touring

A bar bag is a useful bit of kit for touring, audaxing, commuting and the like and this Topeak Compact handlebar bag is an excellent example, assuming you don't want to chuck the kitchen sink up front.

I'm looking for recommendations for a really big saddle bag. I am not a pannier rack fan, and my current bike (Van Nic Mistral) doesn't have mounts anyway.

I'm planning on venturing out a lot at weekends with a nice lightweight tent, a book, and a change of clothes + extras.

Yes, there is obviously Carradice, but I'm thinking more Mark Hall (http://road.cc/content/news/59716-interview-round-world-record-holder-mi...) than slow laden touring.

The Lezyne Phone Wallet is designed to keep your personal items dry and secure. I'm talking, phone, change or maybe a card in case of emergencies. There are several products on the market designed to do just this but not many that do all of it.

Step forward the phone wallet from Lezyne. There's no doubting the wallet is well made.

Hi,
Does the "all rounder" exist?
Looking for a bike suitable for commuting, touring with racks & panniers etc some lightish off road and that won't look out of place on sportives too. Does this bike actually exist? If so what do you recommend? Thinking on the lines of specialised tricross. Any good?
Thanks
Andrew

In a similar vein to the Genesis Croix de Fer recently tested, Charge's Filter Hi is a do it all commuter, light tourer and part time crosser. Drop bars, discs, huge tyre clearances, mounts for mudguards and rack all tip a nod to the mile muncher who's happy to keep the pedals spinning whatever the weather.

Hi, I need to survive 2 nights with what I can carry on my bike. Will be staying in hotels so no tent, towels etc. needed. I don't want to fit a full rack (no upper mounts and no desire for P-clips) but also don't want to use a back pack. Has anyone got experience of the "beam" racks that clamp onto the seatpost? Are they secure or can they bounce around.

What bags are good to sit on these? I'm thinking medium would be suitable to carry a light pair of trousers, trainers, top and wash kit.

Cheers

Keat

Planning an all-day ride and worried your phone's battery will give up before you get to that final Strava segment? A battery-pack charger like the Powertraveller Powermonkey Discovery could be the solution.

Powertraveller is a British company which makes a very wide range of recharging solutions with onboard batteries. They have products to top up your phone as well as rather larger offerings to get your laptop or even your boat going.

Having on previous touring holidays used the excellent GPS Visualizer website to figure out the elevation of proposed routes, I just found this - the latest Google Maps for Android has elevation data for directions, including bike route planning - NICE.

http://blogs.computerworld.com/mobilewireless/21060/google-maps-android