THE ULTIMATE UK BIKEPACKING GUIDE

[Music] by packing in the UK where the trails are muddy the hills never seem to end and the weather has a mind of its own but honestly that's what makes it so brilliant whether you are flying down some rocky Trails dodging cows in a field or just trying to find the least Soul crushing climb there's something here for everyone in this video I am going to attempt to give you the ultimate guide to UK bike packing I'll cover everything you need to know from what bike to ride and how to pack it to root planning and even surviving those delightful surprises the UK Countryside loves to throw at us so whether you are a total Noob or you've done a few trips before grab a copper and let's get started with the ultimate UK bike packing guide [Music] in simple terms bike packing is riding a bike for multiple days to somewhere or around somewhere utilizing a more off-road the path Less Traveled approach bik packing can be as long or as short as you like it can often be done as part of an event where Riders will make their way through a course the rider will have to overcome whatever challenges the trails will throw at them completely self-supported in a bike packing event normally to be the fastest Rider around a set route that will normally take multiple days to complete Riders will often have to make it to check points along the Route in a bike packing event with the bike packing popularity growing over the last few years the lines have blurred between what bike packing and bicycle touring [Music] is bite packing can and is a form of bicycle touring of course but is bicycle touring bike packing wow that depends who you ask they both have a lot in common however there are some differences that can be made you can use bite packing bags while touring and touring bags Pia bags while bike packing bicycle touring can be long or short but bicycle touring has a history of being longer slower and a way of traveling by bicycle the difference really comes from the terrain taken to get to your destination bicycle touring will typically use paved surfaces quiet Country Roads bicycle routes and paths whereas by packing you will find yourself taken the more remote off-road route often on more rougher surfaces while bik packing often avoids the bigger builtup cities and towns and stayes in the remote locations of Mountains National Parks bicycle touring will often be traveling to these towns and cities often to stay for a few days to explore the sites as bicycle touring often has the emphasis on slower travel and sight this can also be true for bik packing of course but traditionally bik packing will take you away from these builtup places and you will spend more time in nature as a result bike packing bikes tend to be packed differently than a bicycle touring bike often but not always a bike packing bike will be set up with bigger tires for off-road trails and packed in a more minimalist approach as being off-road means the weight of the bike can have a bigger effect on the handling whereas a bicycle touring bike is often loaded with more Creature Comforts normally with a full paner setup normally in a more upright position promoting a slower but comfortable way of traveling bik packing there is often a need or desire to travel further and faster so the bike setup will often be set up trying to find the perfect balance for Speed and comfort for the individual Rider as you can see the difference between bike packing and bicycle touring have a lot of similarities whether you are bike packing or bicycle touring it doesn't really matter there are differences between the two but how you want to go on an adventure matters more than what group you want to place yourself into I think it's important to know these differences to understand what you might be getting yourself into though the last thing you want to be doing is setting off on a bike packing route and thinking it's going to be a touring route and end up up a mountain with the wrong bike and equipment so it's important to know the difference between a bicycle touring route and a bike packing [Music] route Fitness is borrowed this is something you need to understand we are all on different levels of how much Fitness we are currently borrowing Fitness comes and goes depending on a multitude of reasons the great news is that bike packing and cycling in general is a great activity to get into whether you are at the peak of your Fitness or trying to get back to a healthier lifestyle bite packing there are no rules as such you can adapt a bik packing adventure to suit your Fitness level the very nature of self-supported bicycle riding and and bite packing means you get to decide what is best for yourself that being said this is why I started to make this video with helping you understand what bite packing will typically involve with bite packing often meaning an off-road Adventure it does mean that understanding your body understanding your limits and fitness level is very important cycling off-road is just a harder thing to do than cycling on paved surfaces the UK is a diverse place with Ever Changing terrain so really understanding your own Fitness level is not only crucial for you to have a successful bik packing Adventure but not understanding your cycling Fitness level is a sure way to ruin the experience of a bik packing Adventure it's going to make it extremely difficult to pick a route that is suitable for yourself to have a good time here are some ways to help you understand and improve your Fitness as you get ready for a bite packing [Music] Adventure the best way to understand your Fitness level is as simple as riding your bike ride your bike at a speed that you feel you can sustain to do this it's best to just keep it local a local loop from your front door and back back to your front door with bike packing I would recommend being able to ride around 50 m fairly comfortably it's okay if you need to stop and it's okay if you don't plan on doing 50 m each day on your bike packing trip but knowing you are comfortable riding more than the daily mileage that you would like to ride each day is the goal here if you are wanting to ride 30 m each day knowing you can ride 50 m is a huge Advantage I