Hi there, it would be great to get your opinion. I am working with the Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative (AITC), supported by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Forestry Commission Scotland, to create a new bikepacking route in the west of Scotland. I would be interested in more details on your bikepacking habits etc and what you'd like in terms of a new trail. Answering the questions shouldn't take longer than 10 - 15 minutes, link below. Thanks heaps in advance! Markus

https://goo.gl/forms/WXHxuWu5j1ZcqbR12

You can just ride your bike without creating a new bikepacking route every time you go out y'know, Markus.

Done, some daft questions mind but filled in

Done

Done, some good questions there.

padonbike wrote:You can just ride your bike without creating a new bikepacking route every time you go out y'know, Markus.

Pretty much that. It would be nice to leave some of the country with no headline route. It would encourage folk to think for themselves more.

Done.

Some peculiar questions, it's as if the intent is to set up something akin to the NC500.

Filled it in.

Some questions are hard to answer properly like how do you prefer to get to a bikepacking route?
Its not usually a question of preference, I'm sure most of us would prefer to set off from our front door, but it not usually practical, so you work out what ever is practical.

I'm not looking to have a bikepacking specific route. The idea of a specific cycle route promoted like the West Highland Way or similar is a total turn off for me, one of the reasons I've not done the WHW.

Part of the joy for me is planning a trip. Yes I'll look at existing routes people have done/promoted and use them for or ideas and as certain sections, but I'm out to explore areas within the framework of time available and my ability and not bothered about ticking off routes.

Still, I wish you well with your project.

whitestone wrote:Some peculiar questions, it's as if the intent is to set up something akin to the NC500.

And that's becoming a victim of its own success. I guess this is another step towards the commercialisation of Bikepacking, though many of the questions seem to conflate Bikepacking and touring .....

In case you missed it.

I am working with the Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative (AITC), supported by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Forestry Commission Scotland, to create a new bikepacking route in the west of Scotland.

ScotRoutes wrote:

padonbike wrote:You can just ride your bike without creating a new bikepacking route every time you go out y'know, Markus.

Pretty much that. It would be nice to leave some of the country with no headline route. It would encourage folk to think for themselves more.

+1
But then I don't need to follow them myself and can't be bothered that much what others do.

Best of wishes for your plans/job Markus

done... we could leave some places up to the imaginations of bike packers to make routes up (he says with the irony of being surrounded by maps and guide books of Annapurna meticulously planning how to follow the well trodden annaperna circuit hahaha using the least amount of imagination possible ) ....

Thanks for everyone who replied so far, much appreciated!

Done

Badger Divide now on my list for next year :)

Has anyone ever taken a spa retreat in the middle of a bikepacking trip...actually it sounds almost tempting

Has anyone ever taken a spa retreat in the middle of a bikepacking trip...actually it sounds almost tempting

Sometimes.

Done

The Spa Hotel is not that daft an idea. If I was heading off for 3 or 4 days in Scotland my wife wouldn't be able to come with me due her current back issues but she'd happily stay behind in a Spa Hotel being pampered So if the route was near one it might be easier for couples who have different ideas of luxury. Hers might be a volcanic mud facial and mine is not waking up with a slug on my face It would make it easier to justify travelling up to Scotland if there were things for the non-bikepacking members of the family to do. To be fair to her though, if she could she'd prefer to come bikepacking

Done. Odd in parts but it's trying to achieve something that isn't typically touristy via a tourist attraction route. Best of luck.

Good to see that bike routes are obviously of interest to the tourism industry. Read this below with interest after a recent ride where a few businesses along the way were clearly welcoming the volume of hungry riders passing that week!

http://bicycletimesmag.com/spend-cycle- ... mmunities/

Likert scale. Go and learn why some of your questions are statistically invalid.

Also, your questions don't contain possibilities for non positive responses.

For this reason I've stopped half way through.