Forum menu
If you don't have rack mounts, there's always the Tailfin X series pannier rack
https://www.tailfin.cc/product/pannier-racks/x-series-pannier-rack/
Genesis Longitude (M) close but half inch out on reach and then the seat tube drops the cigar?
FRAME SEAT TUBE 445mm
FRAME TOP TUBE 610mm
FRAME REACH 420mm
FRAME STACK 626mm
FRAME HEAD TUBE 135mm
FRAME HEAD ANGLE 68°
FRAME SEAT ANGLE 71°
Another HT fan here, did KAW last October on 29er HT with conti race kings 2.0 and it was fine apart from the wet chalk. Friend on a gravel bike did not enjoy himself and was slower on all but the road bits. His take was why am I on a bike which is better on the road bits, not the best bits?
@p7eaven - I've gone back and forth on the Longitude. A few years back I really fancied one. Then I didn't. Not sure why. It's a bit weighty, the seat tube angle is a bit odd, putting a short travel fork on it might be iffy, and the geo is odd - the Medium would do me nicely in most respects except the standove is nearly 32" - on a medium. For me thats the same shortcoming as my house when I want to dance - no ballroom.
But I might yet. I do like the Kona Unit, Breezer Thunder and Nordest but I think only the Nordest has the mounts.
Ha… Find me a business backer and I’ll put the bikes I’ve been sampling in the last couple of years into productio
I smell the first ever singletrackforumgrouobuybike. Like the t-shirts only rideable. Marketing pics with grass, fence and patio that needs sorting, natch. I'll chip in the first £200 but I get to name it. I'm leaning towards Ill! Slogan - we'll actually deliver.
Its already happening....
This was posted on the KAW facebook group today
Hi, given that wild camping is illegal in England, does the official guide give advice on it? Where I live near Bramshill, more people using the forest has resulted in a depressingly large increase in litter and human excrement, so my opinion of humans in the countryside has plummeted.
Since the KAW (and wild camping on it) has been so popular, how have people found it? Is it ‘leave no trace’ or crap everywhere!
I've been leafing through the official guide and it does include towns/villages with campsites on the facilities table (pages 92 & 93). There's not masses but you could plan a 2 or 3 dayer around stopping at 'legal' campsites. The guide makes no mention of wild camping that I could see so CUK are giving a "responsible steer" towards more conventional accomodation.
On top of that, Bramshill (mentioned in the FB comment above) is pretty close to Wellington country park, which has a woodland campsite (apparently re-opened mid-April).
I think given the fact you'll be trundling about semi-rural Berkshire and Hampshire, discrete wild camping is inevitably going to be harder. There's lots of grumpy old duffers down this way. But also don't shit in the woods (and leave it there), you're not a bear...
Not sure there's anything specific about wild camping in the guide but there is on the site: https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/king-alfreds-way-faq#wild-camping which has a link to https://www.cyclinguk.org/wildcamping neither mentions toil duties.
Hmmm, that's problematic then.
I'm quite keen on squeezing KAW into a long weekend sometime this summer, but I think I'll either be 'legal' campsite camping and/or possibly being lazy and doing a B&B perhaps. I'm not fancying conflicts with locals TBH
It’s entirely possible to wild camp discreetly and responsibly at loads of places on the route. If you do it right no one will ever know you were there. It’s people who don’t do it right that will cause, and experience, conflict with the locals.
+1 to this. We wild camped for three nights and unless you actually saw us camping you wouldn’t know we had been there. No litter, no fires and we scurried the grass/leaves before leaving so there wasn’t the telltale tent “footprint”.
The troublesome section is between Goring and Fliss. Away from that it’s much less populated so easier to camp
Where is Fliss, we are hoping to do 3 nights starting in Reading, think somewhere beyond Petersfield for first night, that's about 200km from Reading, although some regular campsites are around that area, not going to wildcamp if a campsite with a shower and bog is nearby
Petersfield is on the sdw section, well a few km off. Lots of bits of woodland to use on the trail itself. You may meed to go 100mtr for spme seclusion, find a flat area, get away from the dog shiite.
Lots of corners of feilds as well.
A few pop up campsites were in operation last weekend, both i saw maybe a 10mim ride away. Meon springs fishery might also have a camping feild its en rpute, plus cafe iirc.
Edit
Holden farm at cheriton looks ok. Ace brew pub nearby, not far from the sdw at all.
Quiet village location too.
Reading - Petersfield is more like 125km ish if you’re following the KAW
There is the youth hostel at Wantage/letcombe. Not sure if open yet, but is right on the ridge way.
A 29er with fast rolling tyres are super quick on the road surface too so not sure why they have fallen out of fashion.
Fashion
Gravel bikes are the latest 'thing' (before that it was plus bikes, before that it was fat bikes). I wait to see what the next niche will be.
I do see the appeal behind them, but their use case over a CX bike or XC bike seems extremely limited.
Reading – Petersfield is more like 125km ish if you’re following the KAW
Yeah just saw that, fat fingers, I meant to say 100km...no way am I doing 200km in a day!!
Fliss is just before Petersfield.
Gravel bikes do make sense out in the mid-west of the States where you've hundreds of kilometres of gravel roads. Can make sense here but many seem to be road bikes with a bit more tyre clearance - I tested one, the gearing was ridiculous for off-road use.
Gravel bikes are great, just a different challenge needing a different attitude. Can never understand why people get so upset by others riding them.
God knows there’s enough threads on this forum about whether gravel bikes are great or rubbish without this turning into another one.
True
Not all gravel bikes are the same. Surely get one with the tyre clearance and gearing that suits the riding you do. Mine has relatively big tyres and low gearing as its used more off road, but others I know have ones that are little more than beefed up road bikes. Horse for courses.
