Inspired by sunshine, dry trails and clear skies, a few of us are out for a bivvy ride tonight. Ride, pub, sprawl, cook, drink, natter, sleep, wake up, ride… Really looking forward to it.

I’m all packed and ready to go and think I’ve got everything I need but anyone got any tips for an enjoyable first bivvy?

I wish you good luck.

I love doing that type of thing, it’s always worth it. Have a ball and take some photo’s for us will you? 😉

Hip flask, loaded with something tasty.
Sparking steel to light your stove; much more reliable than matches on a dewy morning.
Wooly bonnet.

hasnt bivvy season just finished?

.. Flat bit of ground to lay your groundsheet/sleeping mat down on. I never get a good nights sleep if there’s even the hint of an incline.

Have a good ‘un. I’m looking forwards to this coming weekend’s wild-brown-trout-flyfishing-bike-bivi up on Dartmoor 🙂

Cheers for the tips. Fuel for tonight is sloe gin and veggie black pudding. Will try to remember to take some pics

Top bivvy tip number 1 … make sure you watch Dog Soldiers a couple of hours before you go out. 😉

veggie black pudding

🙄

Fails in all areas…

Sloe Gin FTW though!

A bivvy, earlier:

Don’t neglect the essentials – machete, condoms.

i desperately want to bivi but am worried about leaving my bike out!

But you have good fun!

Use your bike to hold your bivi up. 😉

i desperately want to bivi but am worried about leaving my bike out!

If you’re bivvying somewhere that you need to worry about your bike getting nicked, you probably shouldn’t be bivvying there?

^that!

Bivvying SHOULD be in the middle of nowhere, or it doesn’t count.

If you’re bivvying somewhere that you need to worry about your bike getting nicked, you probably shouldn’t be bivvying there?

Not necessarily?

If you’re bivvying somewhere that you need to worry about your bike getting nicked, you probably shouldn’t be bivvying there?

Like squatting?

Seems like a good excuse for a night out! Just one question though, what bivvy is that in the photo?

Pic looks awesome and fun especially if in a group but looks like you carry everything in a back pack? Got to kill

there’s a UFO in the background

Seems like you have to carry a lot of stuff to go bivvying?

Location – the top of Cheddar Gorge. Right on the cliff edge!

Its a reservoir in the background, but, I concede, it would be far cooler if it was a UFO ;o)

We’re relatively new to Bivvying and we’re still streamlining our kit. It does also depend on the weather. Won’t need a tarp in the summer for example. However, it was 5 degrees and had pissed down for two hours just prior to this photo being taken, so we thought it worth taking.

Currently using a 33l osprey pack, mostly for the large, old, synthetic three season bag I’ve been using. I just bought a Pipedream 400 though :oD

I’d not want to do a ‘proper’ ride carrying anything over my regular ride kit TBH, that would spoil the ride, but going out with the intention of bivvying with the bike is a different proposition, at least in my head.

For anyone looking for bivvy inspiration / ideas, etc.

http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/index.php

http://www.bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/

top tip is get someone else to leave the pub first so they can get the fire started before you turn up

OK, an update: A great first bivvy, helped by a roaring fire, Tallywhacker, Jaegerbombs, sloe gin and Jack Daniels 😯

All went well, our fairly basic kit did us proud and we were warm and comfortable. Riding home soon after first light with mist hanging over the fields was great.

Now to plan the next one, perhaps a bit further afield and on a night when I don’t have to work the next day…

Cheez: Next one- On the way to work…?
The ultimate bike commute, turn up early after a great night under the stars.

Trouble is that would mean bivvying in south London. Not my first choice 😀