Bikes of Highland Trail 550 2025

Tom Simpson

Age: 40

Location: Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland

Bike: Giant Anthem (100mm front, 90mm rear)

Sid fork Irn bru shock Sonder handlebars Eragon grips Maxxis icon tyres Shimano xt groupset

Key items of kit: Bike, Bags, Bread, Beans, Bivvy, Bru, Badass!

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Calum Fisher

Age: 35

Location: Edinburgh

Bike: I'll be riding my Mason Raw steel hardtail with XT drivetrain, Rockshox SID 120mm forks, DT Swiss wheels and Mezcal/Barzo 2.25 tyres with an insert in the rear. All built and maintained by Pedals Bike Care in Edinburgh.

I've gone for Ergon grips, inner bar ends and a Farr bolt-on rest to give plenty of different hand positions.

32T chainring this year but I'm sure I'll wish I had gone lower.

Key items of kit: Straight Cut frame and top tube bags and other assorted Restrap bags + hydration vest. Most importantly I'll be packing tick remover, suncream, waterproof and midge net.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Phil Clarke

Age: 54

Location: Fife, Scotland

Bike: Jones 29+ on it's fourth outing round the Highland Trail, 3rd with one gear (32/21 as previous) Also 10th anniversary of my first successful completion! Same set up as 23 and 21.

Key items of kit: Set up shown is fairly lightweight so may change depending on the weather - Cumulus 150 quilt, full length mat, pillow, Borah bivvy bag and either an SMD Deschutes if it's to be wet or a DCF flat tarp if dry.

Frame type: Hardtail - Fully Rigid

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Tom Bruce

Age: 38

Cap number: 31

Location: Mellor, Peak District

Bike: THE BIKE: Cannondale FSI frame with fox 32 stepcast fork. Shimano XT mech, SRAM XX1 cassette, charge saddle with ti rails, ergon grips, Easton ec70 bar, HUNT XC race front wheel, JRA Karve 30 rear. Mezcal tyres are quick. Hope flat pedals (flats work for me, seems like I help knees and better for hike a bike). Bike is about 9.5 kg.

Key items of kit: Alpkit stingray frame bag and restrap top tube bag have enough space for everything I need. SOL escape bivvy along with a lightweight liner and Klymit Inertia mat keep weight down. Gore shakedry jacket, Oakley prescription sunglasses, fiveten freerider pro are favourite items of mine. New water to go filter bottle means I only need one bottle which fits nicely beneath the saddle with space for it to drop 100mm. Will also carry a small running backpack with 2 x 500mm bladder bottles for energy drink/coffee. 200g dehydrated peanut butter powder. Exposure Maxx D and Exposure Joystick lights

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Athlyn Cathcart

Age: 33

Location: Bristol, UK

Bike: I'll be exploring the Highlands on a Fairlight Holt with a Hunt Race XC wheelset, Vittoria tyres, SID fork and XT groupset. My bar-inners will give me a few more options for hand position, and they double up as easy access storage for Haribo Twin Snakes, apple rings and doughnuts.

Key items of kit: I've got a full Restrap Race bag set up, including plenty of snack pouches and a hike-a-bike harness so I can take my bike for a walk. I was too slow off the mark to order a custom full frame bag, so I made my own – hopefully it'll survive the Scottish elements... My hip pack will store bulkier food, water and essentials. I've borrowed a big Exposure front light for night riding (thanks, Levi!), and will be navigating with a Coros Dura which – amazingly – I've not yet had to charge since buying a month ago...

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Tomáš Hadámek

Age: 32

Cap number: 37

Location: currently Vienna

Bike: Carbonda FM936 - self-painted crystal structure. Self-tuned and modified Manitou suspension, remote lockout for the shock. Indestructible 11 sp. XTR rear derailleur with Garbaruk mod for 12 speed, Sram X01 shifter for ergonomics. 10-52 Garbaruk cassette, 30t. chainring. 11 sp. XTR crank for low Q-factor. Self-built low-profile EIE rims for comfort with DT350/Novatec D411CB hubs, brass nipples for durability. Tire inserts. Super supple Reverse carbon rise bars with inner bar ends, soft foam grips, bar tape in the middle for possible aero position in the flats. Cura4/Cura2/XTR race brake combo. HT pedals. Comfy Prologo Saddle. Ass Saver. One-Up dropper post for more fun.

Key items of kit: Evoc 5L front roll for sleeping gear, extra clothes and spares. Montane Gecko VP12+ for food and the rest. Solclighting Spike for night vision. Long waterproof layers. Garmin Edge 530. Mosquito/midge repellent.

