for sleeping and clothes, Apidura frame bag - for all the bits, Outershell front bag (for All the SNACKS), tool bottle and CamelBak 1.5L on my back so I have to stop less for water.

Clothes: Rapha Pro Team winter tights, my favourite Rapha Pro Team termals base layer with built-in neck warmer, Albion Insulated jacket, a hooded North face waterproof and OMM waterproof trousers.

Long Spatz to keep my feet warm and dry. Loffi gloves for the :-). POC sunglasses and clear Oakleys for the night riding - to protect me from those crazy moths.

Sleeping / extra warmth: With the recent weather anything can happen, probably: OMM Downjacket, with Mountain Raid Pant and Boots. A Spark SP II with thermal liner, Alpkit Aloke bivy, Therm-a-Rest mat.

Harry Walton

Name: Harry Walton

Age: 40

Location: Cheltenham, England.

Bike: Vitus Energie CX 2019, Sector GCi wheelset, Conti Terra Speed 35mm Tyres, Redshift stem with shock absorber, USE extensions, CeeGee Pads, Rotor 24 3D crankset with wolftooth chainring, Adamo Attack Saddle.

Key items of kit: Tailfin AeroPack, Planet X half frame bag, Exposure Lights, Wahoo Elmnt Bolt for navigation. Alpkit bivvy and sleeping bag. Haribo.

Leanne Bentley

Name: Leanne Bentley

Age: 31

Cap number: 12

Location: Amsterdam, NL

Bike: Surly Midnight Special, Sour Carbon Fork, DT Swiss 650b wheels, Rene Herse Juniper Ridge 48mm tires, SRAM Rival 1 groupset (I will be switching out the 38T chainring for a 36T Wolftooth direct mount just before), Brooks saddle that I've had forever, Salsa Cowchipper bars, TRP Spyre mechanical disk brakes.

Key items of kit: Bags are a custom Carrie Gere frame bag & stem bag, Topeak frontloader and an AGU seatpack. I'll be trying to sleep in an Alpkit Kloke bivvy bag, Cumulus Panyam 450 sleeping bag & a Therm-A-Rest NeoAir Venture sleeping pad. GPS is a Wahoo Roam.

Niel Copeland

Name: Niel Copeland

Age: 47

Cap number: 40

Location: West Sussex, England

Bike: A custom Shand Bahookie drop-bar built built especially for long distance off-road ultra racing. Salt Carbon 29' wheels with Mezcal/Barzo tyres for rolling. DuraAce/XTR Di2 for shifting. Hope RX4 brakes for stopping. Rotor cranks for measuring how little power I'll be putting out. SMP Dynamic saddle for a lack of saddle sores. DT Swiss F232 forks for some plush comfort on the long descents. Some super bling Gabaruk parts to match the colour scheme!

Key items of kit: Tailfin on the back for carrying most things. Skin Grows Back Lunchbox on the front for everything else. Some feedbags and a top tube bag as my dining room. Lights from Exposure with a monster extra power cell, Garmin 1030 Plus with the extra battery cell plus a big phone mean I should get through the event without needing a power bank or to recharge. Sleep kit will be SeaToSummit sleeping bag, BigAgnes sleeping mat and a MSR eBivy just in case. Clothing a mix of Endura and Castelli to hopefully keep the cold and rain out. Secret weapon is an insulated water bottle for hot water and or coffee through the night.

Tom Hall

Name: Tom Hall

Age: 41

Location: UK

Bike: Mason Bokeh with Hunt 650b wheels and Teravail Rutlands.

Key items of kit: Much abused set of Apidura bags. It’s a set up I’ve used a bunch and works really well bikepacking and racing. Nothing too fancy but solid and reliable. Lights are super important so I use Exposure front and back and on shorter races, recharge from a power bank. I’m trying out aero bars for the first time as a practice for the pan Celtic race later this year.

Matthew Davies

Name: Matthew Davies

Age: 49

Cap number: 49

Location: Dersingham, King's Lynn

Bike: 2017 custom built Kona Cinder Cone frame with Ritchey rigid forks. SRAM 10 speed set up, Shimano cranks, Hope wheels and Goodyear Connector 50mm tyres. Sonder Confucious bars.