have always love cycling because it is generally a pretty easy sport to adapt into everyday life and to build your Fitness up the simple thing to do is just ride more incorporate it into your daily life if you can cycle to and from work cycle everywhere you can and you will start realizing your Fitness will improve without really doing any real dedicated training riding often even if it's for shorter periods of time will give you a greater effect on your overall Fitness riding for 1 to 2 hours each day is going to be better than going for only one really long ride once a week it's often easier to fit into your daily routine to remember bite packing is going to mean you'll be riding for consecutive days so being used to riding each day is a sure benefit that's not to say doing a long day ride won't help from time to time though riding the hills the good news with this one is that once you are out and about exploring the UK's Countryside you will be training this naturally but I do recommend including some cycling in the hiler areas especially if you live in a flatter section of the country this will get you used to using your gears and finding the most natural Cadence that's how fast you spin your legs and turn the pedals it will help you know if you have the right gearing on your bike too as well as just increasing your Fitness the more you cycle uphill the easier riding a bike becomes you also get faster naturally as your power output grows once you have gained an amount of Fitness that you feel comfortable riding a bike with then it becomes easier to understand how many miles you want to aim for each day setting a realistic Target for yourself means being honest with yourself understanding how you feel on your bike after riding for different durations of time will help you set a realistic Target for each day which is only really doable if you have spent time understanding how your body and mind feel while riding your bike the more you ride the more you will understand your cycling [Music] Fitness as we have learned that bike packing refers to the more off-road side of bicycle touring so bike handling skills and the level at which you can control your bike is going to be a crucial skill you need to understand different routes require different levels of bike handling skills but we will get into root choices later the UK is very diverse the trails you will encounter can vary from Flat hilly vertically steep Rocky muddy chalk gravel narrow through Farmers Fields with crops growing or cows or bulls roaming horses sheep luckily you don't really have to worry about anything too deadly in the UK the trails can be vastly different from month to month so understanding your level of bike handling skills is going to help give you the best possibility of having an enjoyable trip and the simple answer to understanding your own level of bike handling skills is again to spend time riding spend time riding off-road in particular but there are some things you can do to improve and to get a better understanding of your own level of bike handling [Music] skills if you can ride with someone who you know is a better bike rider than yourself Offroad then personally I think this is the number way to just become a better Rider you will naturally improve as you are able to visually and in real time see how something should be ridden whether that is just getting a better idea of line choice or just being able to see how a bike will react to going over or through a given obstacle [Music] if you don't have anyone you can ride with then a great place to head to is your local mountain bike park if you are lucky enough to have one they will have all different levels of trails where you can start on the easier trails and work on your bike handling skills as you progress through the different difficulty levels of each Trail also the benefit of heading to the mountain bik Parks is that you will often meet other people that are also better than you so you will be able to learn of others around you Mountain bik Parks will often have a lot of different types of riding where you will be able to learn skills and understand what you are comfortable with riding and more importantly what you are not a lot of mountain Parks will also have coaches or at least connections to local coaches that you can get real professional training if that is something you would like to do [Music] if you don't have any local mountain bike parks and you don't have anyone to ride with then your best option is to find the nearest bridleways and start discovering your local area go explore your local area if you have been putting in some training miles on the paved surfaces see if you can make the same route have some off-road sections riding on your local Trails will at least give you some idea of what you are likely to come up against when you go on a UK bike packing trip by investing time in improving or at least understanding your bike handling skills and limitations you can significantly reduce the risk of injury and enhance the enjoyment of your bike packing Adventure especially when embarking on a solo bik packing Journey it's important to recognize and respect respect your limitations the time to push your skills is before the adventure not during it if you encounter a trail beyond your abilities it's perfectly acceptable to choose not to ride it there's no shame in hiking your bike because something is just too hard or Advanced for you to ride and with the Ever Changing conditions of the trails in the UK it is often a good idea to air on the side of caution briefly mentioned that with the difference between bike packing and bicycle touring means the bike setup is often a little different and while there is no rules on which bike you have to use choosing a bike and having it set up in a way that you are comfortable riding on is the most important thing here you can ride any bike on Any Trail in theory but setting up a bike that is suitable for the adventures that you are planning is important not only for the enjoyment of the trip but safety of the trip not to mention riding a bike that is not suitable for the trails you are riding and breaking every 5 minutes isn't going to be a very enjoyable one I think