Has bike packing (off the beaten track ) gone full circle?

[RIP]

This thread is going in some interesting directions.



a/ is a bikepacker
b/ isn't a bikepacker
c/ difficult to tell from here
d/ rather not say
e/ got a beard so must be a bikepacker

[Dave Barter]

That's just gone to the top of my reading list.

"because we are more or less conceited" <- every influencer ever

[Verena]

I love the intro:

'We took this trip round the world on bicycles
because we are more or less conceited, like to be
talked about, and see our names in the newspapers.
We didn't go into training. We took things easy. We
jogged through Europe, had sundry experiences in
Asia, and survived the criticisms of our country from
the Americans. For two years we bicycled in strange
lands, and came home a great disappointment to our
friends. We were not haggard or worn, or tottering
in our gait. We had never been scalped, or had hooks
through our spines ; never been tortured, or had our
eyes gouged ; never been rescued after living for a
fortnight on our shoes. And we had never killed a
man. It was evident we were not real travellers.
Still, away somewhere at the back of our heads, we
are rather proud of what we have done. We have
accomplished the longest bicycle ride ever attempted,
Just 19,237 miles over continuous new ground.'

That is great

Maybe the outcome might have been different had they attended a WRT

[Sajama]

I love the intro:

'We took this trip round the world on bicycles
because we are more or less conceited, like to be
talked about, and see our names in the newspapers.
We didn't go into training. We took things easy. We
jogged through Europe, had sundry experiences in
Asia, and survived the criticisms of our country from
the Americans. For two years we bicycled in strange
lands, and came home a great disappointment to our
friends. We were not haggard or worn, or tottering
in our gait. We had never been scalped, or had hooks
through our spines ; never been tortured, or had our
eyes gouged ; never been rescued after living for a
fortnight on our shoes. And we had never killed a
man. It was evident we were not real travellers.
Still, away somewhere at the back of our heads, we
are rather proud of what we have done. We have
accomplished the longest bicycle ride ever attempted,
Just 19,237 miles over continuous new ground.'

That is great

Maybe the outcome might have been different had they attended a WRT

Not you average weekend bikepacker, 2years round the world wonder how they managed money wise .. A credit note from a Swiss bank?

[fatbikephil]

Well, I'm definitely a bikepacker!
I've kipped under a tarp,
pushed through tussocks and bogs
drank out of a puddle
got lost
carry minimal stuff
done the BB300
wear frilly knickers under me baggies....
.
.
.
.
I'll get me coat.....

[PaulB2]

Not sure about frilly, they chafe.

[JackT]

Cycle_Camp_photo-3.jpg (186.49 KiB) Viewed 3540 times

A blended bikepacking-touring approach from J Walker in 1904, setting off on one of a series of tours of the Scottish Highlands.

Walker and his riding companion E. E. Henderson may have been the first bicyclists over the Corrieyairack. Terrific book (link below). It includes a chapter describing their gear, which included lightweight tents and alcohol stoves. Their bike lights were powered by sperm oil, from, you've guessed it, sperm whales. At one point, under attack by midges, they resorted to smearing it over their faces.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/pag ... _id=642460

[JackT]

What a great find Ripio.

Here's the book it comes from, for download free:

https://ia801308.us.archive.org/25/item ... 252707.pdf

Round the World on a Wheel of 1899!

cheers,

Keith

It's a great book. Love this photo and caption, I think from somewhere in Central Asia... Pith helmet hike-a-bike through a boulder field.

359657006124109826-BP3CJDuCEAIvCxl.png (221.3 KiB) Viewed 3539 times

[fatbikephil]

I did one of my usual jaunts round the Trossachs yesterday and intercepted the Badger route at a few points - I passed 8 people doing it, but they all seemed suspiciously lightly loaded - could be super TLS I 'spose but probably doing it using digs, I suspect. Which is fine of course, but is it bikepacking??!

[Tractionman]

I did one of my usual jaunts round the Trossachs yesterday and intercepted the Badger route at a few points - I passed 8 people doing it, but they all seemed suspiciously lightly loaded - could be super TLS I 'spose but probably doing it using digs, I suspect. Which is fine of course, but is it bikepacking??!

reminds me of this article:

https://www.cyclinguk.org/cycle-magazin ... orm-trails

"Do it yourself : Bikepacking
We opted for B&Bs over camping so we could travel light – and enjoy a bit of comfort."

[RIP]

^ yeah, remember reading that. "Enjoy a bit of comfort". What are they on about? . Could certainly travel light though, all they'd need is a credit card in their pocket.

[sean_iow]

I did one of my usual jaunts round the Trossachs yesterday and intercepted the Badger route at a few points - I passed 8 people doing it, but they all seemed suspiciously lightly loaded - could be super TLS I 'spose but probably doing it using digs, I suspect. Which is fine of course, but is it bikepacking??!

