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Bikes of The Wild West Country 2025

8 May, 2025

Alex Thorel

Age: 31

Location: Buckinghamshire

Bike: Trek Emonda SL6 Disc

Key items of kit: Saddle bag, frame bag, top tube bag, aero bars

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 25-29mm

Electronic shifting: No

George Kitto

Age: 43

Cap number: TW2 7HE

Location: Twickenham

Bike: My new Titanium Gloria All Road. Absolutely amazing piece of kit, this will be its first real adventure. It is super comfortable and goes like the wind, really deserves a fitter pilot!

I opted for 1x12 Force AXS for slick looks and an extra thing to charge. Running a 40 tooth chainring and a 10-44 cassette for some of those punchy 20% climbs. It has Gloria's own carbon hoops and came with WTB Exposure 30mm tyres which I can't fault so far.

I have a mixture of cheap and cheerful and luxury luggage - Columbus saddlebag, homemade bar bag with some TPRNo3 Tailfin straps, Apidura frame bag and top tube snack station. Wahoo will keep me on track and Planet X Selcof aero bars are a new addition to save the legs and hands.

Sleep system consists of sleeping bag and liner, bivvy and a new tarp just in case.

Key items of kit: I have made a few things for touring in my time but my favourite here is an aero bar bridge made from an electrolyte tube for my big light and phone to keep me going at night.

As I have the framebag I carry a Silva hydration vest with 2l bladder and plenty of pockets for more Cornish pasties / scones depending on where we are.

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

James Pearce

Age: 57

Location: Chinnor

Bike: Cervelo Aspero

Key items of kit: Down Jacket for warmth.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: No

Andy Georges

Age: 47

Cap number: n/a

Location: Oostende, Belgium

Bike: I’ll be riding my steel Genesis Fugio 30 (2021 edition), equipped with a GRX 810 mechanical groupset. I’ve upgraded the rear to an 11–46 cassette and paired it with a 40T oval chainring on 172.5mm cranks. The wheels are handbuilt SWS aluminum, rolling on 42mm René Herse tires for a great balance of speed and comfort. I’m running a SON dynamo hub powering both front and rear SON lights. And for a bit of extra comfort on those long, flat stretches (as if we’ll actually find any), I’ve added ZIPP aerobars.

Key items of kit: Word is we should be ready for all kinds of weather, so I’ll be packing a full sleep kit in the Tailfin handlebar bag—either with a quilt or just my down jacket, depending on the forecast. The saddle bag will carry spare layers and rain gear (which we’ll hopefully never need). The Apidura frame bag is reserved for spare tubes, chain oil, chamois cream, meds, and other essentials. Electronics and a few tools will go in the top tube bag, while the rest of the tools are stashed in the downtube pot.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 650b (27.5")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: No

Ian James Trevis

Age: 41

Cap number: 27

Location: Totnes, Devon

Bike: Kinesis RTD

Key items of kit: Flat MTB bars + clip on aero bars Restrap bags top tube, frame and saddle bag alpkit snack bags by stem x 2 Exposure lights, strada + sirius front, reakt rear, x 2 wahoo bolt innertubes Di2 xt deore 11 speed rear mech x 1 Oval chainring 42t, 9-42t cassette power bank Jelly babies

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Other

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Michael Wykes

Age: 33

Cap number: 40

Location: Surrey, UK

Bike: Specialized Tarmac SL7

Key items of kit: Strada PAD 55 Ultra wheelset, Exposure front and rear lights, MAAP x Apidura Saddle Pack, small top tube bag.

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 25-29mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Nicky Shaw

Age: 35

Cap number: 45

Location: Harrogate, UK

Bike: Canyon Grail SL7 AXS. SRAM Rival eTap AXS with a sprocket range of 10-44 for all the hills. Hunt 4-Season wheels with Conti GP5000 32mm.

Key items of kit: Clothing: Kit by Albion. Warm layers for the night shift(s) including leg warmers, long sleeved jersey, ultralight insulated jacket, buff and gloves. Hi-vis harness.

Luggage: Bags by Apidura. Racing saddle pack and top tube bag. Possibly also the Apidura hydration vest for extra snack capacity.

Fuel: 2x950ml bottles, plenty of Styrkr carb mix and snacks.

Electronics: Wahoo Roam for navigation. Exposure Maxx-D to light the way plus flashing light for visibility. Two rear lights. 20000mah power bank and cables. Spare AXS battery. iPhone.