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Pete Aylward

Age: 53

Location: Kendal, UK

Bike: Chumba Sendero; 120mm RockShox SID forks; Hunt Trail Wide wheelset; Mezcal/Barzo tyres; XT shifting; Middleburn cranks; PNW dropper; Tumbleweed bars.

Key items of kit: Etrex 32x; Exposure lights; Hydration pack; Salsa, Old Man Mountain, and custom bags; Criterion sleeping bag; Klymit pad; Six Moons Design Gatewood Cape.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Becca Book

Age: 36

Location: Seattle WA

Bike: Titanium Blacksheep hardtail. Cascadian colorway courtesy of wolftooth components. Dynamo hub laced to HiFi sound cycling rims and a K-Lite ultra racer light. Hope brakes, cranks and 32T chainring. Eagle AXS electronic derailleur with 10-52 cassette. Fox 34 Step-Cast 120 mm fork.

Key items of kit: Head to toe goretex kit by Rapha. Custom Framebag by LOAM equipment in Bellingham, WA.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Adin Maynard

Age: 43

Location: Williamsburg, MA USA

Bike: Why/Revel El Jefe single 32x20

Key items of kit: Bags are a mix of Rockgeist custom frame , Restrap top tube, RideForward on the rack, and Revelate feedbags that don’t smell great. Mica Rat Tail rear rack to keep the dropper light while maintaining full drop ability and me a clean back. . Blingy Industry9 carbo Hydra wheels with fresh bearings. Lights and Wahoo Roam keep me moving off of a 20k mAh Nitecore battery bank. Sleep will be had in a 40 deg quilt, dyneema HL tarp, and Borah Gear UL bivy. Tires will be fresh Vittoria Syerra’s with a liner in the rear, if I can must the install effort.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Daniel Jessee

Age: 41

Location: Brevard, North Carolina, USA

Bike: I’ll be riding my trusty Salsa Timberjack Ti frame with a 1x12 SRAM drivetrain with 10-52 paired to a 30t oval, 130mm Fox 34 fork, OneUp dropper and some Bontrager XR4 29x2.4 tires.

Key items of kit: Well, this time I’m bringing a sleeping bag so that feels like a win before I’ve even reached the starting line! Aside from that, I’m most stoked about my Rockgeist wedge bag! I think this will make it easy to hoist my bike up and I love all the features Greg’s team added to make this bag unique. Other than that I’m rocking a Restrap Race seat bag and a Revelate Pronghorn harness paired with various smaller bags. I’ll be wearing an Osprey Stratos 20 backpack which is definitely overkill but it’s been with me through AZT and the Colorado Trail and it’s part of me now. Also 5 pairs of socks.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Rich Rothwell

Age: 54

Location: Morpeth

Bike: Giant Anthem full suss

Key items of kit: XTR 12spd groupset inc 4 piston brakes / Trail pedals. DTSwiss wheels / Vittoria Sierra tyres. Pro finishing kit. Restrap bags inc Hike a Bike harness and large volume hydration pack. Sea to Summit sleep kit - Spark sleeping bag / insulated mat. Clothing from Albion. Exposure Lights / Cords Dura GPS

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Benedikt Stratmann

Age: 34

Location: Dortmund

Bike: I will be riding the Highland Trail 550 on my Trek Procaliber 9.8. I have made some modifications to it to make it more suitable for the event. Among the changes are: a Fox 34 Performance suspension fork, a dropper post, a 1×12 drivetrain with a 30T chainring in the front and a 10-51T cassette in the back, a SON dynamo hub with a kLite lighting/charging system, a SQlab saddle, and a riser bar with Ergon grips for comfort. The tires are 2.25″ Vittoria Mezcals.

Key items of kit: BAGS: The two main bags are a small Ortlieb seat pack and a large Ortlieb handlebar pack. Additionally, I will be using an Apidura frame bag and an Apidura top tube bag. I will also carry a small running vest for extra water and snacks.