the number one mistake I see when people pack their bikes for bike packing is the location they are packing their gear so often I see a bike loaded to the brim on the rear wheel the key to packing your bike is to keep the load evenly spread out throughout the bike you don't want to have the rear carrying everything and you don't want the front to be carrying everything the weight should be spread evenly across the bike doing this will ensure the bike handles more naturally we reduce the risk of damaging your bike by not overloading one area and will have the added benefit of helping keeping your gear organized and easier to access the UK Trails changing day by day the two most important things to make sure are correct is Tire Choice and gearing starting with the tires you will want something fast rolling but with good puncture protection although you can definitely bike pack without a tubless setup I do think it is worth the setup especially if you are thinking of going on more bik packing adventures in the future if you don't want to use a tubless setup then using Tire liners or simply taping the inner side of the tire can provide protection from most UK fors with UK bike packing routes using a multitude of different types of trails I think it's best to use a cross country Tire or gravel bike tire I'd recommend using the largest tire that your bike can take but still leaving enough Tire clearance for when you encounter the muddy Trails for the gravel bike users I think the sweet spot for most UK bike packing routs is around 45 to 50 mm tires and on the mountain bike side anywhere from 2.1 to 2.6 in is probably the Sweet Spot the gearing you choose for the bike will play a crucial role in determining how many Hills you hike versus how many you pedal as mentioned the terrain in UK varies greatly depending on the region some areas are flat as a pancake others are rolling Countryside and some are incredibly hilly with steep climbs that's why getting your gearing right is essential the ideal gearing setup will differ for each Rider based on their Fitness level and cycling ability the specific goals of your bik packing Adventure however A good rule of fir is to opt for the lower which is the easier gears rather than the higher which is the harder ones it's better to to have an easier climbing gear you rarely use than struggle with the gears low enough for tougher climbs easier gearing will be more useful than harder gearing when bik packing in the [Music] UK having the right setup for the trails is essential for a successful bike packing Adventure in the UK but knowing how to maintain your bike and understanding how it works is just as important the golden rule of any bike packing Journey no matter how great your bike is is that it's not if it will break it's when a solid understanding of your bike's mechanics will give you the best chance of fixing anything that goes wrong when setting up your bike packing rig consider how easy is it to repair or replace Parts while on a trail if you cannot fix it on the trail think about whether the nearest bike shop will also be able to do so while there are many great no-name Brands out there nowadays that work well for everyday use if their parts aren't easily replacable or repairable they may not be the best choice for bike packing it's all about maximizing your chances of continuing your journey knowing that your bike is fitted with reliable readily available parts Hearts will give you peace of [Music] mind which brings me on to what tools you need to carry while on a bike packing Adventure the good news is that the UK is fairly small and while you can be in remote places you are normally within around 20 mil or so of somewhere but you still need to carry some basic tools to keep your rolling the musthave tools are going to be a good multi-tool which you will be able to use for tightening and adjusting when needed ideally the multi-tool would have a chain breaker tool but having one separate is fine also Tire levers Tire boots and even if you are riding tubeless at least two inner tubes a spare quick link to put your chain back together is also a must you can link a chain back together without this but since after I think around 10speed it doesn't really work as you are likely to find it breaking again and a spare rear Mech hanger is also a good choice and definitely a set of brake pads the trails in the UK can eat brake pads for breakfast a good pump and of course some form of lubrication for the chain and maybe a rag to give the chain a little wipe down from time to time some form of strong tape and cable ties are a good idea also that would be the bare minimum you should probably carry in regard to bike maintenance and fixing but you can go further of course a spare set of jocky wheels a spare gear or brake cable spokes even a chain the list can really be endless and it's all about weighing up the likelihood of the things that are most likely to need fixing or replacing for example spare spokes is an interesting one for me carrying a spare spoke is not a bad idea but it's often overlooked that to replace a Spoke can mean you will need to also carry a chain whip tool as well as a chain cassette locking tool just to remove and replace an old spoke this isn't always necessary of course but can be the case depending on how a wheel is built that spoke you are carrying now requires multiple other bigger heavier Tools in some parts of the world this is of course worth it but in the UK you are normally within some reasonable distance to find somewhere to get [Music] help now that you have your bike set up it's packed up with all the gear you think you will need for your trip the next really important thing you need to do is called a Shakedown ride a Shakedown ride is a great way to not only test out that your bike is working as it should and feels good to ride remember after adding all your gear to the bike it will feel different and the Shakedown ride will give you a good chance to get used to how the bike rides and help make changes before you go on the real Adventure here are some things to know about a Shakedown ride [Music] a great idea with a Shakedown ride is to make it an overnighter making it an overnighter will give