Key items of kit: I have a completely awesome custom frame bag from Restrap as the centrepiece! Complimented by Alpkit and some Tresspass dry bags. Lights are all Exposure (Sirius & Flare) and navigation is by my trusty Corus watch (yes that's right, my watch)! I will have my phone as a backup and charging will be done via a couple of powerbanks. May take a musette for those quick shop stops too. My sleeping gear is quite basic - I have a Mountain Warehouse mat & sleeping bag and have one of those poncho tarp thingy's if there's any rain. All good.

Ian Mclean

Name: Ian Mclean

Age: 55

Cap number: 133

Location: St Asaph, Denbighshire, North Wales

Bike: Cube Reaction Race hardtail 29r. Shimano XT 12 speed throughout, Newman alloy 29r wheel set wrapped in Shwalbe Racing Ray front and Racing Ralph rear.

Key items of kit: Alpkit bags throughout! Front 13Ltr handle bar bag containing sleep system. Therm-a-Rest Neo, OEX Leviathan down bag. Nature hike 1 man tent or Terra Nova Bothy bag set up with tarp depending on conditions. 2 x 700ml water bottles inside handlebar bags. Top tube small snack bag. Frame bag containing tools, electrical and MSR cook set with Pocket Rocket. Rear bag containing spare cycling kit waterproofs, warm kit and food. Further 2 x 900ml water bottles on top tube and seat tube. Crank Brothers clipless and flat pedals.

Chris Herbert

Name: Chris Herbert

Location: UK

Bike: Trek Checkpoint SL7 with extra bounce. Mostly stock apart from the Rudy fork and a dropper post. Running 2.1 inch 650Bs for even more squish.

Key items of kit: Apidura Backcountry Saddle Pack for dropper post compatibility and a customised Expedition Frame Pack, adapted to direct mount to take advantage of the many bolt holes on the Checkpoint. Sinewave Beacon dynamo for charging and turning night to day.

Rory Oliver

Name: Rory Oliver

Age: 49

Location: London

Bike: Sonder Camino Ti Mullet - a custom built titanium Sonder Camino with a wireless SRAM Force AXS group with a huge 10-52 cassette. Handbuilt wheel by Darren at Strada rolling Teravail Rutland rubber.

Key items of kit: K-Lite dynamo lights with Son Deluxe. Rab Mythic Ultra bag used with a thermalite pad and an alpkit bivy. Apidura bags.

Allen Boardman

Name: Allen Boardman

Age: 39

Location: North West England

Bike: Hunt 29er, Rockshox Pike Ultimate 120, Magura MT5, Hope Hubs On Fancy Pants Rims, Maxxis Ardent 29x2.4" tubeless, Box 9 Speed 11-50 with absoluteBLACK 32t oval chainring, Stooge Moto Bars & Some Tri Bars, Ergon Grips.

Key items of kit: Mostly Acepac Bags & Alpkit: Custom Frame Bag, Criterion Quantum 350 Bag, Alpkit Kloke Bivvy Bag. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir xlite mattress. Merino Tights & Base Layer, a well beaten up down jacket. Maxxis Ardent 2.4 Inch Pillow!

Sleep and Eat: Alpkit Kraku Stove, small gas canister, Bikes Or Death Ti Mug, 2-in-1 Coffee Sachets. First aid kit and long life Pain Au Chocolats.

Sheepy (My Mascot) and Sense Of Humour.

Crispin Hoult

Name: Crispin Hoult

Age: 52

Location: Trossachs, Scotland

Bike: Canyon Dude 4.0" Fat Bike

Key items of kit: The trusty one-bike-to-rule-them-all (no indecision when you don't have a choice of bikes) has been treated to a new chain and Jumbo Jim 4.0" tyres. Wildcat bags hold an Alpkit bivvy bag and OMM sleeping bag and a change of merino socks and BAM top. As it was snowing yesterday I'm not sure how springlike it will be; so the Shimano Dryshield boots remain. Navigation with Garmin Edge 810 plus supplementary battery pack and sustenance by Haribo.

Mick Knight

Name: Mick Knight

Age: 49

Cap number: 114

Location: Newbury, England

Bike: On One Rocky Road - Rigid ti 29er. Vittoria Mezcal / Barzo 2.25" tyres. SRAM GX 12 speed groupset with 32t front 10-50t rear cassette. On One Geoff bars. Brooks C17 saddle and flat pedals.

