I am going to jinx it, but as the weather is hopefully turning a corner in the next few weeks, what are peoples plans and aims for bike packing this year?
I've managed to get out once on Exmoor on a weekend of rare sunshine just before storm Dennis. Am now planning the next trip with the new Sonder Frontier fully rigid. A small group ride around the New Forest. After that, a trip up to Wales and perhaps packing a fly rod and bivvying next to a Tarn and do a spot of fishing, or even Dartmoor and fish one of the small streams.
My main aim is to complete the two moors way though.
How heavy are those Frontiers btw?
- Planning on the HT550 (Scotland, 14 days) in May, Trans-Cambirum way this month if there's a decent weather window (3 days), maybe getting the train down to the south of France and doing some of the many multi-day trips down there (loads of routes on BP.com) around June. Depending on the coronavirus, have flights booked to Barcelona and will cycle the GR7 down to Granada, got about 12 days for that in April. That's about it. Will try and get up to Edinburgh to do the Edinburgh trail when the days get longer, and would like to get back the Lakes now I've got some suspension =)
Trip through Wales planned for late April, on a bike I've just built from old bits and second hand purchases.
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Plan is to swing by through different projects to see their take on low impact living.
Other than carrying on with bivvy-a-month, all I have planned is a Hebridean Way trip - and that will be more of a "tour".
I'll be helping update the Scottish Rights of Way Societies Scottish Hill Tracks book and that may result in some tracks having to be visited.
I've been considering something in Spain but cost/time of travelling to/from there without flying is prohibitive. Likely I'll tag on a few more island trips instead.
Got the Dales Divide at Easter, the Welsh Ride Thing on May Bank Holiday and then JennRide.
Other than that, continue with bivy-a-month despite having failed to get out in February.
I was originally planning a ride in Europe but that’s probably more touring than bikepacking. With all the Coronavirus stuff going on I think I’ll leave it for another year.
I’m doing a bikepacking event in June on the North York Moors which starts almost from home.
Really want to head to Scotland as I’ve got two weeks off in May. Would like to do something like the Caledonia Way (Campbeltown to Inverness) and then ride to Cape Wrath and then to Thurso (where I went 20 years ago to work on a conservation project) to get the train back. Again probably more of a tour than bikepacking.
Ultimately I want to just get out and go bikepacking for the first time. Get into some remote places and take time to enjoy the scenery and take lots of photos.
@Creg - plenty to go at in the NYM. The Dales aren't too far away and are full of options. Not everything has to be an "event" or "epic".
Bikepacking is just off-road touring, neither the name nor activity is new. To some extent the term's just been hijacked for commercial purposes - why else would Lidl have bikepacking bags on sale? - but that's just a different side to the likes of Alpkit, Wildcat and Revelate. If there weren't those companies then we'd all be making our own bags.
Scotland's great but be aware that there isn't the network of tracks that you might expect - after all why go to the trouble to have two tracks across a range of hills when you only need one?
Coast to coast Ravenglass to Ravenscar, Jennride, some other one-nighters here and there.
Moors100 in June and then 7 days around Slovenia in August. Can't wait.
https://bikepacking.com/routes/bikepacking-slovenia/
In addition to bivvy a month, I've got a two night trek up and down the Icknield Way and Peddars Way in May. Then the Frontier 300 in June, which I'm planning on riding from the finish to the start over two days. Haven't given the second half of the year much though yet...
That bike looks pretty frickin useful
Yeah, finished building it on Tuesday and done 200km since. It wants to be ridden. That pic was on a lovely stretch of the PBW from above Dent Station to the Newby Head road junction - never done it before because I couldn't link it without excessive tarmac bashing. But that's just what this build is made for - monstercross? Gravel? Rough stuff tourer? Not sure what to call it.
@happybiker the slovenia tour is absolutely brilliant. we did it 2 years ago. put the gpx on komoot and just followed the blue line! through all sorts of landscape, much of it on white gravel tracks. if possible give yourself an extra day or two in Bovec,on the soca river, a centre for all sorts of outdoor fun.( now that i remember, on advice we diverted to go down the soca valley - very beautiful )
this year we are off for 10 days on a tour of montenegro, mainly roads i think, and going from one hostel/bnb to the next rather than camp
Mine is simply to actually go bike packing! Even just for one night, though I suspect it would be first of many.