you an idea how your setup will work for you you will get a chance to unpack the bike at night and pack it up in the morning this will help you decide if you have the bike packed up how you like it [Music] get Offroad and get over some rougher Trails the Shakedown ride should replicate as much as possible of a bike packing Adventure that you are planning on going on it's not only testing your bike is working but also that nothing is going to fall off and nothing is going to become loose the idea of a Shakedown ride is to help you find out what works and doesn't work in a more controlled environment where if it all goes wrong you can just bail and go home get back to the drawing board it shouldn't be a big epic adventure it really is to allow you to test and understand how everything will work together planning a UK bike packing route has probably never been easier with all the data that is available on online now and with more and more people getting outside themselves and more and more data becoming available from the trails the trail conditions and also the trail types the first thing I will be going over is the types of ways and to do that we need to break it down to England Wales Northern Ireland and Scotland as each have their own set of rules which we will go over soon but the different types of public rights of way in England Wales and Northern irelands are as [Music] follows foot paths foot paaths are public rights of way often marked with a walk-in person that you are legally allowed to use while on foot or using mobility Scooters or powered wheelchairs foot paaths are often marked with a yellow arrow but often can vary from County to County brightways brightways are for use while either walking cycling horse riding and using mobility Scooters or powered wheelchairs these public rights of ways are often marked with a sign with a horse and often but not always use the color blue restricted byways are public rights of way that you may use without a motor a restricted byway is essentially an old road that is now used as a path for non- mechanical Vehicles they are often marked with a sign saying restricted byway sometimes with a green color byways similar to restricted byways however is open to all traffic however the nature of a byway is that they are Norm old non-maintained roads so are mostly used by Walkers cyclists and horse riders but you might see the odd Land Rover or motorcyclist permissive footpath a permissive footpath is not a legal right of way however is a footpath that has been permitted by the landowner which means you may use the path while on foot or while using a Mobility scooter or powered wheelchairs but the land owner has the right to withdraw this permission at any time permissive briway the same as the permissive footpath a permissive briway is a route through private land that the land owner has granted permission for use you may use this while cycling horse riding and walking including mobility Scooters or powered wheelchairs the land owner also has the right to withdraw permission at any time with both permissive foot paths and permissive bridleways the path will often be closed for one day a year to protect the land owner against any future claims of a continuous public right of way Open Access land is a part of land you are free to roam there is often Gates on each side of this land showing that you are either entering or leaving this land often there will be a footpath or bride away going through this land but you do not have to stick to the footpath or brid away National cycle routes the national cycle route from sust strands is a walk-in wheeling and cycling charity and the rots are marked with a blue and red sign these routes can vary from roads to Shared paths to gravel paths some are traffic free and some are not if they are on the road they normally try to take you on the quieter back roads as you can see there are quite a few different types of public rights of way and it can get a bit complicated but if you are looking to make your own bik packing route in England Wales or Northern Ireland then the types of public rights of way that you will want to be using are bride ways restricted byways and byways permissive Broadways are okay to use but if you are planning to share the route publicly then it may be best to avoid them as they can be withdrawn at any time byways and restricted byways are often the best surfaces for bik packing in my experience as they tend to be wider and hold up better in the winter months however there is a lot less of them brightways come in all different shapes and sizes some are wide Rocky some are narrow and single track Scotland however is a little different the Land Reform Act of 2003 gives the public the right to be on or cross any land for recreational educational and other name purposes there may be circumstances where you get permission from the landowner but providing you are considerate and respectful of the land you are traversing you have the right to roam when walking cycling or HSE riding there may be limited access in some of these areas but local signs will instruct you access rights are also excluded from buildings or other structures or Works plants or fixed machineries such as farmyard buildings sites or quaries the enclosed space of ground and buildings immediately surrounding a dwelling work compounds schools and land over which you may be required to pay an entrance fee such as properties owned by The National Trust or historic Scotland ultimately this was created to give everyone the greater freedom to enjoy the outdoors and to clarify for the benefit of users land managers and conservation what you can and cannot do as well as where you can and cannot go if you want to read up on more of this I'll leave a link in the video description but when it comes to bike packing in Scotland it does give you more freedom to explore and create a route within the train you [Music] prefer so now you have an idea of the types of public rights of way in the UK and who and what can use each one the next question is how to find them the good news is there are many ways nowadays to find the trails but the bad news is finding how good the terrain is on each Trail can be a little