Key items of kit: Alpkit bags Bar bag - sleeping gear

• ME Helium 400 sleeping bag
• Exped Synmat UL
• Exped inflatable pillow
• Alpkit Elan Hooped Bivy

Seat pack - spare clothes

• Synthetic down jacket / Gilet
• Waterproof jacket /trousers
• Merino top/bottoms/socks/beanie / gloves
• lightweight fleece

Frame bags -

• Tools / spares / food / teabags
• Speedster 20ml stove / windshield / ti mug

Neville the bear to keep me company :-)

Mark Lewis

Name: Mark Lewis

Age: 58

Location: Whitby, England

Bike: Specialized Rockhopper with Fox 32 forks. 1x 10 speed Shimano XT drivetrain, Hope Tech rear hub.

Key items of kit: Apidura bags, Son dynamo. Garmin 530. Phone with Mapout. Alpkit down bag, mattress, Kloke bivvy, down jacket. This bike is my old faithful and has been everywhere. This is its 3rd DD, 2nd Highland Trail, Great North Trail, Tour Aotearoa. Hope it holds together. Only the frame is original.

Marcia Roberts

Name: Marcia Roberts

Age: 55

Location: Portsmouth

Bike: Ribble Gravel Ti. SRAM Rival 11s 11-42 with 34 front ring. Redshift Shockstop Stem, Deda Aerobars. Running 2.2" MTB tyres.

Key items of kit: Bags - Tailfin Aeropack and cage packs, Altura handlebar bag. Electronics - Garmin Edge 1030. Exposure Diablo lighting. Sleep System - Sea to Summit insulated ultralight mat, Big Agnes 3 season bag and OR Helium Bivy

Chris Hinds

Name: Chris Hinds

Age: 37

Location: Glasgow

Bike: Very lucky to have got my hands on West Highland Way record holder, Rab Wardell’s Santa Cruz Blur. Tricked out with AXS shifting, Reserve wheelset and lockouts for the suspension. Swapped out the dropped post for fixed alloy and using Vittoria Mezcals that served me well on the Great British Divide. Big difference in setup are the aerobars, not sure if I’ll get to use them much but gives options for resting the hands and provides space for hanging more bags.

Key items of kit: After last years experience in Yorkshire I’ve ditched bottles for Camelbak to try and keep my hydration out of poo flicking distance. Front mudguard should help too! Travelling light this year, Helium Bivvy and Alpkit Pipedream 200 in the front bag and a North Face down jacket. Planning on not needing to open that bag but given the divides reputation it’s nice to know it there.

Trying out a running vest this year and a backup Garmin GPSmap64 to avoid the running out of battery drama of last year. So expecting to hit the start line with more batteries on me than a Tesla.

Steve Davidson

Name: Steve Davidson

Age: 46

Location: Wraysbury, UK

Bike: Trek Procaliber, Shimano XT Groupset, Bontrager Kovee Pro Wheelset, Vittoria Barzo Tyres.

Key items of kit: Apidura Bags, Exposure Lights, Black Diamond 2 Person Tent (As I'm riding as a pair), Alpkit Numo Sleeping Mat, Alpkit Down Sleeping Bag. Lucky Item: Holly, my wife :).

Callum James

Name: Callum James

Age: 26

Location: Barnoldswick, England.

Bike: Pace RC529. Hope Tech brakes, wheels, BB & headset. Shimano XT drivetrain. Vittoria Mezcal/Barzo tyres. Carbon bars & seatpost - last minute decision to ditch the dropper!

Key items of kit: Apidura packs; frame pack with all spares/tools/hygiene stuff & top tube pack with battery pack/electrical stuff. Using an Inov8 running vest with hydration bladder to carry all layers & side pockets for stashing snacks. Cateye lights. Wahoo Elemnt Roam GPS.

Samuel Davidson

Name: Samuel Davidson

Age: 31

Cap number: 37

Location: Bristol

Bike: Trek Procaliber 9.5 with Tailfin Aeropack & front drybag. All stock parts except ergon grips. Flat pedals - I ain't unclipping for all those gates!

Key items of kit: Sleeping setup is an UL survival bivi teamed with a home made elephants foot (Google it) and down jacket. Lighting is dual Exposure (is there any other way?). And navigation is a Garmin edge 530 with an etrex backup. My cavernous Tailfin takes most kit, but my Salomon running vest is a welcome addition as it eats gear, food and water, meaning a bit less on the bike.

