Spanner Bike

A pioneering structure, made possible by the latest developments in metallurgy. And the iron bridge at Ironbridge 😜

Showing a great sense of judgement, I decided to do a bike packing trip over the heat wave weekend to check out the taster loop 🥵

It's a lovely area with lots of ancient and industrial sites to admire on the way round. I did drink about 6 litres on Monday though (some of which was actual water, not just beer!). 🧐🍻

The incredible shrinking load out - from my last micro adventure. Smaller .outdoor tent means lower profile drybags.

rack with versatile Lug-Kages give a versatile base for strapping things to - and don't break the bank either!

Must be preparing for something 🧐🤘

Who doesn't love a cheeky overnighter? Bit of a kit test from the other week, trying out my .outdoor F10 Helium UL1 tent 🏕️

Great 1.3kg weight, and quick to pitch when you get the hang of it(!). Small pole sections means a minimal 35 cm long packed size - perfect for carrying on the bike.

Inside you can sit up, and there's enough room to stash bags alongside your sleep mat. The best bit is the price though, £215 makes it a bargain bikepacking option! 🧐👍

One Duke still holding on to the title! finest lightweight carbon rimmed 29'er XC wheels.

The ni***es had started to corrode on these nine year old wheels so Dave handed them over for a rebuild - with a switch to orange ni***es to better match the wheels 🧐🤘

We did work out how old he would be in another nine years time - and then swiftly moved on! These wheels should be rolling along for a good while yet.

Introducing Whoops Apocalypse 1.5; the remix! Really should get around to sweeping out the garage...

The ultimate bike for the discerning prepper gets a step closer 🧐

Now with added handling. A replacement fork with the correct rake gets the 'trail' under control; the front end is more directional and less floppy now. Tweaked tubing profile gives a more comfortable ride, and updated mounts allow the cages to sit lower down.

Handy 29'er plus carbon rim lets me run a fast rolling 3" Ranger up front for lovely cushioned grip.

dropper removes weight and adds reliability compared to the previous parts bin choice!

All ready for adventure - now where to go? 🤔

If you're looking for a way to take your cheese sarnies and pickled onion Monster Munch with you on adventures - check out over on Etsy.

They do frame bags, panniers, bar bags, feed bags etc., all hand made to order in a variety of colours and styles.

I found them as I was searching for a bar bag to suit my Surly Moloko bars. The official Surly bag costs £75 - Lesenok did one for under £55 including UK postage!

They even tweaked the design to make it slightly shorter than their usual model as I wanted more finger clearance - at no extra cost.

Not only that - but they're also based in Ukraine so you're supporting an economy which could do with a boost 🇺🇦✊

Only took a few weeks to arrive and no issues with customs etc. Can't recommend them enough 🧐👍

Back in black - carbon black, that is! Dave was having issues with spoke fatigue on his four year old carbon rimmed wheel.

A crafty rebuild with some CX-Ray bladed spokes and Polyax alloy ni***es should see it ready for many more years of hard riding!

Saved 50g compared to the OEM setup too! ⚖️🧐👍

'Where we're going, we don't need roads..'. Although given the general state of things at the moment, roads are the preferred surface!

The snowdrops are with us! 🌻 Now we just need the mud to dry up 🧐👍

Some red, some gold and a tiny bit of green; we're keeping things colourful with this build!

Strong e-bike wheel for Hugo with hub, spokes, rims, and complimented by an easy to fit insert and sealant!

That should keep him rolling for a good while, there's just the matter of waiting for his shoulder to heal after a skiing accident 🫣 Hope that heals quickly and you're back on the bike soon, chap!

If you're in the market for a spiffing fresh new wheel, drop me a line and I'll see what I can do!