Bikes Of Great British Escapades 2024

Chris Hawkins

Age: 33

Cap number: 50

Location: Hitchin, Herts

Bike: I'll be riding this Stayer Groadinger OMG, aka the best raffle prize ever. I was lucky enough to win this bike the lovely folks at Stayer put up for a prize draw raising money for the Ultra Distance Scholarship a couple of years back. It's running Stayer wheels with Hope hubs, SRAM GX AXS, Hope crankset and brakes, Vittoria Barzo/Mezcal tyres and beautiful Veloflique paint job.

Key items of kit: Ride Farr aero clip ons to rest weary hands, SQLab inner bar ends to feel like drop bars when needed, and Wizard Works Voila stem bag to keep the Haribo Super mix flowing

Mar Morgan

Age: 52

Cap number: 71

Location: Norwich

Bike: 2017 Cube Sl XT

Key items of kit: Double ended Dry bag for clothes and sleeping kit, Tools and spares. Small frame bag for quick grab kit and food. Alpkit feedbag for electronics etc. stem mounted bottle feed bag for..... Feeding. Lumicycle Explorer main light and big battery, spare battery. Exposure Diablo helmet mounted light. Comfy comfy profile Aerobars for comfywomfiness and to give sone variety for my poor, numb hands 🙄. Flared ergo grips, mini barends. I've also taped the innermost bit of my flat bars for another position. Double chainring 36/26. Some of those flipping climbs are STEEP AND LOOSE. One thing I really rate are Sintered brake pads. They don't fall to pieces in the gritty horrible conditions that like to eat normal pads. Ancient but familiar Time Atac pedals. Cheap n cheerful 1.5l hydration pack with a so useful pocket and cinching strap. The bladder also fits nicely into the frame bag if need be 😉.

David Brazier

Age: 35

Location: Swindon, Wiltshire

Bike: Vitus Rapide 29. Shimano Deore drivetrain (30x11-51) with SRAM DB8 brakes. Rockshox SID forks, WTB wheels with, of course, Vittiria Mezcal tyres.

Key items of kit: Bags are a mix of Restrap & Decathlon with a homebrew handlebar mounted cargo cage with a 5l drybag.

Cranktank carries 3l of water and means I don't have to wear a vest/backpack (though I may wear one for stashing food at resupply).

Bruce Watt

Age: 50

Cap number: Bruce Watt

Location: Brighton

Bike: Rondo Ruut CF1 ( Name - Racy Ronda!) Wheels - Dish 650b with dynamo. Hand built by Porteur in Hove. Tyres - Vittoria Mescal 2.1 Running a mullet set up with SRAM 10-52 cassette with Ratio cage and Ratio 36T chainring. Hoping this will save me some tears on the SDW.

Key items of kit: Love my custom Restrap frame bag, my wild cat front roll and defo my Tailfin top tube bag for not having a zip making night access much easier. Running a fenix light BC26R with spare battery. I’ve opted for this option as I’m sooo slooow and the dynamo might not power a fixed light for night riding shenanigans. My choice of sleep system is down pants and puffer jacket with bivi bag and a blind faith it will not rain!

Francis flaherty

Age: 53

Location: Leicestershire

Bike: Sonder broken road SRAM eagle gx axs, gone down to a 30 front chainring to help with the hills, xt brakes some new dt Swiss wheels built by Eric at the cycle shed, cane creek suspension seatpost(I need it) and some 2.25 mezcals

Key items of kit: Alpkit pipedream 400 3 season sleeping bag, as I’m a cold sleeper, won’t be racing just trying to finish, alpkit bivvy bag and a thermarest neoair xlite sleeping pad Various different bags garmin 830 for navigation and a fenix light and head torch for when it’s dark

Liam Manser

Age: 27

Cap number: Liam

Location: Norfolk

Bike: Handmade Groves Fløyen steel hardtail Carbon DT swiss XMC1200 wheelset Fox 32 factory sc forks XTR brakes SRAM xx1 and GX groupset Wahoo roam head unit Tailfin bags all round

Key items of kit: Albion insulated jacket and Bib shorts STYRKR nutrition
specialized roamin evo pro saddle