2 luxury items, a coffee thermos and my dad sandals, mean I should be awake for at least some of the ride, and save my precious knees as getting off for a lot of gates and uphill walking!

James Oldroyd

Name: James Oldroyd

Age: 48

Cap number: 59

Location: Ossett

Bike: Canyon Grizl, SRAM AXS Etap, 40T front, 44-10 rear, Schwalbe G-One 45mm, Wahoo Bolt

Key items of kit: Skittles, Puffa Jacket and £10 Amazon front light

John Witt

Name: John Witt

Age: 41

Location: Taunton, England.

Bike: Off the peg Sonder Dial except the DT Swiss 232 forks.

Key items of kit: Tailfin and apidura mix of bags, exposure Diablo with 8.7mah cell. Garmin Edge 530 for nav.

Jake Feasey

Name: Jake Feasey

Age: 28

Location: York

Bike: Surly Karate Monkey with some suspension at the front for some of the bigger bumps. Shimano XT 1x11 gears and Shimano brakes rolling along on some wheels I cobbled together.

Key items of kit: An AlpKit seatpack carry hooped bivi, Thermarest sleeping mat, and sleeping bag/liner, as well as some tools and spare in an AlpKit bag on the downtube. Restrap bar bag with change of kit and jackets (insulated and waterproof), as well as food and other bits. Moon lights front/rear and helmet with a USB power bank for more juice. Some stickyback reflective tape dotted about for added see-ability.

Louis Moorehead

Name: Louis Moorehead

Age: 29

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland.

Bike: Dolan Gxa, with Scribe 650b wheels, Pirelli tyres and a mishmash of Shimano components. Garmin 530 for navigation and a Exposure Strada for lighting. Bags are a mix of Restrap, CamelChops, Straighcut Design and Alpkit.

Key items of kit: It feels super nerdy saying this in regards to bike packing but I love my power meter. It helps me stay sensible when I might otherwise get carried away.

Sleep set up is an Alpkit bivy bag, Sea to Summit air mattress and a Rab sleeping bag. I've spent the last few months worried I'd be too cold overnight but, touch wood, that shouldn't be an issue.

Ali Macleod

Name: Ali Macleod

Age: 26

Location: London

Bike: Cannondale Topstone.

Key items of kit: Apidura Backcountry Saddle Pack, Frame Pack and Handlebar Pack.

Tim Ellis

Name: Tim Ellis

Age: 32

Location: Bristol, UK

Bike: Ribble CGR 725. Shimano GRX400 groupset (46/30t x 11/36t). Custom built 700c wheelset by Ryanbuildswheels with Son28 dynamo powering an Edelux II front light and Son rear light. WTB Nano 40mm tyres (probably a bit narrow but they're what I've got and what I know). Brooks Swift saddle for extra comfort. It's not a light bike or set-up but it's comfy and it works.

Key items of kit: A mixture of bikepacking bags - Alpkit handlebar bag, Restrap frame bag and a Topeak saddle bag. Alpkit Hunka Bivvy and Numo Sleeping mat, with an Aegismax down sleeping bag. Mixture of clothes for riding in including a OMM Halo waterproof running jacket (for the hood!), waterproof overgloves and Sealskinz socks in case of rain, dhb jerseys and bibshorts etc. Merino wool baselayer, thermals and down jacket for sleeping. Usual tools for basic mechanicals and a couple of tubes in case of tubeless failures. Wahoo Elemnt Bolt for navigation and a big Anker Battery pack to keep it charged. Some cheap battery pack lights and a headtorch as well to supplement the dynamo light on techy single-track descents or very slow hill climbs when I'm not going fast enough for the light to work! And finally, too much food - half of which I'll carry round the whole course and not eat if previous rides are to go by.

Paul Herron

Name: Paul Herron

Age: 43

Location: Newcastle

Bike: B'Twin Rockrider XC 900. Image is from last year but it's not changed much. Still mostly standard, including the saddle. Tyres have been replaced with Continental Race Kings, and I replaced the Motion Control damper with a Race Day in the Rockshox Reba fork. Alpkit Koala seat pack, Bontrager Adventure toptube bag, and Apidura food pouches. Also a 99p backpack from Decathlon to carry extra food supplies.

Key items of kit: Bivvy, sleeping bag, mat, and pillow.