GEAR: For my sleeping kit, I will use a light MSR tent, an Exped mat, and a Forclaz down sleeping bag. In case of bad weather, I will have a full rain kit, including a Mammut rain jacket, waterproof socks, and warm clothes, mostly by Adidas Terrex.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Nick Percival

Age: 62

Location: Devon

Bike: Broken Road Mk2- Sonder

Key items of kit: For the HT550 I’m riding my well traveled & loved titanium Broken Road. Chainset is a 28t oval on Eewings titanium cranks & 10-50 cassette with SRAM derailleur. Hope / SON dynamo front wheel & a Barzo tyre. DTSwiss rear wheel shod with a 2.35 Mezcal and a Hope tyre insert. Front suspension is the chunky 35mm Rockshox SID 120 together with a Fox dropper post should add some smiles to the rocky downhills. My bags are a mixture of Alpkit, Restrap & Straight Cut. Frame bag contains my Terra Nova tent , pump & tools. Seat pack carries couple of spare clothes and waterproofs. Bar bag has sleeping bag and air mattress. Also using a Restrap Hike a bike harness for the Strath na Sealga crossing and a couple of other uphills. Using the Wahoo Roam 2 for navigation and Garmin watch for back up. If the weather turns wet before the start then the rear Assaver mudguard will stay on and reduce the wet muck up my back. Exposure dynamo front light & a tiny Supernova rear together with an Alpkit headlight providing illumination. I don’t tolerate gels, powders or lots of sugary foods so I’ll need to find sandwiches, pizza & pies and carry lots of mini cheddars.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Mike DeBernardo

Age: 42

Location: Aberfoyle, Scotland

Bike: Pipedream Sirius 32x19. 130mm Pike, DT350/Roval wheels, Stooge Moto bars, Paul Klamper brakes, SQ Labs grips, and a generic set of foam-covered bar ends mounted inboard.

Key items of kit: All bags are homemade, except for a Dispersed Bikepacking handlebar roll. Exposure Joystick and Diablo for lighting. Rab sleeping bag, Exped pillow, and a comically small piece of an old Z-lite foam pad to snooze on. I'll bring a bivy as well, but haven't decided on which one yet.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Emma Bateup

Age: 25

Location: Wellington, New Zealand

Bike: Juliana Wilder, size medium. Reserve 29er wheels with Maxxis Aspens. Sram 1x12 drivetrain, 32t chainring. Shimano XT brakes. Burgtec MK5 flat pedals.

Key items of kit: Random collection of bags, most made by mates. Full Ground Effect waterproofs & lots of warm clothes. Coros Dura for nav. Sleep kit likely to be a Therm-a-Rest X-Lite mat & SOL Escape bivvy. Silva Strive vest.

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Jakob Carlsen

Age: 56

Cap number: I don´t know

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Bike: Ibis Ripley V2, 12-speed 32/10-50, Ikon 2,35 at front and Mezcal 2,35 at the rear.

Key items of kit: The Ripley has been my bike packing race rig since I started this madness back in 2015 and it is still fantastic. I had a custom Ti Pinion hardtail frame build for this particular race that makes up for a great bike too, but I eventually chose the Ripley. I run a Etrex 32 and a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt as backup. My sleeping setup includes a Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL1 Bikepack tent and a Therm-a-Rest Neoair Xtherm pad. I prefer this combo to make the few hours sleep as rewarding as possible.

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Thomas Yaxley

Age: 35

Location: Lichfield

Bike: Frame - Trek Supercaliber Gen 2 XL (invisframe wrapped) Forks - ROCKSHOX SID SL Ultimate Race Handle bars - Bontrager Kovee XXX Carbon 35 Wheels - Hunt Proven XC Drive chain - SRAM T-Type, mix of GX and XO with powermeter Brakes - Shimano XT Seatpost - Reverb Dropper Seat - Fizik vento argo R3 Adaptive Pedals - Shimano SPD XT

Key items of kit: Top tube, handlebar, Aeropack - Tailfin GPS - Wahoo Roam Lights - Exposure Toro and Joystick Helmet - Kasak Elemento (custom paint job by Flat White Paintworks) Shoes - Quoc Kit - Kalas (Army Team livery with custom Ride4Hugo)

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Ashley Cordingley

Age: 40

Location: scotland

Bike: I’m riding a Fairlight Holt, set up with a Shimano XT/XTR drivetrain, SID SL 110mm fork, and a wide-range 1x12 drivetrain using an e*thirteen 9–52T cassette. Wheels are JRA carbon built on Hope Pro 5 rear and SON 28 front hub for reliable dynamo power and durability in the rough stuff.

Key items of kit: I’m running a homemade frame bag tailored to the Holt, a Riverside top tube bag, and a Restrap Race front bag. Everything is dialled in to keep the weight low and the setup tidy.Sleeping setup is minimalist but warm: an Alpkit bivvy bag, Big Agnes inflatable mat, and a lightweight down sleeping bag. I’ve opted for tiny aero bars, mainly for mounting kit — they weigh less than a harness and front bag combo, and add just enough comfort for longer stretches. Navigation is on a Garmin1040 solar

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Dicky Hibbert

Age: 32

Location: Llangynidr

Bike: Specalized Epic Evo. Im running 2.25 Vittoria Barzo in trail casing (not pictured). Full suspension and Ergo 2 grips for comfort and a mechanical drive chain for reliability.

