This week’s Reader’s Rig comes from Nick Tryon, a Scotland-based Royal Navy photographer who’s found that bikepacking (and bikerafting) on his Genesis Longitude provides the perfect combination of his passions for the outdoors, cycling, and photography. Find more about Nick and his bike here…

Words and photos by Nick Tryon (@tcrtryon70)

I’m Nick Tryon and I’m currently a professional photographer in the Armed Forces and living on the West Coast of Scotland with my Wife Karen-Anne. I started cycling in my 40s as a way of keeping fit as my knees couldn’t take much more running, bought a hardtail to commute, and started exploring the local areas.

Nick Tryon, Genesis Longitude

Over the years I gravitated to road racing, but returned to the dirt to combine my passions of the outdoors, cycling, and photography by taking up bikepacking. The network of forestry tracks, drovers, old military roads, and singletracks allows a multitude of route options over multiple days. Since the purchase of a pack raft, the surrounding lochs, rivers, and coastal waters no longer present themselves as a barrier; they now further my adventures.

In the summer months, I use a Force Ten carbon tent, but in the winter I like to use bothys or hostels for my overnight trips. Scotland offers riding on every type of terrain, and with the right to roam, the perfect ingredients for year-round adventures.

  • Nick Tryon, Genesis Longitude
  • Nick Tryon, Genesis Longitude

As for the bike, I purchased it as a frameset and built it utilizing a spare 2×10 XT groupset, and bought a new Halo Vapour 50 wheelset along with finishing kit. I started out with Apidura bags but purchased the Revelate Designs kit as they suited my needs better. Also, I’m running an aluminium boost fork instead of the normal steel one.

Nick Tryon, Genesis Longitude
  • Frame/Fork Genesis Longitude (Large)
  • Rims Halo 27.5 Vapour 50
  • Hubs Halo
  • Tires Specialized Ground Control
  • Handlebars Alpkit
  • Headset Cane Creek
  • Crankset RaceFace Aeffect
  • Pedals Shimano XT
  • Cassette Shimano 11-42T
  • Derailleur Shimano XT
  • Brakes Shimano XT
  • Shifter(s) Shimano XT
  • Saddle Brooks Cambium C17
  • Seatpost Thomson
  • Front bags Revelate Sweetroll with Egress Pocket (or harness for packraft)
  • Frame bags Revelate Ranger
  • Rear bags PDW Bindle Rack with Revelate Terrapin bag
  • Other accessories Blackburn cages, Garmin eTrex, SPOT tracker
  • Nick Tryon, Genesis Longitude
  • Nick Tryon, Genesis Longitude
  • Nick Tryon, Genesis Longitude

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