trickier to find where these public rights away are though here are some options you can [Music] try the first thing you can do is search the local Council website where you want to go bike packing if you search for the def native map followed by the county you should be able to find a map with all the different public rights of way from that Council the definitive map is the legal record for public rights of way you can use these maps to find Broadways and byways Etc off-road ways around England and Wales most councils nowadays have digitized these Maps so you can access them online if however you find a def map is not available online contacting the council directly may be required in Scotland there is no definitive map however that doesn't mean there is no known rights of way in Scotland and you will often come across signs directing you along the Scottish rights of way the charity Scottish rights of way and access Society is the reason you will see them another option is OS Maps Ordinance survey maps are your next point of call for getting an idea of where these public rights of ways are os Maps receives data from the definitive Maps so are always going to be the most up to date OS Maps can be used online or mobile devices or in paper format and you can use OS maps to create your own routes however to use OS maps and get access to all the byways and bridleways you will need to purchase a subscription which is around £3 a month as I making this you can also purchase the paper maps and some libraries have them also it's one thing to know where all the trails and public rights of way are but it's another thing being able to connect them and find the most suitable trails to ride along linking them together has got much easier with apps available now when it comes to plotting a route together you can of course just use your old paper maps but there is a lot better way nowadays and there are more than three apps but I will go over three apps for plotting routs one of which has already been mentioned [Music] OS Maps does offer a root building tool which is easy enough to use the root creating tool is free but if you want to use it with the map that shows all the bridleways and byways Etc then you will need to pay for the premium the free version also doesn't allow you to use a snap to PA feature so makes the free tool not very useful F to be honest however with the premium version of os Maps it is a very good way to connect Trails you want to [Music] ride R GPS is another good option to use to build and plot your roots however unlike OS Maps it doesn't get data from the definitive Maps it uses something called open street maps open Street Maps is a map of the world created by people like you and me and is free to use under an open license however because it is not using the definitive map data it can and does sometimes mean routes and trails may be wrong non-existent and does mean you might find yourself not able to use a certain Trail you may be directed to use a foot paath for example as the data a particular Trail isn't always known by open street map or ride GPS however using Ride with GPS offers different kinds of benefits one being you can create roots for free and you can also download other people's routes for free you are also able to easily link Ride with GPS to your GPS device and streamlined with data that cyclists often like or you can just use it on your phone however I don't typically use Ride with GPS as I've always felt it's a little bit clunky and typically I'll opt for another [Music] app kamu is another app quite similar to Ride with GPS in that it uses open street maps so it is also prone to the same issues it does sometimes get it wrong kamu is free to use but you can only use it for free in two of your chosen counties after signing up which is great if you want to explore your local area you currently have the option to buy the world map which then gives you access to creating the route wherever you like which is a one-off payment they do also have a subscription service which means you can break down longer routes into individual days the world map option can be worth but the subscription might not be for most people however Kut has a bit more of a social aspect to it which users can submit highlights which is mostly really useful for information that some people leave about the trail and also the pictures of the trail which can give you a little insight of a particular Trail and if it might be a good trail that you might want to ride you shouldn't rely on this alone but it can be helpful Cut's rotting tool is also very good and very intuitive so it is a useful tool for plotting the route together but it is also a good idea to also look and compare with the definitive maps to make sure you are using the bridal ways a little tip that I have found to give the best results for ridable Trails on Kimo is to use the Enduro mountain bike option the way kamut categorizes trails with the D they have means in Juro mountain bike trails normally Falls onto bridleways and Forest tracks whereas the mountain bike option uses single track options which is more often than not a footpath in the UK and not a broal way or a byway and as foot paths you're not really meant to cycle on in the UK and often they're not really ridable fortunately knowing exactly what each briway or byway conditions are going to be is where things get a little bit harder to manage and if you are creating your own route sometimes it can be a bit trial an error but with the Ever Changing conditions of the UK byways do tend to hold up better and tend to be more consistent but there's no guarantee the issue here is that by byways and restricted byways are a lot less common than brightways a lot of judging what is going to be suitable for the ride you want comes down to experience and local knowledge particular Trail starts or ends at a Road Google Street View is also an option to get a little glimpse into what the trail might be like some bridleways just go through Fields some through woodlands and some are narrow and some are wide combining Google Street View Google Earth kute highlights definitive Maps can give you an idea of what trail may be like and make sure what the type of