Key items of kit: Liveline Pavo 2500 front light, Garmin in reach tracker, Anker 20,000 mah power bank. Garmin 1040 solar head unit for navigation with backup on my watch. Petzl headtorch for finding kit in the dark.

A mix of Restrap feed bags and a custom frame bag from straight cut designs. Lightweight sleeping bag and bivvy to make sleep a bit more comfortable.

I use a innov8 hydration vest and a 3 liter bladder pack so I can load up between the infrequent resupplies and keep layers close to hand.

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Graham Cottingham

Age: 36

Location: Edinburgh

Bike: Gloria FKTi, Fox 32 Step Cast, Shimano XTR drivetrain and brakes, Fox Transfer SL (125mm), Black Inc Twenty Seven wheels, Pirelli Scorpion RC (2.4in), SQ Labs cockpit and Fizik saddle.

Key items of kit: Tailfin front bag and top tube bags, Straightcut Design framebag, hydration vest, Exposure lights, Garmin 1030 Plus, Sea To Summit SP2 sleeping bag and Ultralight matt, Alpkit Kloke bivy.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Donnie Campbell

Age: 40

Location: Inverness, Scotland

Bike: Cervelo ZFS-5 with 100m travel front and back with Rockshox SID SL Select & Rockshox SIDLuxe Select+. Drivetrain is Sram T type transmission with mix of GX & XX SL components. Rolling on Elite Gnar Trail wrapped in Conti Dubnital 2.4 tyres.

Key items of kit: Restrap Bags, Teko Merino Socks and Precision Fuel & Hydration Chews Mint & Lemon, 60grams of carbohydrates for 61gram of weight!! I have 30+ packed!

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Anne De Smet

Age: 45

Location: Merelbeke (Belgium)

Bike: Orbea Alma

Key items of kit: THE BIKE: Orbea Alma. This bike has been on my bikepack adventures for over 5 years and still love to ride it. BAGS: I am using a frame bag for the first time. Custom made by Wit Slingers. GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Also the tent is a first as I normally take a bivi. But with the unpredictable Scottish weather and midges I like to opt for this piece of comfort.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Stefan Maertens

Age: 42

Location: Merelbeke

Bike: BH ultimate

Key items of kit: Front roll sleepkit Small seatbag rainclothes Framebag food and bledder Downtube bag spare parts Small backpack for clothes

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Andrew Broadway

Age: 43

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Bike: Sonder Dial. 100mm Rockshox SID Ultimate fork. Wheelset is DTSwiss X1900 with Schwalbe Wicked Will tyres. Got Rimpact inserts in both front and back to save meon the water bars. Shimano Deore XT drivetrain with a 28t chainring and a 51-10 cassette to hopefully get me up the hills...

Key items of kit: Smidge. Lots of Smidge. Although the in coming rain might keep the wee beasties away 🤞

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Alan Goldsmith

Age: 61

Location: Wootton Bassett

Bike: Specialized Epic Evo, 28t chainring. Ortlieb bar bag and seat pack, Tailfin top tube bag, LHD custom frame pack.

Key items of kit: Midge net, waterproof jacket, tick removal tool. Big Agnes Fly Creek tent. Exped sleeping mat. Etrex for navigation.

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Leila Husain

Age: 27

Location: Brevard, North Carolina, United States

Bike: China Carbon Hardtail

Key items of kit: Custom made stringbean frame bag! Thanks Steve!

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Bahadır Güngör

Age: 36

Location: Göteborg

Bike: Brother Cycles Big Bro frame, FOX 34 Stepcast 120mm, Newmen carbon handlebars, SRAM AXS Force/X01, E13 Helix 9-50T cassette, Absolute black 28T chainring, Hope E4 brakes, wheels are WTB CZR i30’s (28h) laced with Sapim CX ray’s to a DT350 in the back and a SP Dynamo in the front. Tires are 2.35″ Vittoria Mezcal. kLite kit for lighting and charging.

Key items of kit: Custom THLP framebag, Revelate Designs Spinelock seatbag, Mountain Feedbags and Mag-Tank top tube bag, and a DIY 3D printed titanium front roll cradle.

Sleep kit consists of synthetic quilt, SOL bivy and Thermarest NXT sleeping pad.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Melina Boening

Age: 32

Location: Berlin, Germany

Bike: Bombtrack Beyond+ with a suspension fork with a 1x12 drivetrain and 30T chainring. The wheels feature a SON Dynamo, an Onyx rear hub and 2,35“ tyres.

