Vietnam 🇻🇳 Laos 🇱🇦 Cambodia 🇰🇭 Thailand 🇹🇭

I thought I’d go as light as I could so I watched a travel/pack list video by the awe-inspiring Sofiane Sehili a rider of such enviable strength and stamina, the man is beyond belief. He was doing a pack video for his 2 month trip to Thailand and Vietnam. So I thought I would see what he was taking, just to get a bit of pack inspiration. I sat with amazement at the minimalism 😲. Please watch for yourself and see if you could drop to that sparseness. He did have the advantage of going with his partner which does help, but even so.

I took some inspiration but overall I was pretty low anyway. The Bike, I had decided to take my Open Up it’s about 8kgs. And stuff, 6 bags (saddle pack/frame bag/ top tube bag/2 stem bags and a handlebar bag when full about 10kgs. I’ll give it all a final weigh as I pack the day before I leave.

I have a handle bar bag but when strapped to the bars (of this bike) it touches the wheel. I do have 2 other bags but they are in Greece. So I bought an Apidura bag it’s their race version unfortunately much to my surprise it doesn’t attach to my race aero bars so I sent it back, gutted as it was the perfect size and shape. I did offer my services as a product tester. I’m presuming none of their testers of their race products have race handlebars. I pointed this out in my email. Of course my slightly sarcastic tone may not have gone down well. So, much to my disgruntleness I had to buy a Rapha bag, slightly smaller but fits perfectly on the bars, I did cut off their crap straps and put on some Voile straps.

I have been having problems with my saddle slipping in the rails so I had to purchase a new Thompson seatpost, that’ll be solid (yes know it’s silver and doesn’t look great but there is a long term plan to be divulged way into next year) Saddle wise I have reverted back to my Brookes C15. But seeing as I have not ridden this bike for a month or so I’ll probably be adjusting it every day. And hope my saddle/bum issues do not return. Please let me be able to ride more than 100kms and sti feel good st the end of the ride.

Of course I am using my absolutely spectacular 65th birthday present to myself Stayer All Road Wheels. (Industry 9 hubs, Stayer 45/55 deep rims.) Usually I take a dynamo front wheel but I’m staying in hotels so should have electricity every night. Oh so excited to be riding with these wheels. And they seriously look lit 🔥

I will be using the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H version. There is always a chance of some off road bits so good to be prepared.

Thanks lots to the guys at the GGCC for putting up with my constant complaining about the weather and general inane jibber jabber. And for giving me an incentive to get up at least once a week and rip me out of my negative apathy.