First taste of (new school) bike packing

[Fen-yak]

Bryniau Gleision, just before the Pen Bwlch Glasgwm descent

IMG_20130810_182525_347.jpg (16.49 KiB) Viewed 2075 times

Bryniau Gleision, just before the Pen Bwlch Glasgwm descent

IMG_20130810_182525_347.jpg (16.49 KiB) Viewed 2075 times

The last time I tried camping out using the bike was in 1988 and involved a trip on Gower that crossed Cefn Bryn and a push up to camp on Rhosilli Downs. Kit and the fly sheet from my Ultimate Equipment dome tent was packed into a 55l rucksack. 25 years later and it's time to give it another go...

The bike this time is a Croix de Fer and the packing was a lot more suitable!

The route was one I'd done a couple of times from the house as a short day out on the mountain bike and the Croix that included rough tracks, boggy and then fast moorland tracks followed by a pootle along the canal on day 2.

http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB ... =view&id=5

http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB ... =view&id=5

http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB ... =view&id=5

Given that I only had 24 hrs notice of the trip, bike prep, last minute purchases and packing was done pretty swiftly.
Kit:
Wildcat Mountain Lion and Tiger
Alpkit Dry Bags - 2 x 8 litre, 1 x 5 litre

I'd read about the narrow end of the Tiger, so opted to shove the cooking kit (in a 500ml alu cup and lid) in that end and packed the 8l dry bag (Terra Nova Laser and Alpkit Airo 120) behind it - perfect fit.
Up front in the Mountain Lion was the other 8l drybag containing sleeping bags and couple of bits of clothing. On top of that was a bungeed a 5l drybag with a Rab Shadow Hoodie and some basic, spare clothes. Tent poles were fixed under that.
Haven't got round to buying more kit yet so took a Source 2l hydration bag with all the little bits and pieces in it.

The bike and packing worked a lot better that I expected. Couple of minor adjustments on the way (which is what the trip was about to be honest). The Croix took it all in its stride.
Didn't leave the house until around 6pm so wanted to find a suitable wild camping spot asap - easier said than done. I ended up on a bit of a minor slope on the side of Tor y Foel with most of the right conditions (midge and sheep free, dry, biut of shelter from the wind) except for the cross slope.

First time pitching the tent as well. Cooking kit comprised of the burner from my 1985 Trangia stove set, using 3 spare alu tent pegs to hold the cup in place and a wind shield bodged from a pre-used foil bbq tray.

Have to say I really enjoyed the experimental trip and have been bitten by the bug...
I knew the gearing on the Croix was not going to be ideal on some of the ups, but on the whole , no problems

[Ray Young]

Nice one. If I where to buy a CX bike the Croix de fer would be high on my list.

[Fen-yak]

Shame the pics are all 4r5e backwards.
First pics: Head of Dyffryn Crawnon with Pen-y-fan.
Other bike pic is just before the Pen Belch Glasgwm descent. Turn left at this point to head down to Dolygaer.
Any tips on this pic posting lark?

[Fen-yak]

Can't fault the Croix de fer Ray. Comfy, fast, adaptable, fun and more than capable. Ok , its a little on the portly side, but that can be tinkered with :D