Gavin Jones

Age: 45

Cap number: Gavin

Location: High Wycombe

Bike: Mason InSearchOf

Key items of kit: Carbon Tailfin Aeropack, Tailfin frame pack, Posedla Custom Saddle, SRAM GX Eagle AXS, Raceware Direct Custom Bridge, Profile Design T2+ Aerobars

Matt Slater

Age: 49

Cap number: Matt Slater

Location: North Devon

Bike: Canyon Exceed CF SL 7.0

Key items of kit: 100mm RockShok SID SL fork, Reynolds 29" Carbon Wheels, Vittoria Barzo + Mezcal TNT tyre combo. SRAM GX Eagle AXS T-Type groupset with 10-52 cassette. Mix of Alpkit, Ortleib and Toppeak bikepacking bags. Wahoo Elemnt Roam v1. Exposure Toro and Exposure Joystick lights, with Exposure support cell battery.

Francis Barnett

Age: 39

Location: London

Bike: Cervelo ZHT, SRAM XX, Cane Creek Carbon Suspension Seatpost, Hunt Proven XC Wheelset, Mezcal/Barzo tyre combination.

Key items of kit: Restrap Race seatpack with sleeping bag, mat, down jacket, first aid kit (867g)

Restrap Race top tube bag for snacks and charger. Restrap race food pouch for on the go fueling.

OMM hydration vest with waterproof storage for rain and night clothing.

Elite tool keg + empty bottle for cola (lifesaver on a night shift)

Exposure Toro front and joystick helmet lights. Exposure and Raleigh Moon Cerberus rear.

Alex Beattie

Age: 52

Location: Brighton UK

Bike: Mason Bokeh v3 with 12spd GRX and 2.1inch 650b tyres on Hunt dyno wheelset powering an Exposure Revo light with some mini aerobars fitted for a bit of extra comfort.

Key items of kit: Restrap race bags with reasonably lightweight sleeping bag, helium bivi and sea-to-summit sleep mat.

Kristian Robinson

Age: 42

Location: Worcester Park (London)

Bike: I've chucked my some of my bike-packing gear on my XC bike.

Vitus Rapide CRX - Carbon 29'er Hardtail Shimano XT DT Swiss EX-511 Barzo/Mezcal - Front/Back Dropper Post.

Key items of kit: Exposure lights. Tailfin Aeropack carrying any sleeping gear. Camelbak Chase 8 Hyrdation vest. Restrap Bags for anything else easier access. (May not take the frame bag on the day).

Tom Foot

Age: 38

Location: Eastergate, West Sussex

Bike: Ridley Kanzo Adventure with custom paint job. Hunt 42 Limitless Gravel Disc Wheels with Vittoria Mezcals in 21. 1x Shimano GRX Di2 Groupset and Shimano XT Pedals

Key items of kit: Tailfin Aero Pack with custom Racewaredirect Light Mount. Tailfin 0.5l Top Tube Bag. Apidura Frame Bag and Rapha Bar Bag. Garmin Edge 1040 Solar Computer. Exposure Toro, Diabolo and BoostR lights. Alpkit Hunka Bivvy and Pipedream 200 Sleeping Bag.

Samuel Launders

Age: 31

Location: Brighton

Bike: Pinnacle Arkose

Key items of kit: Industrial sized sack of jelly worms.

George Badham

Age: 34

Location: Abingdon

Bike: Sonder Frontier

Key items of kit: Key changes from last year are the Hunt XC Wide Wheelset and SRAM GX Cassette. I've left the fork packs at home and am enjoying the lighter set-up.

Andrew Pledger

Age: 32

Cap number: 81

Location: Canterbury

Bike: Riding the trusty On One Whippet again this year, stock wheels and Specialized Fast Track tyres. Comfy and aero options from the Geoff loop bars, creaky C17 and Ergon GA3s to hold onto.

Key items of kit: Bags are a mix of Rapha, Decathlon, Rockbros, Altura and DIY. Sleeping in an Alpkit bivvy bag with liner.

Tom Stocker

Age: 35

Cap number: Tom

Location: New Forest

Bike: A 2021 Trek Procaliber with a few Frankenstein changes such as aero bars and various hand grips. Rockshox Sid forks that can be locked out on climb, a 32x51 big gear and Mezcal Tyres.

Key items of kit: The Tailfin which makes accessing things easy and no swaying. My phone for some musical distractions.

