Whilst it's almost impossible to plan anything in advance at the minute or ride anything more than the local haunts, myself and our usual riding pals have been discussing ideas for our next jaunt once restrictions are lifted.
Last year we did Devon c2c. Whilst the route wasn't particularly great and featureless, we had a belter (great weather, plenty of pub stops).
This year would like to squeeze a few in if the 'rona situation gets better.
It would be great to hear people's favourite bike packing trips, UK or further afield.
Difficult for me to choose just one. Different factors. Is it company, the weather, the overall experience, the views, the riding or the overnighting?
I've written up a few over the years. Last year was obviously constrained but this is a good reminder that I really need to do a summary of my 2020 BAM (bivvy a month) rides.
https://www.blog.scotroutes.com/
Only really done two proper trips - Cairngorm loop (just outer) staying in hostels, and Capital Trail camping. Both great for different reasons.
Seeing Col's blog reminded I wrote about the Capital Trail.
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/not-the-capital-trail/
I've done a few different ones that I've enjoyed - mix of MTB, road and gravel. To me, I prefer bikepacking as lightweight touring on a gravel bike. I've done it on the MTB but carrying luggage on the MTB irritates me and takes the fun out of it.
For MTB - the Cairngorms loop is really good. Logistically easy if you start from Aviemore and nice, remote riding.
Mid Wales has some great riding too.
I did road/gravel/cycle path from Edinburgh to Aberdeen (via St Andrews). That was nearly all traffic free with stopovers that meant good pub stops.
Got the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre and then rode along the coast to Cherbourg (fast ferry back to Portsmouth). That was interesting because of the WW2 history and the excitement of a ferry and being on foreign soil. Again, road/gravel.
Have also used the Eurotunnel bike service to Calais and ridden to Bruges and back.
Flew into Malaga last year and did a week touring on the road and gravel tracks around the hills and Gibraltar.
I've got a few trips in my head that I'd like to do. Bivvying in mountain huts through the Black Forest, more of Scotland. I've ridden the whole of the east coast from Aberdeen to Hull, so I'd like to continue that and see if I can get around the whole island.
I'd like to go back to Morocco and explore. I did a trip with Freeride Morocco which was great and made me want to see more of the country.
I'd like to do the Torino - Nice rally too.
So many trips, so little time!
It’s going to be hard to beat The Tour Divide which I did a few years back but Torino -> Nice comes close.
Enjoyed the Trans Cambrian last summer. Rode East to West over two days then back on the road on day 3.
Possibly my fave was the Reiver Raid in scotland, starting in tweedbank, 3 days of great riding, Trans cambrian was ok as well , over 3 days again ... head to wales for the WRT for a fab few days when things are back to normal
My best trip of last year. Was also my only trip. 🙁
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/coast-to-coast-trip-report-foxfield-to-whitby/
I've mainly just been on one nighters in the South downs but last year I managed a loop from Winchester - lymington - isle of wight for a bivvy - ryde - Portsmouth - gosport - meon valley then SDW back to Winchester.
The weather was great, pubs were open and the bivvy spot had the best views of the sunset over the Channel. Really was the highlight of last year.
This year im planning on on Winchester to Ayr using sustrans and the penine bridleway.
Managed a few last year inbetween lockdowns. They are memorable due to those who I cycled with. I had a trip on Exmoor, 80 gruelling miles but it was with my twin who I hadn't seen for nearly 5 months. It was tough hut really good fun.
Second memorable one was the Purbeck Bimble with a mate who I hadn't seen for 8 months. It was a slow and gentle trip with camping on one of the Purbeck quarries with a couple of beers while watching the sun set. Weather was ace.
My stuff is ready to go at a moments notice now. That'll be a memorable one as it'll be after a long wait and an awful lockdown.
The Capital Trail is a good shout. Also have a look at the ITTs on https://www.selfsupporteduk.net/ . While the ethos might be racing/fast times you don't have to race them. At a sedate pace they vary from overnighters for something like the Trans Cambrian to nearly a fortnight for the Highland Trail.
Not on that list is the Wild About Argyll trail (created by Markus Stitz who also created the Capital Trail) which is perhaps a bit more "gravel" oriented but suited to a rigid hardtail. Lots of loops that you can shortcut if time is short.
My first a couple of years ago was the Annapurna Circuit fantastic in everyway. Managed to get in Lakeland 200 last year, fun trip for being with mates having a laugh but better routes to do. Also got the Cairngorms Outer Loop which despite some stormy flooding and one of the midgiext campsites I've ever had was great fun. Few planned for this year in UK and Spain but who knows with covid.
Second City Divide was a great ride last year. Worth checking out.
Tricky choice but between
Transcambrian Way with a couple of mates
or these solo efforts a few years ago
https://bikepacking.com/routes/ardennes-arbalete/
https://bikepacking.com/routes/bikepacking-france-traversee-du-massif-vosgien/
Only done a couple but the hebridean way was fantastic.
My favourite was cycling from Edinburgh to Orkney, up the east coast of Scotland.
Probably describe it as touring though
Some nice ideas to research here, thanks everyone for contributing.
Another day out I'm looking at is Hellvelyn, getting up there for sunrise and avoiding the crowds. Day 2 exiting Grizedale Forest.
I suspect travel restrictions will be tighter than last year with going abroad, so I imagine the British countryside is going to be pretty hectic this summer.
Coll and Tiree on the Fatty. Very good beaches of course, but the links and dunes are very enjoyable too.
Probably Veneto Trail last year just because it was hot and sunny and the trails were all rideable with 4 great wild camps!
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Uk ride its got to be the HT550
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with 2019 Jennride route
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Thinking back my favourite ones have been the ones where I've had to set plan.
I took a train to the west coast and rode home at my own pace stopping when and where I felt like it.
Or I rode over to pitlochry from home over a few days via lock muick /lochnagar and through to Blair athol.
Bit like how I like my touring a start point and finish point but I hate booking intermediates and pressuring to get to them. Just following my nose is half the fun. Don't get enough time to do it all the time but it's deffo the more fun rides.
Yeah, it's always best when you have a destination but not a really tight schedule. My Orkney trip was - lets cycle to Orkney, try to camp on the beach on the way and be back within a month. Just made it up as we were going.
This could be my new favourite thread! I've just ordered a new Gravel/adventure/whatever bike and bought some Bivy equipment (a tarp and a sleeping bag so far). Plan on doing some one night local stuff to start with. Might start with the Capital trail as it goes past my doorstep.
All the ones I haven't done yet!
They're always definitely awesome when you're planning them, whatever previous experience has taught you about fickle weather, over-optimistic gradients and non-existent trails...
St James Way. We did it on foot but some do it by bike.
On a bike, Paris - Berlin without following any official route. Through the Ardennes, Holland, the northern plains of Germany. Roads, cycle paths, canals, anything heading in the right direction.
Tough call between the Holyland MTB Challenge, the Transcon Race, the Tour Aotearoa or the Japanese Odyssey. Mostly very difficult (perhaps the Tour Aotearoa not so much) and very different from one another. The Holyland MTB Challenge was the one that kicked it off for me being my first bikepacking event, a true baptism of fire cycling through 40 degree heat in the Negev Desert. I'd say that was probably my favourite in retrospect due to how it made me feel about myself, i.e. more confident. My longest non-stop ride of over 390 miles completed as a DIY AAA audax in just over 25 hours beats any of those events for statistics. That was a very hilly (~28000ft) circuit of the South East of England ridden without stopping for sleep, although I took my bivvi just in case. I enjoyed every minute of it too. 2017 seems such a long time ago.