Chris Hinds

Name: Chris Hinds

Age: 37

Location: Glasgow

Bike: For this years Divide I've got my hands on a very special Santa Cruz Blur, last seen under Rab Wardell setting the current West Highland Way record. It's kind of 'stock' in that if it worked for Rab I figure it'll work for mere mortals. I've changed tyres to Vittoria Mezcals after using them on the Great British Divide, decent mix of grip and rolling speed. Seatpost is a standard alloy post rather than AXS dropper and I've added some aero bars to give some other hand positions. Is it the best bike for the job? Maybe not. Is it a crazy amount of fun, for sure!

Key items of kit: After getting my bottles covered in sheep poo through the Dales last year i've decided to swap from bottles to hydration pack. Hopefully should stop the dodgy stomach issues. Going pretty minimal with sleep kit, Helium Bivvy and Alpkit pipedream but hopefully shouldn't need to use them. Relying on my ever trusty North Face down jacket to do the heavy lifting. Relying on carrying a collection of Exposure joysticks, piggy back battery for lighting. Navigation will be using a Wahoo Bolt and a GPSMap64 which i need to figure out how to use but should let me see POIs a bit better.

Ben Yarnold

Name: Ben Yarnold

Age: 28

Location: Tenbury Wells, England

Bike: Custom singlespeed with 30x18t gearing.

Key items of kit: Newly made prototype custom front rack.

Carl Hopps

Name: Carl Hopps

Age: 34

Location: Leeds, England.

Bike: Fairlight Secan 2.5, Hope Fotus 650b wheels, Vittoria Saguaro 2" tyres, Shimano GRX 600 1x 40t, Sunrace 46t Cassette, Brooks Cambium C15, Exposure Toro and trace/tracer lights

Key items of kit: Sleeping kit - OEX bivvy, nature hike sleeping bag, klymit x frame mat, Down jacket

Wearing - Albion full kit, Albion insulated jacket, Albion Zoa rain shell, Sealskinz socks and gloves, Endura Danny Mac gloves.

Bags - Full set of Restrap Race range bags.. Race Saddle, Race bar bag, Race top tube, Race frame bag, Race top tube, Race stem x2.

Other bits - Restrap fidlock magnetic bottles, Led Lenser MH10 head torch.

Graham Tagg

Name: Graham Tagg

Age: 55

Location: Preston , Lancashire

Bike: FATSTER GT (29er Plus). Built this Sub 10Kg full carbon bike specifically for bikepacking with help and advice from Alex Pilkington. Workswell frame, Covas carbon wheels DT Swiss hubs, WTB Ranger light tyres (29x3.00).

Key items of kit: Luggage is from Alpkit, Alpkit Numo sleepmat, Thermarest Hyperion sleeping bag, exposure Toro front light. Nav by Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt

Angus Young

Name: Angus Young

Age: 25

Location: Blandford Forum, Dorset, England.

Bike: Mason RAW, I'm stoked to be racing on this for the first time. It's built up with HUNT Trailwide 29er wheels wearing Maxxis Rekon race tyres. Its running a Shimano XT 12-speed groupset, a 120mm Rockshox SID and an X-Fusion dropper.

Key items of kit: All my kit is packed into some custom bags from Straightcut Designs. The framebag houses a 2L bladder as well as all my clothes and spares. Top tube bag is for snacks and the dropper seatpack is my sleep system.

I'll be wearing dhb Aeron Ultra bibs and jersey as well as carrying a load of extra dhb warm kit for the variable weather. Lights are an Exposure Sixpack and TraceR with a Petzl headlamp.

Mike Jacklin

Name: Mike Jacklin

Age: 41

Location: Disley

Bike: Trek Supercaliber 9.8. Fox front and rear for lugging me over the bumps.

Key items of kit: Roswheel bags for lugging my stuff. Albion kit for me attempting to look cool

Elaine Burroughs

Name: Elaine Burroughs

Age: 53

Location: Brighton

Bike: Reilly Gradient Ti XS. Hunt Four Season 650B wheels with Schwalbe G-One 52mm tyres (not much clearance so hoping its not going to be muddy!) Shimano GRX group set with 11-42t rear and 46/30 front.