Other essentials: Gears and more gears. Patience. Caffeine. Tunes. A sense of humour.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Ben Bradley

Age: 46

Cap number: 10

Location: Manchester

Bike: Mason Resolution Two

Key items of kit: Apidura Bags. Garmin Edge. Hunt Wheels.
Exposure Lights. Precision Hydration.

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 25-29mm

Electronic shifting: No

James Gill

Age: 37

Cap number: 28

Location: Royal Wootton Bassett

Bike: Giant TCR

Key items of kit: Tailfin and Apidura bags, Exposure lighting, Infinity saddle, Hunt wheels. Key clothing items are a Galibier down jacket, my favourite Castelli Perfetto gilet, and a Camelbak hydration pack.

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Harvey Tye

Age: 59

Cap number: 24

Location: Carlisle

Bike: My bike is a Fairlight Strael 3. I built a new set of wheels which consists of DTSwiss 521 rims, the rear hub is a bitex and the front hub is a SP dynamo hub. Im running a 2x set-up with sub compact chainrings and an 11-40 cassette. Handlebars are redshift flared kitchen sink without the kitchen sink. I'm using tailfin bags throughout and supanova dynamo lights with some auxiliary lights just in case.

Key items of kit: Even though last years WWC was hot and dry. I live in the North of England so my essential bit of kit is my waterproof jacket, followed closely by a warm hat.

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: No

Jon Pugh

Age: 48

Cap number: 33

Location: Forest of Dean

Bike: Rondo Ruut Ti, with carbon Hunt wheels and 32mm Continental GP5000 AS 32mm. Recently fitted a slightly smaller chainring (40T) especially for Devon and Cornwall's gradients.

Key items of kit: I'm using an Ortleib seat pack and Tailfin frame and top tube bags. Also went for the the Tailfin bar bag system, which has some useful expandable storage for carrying more food.

Exposure lights for the night shift.

I'll mostly be camping in an Outdoor Research helium bivvy.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: No

Dan Spinney

Age: 45

Cap number: 15

Location: Chew Valley, Bristol

Bike: I'll be on my trusty 2021 On One Free Ranger with a mix of SRAM Rival and Force, 11-42T cassette and 42T chainring, and with Fulcrum Racing 900 wheels and Conti GP5000 32mm all-season tubeless tyres.

Key items of kit: Restrap bags under the aero bars (for bivvy and sleeping kit) and saddle (for downie and other clothing and bulky stuff), Apidura bags in the middle for food supplies all other kit.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: No

John Adamson

Age: 36

Cap number: 31

Location: Maidenhead, Berks

Bike: Trek Emonda SL6

Key items of kit: Zefal Frame and top tube bag Restrap Race saddle bag Prime Carbon 50mm wheelset Deda Parabolica aero bars

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 25-29mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Matt Slater

Age: 50

Cap number: 39

Location: Barnstaple, Devon

Bike: BMC Teammachine SLR, Ultegra Di2, 52/36 with 11-34 cassette and running the stock carbon wheels and Continental GP 5000 tyres (30mm).

Key items of kit: Alpkit seat pack containing spare clothes and sleep system (bivvi and sleeping bag). Alpkit frame bag containing spares and goodies, top tube bag with Anker 20,000mAh powerbank, Exposure support cell and charging cables. Small set of extensions on the front to give me another hand position, topped off with Wahoo Elemnt Roam head unit and Exposure Joystick front light.

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

George Morris

Age: 28

Cap number: 20

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Bike: Brother Mehteh

Tried to keep it light…. Is in fact, heavy. Gravel frameset but have gone with 34mm Corsas to keep it rolling nicely. TPU tubes. 48:31 GRX chainrings and crank Ultegra 11spd everything else 11-32 cassette. Tempted to go 11:34 but if I can’t get up a road climb with ~sub 1:1 gear then I may as well be walking anyway! Aero bars are the only aero thing about the setup.

Key items of kit: Rowies and tattie scones because butter > sugar.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: No

Colin Cartwright

Age: 52

Cap number: 13

Location: Gloucestershire, UK

Bike: Giant Defy 2

Key items of kit: GoFar frame bag and front holster for food (pork pies and hot cross buns), tent and spare clothes. Topeak saddle bag for warmer Marmot sleeping bag. BBB aero bars for positional variety. Strada and Joystick Exposure lights for the Exmoor lanes and finding sleep spots.

