Equipment - Preparation

For this ride we will be carrying everything we need and will have no support car or person. This means that weight and space are a big consideration. Also with the fact that we are camping a fair amount of stuff is going to be needed. Hopefully we can get the tent and sleeping bags into one set of panniers so that only one of us needs to take any extra weight (that will be me then......). more on camping equipment later.

Bikes
We both own Giant XTC mountain bikes worth around £500. I did my previous end-to-end on this bike so it should be fine. Cetainly had no troubles last time. We will use road tires as mountain bike tires are not neccessary for our route.



Clothing:
Waterproof Top - Very important. I have a yellow 'Nevis' top which keeps me warm and dry (£50).
Spare cycling shorts - I wear two pairs anyway for extra comfort (and warmth) but will take a third pair
Cycling tops - I like the blue 'Briko' tops. Essentially a tight fitting sports t-shirt. Good for warmth.
SPDs - Not a neccessity, but SPDs do help. Just get used to them before setting off. I have a pair of silver Shimano SPD shoes (£65 ish) which are much more waterproof than I would have thought.
Socks - SPDs are not the most comfortable so I wear a pair of undersocks as well as oversocks. Nice and warm, especially when wet.
Gloves - fingerless cycling gloves are a must. Long-fingered cycling gloves maybe worth taking as well.
Helmet - alas yes, I think I will take one. Hate the thought though.
Change of clothes - Jeans and a t-shirt + a sweatshirt. This is the trouble with trying to cram everything into a small space. It was looking good until now.
Towel - A sensible option really, probably a hand towel would suffice, or one of those magical shammy towels. Only trouble is that they stink if you don't wash them a lot.


Equipment:
Camel Pac - as big as possible.
Spare inner-tubes - one each should be enough to start with (last time I made it to Inverness without a puncture).
Bike Pump - one of those little ones that attach to the bike
AllenKey tool - always a good idea
Water - don't forget this, very useful stuff. A couple of litres should be plenty to start with each day
Sun Cream - Very important. Being in the sun for 8 hours is not wise without good protection. Always remember the neck and ears, particularly when heading north.
Speedo - always worth knowing how fast you are going and how far you have been
Mobile Phone - Who can live without them. Nobody between 8 and 88 it would seem! Need a charger as well
Bike Lights - Shouldn't need these in June. Could take them but would be very annoyed if I ever had to use them


Will add more stuff when I remember it, then will cut some things out to get them all in the bag. May do a trial run in a few months to see how hard it is to pack everything.