Key items of kit: Full set of Restrap Bags with a Revelate drybag on the rear with airpurge valve and an Exped Waterproof Compression Bag on the front. Up front is OR Helium hooped bivvy, Alpkit Numo air mattress and Mountain Equipment Women’s Helium 400 sleeping bag and I have put a liner in too in case its chilly and a piece of Tyvek to put the bag on to protect it. In the rear I have wet and cold weather clothes, first aid kit, tiny washbag, Rab Silverlight jacket and my SpotTracker on top. In the frame bag I have an Anker 2000mAh powerbank and cables, pump, ‘toilet’ trowel, lights, various lotions and potions and some snacks. Spare inner tube on the downtube, tools in the keg underneath and food everywhere else ;-)….

Steve Marner

Name: Steve Marner

Age: 49

Cap number: 129

Location: Littlehampton, West Sussex

Bike: Ribble CGR 725. 47mm Maxxis Rambler tubeless on 650b. 1x mullet drive 39x 11-50. Shimano 105 160mm cranks. Redshift shockstop stem and bodged Crane Creek Viscoset headset.

Key items of kit: Saddle bag- 12L Ortileb bag Alpkit cloud cover quilt and hunka bivi, inertia x-frame pad. Some dry kit for the evenings! Decathlon puffa jacket. Strapped on with re-strap race saddle bag…just.
MYOG frame bag- 20k power pack and leads, some spares, FA kit, katydn water filter pre loaded with .5 litres, some warmer layers (leg warmers, triathlon shorts, Albion burner and merino buff). Alpkit top tube bag- decent tool kit and MTB batteries triple cell for exposure joystick. Alpkit stem bags- food (7k cal. At 1.6kg here and down tube bag, mainly PB, marzipan and sweeties, supplemented by shops…often). Salomon hydration vest- 2L water, Rennie, Chubb rub, plastic feet bags and latex gloves (if nippy) and phone. Also- waterproof jacket, beard, Alpkit Qark head torch, Garmin 530 with Fenix 3 watch back up, hiplock lock, blood, sweat, tears and hope.

Danny Lane

Name: Danny Lane

Age: 31

Location: Leeds

Bike: Windover Bostal frameset. 650b Hope Fortus wheelset, Hutchinson Cobra 2.25 tyres. Mishmash of shimano brakes and gearing 1x11 (40/46). Thomson stem and seatpost, Ride Farr flat bars and other Hope bits an pieces. Brooks cambium C15 saddle.

Key items of kit: All the bags are from the Restrap Range Range including a custom frame bag. Tech/tools and clothing in frame bag, food in stem bags and top tube, sleeping system in saddle bag. Bottles on forks and down tube. Light mounted to front of bike and will also be using a head torch. Wahoo element roam for navigation.

Chris Lewis

Name: Chris Lewis

Age: 57

Location: Whitby

Bike: Lynskey MT29 frame custom built by AL Suspension Ltd with Hope XC wheels, Shimano XT 10 speed 11-42t, Fox 32 Grip 100mm forks, XT brakes, Hope headset and stem.

Key items of kit: Kit is a mixture of Apidura (front) and Carradice (rear) bags with an Alpkit bivvy, sleeping bag and mat.

Bobby McNicol

Name: Bobby McNicol

Age: 30

Cap number: 134

Location: Manchester, England.

Bike: Cannondale Topstone with Shimano GRX, Zipp 303 Firecrest, Schwalbe G-One R 700x40m.

Key items of kit: Restrap/Rapha bags.

Adam Sherlock

Name: Adam Sherlock

Age: 56

Cap number: No idea?!

Location: Altrincham, Cheshire, UK

Bike: Open One+ carbon hardtail MTB frame built up with an entirely experimental rig comprising: Cannondale Lefty Ocho carbon suspension fork Jones bar (carbon) Thompson dropper post Enve M730 wheelset Rene Herse 700x55 Fleecer Ridge tires (endurance tan wall case) Outbound Lighting Trail Evo front light Can't show the packs etc because the bike only got finished 10 minutes ago and has never been ridden! Mad or stupid? Both!

Key items of kit: My HEXR helmet and Bolle glasses with reading lenses! Wahoo Roam computer And the all-important Brooks England leather saddle (swift) to ease the posterior over the bumps

Andy Dodd

Name: Andy Dodd

Age: 28

Cap number: AD

Location: Derby

Bike: Sonder Broken Road Ti

Key items of kit: Alpkit Soloist OMM Raid 1.6 Sleeping bag Tailfin 454g block of Marzipan