I’m doing the Dorset and Welsh Dirt Dashes - bikepacking lite as there are toilets and a bar 🙂
Got a week off at the end of March. Might pop down and do the route from Plymouth to Minehead. My folks place is not far away so will be handy 🙂
Got a few more days to take so might also have a go at the first bit of the great north way, or the new one cuk are bringing out in the summer (alfreds way? )
Jennride for me, using my bargain Pinnacle Ramin, plus a couple of practice runs in the lakes.
I also fancy an overnighter around North Wales, the Conwy area.
I was looking at doing the Navad (now Hope) 1000 in early summer and the Torino-Nice (or something in the southern Alps in late summer. I reckon both those have a question mark over them now. Might be looking a little closer to home now. Next year I want to do at least a couple of sections of the Timber Trail in Oregon.
My New Years resolution was to take Mrs Llama bikepacking. We got a night out planned in a couple of weeks time. It’s less bivvy more pretentious spa hotel, but you got to start somewhere. Can’t wait to see the faces in reception when we show up with bikes and gear.
I am looking at doing some riding over in South France or South Spain. I have done a few trips that way just on foot to Granada, Malaga, Cordoba etc and that GR7 route @fatmountain sounds interesting. I have heard theres some great routes in the UK also of course, just with the endless rain its going to take a bit longer yet to recover in some areas. The attraction of Spain is the drier terrain and warmer weather. It does seem like a lot of hassle flying though with a bike if only for a short trip and can add to expense.
My rigid frontier in xl comes in at 11 kg. Very light and packs well as front triangle is massive. £799 brand new. New model has bolt through axles which is better but slightly dearer now.
Wish I could post, but 2020 is destined to be my year of long distance credit card gravel touring, packing nothing heavier than some evening wear and a good book 😎
It's been a long 6 months of rehab so I have a LOT of routes planned 😁
Have ridden the WRT , the last few years .. great event :).... Have the moors 100 booked and have now moved to yorkshire so looking at getting out on the moors very soon, Just need to have a ride up there and scope a few places for a bivi or tent night
jwildcard, I live in Spain and run bikepacking trips from long weekends to multi day epics like the 9 day 1,100km coast to coast trip I'm doing next month. Based in Southern Cataluna which is a perfect area for such adventures. Here's our website, we hire bikes too,
Casa Tomillo
Pm if interested.
@montgomery love the Kona!
Got the WRT booked so far, with a friend who I do a lot of bikepacking with. Would like to ride the Shropshire Way over a weekend in April (looks like 2x100km with 2500m of climbing each day). We've done a week away in Europe the last two years (Torino-Nice Rally 2018, Adriatic Crest 2019) and we've both been thinking about cutting down air miles as well as reducing the time taken up by traveling/flying/faffing to the start of a ride so are thinking of Scotland for a week this summer. Looking like an even better idea given likely Euro travel restrictions.
I’ve just ticked off my first 2020 BAM, having been off the bike for a while. I have lots of plans but nothing tied down yet. I will likely do a week in May in Scotland, have the TCW firmly in my sights and also aim to do some multi-day gravel/road trips from home.
I’ve also just watched a video of a guy riding Spain south to north off road and that is now high on my wish list.
Jenride for me, it will be my first stab at it (well, I actually plan a dry run on the mendips to make sure I have everything sorted in June).
I think I have most of the kit now, just a sleeping mat to sort out.
I'm waiting to hear if I've got a place on the Turin to Nice rally, should find out this weekend, 700km, should be fun.
Belated honeymoon trip for us this summer, so we though we'd push the boat out and give the Colorado Trail a go! One part excited to one part intimidated at the moment! That said, training an prep is going well and we've given ourselves plenty of time so I'm sure it'll be great.
packing nothing heavier than some evening wear and a good book
I've got myself a packraft, so am going to try taking that on my bike with a tent somewhere for a few days and do some cycling and some paddling.
Got a test run of just paddling and camping down the Spey next week then will need to think about finding a good bike rafting route.
I'm heading off to the NC500 later next month. It's my first time bike packing, I have done no real preparation or practice and I plan to do it in 5 days. I can't possibly see what can go wrong!
Dogsby
Not bikepacking more of a tour Komfy Kamping . 2 weeks around Kintyre and the Cowel peninsular. Not a bit of Scotland I know at all. Mainly small roads with a little gravel.
@tjagain - I take it you've seen Marcus Stitz's Wild about Argyll trail?