Richard Lake

Age: 47

Location: Lincolnshire

Bike: Having ridden on a gravel bike in 2023, I am this year returning on Specialized Epic Evo 2022 full suspension mountain bike. SRAM NX Eagle Groupset, 12-speed 50t cassette, 32t chainring, RockShox Reba fork with 120mm of travel. With the bike being new I've decided to keep with the stock Ground Control 2.35in tyres.

Key items of kit: Tailfin Carbon Rack/Aeropack / Top Tube Bag Exposure Lights Toro Mk 13 Garmin 540 Solar 10,000 mAh power bank Fidlock 800ml/400ml Water bottles Restrap Hydration Vest for food/drink/jacket

Gerald Herradura

Age: 50

Location: Dublin Ireland

Bike: Van Nicholas Rowtag. Groupsets: Shimano GRX Di2 46-30 by 11-34 cassette. Wheelsets: DTswiss GR531 32 spokes with WTB Sendero 47mm Lights: Front : KLite Adventure powered by Son Dynamo Hub. Rear : Cat Eye and Bontrager Battery Powered.

          Dynamo Hub. 

Key items of kit: Tailfin Bike Rack. Top Bag. Two small Pannier.

Adam Bloom

Age: 53

Cap number: Adam Bloom

Location: London

Bike: La Pierre Prorace CF 9.9

Key items of kit: Lights & food.

Ted

Age: 68

Cap number: Ted Fountain

Location: Haywards Heath, England

Bike: S-Works Epic

Key items of kit: Rain jacket, warm clothes, good lights, enough battery power, a comfortable park bench and a whole bag of good luck and favourable weather.

Rob Roy Cameron

Age: 39

Cap number: Rob Roy Cameron

Location: London

Bike: Scott scale with a Shimano Xt group set. FSA power meter cranks running 36 upfront and an 11-52 cassette. The wheels are Stayer with a Hope rear hub and a Son dynamo on the front.

Key items of kit: For bags I have an Apidura top tube bag for dynamo charger and snack. The down tube bag is Tailfin, in there I have spares, tools, pump and rain jacket. I’ll have a hydration vest for more snacks and additional storage. For lights I have the K-lite on the front and the Exposure Blaze at the back.

Steve James

Age: 55

Location: Ashford, Kent

Bike: Genesis Fugio 30

Key items of kit: Aeroe carry rack Sram Apex 11-42 and 40t front chainring Pirelli cinturato gravel mixed 650b 45mm tyres. Frog and Cateye rear lights Oxford Cl1000 and power bank front light. Bryton 800S Madison riptide Topeak mid frame bag Pro discover front bag. Down jacket, lightweight jacket. Madison Leg warmers, Santini Arm Warmers. Santini Mid season full figured gloves and giro mitts Lazer Genesis helmet.

Sarah Mackey

Age: 55

Location: Wye

Bike: Trek Cali SL mountain bike

Key items of kit: Alpkit deluge 13L handlebar bag Alpkit Koala 7 seat bag Alpkit stem bags x 2 (one attached to front fork) Homemade stem bag

Alpkit bivvy, Alpkit blow up mat, mountain warehouse down sleeping bag

Komoot on iPhone for navigation

Johan Conradie

Age: 34

Location: Canterbury

Bike: Marin Nicasio aka Pink Lady aka Die Ou

Key items of kit: Saddle bag - sleeping and layers Frame bag - spares Top tube bag - fuel Vest - hydration, and bits and bobs

Miroslav Chrapka

Age: 42

Cap number: 20

Location: London, UK

Bike: Fairlight Secan with 650b Stayer wheels and Conti Race King 2.2 tyres

Key items of kit: Mixture of bags from Tailfin, Apidura and Restrap. Exposure light and Wahoo for navigation. MSR bivy, Sea to Summit sleeping bag and Therma rest mat. Hydratation pack for the water and extra storage for food.

… and teeny tiny pillow.

Daniel Townend

Age: 50

Cap number: 91

Location: London

Bike: Curve GMX+

Key items of kit: SRAM MTB gearing. 29er Mezcals on Curve Dirt Hoops with Son Dynamo running a klite. Restrap and Tailfin bags. Sea to summit sleeping bag and xlite pad.