Trail it is you can also use the data from the likes of straa to get an idea of how often trails are used which can be a good indicator of how good it is to ride and also Trail Fork sometimes has some useful information as you can see making a route can be complex and time consuming but the good news is that there are many different types of routs for all level of abilities in the UK already plotted out so you can leave all of that timec consuming stuff to people like me and get out on your adventure so let's go over where to get these routs and some routes that I recommend to start with [Music] keep smiling adventures.com okay A bit of self-promotion here I know but if you have been following this channel for a while and maybe you have seen me take on a route that you particularly like the look of then if you head over to my website keep smiling adventures.com I have all the roots I have completed on this channel some of which I have created myself and some of which I have not but they are all available to download either a direct GPX download that you can put straight onto your GPS device or View and follow the route through cimu they are categorized into beginner routes intermediate routes and challenging routes with a bit of information on the ride itself and how I found each route another great option is probably the biggest website and collection of routes not just in the UK but worldwide is bikepacking.com they have a lot of UK routes too in my experience the routs that I have completed from here tend to have a lot more grindy routes often with lots of hiker bike they tend to be scared of coming into any builtup place so you often need to come off course to find supplies but there are lots of good roots on there and lots of information also these roots just air on the side of a little bit more advanced typically but again it's a great place and a great resource another option for UK bike packing routes is cycling UK a UK based cycling charity that has over the years made some really popular bike packing routes a lot of the cycling UK routes are a little on the easiest side so can be a good place to start the cycling UK website offers lots of information and tips and [Music] guides with so much Choice it can be hard to decide which route to take on so here are my recommendations I will give you three recommendations for the best beginner routes one from England one from Scotland and one from Wales and then finally my top three routes of all time let's start in Scotland with a beginner [Music] room I think a good starting point for a beginner bike packing route in Scotland is actually going to be one I completed recently bike packing around lockness only a short route at 80 Mi with some steep climbs and epic views but if you want to explore a little beautiful part of Scotland then riding around Loch Ness is a great place to start without throwing yourself into the deep end of Scottish bite packing it will give you a good taste of what to expect when you venture further into the bike packing world the ga whales and beginner routes don't really exist on the most part but the easiest route I have experienced and the most beginner friendly fun bik packing route I think I took on and would recommend would be the gawa a short route perfect for an overnighter in Wales it's Wales but less remote less rugged and less brutal but equally as [Music] beautiful in England the north Downs Way the north Downs Way is going to be my recommendation for a great beginner route in England it's a great fun route with lots of fun fun Trails it's well signed posted and can be ridden most of the year with some beautiful views and a chance to ride through some beautiful Blue Bell filled Woodlands if you take this on at the right time okay so my three favorite routs from around the UK that I think are a must do are the Yorkshire delles 300 the Yorkshire Dell 300 is a fantastic route exploring the York jells with lots of fun riding and exploring it was one of them Adventures that you go on and you just love every minute of it yes it's tough there is lots of climbing and the trails are a little rough especially if you take this on on a gravel bike but I loved riding this route from the old Roman roads from the fast flowing descents to the wild camping it was a bik packing Adventure that just felt perfect for me the old Roman roads while not known for their smoothness offer you a chance to really let go of them breakes and descend fast the trails are most of the time nice and wide which makes finding the perfect line all that easier and there is so many places to camp with Incredible views Looking Over The Dales my next recommendation for just best Roots is the second City divide I'd highly recommend this one starting in Glasgow and finishing in Manchester 360 miles of pure joy well nearly more like 300 miles of pure joy than the not so fun pen briway to finish off the Second City divide is one example of a gravel bike heaven with endless wide gravel roads through the wind farms and flowy descents with mountains even side of you unlike a lot of the routes in the UK this one isn't afraid to just use the road sometimes which means you get to experience some incredible flowing roads with great views and don't worry because the road sections they are not busy with traffic and our quiet country lanes it keeps the ride moving and feels like you are making good progress meaning you can enjoy stopping off and jumping in the streams and rivers to cool off if you need the next route I'm going to recommend is the Cornish Delight yes I'm a little bias with this one I'll admit because I created it myself but it's a bike packing trip with a purpose to get a real Cornish py the Cornish Delight an adventure from Bournemouth to padto in Cornwall through some of my local favorite Trails a route you will travel along the Jurassic Coastline to exer before a nice flat Cruise along the cycle path around the estery before heading into D moall from some open rugged Beauty and some epic gravel roads before testing your legs on some Cornish steep country lanes don't worry though I have given you a nice easy flat finish along the camel Trail to get your Cornish PTI it is probably my favorite Coast to Coast