Looking back on 2012, it was one of my best years for riding. Bikepacking really clicked for me after recent years' road tours or the usual Alpine MTB holidays, climbing/hiking trips and finding my perfect all-round ride. Here's some pics that sum up the year, ones that I'm enjoying looking at on wet, dull mornings.

Let's see a few of yours!



Mid-Northern Spain, Camino Frances, Pyrenees-Finisterre ride, 10 days.


Farmland dirt roads, Spain, Camino ride


Bivi, Haute-Provence - Geneva-Nice ride, 12 days.


Bonnette - Geneva-Nice ride


Mt Thabor area - Geneva-Nice ride


Amazing roads on the central cross-island highway, Taiwan. 2 1/2 days tarmac+bivi short tour.


Some Ridgeway rides, prep and gear trials and seeing a new side of local MTBing.


Road trippin' - got a lift back from the destination but used bikepacking luggage and camped in a field so does it count? )

A few moments from a good year.


Early on in the year ... SallyH 'drying' someones socks out. The poor girl in question now only has the one sock


Trip with Gairy and Blackhound ... this is the one where Gairy invented the sport of speed limping!


Flatfishy in his winter palace just above Dol'. It was March but we possibly had the best weather of the year.


Quick 24 hour trip with Mr Davies, we didn't go far but we didn't have to.


On another trip with Mr Davies in North Wales on a lovingly looked after bridleway


Having a go on these while helping out a CyB ... not for the faint hearted I can tell you.


First night of the slightly ill fated Ireland trip. The midges made me feel right at home that night.


Pitched up for the night on the slopes of Cader. A summit camp was abandoned due to the Aug weather :D


Chew, Brothersmith and myself about to depart from the Great Orm ... after a brew and some cake.


Sunrise from inside my Trailstar, the mountains are one way, the coast the other.


Start of the BB200, I always get a little excited ... but obviously I don't show it.


Welsh Winter 'bivvy' ... contemplating the very wet and muddy slog to come.

2012, the year I went from off road touring with panniers and too much gear to bikepacking lite. Thanks for all the advice, info and encouragement and an especially big thank you to Stu and Dee and The Bear Bones site.
West Highland Way, my first bikepacking tour.

2012_0414westhighlandway0003 by youngray50, on Flickr
Loch Etive and Glen Kinglass with Gari.

Loch Etive Glen Kinglass 042 by youngray50, on Flickr
Scottish Borders, what a way to wake up.

3 days in The Borders 018 by youngray50, on Flickr
Meeting like minded people on the Bear Bones site.

2012_1215biviscotland0007 by youngray50, on Flickr

I am away from home at the moment but will post a few when I get back this eve. Just a quick question James, I was toying with doing the Camino next year, good ride? And what are the options for bivvi nights along the way? Not every night but if the Alberges get a bit much occasionally or are full etc. cheers

Jameso, I hate you and you make me sick. ......Yes I'm very envious


Not the best year for me, especially from May onwards. Bloomin' rain :evil:

Mach ‘n Back…….



Jim‘s socks…



At the finish….



Early March Dartmoor bivi….





March Flyfishing bivi. One of several that didn‘t feature fresh pan-fired trout for tea. Better luck, hopefully, in 2013…






Rat pack leftovers donated from a RN banger rally to Morocco. The rice, tubes of jam and boil in the bag sponge puddings were good but the rest I‘d pass on next time……



Redlake bivi…










Avoiding Olympics opening ceremony river bivi......




France…

Slugwash - It's easy, no family holiday commitments here ) And fly-fishing bivi-biking .. brilliant idea. I bought a little telescopic rod from poundland a while back and just need destination ideas.

Gari - the camino was good, but it's a walker's path so be prepared to use a bell and put up with groups of hikers. You're moving at a different rate so just make sure you hit the best trails in the afternoon / evening when they're walker-free. The terrain was good, we stuck to the walker's route 100%. A lot of easy dirt road miles, plenty of climbs too but nothing major. Mainly dirt roads and multi-line doubletracks with a few fantastic rocky descents. Interesting places. Dunno much about the alberges, we only used one and bivied in woodland or fields the other nights, loads of options for sites. It didn't seem too busy in early May. PM if you need more info.

Ooooh, nice topic idea!

I had a brilliant year that failed to be ruined by my useless excuse for a spine.

Here are some highlights:


February - first 'real' bikepacking trip.


March - down at the Ardeche gorge - stunning scenery and a nice surprise bothy find too.


Late March - in/around Saillans in the Drome (France) - more sublime trails.


April (I think) - Wales 3-day trip with Stuart and Kevin.


April - back at the gorge but this time fully kitted-out in preparation for my TransAlp in July.