Key items of kit: The bag setup consists of a handlebar bag and a saddle bag, both custom made by Gramm Tourpacking. A pocket on the front roll and two candy bags provide quick access during the ride and an hydration vest is equipped with a 2l bladder. The sleeping setup includes a custom Cumulus sleeping bag, a Thermarest Neo Air mattress and a bivvy bag. The dynamo powered Supernova M99 with high beam function provides lighting.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Philippa Battye

Age: 37

Location: norwich

Bike: Mason RAW

Key items of kit: In the spirit of the Tour de Farce and Green Runners, trying to avoid waste at bikepacking races, everything on my bike is the same from my HT550 2023 race - except a new chain, brake pads, and an Apidura saddle pack which was deemed irrepairable.

Key items - Looking at the weather, probably a tent, so then maybe a stove... Inflattable pillow and a 25 year old nokia phone.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Bryn Appleton

Age: 19

Location: Innerleithen, Scotland

Bike: I’ll be tackling the HT550 on my Deviate Highlander ll, Despite being my trail/enduro bike with some small changes this bike can be super versatile. Wheels are Hunt Xc wide with Maxxis Ikon 2.2 on the rear and a Forekaster 2.4 on the front, suspension is 145mm rear and 160mm front, full shimano groupset and Deity components.

Key items of kit: Camelbak frame bags, Tailfin Downtube bag, top tube bag made by my flatmate, alpkit tent, Exposure lights, Rab sleeping bag and Themorest Sleeping pad

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Clare Walkeden

Age: 43

Cap number: 24

Location: Warwickshire

Bike: Sonder Dial SLX with SID Fork. SRAM GX Eagle 30t (front) 10-52 (rear). DT Swiss rims with Schwalbe Racing Ralph / Ray tubeless 2.35’.

Key items of kit: Lights: Front Exposure Race and Diablo.

Bags: Apidura 14L front roll, 4.5L Pocket (layers and more snacks!), 2 x Fuel Pods (snacks and charge bar, suncream etc) Alpkit fuel pods and bilbie (cables and a few bits) and Ortlieb rear loader 11L (kit). NSWE hydration pack (2L)

Tech: Garmin Edge 1030. Anker 20,000mAh power bank.

Sleep Kit: mountain equipment Helium women’s specific sleeping bag, Alpkit Hunka Bivvy, Numo air mat and Lofoten ULW tent.

Clothing: 7Mesh CoPilot, Revo Shorts, Desperado Merion tops and Chilco Vest. Albion Ultralight jacket, Fizik Atlas shoes, Sealskins waterproof socks.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Nico Keinath

Age: 38

Location: Berlin

Bike: I’ll be using a Stanton Sherpa Ti Gen3 for the Highlandtrail550. My go to tires are Vittoria Mezcal in the rear (2.35) and Barzo in the front (2.6). A Sram GX AXS completes the bike with a 32T chainring.

Key items of kit: Taking a MSR Hubba NX tent with me for better shelter in the rain. Light is provided by my Lupine Neo head lamp and hopefully dry feet in my Sealskinz.

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Danny Lane

Age: 34

Location: LEEDS

Bike: Windover prototype frame, Fox 34 forks, DCR carbon wheelset, SLX / Sram today groupset, Thomson finishing kit, Vittoria Mezcals, Exposure lights, ergo grips and inner bar nubs.

Key items of kit: Full Restrap bags and a prototype backpack we've been developing. Some choice Albion buts of kit, Sums socks and load of Styrkr!

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Andy Greaves

Age: 52

Location: Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland

Bike: The frame is a custom build, by Marino Bikes of Peru, in Reynolds 725 tubing. It’s sporting a pair of Fatlab 27.5 x 40mm wheels, shod with 2.8in Schwalbe Nobby Nics, for fast-rolling plus-size comfort. There’s a Genesis carbon fork up front, and I’m running Singlespeed with a Shimano SLX crankset and Halo Fat-Foot 20 tooth rear cog, and there will be a blingy Gold KMC - Z1 chain. There are SLX brakes and XT pedals. More comfort is provided up top by a leather Brooks B17 saddle, dropper and a pair of Ergon cork grips. Sonder Confucius bars give me plenty of room to mount my Etrex 32x and Exposure Diablo

Key items of kit: Bags are a mix, by Restrap (front roll), Ortlieb (frame ), and Alpkit (stem cell) Bottles are for various storage, as I’ll be carrying my faithful Decathlon 10l MTB bag with 2-litre bladder for hydration.

Frame type: Hardtail - Fully Rigid

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 650b (27.5")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No