bik packing route that I have done so I recommend it especially if you like cornage pasties so you have your bike you have your route and now it's time to pack everything you need while everyone is different with different Comfort levels and tolerances for the Ever Changing conditions that bike packing in the UK brings there are a few things to think about when packing your bike with the gear you will need let's start with some essential clothing items and the best way to approach what to [Music] bring you might have heard that in the UK pretty much all over the place the weather is not always the best and often isn't always predictable you see when bike packing around the UK one day it might be sunny one day it might be rainy or just freezing cold or perhaps windy the temperature around the UK can vary and is normally a few degrees warmer in the south from say the north so using a layering system is going to be the best route to be able to provide as much comfort while on a UK bik packing Adventure using the layering system is going to make the times where the weather is not the best that little more tolerable the layering system designed to keep you comfortable and protected in varying weather conditions you can add or remove layers as needed to regulate your body temperature when you are active you may start with fewer layers to avoid overheating or when the weather gets colder you can add layers for warmth if you start to sweat you can remove layers to prevent moisture build up especially in cold conditions where sweat can make you feel even colder by using a layering system you can adapt to the change in weather conditions and stay comfortable and protect during your bik packing Adventures you don't have to wear Lyra or cycling specific clothing either but it's worth investing in some fast drying clothes for your adventure for when you do get wet also when out on longer bik pack and Adventures these fast drying clothes are great when it comes to washing day after washing hang on your bike and let the wind dry them there is no one rule that works for everyone but I think expecting that it is impossible to stay 100% dry all the time while riding the bike however much waterproof jackets trous of shoes you buy eventually you will get wet having multiple layers and fast dry clothes is the best option for a comfortable ride a good waterproof jacket is essential when bik packing in the UK wherever you might decide to cycle and not just to keep the rain off of you but also the wind the UK landscape changes quite a lot from Rolling Countryside to more land to expose Mountain Landscapes you can be at sea level or a couple thousand feet above as you climb here in the UK the temperature will drop and is often a lot windier so a good waterproof jacket is essential for keeping the worst off of you when sourcing a waterproof jacket for UK bik packing I would recommend finding something that has a hood that can fit over a helmet and that is not too tight fitting so you can add or remove layers underneath as needed having a loose fitted waterproof jacket also helps with the breathability of the jacket personally I prefer to stay away from cycling specific waterproof jackets as they tend to be more performance orientated and tight fitting not always offering that much protection and normally costing a lot more I would also avoid waterproof jackets that have a net liner as once that gets wet it takes forever to dry you want your waterproof jacket to keep you as dry as possible but also to dry as fast as possible the next piece of clothing that is very important is the socks now there are many different types of socks different thicknesses and materials you might prefer Marino wool socks Marino wool has a natural antibacterial property which means it doesn't require as much washing good for when you are on the road for multiple days and might wear a pair of socks for multiple days when it comes to socks though the real key is not Material type but ultimately whatever sock you personally prefer it's best to take a couple extra pairs than you think you might need better to have a couple extra clean pairs of socks than not being a small item and not taking up much space it's a good idea to carry a few extra pairs because bik packing in the UK will require some wet feet at some point no matter how hard you try to keep them dry sticking with the feet for that little bit longer shoes are an important choice and whether you are wearing shoes with cleat or not make sure these shoes are slightly on the bigger size for bite packing this not only allows for different thicknesses of so socks during the different temperatures that you will no doubt experience by packing in the UK but allow your feet to swell having extra room for your feet to swell will keep the shoes comfortable throughout the multiple days or weeks of bite packing the last thing you want are blistered feet from shoes that are too tightly fitted a lot of cycling shoes especially XC type shoes that's cross country shoes can be on the smaller size as they are going for performance when it comes to cleat specific shoes I have personally found that shoes that are entry level and normally just use a vcro strap tend to be wider than those with the boa strap or ratchet systems I can't tell you which shoe you should buy because everyone's feet are different but make sure they fit on the slightly bigger size also with bik packing in the UK there is often times where you will need to hike your bike so being comfortable for this is a must and with the different types of terrain from Rocky terrain to bog to grass it's important to make sure the shoes have a decent amount of grip personal experience for me is to avoid stuff that are fairly flat on the bottom like the 510 shoes as it makes hiken up wet grass practically impossible and opt for something with a good amount of thick tread underneath the UK bike packing routs will often have streams or rivers that you might need to cross in the drier months these are normally quite shallow but it still poses the question of taking a separate shoe or sandal used to make these streams or river Crossings I know at least one person who swears by riding in sandals all the time but with