Shoutouts to the kit that made the ride 💘

Nothing has the power to make or break a ride like your kit. The seam on that pair of socks that burns like fire 100km in, the dry bag that ain’t dry or a tyre plug that just won’t stick - these are the things we remember and hopefully only happen once. I love a kit review to help me avoid those moments, but it can still happen.

This year I clocked up over 11,000km of riding that covered pre-work blasts, All Terre Gang rides and the likes of Montanas Vacias, the Pennine Rally and the Torino Nice Rally. Safe to say I had some disasters, but I have found some kit that has pleasantly surprised and will be with me for my races in 2023.

The Albion Base Layer, the Vitus Rapide and the Tailfin Suspension Fork Cage Mounts are all amazing bits of kit and here’s why…

Albion Short Sleeve Merino Base Layer

I fell in love with this simple, practical and downright magical base layer on the Torino Nice Rally. I wore it for the full seven days, even though I had another base layer with me. The fit of the base layer was so good, it hugged my body and arms but didn’t feel tight or restricting. If anything, I didn’t notice it, which is exactly what I want from a base layer. I even wore it as a t-shirt over my bibs on one day because it was really warm and it looked great.

The ride was full of epic climbs to build up a sweat, and long descents for it to linger. I never once felt clammy or noticed the fabric clinging to me. On day seven it still smelled fresh, which still blows my mind. Since then, on colder days, I’ve found it great at holding in heat. It’s an all year round pleaser and worth every single penny. Shout out to Albion for making me rave about something as dull as a base layer!

Want to smell fresh after seven days of hard riding? This is the base layer for you.

Vitus Rapide CRS

Or as I call my specific one, Miley Vitus. Now first off, full disclosure, Miley is a long-term loan from the kind folks at Vitus. There’s no obligation for me to do anything or say anything about her and they have no obligation to me. However, I do want to talk about this bike. The carbon frame is great, the bike is so light that I never feel like I’m compromising when I’m on tarmac. In fact I took her to a 100km road ride in the summer and didn’t get dropped! The gearing is great. All the spin you need to get up super steep, technical terrain, but when you slam it into the little ring you can maintain a decent speed on the roads.

The Rapide is marketed as a CX bike, but I think it is the perfect adventure bike as well. It’s so comfy for multi day adventures and fast enough that you aren’t left wondering why you chose a mountain bike on the flatter bits. It’s functional, light without compromising on fun - it can still tackle trails and jumps with ease. In fact I’ve put a dropper post on mine for the winter and have been heading out shorter, gnarlier rides and it’s been just as much fun. Can’t wait for another year of BIG adventures with this one.

Check out the Rapide on the Vitus website, you’ll also see me and Miley chilling at the top!

Tailfin Suspension Fork Mount & Cage Packs

It really helps to be organised on a multi day trip, even more so if you want to be speedy! I’m a fan of having lots of smaller bags for two reasons. One, it distributes the weight around your bike which messes with the handling less. Two, smaller bags means I’m more organised and can get what I want from the right bag. I hate having a giant saddle bag and having to unpack the whole thing to find what I want at the bottom.

The Tailfin Cage Packs were a dream. They are pretty solid and hold their form, but they aren’t rigid, so you can pack them full without distorting them too much and causing any unexpected rubbing. They have a valve so when you roll down the top you can get all the air out and eliminate any jiggling inside - important if you’re flying down 10km of single track on the side of a rocky mountain. The straps are strong, grip the bag well and really easy to lock on and off the tooth that hold it shut.

I paired these with the Suspension Fork Mounts. I would say for a ride like the TNR these are essential. While there shouldn’t be and rotation or movement with a system like their Downtube Pack, you don’t want to risk that on round forks right next to your front wheel. ☠️ Can’t say I noticed even the slightest wiggle from them. They are incredibly solid and versatile - you can mount one or two bags on them if you really want to load up. The pack comes with everything you need to install them including a coloured paper band to help you identify the right parts for your fork. I was so impressed about the intuitive and simple installation, they really have made it no nonsense.

Take a look at the Cage Packs and the Suspension Fork Mounts and see what you think.