Trial run - 3 day ride to see my grandad along the canals, UK, 2015Honesty Disclaimer – For the equipment I use this page contains a number of links to Amazon.com from which I earn a small commission if you purchase any products by clicking through the link.  However, the equipment I use is not influenced by any fee/commission received.  These small commissions just allow me to buy the odd coffee or sandwich while on my cycling adventures.

When I set about planning my original trip in 2016 the cost of equipment was the one area that I genuinely had no idea about how much a cycling tour would cost as I needed to literally buy everything from scratch.   Now you may think, like I did, that as I was living in Asia at the time that it would be cheaper to source the kit I needed over here but I quickly found out that this was not the case.  The locals don’t really buy this type of equipment and so where you do find a shop which sells the item you want  then it is often sold at a premium price.

When I compared the costs with Europe I often found that the prices back home were much more competitive.  It was also much easier to source the items as I could do my shopping on the internet, get it delivered to my family and friends in the UK, and then fly it back with me whenever I flew home for a holiday.

As I was sourcing everything from new I thought that the cost of the equipment would be around the £2000 mark, but I had no real idea.

Cost of Racks and Panniers

Racks, panniers and Dry BagsDescription
Rear Pannier Rack - Tubus Cargo Rack
Front rack - Surly Nice front rack
Rear pannier bags - Ortlieb Roller Classic 40L
Front pannier bags - Ortlieb Front Roller Classic 12.5L
Handlebar bag - Ortlieb Ultimate 6 plus 8.5L
Compression pack XS - Sea to Summit
Dry sack - Sea to Summit 20L
Dry sack - 5 x Sea to Summit 8L
Straps for rear rack- ROK Motorcycle Strap
Straps for front rack- ROK commuter Strap
Total Price = £528.00

Cost of Camping Equipment

Camping KitDescription
1 Person Tent - MSR Hubba NX
Tent Footprint - MSR Hubba NX
Sleeping Mat - Thermarest NeoAir
Sleeping Bag Liner - Trespass
Sleeping Bag - Outwell
Head Torch - Petzl
Camping Chair - Helinox Chair One
Water bladder - Ortlieb 10 LitreOrtlieb
Total Price = £727.00

Cost of Cooking Equipment

Cooking EquipmentDescription
COOKING STOVE
- Primus Omnifuel ll
PANS
- Vango Cooking set
CAMPING KNIFE
- Opinel Outdoor Knife
EATING BOWL
- Outwell Collapse Bowl
CUP
- Lifeventure Camping Cup
Total price = £175.00

Cost of Electricals

ElectricalsDescription
Smartphone - Samsung J7
Spare Smartphone battery - J7
Phone cover - Shockproof phone cover with stand
SD card 128GB
Laptop - Asus Eeebook
Solar Panel - Anker Powerport Dual Port
Solar Power Bank - ADDTOP 4 Panel
Total Price = £460.00

Cost of Cycle Wear

Clothing ItemDescriptionCost
Short sleeve cycling topEndura£10.00
Long sleeve cycling topEndura£15.00
Cycling glovesAltura fingerless£10.00
High Visibilty sleeveless JacketIronman£30.00
Lycra cycling shortsEndura£30.00
Baselayer longsleeve topNorthface flash dry £45.00
Baselayer tightsNorthface flash dry £45.00
Bike shoes Giro Vibram£55.00
Cycle socks x 2DHB short£5.00
Cycling helmetGiro£35.00
Sun VisorIronman£10.00
Total£287.00

Cost of Clothing

Clothing ItemDescriptionCost
Quick dry T-shirt x 1Generic£10.00
Walking trousersNorth Face zip off at knee£10.00
Long sleeve hoodyNorth Face£20.00
Flip flopsHaviana£15.00
Waterproof jacketEndura Pakajac£23.00
Waterproof trousersGelert Packaway trousers£9.00
TrainersSaucony Virrata 2£50.00
SarongGeneric£5.00
ToiletriesGeneric£10.00
Total£152.00

The total cost of clothing and equipment that I took with me came in at £2236.

For a complete breakdown of the costs associated with the other elements of a cycle trip please use the drop down tabs on the menu bar at the top of this page.

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