The Bike Set-up for #Atlantic2Andes

This blog is going to cover the bicycle I used for my recent #Atlantic2Andes adventure and how it was set up. I am incredibly grateful to Fairlight for providing me with the bike and Swift Cycles for setting it up and making sure the kit I used was appropriate for the adventure I undertook. I think it is important to say that in 3700km, I never had one issue related to the actual bike and the only issues I had overall were: 1 puncture, the panniers losing one grip and the racks loosening - If you saw the terrain you'd appreciate that that is amazing!

The Bike: Fairlight Faran - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

The bike was of course the most important item of kit I had with me. I was really keen to use a British designed bike and finding the Faran was a huge stroke of luck. This bike was amazing from the moment I first rode it to now in the south of France.

So "Faran" is apparently old English for "to go", "to journey", "to travel"and that is exactly what I was doing. It is described as a humble and versatile work horse (which I think under sells it). But it does exactly that. For 3700km it never put a foot wrong and conquered everything that came its way including crossing the Andes (highest point 4700m), negotiating around dump trucks on worksites and 150km of waterlogged salt flats.

When not cycling it is also very friendly to the cyclist as it weighs very little, which makes heaving it around easy. when fully loaded with panniers etc I was able to carry it up a flight of stairs.

The Racks (front): Tubus Ergo - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Not much you can say about some tubing on the front of your bike but this tubing was great. My panniers slotted right on and despite the weight being modest, they never had a problem. The terrain I was on was varied with a lot of gravel and off-road, so I would advise checking the bolts every few days to make sure nothing as loosened.

The Racks (rear): Tubus Cargo Evo - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Same as above goes for the rear racks. A great set up with the option of two different heights. As mentioned, it is a good idea to check the bolts regularly as I did have one occasion when they came loose and the rack fell onto the back wheel (luckily at low speed). I would make sure you carry some spare bolts just in case.

The Wheels: DT Swiss R460 rims laced to Shimano RS505 Hubs - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

These wheels were awesome and caused no issues. They are lightweight, strong and allow you to use wide tyres (see below). While I was running the Americas in 2014-15 I had issues with spokes on my stroller but no such issues here. The front and rear wheels were the same, meaning replacement spokes fit both.

The Tyres: Schwalbe Marathon Plus (28x1.75") - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

If tyre choice had been left to me I would have bought a couple of anti puncture road tyres and made do. Luckily, Swift Cycles made the choice on my behalf and I am so glad they did. I believe these are essentially mountain bike tyres and that gave me so much flexibility. On the asphalt they performed amazingly, giving a smooth and comfortable ride but it was when I was off road that they came into their own. Whether it was gravel, tracks or when forced onto the verge by huge lorries, these tyres just soaked it up. And on the puncture front, 1 puncture caused by a huge shard of glass in over 3700km of cycling through three countries isn't bad! The only tip I would add is practise removing them from the rims as they can be hard to remove.

The Brakes: TRP Spyre - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

The Groupset: Shimano Ultegra 6800 11 Speed Groupset – CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

The Panniers: Thule Shield Panniers (Large rear, Small Front) - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

I ummed and ahhed a lot about what set-up I should use for carrying all my kit and in the end I took the advice from a more experienced tourer. He said to pack as if you have two large panniers but split the weight over four. I tried to stick to this but in all honesty ended up with four full panniers!

The Thule system for attaching the top of the panniers is actually very clever and easy. There is a little handle you pull up and it grips to the rack. The bottom is less helpful for touring as it involves attaching magnets to the racks that result in the pannier sticking out. What I did was scrap the magnets and use bungee cords and this worked brilliantly.

Tip: As with everything, you should check the bolts on the fittings to make sure they haven't loosened. I lost one fastening during my trip but was able to use bungee cords to fasten so no big deal.

The Handlebar Bag – Thule Pack ‘n Pedal Handlebar bag - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

At first I was undecided about this bag because if you load it with too much stuff and ride at 20km/hour over corrugated tracks it can come loose. But by the end of the trip I had a lot of love for my cycling man-bag. It easily clips onto the front of the bike and can be released in seconds. it holds a descent amount of stuff and unlike other handlebar bags will be excellent for everyday cycling in London.

Bike Shop: Swift Cycles, London - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

These guys went above and beyond to get my bike ready. I had professional fittings to ensure that the set-up wasn't going to cause physical difficulties and we made sure I had the right spares should anything go wrong on the adventure. The most important things is that they ensured I had the best kit not just a make do, which is my normal approach. To cycle 3700km over three countries including Salar de Uyuni and Death Road and have no problems what so ever is mainly down to their professionalism! indebted to these guys! Only issue is that is you visit their shop near Liverpool Street, then you'll want to spend lots of money.

Contact details: 0207 377 0502 mail@swiftcycles.co.uk 8 Strype St, Spitalfields, London