Will Ward

Age: 36

Cap number: 54

Location: UK

Bike: Enigma Escape Hunt wheels, with Son dynamo for lighting and power Shimano dis-approved mullet; 50-34, 11-51 (Shout out Randy's bikes for getting this working) Profile Design aerobars Brooks C17 carved saddle Assioma power pedals Conti 35mm GP5000 all-season, setup tubeless

Key items of kit: I'm going for comfort and capacity Bags from Tailfin and Restrap Sleep system up front, alpkit mat and sleeping bag, OR hooped bivvy Snacks and daily items in the middle Layers and personal care in the back Lights from Exposure

James Page

Age: 51

Cap number: 61

Location: Devon

Bike: Mason Bokeh

Key items of kit: Safety Pizza

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Laura Massey-Pugh

Age: 39

Cap number: 35

Location: Derby UK

Bike: Spa Audax Titanium, steel forks, square taper triple chainset: 26- 36- 46. 10 speed 11/32 cassette. PV-8 Hub Dynamo. Schwalbe durano 700-25. Profile design aeros. Called Sarah.

Key items of kit: Coros Dura gps (which I'm keen to see if will survive without charging!) Topeak panniers (which I've developed a deep seated attachement too...)fixed with cable ties Tortec ali rack, WoHo almighty cup (which has already been around the World), Spa Nidd titanium railed leather saddle (which may weigh as much as the bike) down layers for audax hotels, spare shorts, plenty snacks. Bum butter. Possibly a cat if she doesn't stop getting in the packing.

Safety pizza.

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 25-29mm

Electronic shifting: No

Sean Parrett

Age: 37

Cap number: 49

Location: London

Bike: Cervelo Soloist

Key items of kit: Apidura top tube bag, rear Tailfin system, Exposure lights, Wahoo Element Roam for navigation, Favero Assioma Pedals.

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 25-29mm

Adam J

Age: 39

Cap number: 1

Location: Stroud / Copenhagen

Bike: Sonder Camino Ti

Key items of kit: Hunt Aero Wide 34 with GP5000 700x35mm, 1x11 SRAM mechanical shifting with full kit for sleeping out this year.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 35mm-39mm

Electronic shifting: No

Alex Grahame

Age: 35

Cap number: 4

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Bike: Sonder Camino Ti XS; GRX 10-51t cassette with 1x40t chainset and 165mm crank length; Hunt wheels with GP5000 AS 32mm tyres set up tubeless

Key items of kit: Garmin Edge 830, Tailfin, Redshift ShockStop suspension stem, elastic band for neck rehab, Exposure lights, naive optimism, humour and charm

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: No

Graham Spiller

Age: 44

Cap number: 22

Location: Bristol

Bike: Fairlight Strael

Key items of kit: Lots of snacks. Lots of warm layers. Dynamo hub (just in case there are any downhill bits).

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: No

Laurence Brown

Age: 28

Cap number: 59

Location: Bristol

Bike: COTIC Escapade

Key items of kit: Restrap saddle bag Restrap bar bag Restrap race top tube bag Restrap stem bag Wizard Works Framebag

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

John Wilson

Age: 42

Cap number: 32

Location: Cornwall

Bike: Giant Defy with mostly ultegra components but learned the lesson from last year and put a GRX rear derailleur giving me a 42t rear sprocket to help me up those hills. Wheels are zipp 404s and profile design aerobars.

Key items of kit: Apidura and Tailfin bags carrying my homemade flapjacks, clothing and spares. I am using an Exposure Strada SB front light and Exposure Tracer rear lights and will be carrying a powerbank to keep everything charged up.

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: No

Tom Saunders

Age: 38

Cap number: 53

Location: Bristol, UK

Bike: Argon 18 Krypton 2021 with 32mm GP5000 tubeless

Key items of kit: Travelling fairly light with no sleep equipment, DIY aerobar bag full of food and 1.8L of water in bottles. Frame bag has some warmer clothes for night time and powerbank. Top tube bag has camera, arse cream and other bits and bobs.

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Elizabeth Brown

Age: 62

Cap number: 58

Location: Weybridge, Surrey

Bike: Trek Domane

Key items of kit: Tailfin aeropack, Restrap race top tube bag and bar bag, Apidura frame bag. Trying a hydration vest because I never drink enough and I can fill it with lots of snacks too.

Frame type: Road

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: No