Like you it's part of Scotland I didn't know (and still don't really) or had even visited.
No I haven't whitestone. I'll look it up
Go flights to Milan booked in September...
Plan was to take the bikes on the train to the mountains and cycle for a week before doing the opposite to return. Who knows how realistic that is going to be with the current health situation but no point canceling now for something 5 months away!
Dolomites is our aim, I've done a day of riding there but that's it and my mate has not ridden there so would be new terrain and was even thinking of treating ourselves to a lift pass for a few days. Will definitely be packing ultra light as will be prioritising riding over evening comforts!
I guess worse case we cancel the flights and do laps of the garden!
If the weather is good in the next few weekends I might do a local one nighter somewhere but other that that it'll be get a night in when I can around work and life!
Some amazing trips planner, slightly jealous of some of the warmer destinations!
One thing I want to do is reduce single use plastic, and the freeze dried meals seem to be a waste with the packaging.
What are peoples go to light weight camping meals? I am tempted to go basic, cured meat, cheese, chunk of bread. I only take with me a small gas stove and an alpkit mug for boiling water. A hot meal is often needed though...
You might be interested in these.
https://www.firepotfood.com/collections/firepot-dehydrated-meals
FWIW I reckon they are the best of the dehydrated food options too.
Some folk make their own. A dehydrater can used or there are techniques for doing simple daals etc in a low oven.
Use Pour and Store bags for carrying your own dehydrated foods. These can be washed and reused.
I make a simple porridge breakfast with oats, nuts, dried fruit and dried milk whizzed up in a blender (to break up the oats and aid dehydration) then use a PnS bag.
Porridge - 60g / 226 kcal
nuts - 20g / 131 kcal
fruit - 40g / 120 kcal
Milk - 15g / 50 kcal
That makes a big portion. Plenty to get you warmed up and on your way.
I used @scotroutes porridge recipe on my last bivvy, just remember to add some spices. 👍
I am tempted to go basic, cured meat, cheese, chunk of bread
That's what I used to do, cheese, salami, oatcakes. It all seemed to travel well, was easy to ration and I never really got sick of it. I also found the sachets of cous cous from the supermarket to travel really well, I guess you could try and make your own to reduce packaging, mix some stock and dehydrated veg through some cous cous?
I also found the sachets of cous cous from the supermarket to travel really well, I guess you could try and make your own to reduce packaging, mix some stock and dehydrated veg through some cous cous?
That's my next experiment. I'll admit to being quite lazy though so will usually try to take on a hot meal from a pub before completing the days cycling and pitching for the night. Multi-day trips will be a mix of that and whatever I can scavenge from local shops, though I like to have one ready meal with me as a failsafe.
Top food tips, excellent.
The funny thing with having a Chi Ti bike with weird dimensions is that no bloody frame bags would actually fit. (I’ve got 2 old XXL ones from surly and apidura that fit the ICT fine, but not anything LLS).
So, thanks to Alpkit and a few stressful hours with a card template trying to ensure I measure everything correctly, I got one of their custom bags. I’m pretty much ready to roll now
I've not tried the Firepot meals yet but have tried most of the others. IME they vary quite a bit, some a really good but others from the same range can feel very "artificial" tasting. The rehydration instructions can also be a bit hit and miss, it's worth putting in not quite as much water as indicated then topping up if required.
The packaging is also quite hefty, I suppose it has to have a decent retail shelf life with joe public handling it, so decant it into a pour 'n' Store bag - takes up 1/2 to 1/3 of the room. Remember to take the silica dry bag out as well.
@big_scot_nanny - the Alpkit frame bags are pretty decent.
Food I always find an interesting set of compromises. We often are out for 4 or 5 days with no resupply possible ( when walking). We need around 3000 calories per day. Even dehydrated this is tricky to get under 800 grammes per day per person.
Our basics are:
Breakfast - instant porage pot
Lunch - oatcakes, cheese, olives
Dinner - pasta and sauce
Snacks- nuts, halva, sweets, chocolate, cereal bars, dried fruit - oven dried strawberries are excellent!
Instant hot chocolate with whiskey
I would also aim to be eating every couple of hours: !st breakfast, 2nd breakfast, elevenses, 1st lunch, second lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, supper
With that as our basis we can get the required calories for minimal weight, decent amount of fibre, remains palatable for days on end.
!st breakfast, 2nd breakfast, elevenses,