June - quick Ardeche overnighter to try out my new tent.


July - no one photo can do justice to the epic that was my TransAlp trip but I do like this one.


November - nothing exciting this trip but I do like this photo.

All-in-all I really can't complain about the riding I've managed this year and I'm looking forward to more of the same (and better!) for 2013!!!

Have enjoyed seeing everyone else's efforts too - keep 'em coming!

Gairy.

One of the highlights has been this forum.

Many new friends, invites to cool adventures, and some other geeks to talk to about outdoor stuff :D
Lots of the adventures i've had have been inspired by others, and hopefully i might have done the same.


Bivi at the bottom of Snowden before we did Rangers path


A few lessons learnt while in the Lakes


Watching Peaty downhilling in Sheffield


New places and friends in the Peak


We did have a summer, honest


Bit of Scottish Wilderness


Heading south with Stu and Malc


Its not all about the bike

2013 is shaping up to be even more adventurous

Somebody please tell me how to get these photos to fit! i will then add some locations etc.
Cheers

Size the pics to 700 pixels wide

2012 not been a bad year for me given I have a non-biking family and I am also doing a part-time course on-top of my full time job. I seemed to strike upon a few days at start of week were I could escape without causing to much trauma to family life. Unfortunately this year the little fella has started school so now have to save my A/L for school hols and I cant see the wife being quite so keen on me disappearing for the wkd

The bug well and truly bit and I am determined to get more trips in this year.

First trip of year from New Mills into the peak and back home

This is why I ride! by Brother Smith, on Flickr


Bivi spot by Brother Smith, on Flickr

Ride in Berwyn's

Welsh roads by Brother Smith, on Flickr


On the Wayfarer's by Brother Smith, on Flickr

Riding with Chew and Stu through some franticly remote parts of Wales I had never been before. This is the view I had for most the ride and bless em they were kind enough not to say I was holding them up.

IMG_7284 edit by Brother Smith, on Flickr

Trans-Cambrian way

First nights bivi spot by Brother Smith, on Flickr


Sun & showers by Brother Smith, on Flickr


The finish by Brother Smith, on Flickr

I've got a mildly off-topic question.....

what are the dimensions of your tarp in the 'bivi spot' photo???

i ask as i've currently got two choices:

a 1.5m x 3.3m tarp (350g) which is nice and light but too narrow for bad weather.

and...

a 3m x 3m tarp (800g) which is plenty big enough but makes a tarp (plus groundsheet, plus bivi bag) weigh way more than my tent!

the one you're using looks perfect. I'd say it somewhere in the 2/2.5m x 3/3.5m region by the looks of it but how heavy? from where? how much?

any info appreciated.

gairy.

It looks to me like an Alpkit bicycle 7

It is indeed an Alp Kit bicycle 7 (280 x 240 cm). Its 613g on my scales but I have loads of dyneema cord on it which you could probably whittle down (I am still learning so like security of lots of guying points).

They are out of stock of the Kelp at the moment but I would be willing to part with mine as it doesn't get much of an outing now I have the Lair. Drop me a line at brotersmith101 AT gmail DOT com if interested

Brothersmith wrote:.....but I would be willing to part with mine as it doesn't get much of an outing now I have the Lair.

Thanks but, unless you're looking to get rid of it dirt-cheap, I can't be spending any real money right now on bike-related gubbins - I really wouldn't be able to offer you what it's worth.

But at least now I have a set of dimensions in mind for the future.....

Cheers, Gairy.

No problems Gairy

highlights from a great yr 2012...

It was all started with the Mach n Back in Jan and what a great start it was ( i told hux to put some fairy lights in )



Then March came and me and Hux rode to Nant Ryhs bothy


May be we had a bit too much gear!!

April, we hit the west coast of Scotland for 12days with the trailers and again far too much weight!


Carparks make great overnight spots we discovered


cooking breaky on the sea front


carpark no.4 with the best view


Hux or should i say Ray Queers cooking fish not so well, that kinda summed up April

May, we rode to Porthmadoch from dolgellau then back via Coed y Brenin


One of the best sunsets we had this yr

June i rode the C2C Aber - Prest route over four days



Then came a well deserved trip to North Carolina for some full-on mtbing in late June.
July i went up Snowdon for a night.



July also seen us at Moel Prysgu for a night out


This is when we met scrooge practicing his lines!

The rest of the yr just disappeared somewhere!!

So yeap its been a great year. I hope for new adventures this year and as im signing up for the bivi a month it should be all good hopefully i can get some of the trips in that you guys are planning too!!

Was that the best picture you could find of me mate. OMG!

i thought it summed up our efforts and miles pretty well mate, u look shagged. haha