Hi,

In mid May I have time for a bikepacking trip and I'm looking for suggestions. I've thought about the Trans Cambrian ITT (it's unfinished business but the transport back to Knighton looks like it might be problematic). Maybe the BB200? Where can I download the 2015 route?). The Peaks 200 looks OK but a good chunk is on the Pennine Bridleway (I think) and I plan to do the Pennine Bridleway in June.

• 4 days in total including travel from Milton Keynes, so 3 to 3.5 days cycling. I can possibly get away the evening before.
• up to about 130 miles I guess
• Needs to be a loop or easy transport with the bike.
• Within about 4 hours drive, or so, from Milton Keynes.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Bryan

Yorkshire Dales 300? That's 300Km not miles

Last year's route has a section that's become a bit contentious so check the updated version here http://riderscyclecentre.com/yorkshiredales300/

Plenty of places to bivvy out, slightly fewer refreshment points on the new route though. The off-road is mostly stone tracks and grass and reasonably weatherproof providing there hasn't been a deluge over the last week.

bryanwadd wrote:Hi,

In mid May I have time for a bikepacking trip and I'm looking for suggestions. I've thought about the Trans Cambrian ITT (it's unfinished business but the transport back to Knighton looks like it might be problematic). Maybe the BB200? Where can I download the 2015 route?). The Peaks 200 looks OK but a good chunk is on the Pennine Bridleway (I think) and I plan to do the Pennine Bridleway in June.

• 4 days in total including travel from Milton Keynes, so 3 to 3.5 days cycling. I can possibly get away the evening before.
• up to about 130 miles I guess
• Needs to be a loop or easy transport with the bike.
• Within about 4 hours drive, or so, from Milton Keynes.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Bryan

Lakeland 200

Or maybe Ridgeway and a few other bits so you can ride straight from home

Given that the weather is dragging it's heels a bit on getting warmer, perhaps a southern route might be the thing. Given your location, you're well suited for having a crack at the Ridgeway and either heading back the same way for the double or popping onto the Kennet & Avon Canal until you feel like bailing out on to the train to get home.

Email me if you want last years BB200 route ... personally, I thought it was a cracker. You can have the 2014 route too if you like

QED route.

Start in Taunton, through the quantocks and Brendon's to minehead, cross exmoor and down to okehampton, cross Dartmoor one way or another to Plymouth, get the train back to Taunton.

My girlfriend and I rode past MK and headed north to and through the Pennines mostly off road on our trip from Poole to Shetland. Give a shout if you're interested in a route that mixes sustrans, bridle ways and proper offroad in a roughly south-north direction.

The really fun bits waited in the Pennines and Yorkshire Dales. If I where you I'd probably head there too. I often think back to the leg Edale-Glossop past Cut Gate and Langdendale. So much fun and not much road involved.
'The north' is where it's at

Thanks for all the great suggestions, that lot will keep me going for a while

Te QED route sounds great, I'll be looking into that, thanks jam bo

I have ridden a bit of the Ridgeway from Ivinghoe Beacon but never considered that I could just cycle down there to start with.

Yorkshire Dales 300 is definitely on my list

A few of you mentioned 'jumping' on the train and I have some concerns about that and getting stranded somewhere. I have started a new thread about taking your bike on the train.

Thanks everyone
Bryan