Anotber potential is The Milburys, pub pub on the sdw. Were allowing campervans to use the feild next to the pub for while.
Might be worth a phone call, given the KAW popularity any landlord not cashing in on the lucrative trend setting gravel market, with potential of dozens of overnight stoppers all eating and drinking, would be mad
The Millburys pub has been used for bike race HQ so they’re used to lots of smelly folks in Lycra 🤪
Fliss is just before Petersfield.
Do you mean "Liss"?
Quite likely- no wonder we never found it 😀
TD folk manage with rigid bikes to go fast and have less breakages - many lose the feelings in their hands for a few weeks after getting to the 'Wells. I was happy on a FS but was never getting below 21 days, so comfort counts for me. I did the KAW on the Tallboy last season and was very happy to have the boing around me...... going to get the double done this summer on the same machine once I can get the weather, legs and a support crew lined up my other half can't safely drive n crew for long enough to get a 48 hour in the bag.
Wild camping and bike packing in general is not my thing so me and my OH did the KAW over 4 days with Rough ride guides,staying in pubs/hotels,I was on my Orange Segment and she was on her 20 year old Giant nrs,we had a fantastic time and we want to do it again to see some of the sites we missed
https://www.roughrideguide.co.uk/King-Alfreds-Way-Supported-Events---New-September-date-and-last-few-remaining-places-in-June
I completed the route on my SS gravel bike with 38mm tyres. Coming from a mountain bike background, I found the descents fun and challenging in places. I could have cleaned more of the climbs on my geared bike, but it's nice to get off and take in the countryside sometimes.
I wouldn't use a mtn bike on the route, for me, it's simply not technical enough to warrant the extra weight and lack of hand positions. I completed the route over 3 days and cycled to the start from Bristol along a mostly traffic free route to Devizes. Took it at a leisurely pace and stopped in plenty of pubs for 'refreshments', inc the rather lovely one at the top of "the Devil's punchbowl".
[img] 
[/img]
I start the KAW on Thursday, and am taking my Giant Anthem. I've fitted Nobby Nics for fast rolling and will run higher pressures in the tyres and shocks than usual. I could've taken the Arkose but I'm not in a hurry so I'm sure I'll appreciate the extra comfort. Plus I can divert and do a lap at the QE bike park.
I completed the route on my SS gravel
Did you camp or bivvy?
Did you camp or bivvy?
I wild camped the first night and then stayed in the the Travel Inn the second night as I knew I'd have the long day at the end. Lovely Indian takeaway that delivers in Winchester. 😊
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
Awesome endurance, especially on a SS. What gearing did you use?
38x17 is the gear I normally run, but with luggage a swap the 17t to a 18t cog.
I rode the route over 3 days with my wife last week, starting on the Friday in the rain. Rained all day the first day also making the next 2 days pretty damp to say the least. We both rode gravel bikes and while there are certainly places where a mtb would've been a bit better overall we were both happy with our bike choice. The route doesn't have any technical downhill bits and there's no particularly difficult climbs apart from butser Hill, but even that is over pretty quickly. Biggest problem was how overgrown some of the paths have become. Head high nettles are not fun. Also, I used to live close to the ridgeway but not been there for a few years. Forgotten how dull it is.
I wild camped the first night
Looks like you packed pretty light!!
did the KAW back in the beginning of March over 3 nights starting in Salisbury. Kinesis Tripster AT with 650b 50mm tyres and a spur of the moment purchase the day before a Redshift seatpost, a great descision! slightly overpacked but had suncream for day one and waterproofs for day 2, wild camped and cooked too.
Plenty of others out there in the wind and rain, luckily we had it behind us on the Ridgeway though some unlucky groups going straight into it on the worst day.
Bike handles all the downs fine, pushed up maybe 4 hills, Butser obviously, one up to some ramparts that I can't remember the name of and one with the steps. GRX double 30/46 - 11/42.
Would I do it on my Solaris? no. I think it would be boring personally and the route doesn't warrant it plus my Kinesis is set up so it is comfortable off road, thinner 700c tyres and rigid seatpost and I might change my mind just on the comfort stakes.
We did leapfrog a rider just as you hit the off-road after Winchester where he started. He was dressed in full lycra, descent stuff too, road helmet and road shoes on a DMR Rhythm 24" jump bike single speed with slick tyres, long seatpost and big back pack. He'd told his wife he'd be home by the weekend! He overtook us up the hills as he had only one speed and we caught him at every junction as he was using a map. Lost him in the end when he had to find a shop for water. Love to know how he got on.
Not much in the way of pubs open in March but managed to park my breakfast in supermarkets and petrol stations when necessary.
My shocking conclusion after day one of the KAW is that mtbs and gravel bikes are both absolutely fine. Ride what you have.
I did this on my Salsa Cutthroat last year and it was great. I'm really new to off road riding but really enjoyed the route. I did have 2.2 Vittoria Mezcals on thought which helped – no way I'd have wanted to do it on skinny tyres. I've seen promo with a touring bike which I think is actually really misleading and could be pretty disappointing if you start something and have to abandon, or end up pushing the whole way round.
I did it fully laden on a gravel bike over 4 days in the heatwave during the summer. With the exception of a couple of small sections i was delighted to be on a gravel bike instead of an mtb. Horses for courses, ride what you want etc.
Gravel bikes are the latest ‘thing’ (before that it was plus bikes, before that it was fat bikes). I wait to see what the next niche will be.
I do see the appeal behind them, but their use case over a CX bike or XC bike seems extremely limited.
i know it’s dragging up an old comment, but the flaw in this attitude is the assumption that you already have either an CX bike or and XC bike. At which point, a gravel bike probably is superfluous.