I'm going to suggest two options,

1) They had brought kit similar to the couple Mike and myself met at Corrour Station - they had a tent as they mentioned it and I assume sleeping bags, but no spare clothes or cooking kit, oh and only 1 waterproof jacket between them

2) They were riding it in a one-er. Mike and myself went north but ridden southwards it's downhill according to my map so an easy day ride

[jameso]

Which is fine of course, but is it bikepacking??!

To them yes, or, they don't care. Either way they are somewhere along the wonderful and evolving bike travel continuum

[fatbikephil]

For sale:
Tents, tarps, quilts, mats, stoves, pots, meths, plus associated paraphernalia.

Wanted, credit card that someone else picks up the tab for.....



Joking apart, doing a B&B / hotel based hol in Scotland would cost a fortune, particularly when you factor in artisan cups of coffee, homebaking and ale!

[Tractionman]

For sale:
Tents, tarps, quilts, mats, stoves, pots, meths, plus associated paraphernalia.

Wanted, credit card that someone else picks up the tab for.....



Joking apart, doing a B&B / hotel based hol in Scotland would cost a fortune, particularly when you factor in artisan cups of coffee, homebaking and ale!

and whisky...

[BridlewayBimbler]

This is a great article on Bikepacking.com https://bikepacking.com/stories/a-histo ... kepacking/

[jameso]

Joking apart, doing a B&B / hotel based hol in Scotland would cost a fortune, particularly when you factor in artisan cups of coffee, homebaking and ale!

Sleeping out and saving on hotel costs is how I justify bivi gear spends.. or a proper nice meal every few days on a tour, I mean bikepacking trip

[PaulB2]

Oddly, I have a hankering for doing a traditional tour with panniers, going from campsite to campsite - mostly because I've never done one. Considering how much B&Bs cost now, the savings would pay for the rack and panniers I dont have

[frogatthefarriers]

Oddly, I have a hankering for doing a traditional tour with panniers, going from campsite to campsite - mostly because I've never done one. Considering how much B&Bs cost now, the savings would pay for the rack and panniers I dont have

I’ve been thinking for a while, that when off-road bikepacking gets to be too much (coz I’m getting on a bit), I too might try tarmac bikepacking. Dunno about the campsites though.

[sean_iow]

Dunno about the campsites though.

Not all campsites are created equal.

Some are vast fields full of hundreds of people and screaming kids, with a clubhouse, chippy, swimming pool and shop.

My friend's is a grass clearings in a woodland (one for each pitch) with a composting toilet and a shower where the water is heated by the sun... and that's about it. He'll sell you some firewood to burn in a firepit made from an old washing machine drum (one of which was mine) if you want to site around it drinking beer And there's a discount if you arrive on foot or by bike.

[RIP]

campsites..... with a clubhouse, chippy, swimming pool and shop.

Eh? When did these come in? Why weren't we told? Where do we sign up??

[fatbikephil]

campsites..... with a clubhouse, chippy, swimming pool and shop.

Eh? When did these come in? Why weren't we told? Where do we sign up??

I recall camping in the Aberfeldy Municipal campsite on the last night of a tour done in 2010 - all the pitches were the same size and every other tent in the place was a vast family sized edifice. My Vango helium was lost in the middle of a space big enough for 12 of them!

[RIP]

My Vango helium was lost in the middle of a space big enough for 12 of them!

I reckon you'd get some interesting looks if you rocked up and just rolled out a simple bivvy bag right in the middle of the vast pitch and went to sleep....

[sean_iow]

I stayed at a cool little campsite near Worthing once. The shower was on the outside of the toilet 'shed' and there was a sign inside saying not to use the hot tap when someone was showering, you'd know they were in there as the shower curtain didn't reach the ground

My Deschutes was the smallest tent there. A family turned up and put up a tent only slightly bigger so I didn't feel so out of place... turns out that was just for their dog Their tent was much bigger.

Still, they limited it to 6 pitches in an L shaped field and hardly any facilities so was a nice place to stay. They didn't charge me for the night the tent was up but I wasn't in it as I was riding 300km straight through on the south downs. They did question my sanity but I'm used to that.

[Sajama]

Oddly, I have a hankering for doing a traditional tour with panniers, going from campsite to campsite - mostly because I've never done one. Considering how much B&Bs cost now, the savings would pay for the rack and panniers I dont have

I’ve been thinking for a while, that when off-road bikepacking gets to be too much (coz I’m getting on a bit), I too might try tarmac bikepacking. Dunno about the campsites though.

You should try the Massif Centrale , better hurry the camping municipal site are dying out. Empty roads and route forestaire, VTT if you have 60mm gravel tyres as some tracks are red +.