all the rocky terrain it's not something I'd recommend personally in my experience with bite packing in the UK most streams or Rivers can be crossed without getting your feet wet anyway and often when you can't cross them without getting wet there is often multiple Crossings every 50 to 100 m for example meaning you will be stopping to change the shoes quite often where it's not a bad idea to carry a pair of sandals or Beach shoes if you really don't want to get your feet wet bik packing in the UK has its perks and one of them perks is that we don't really have too many dangerous animals no bears at least but we do have a few insects that will give you a nibble most of which won't cause you any long-term harm it might just be a little itchy for a while however we do have ticks here in the UK and with a lot of bike packing routes going through grassy and wooded areas tick bikes are not always going to cause any issue but being bit by a tick can cause you Lyme disease you might not feel a tick bite so you need to check your clothes and skin regularly especially if coming through grassy or wooded areas so why am I talking about ticks well it can be a good idea to wear trousers and long sleeve t-shirts in the UK while bite packing to reduce the chance of being bitten by a tick carrying a good jacket for warmth is essential for about 10 months of the year in the UK in July and August you can normally get away with just a waterproof jacket for the early morning or the setting up of camp or when on Higher Ground however is a good idea to carry either a down or some form of synthetic down or anything that is insulated and is packable unless you are on a winter Adventure in the UK it is usually too warm to cycling something like a down jacket however it is very useful for the evening when in Camp or if you are a cold sleeper you can use it to sleep in whatever you decide is right for you to take just make sure that you understand your own ability and tolerances to the conditions you will likely come up against while bik packing in the UK the temperatures can change throughout the year from below freezing in the winter and around mid 20s in the summer you need to make sure you check the conditions before heading out and make sure you pack everything you need to keep warm dry and safe you will never be able to predict the weather for a whole 2 weeks but as long as you have an idea of what it's going to be like you can stay safe warm and comfortable packing your gear onto your bike is just as important as to what to pack and there is no one right way to do it apart from what I mentioned earlier that you really need to spread the w of the gear over the bike but also it's very important to pack your clothes in a way that keeps them dry when they are on your bike and separate from wet clothes depending on how you set up your bike then you might have a separate bag but if you are using a saddle bag then it's best to make sure you keep the used wet dirty cloes apart use an inner dry bag inside your saddle bag to keep things separate it's really really as simple as that this goes with your tent if you have a two-piece tent keep the outer separate from the inner a dry set of clothes is essential for safety here in the UK just remember if you get wet you get cold there's no way around it always keep at least one set of clothes that you can get into once you are out of the rain when packing your bike make sure you think about how to keep the wet and dry gear separate the the thing with bike packing and packing all the gear onto your bike is often how will it fit and while bikes can hold much more than you might expect there is a couple of things to consider one is the weight now a fully loaded bike can be heavy and a heavy bike is never going to be as easy to Pedal up some of them steep climbs that you will find here around the UK so while weight is important and it's a good idea to only carry the things you know you will need which does take a bit of practice that can only be practiced by going out and finding what you use and don't use saving weight on gear often just means paying more unfortunately so while weight isn't something to completely neglect it's not something you should worry about too much trying not to get hung up on saving a little bit of weight here and there that won't make that much difference on a fully loaded bike anyway way however pack size is something that is more valuable the less space something takes up the better as often it's space that is limited on the bike and not so much weight there are certain items that typically take up a lot of space like sleeping bags a synthetic sleeping bag will typically take up much more space than a down sleeping bag so it's worth investing in a sleeping bag that packs more t have come a long way over the years so you don't have to have a big bulky tent and the tent it's worth finding one that packs down small you don't have to spend crazy money on tents to get that small pack size even nowadays when packing a tent pick for pack size over weight when packing the clothes you want to wear pack the clothes that pack up small Tech teas bib shorts arm and leg warmers the difference between a normal standard cotton t-shirt for something like a tech te in size and weight starts to save you both space and weight and are practical on and off the bike they also perform better in damp conditions and drive fast which is the best feature to look for for clothes while bike packing in the [Music] UK the good thing about bik packing in the UK is that you are normally going to be within reach of a builtup area where you can get help find supplies or a bike shop or any other things you may need however that doesn't mean there are no dangers and taking care of your safety is extremely important you have to understand it's not if something goes wrong it's when you can put in as much preparation as much experience and yet some times things just go wrong and while I would encourage anyone to go on a bite pack and Adventure you should still understand your limits you should still only ride trails that you feel comfortable with and always air on the side of caution that can be anything from hiking down a trail because it's too steep to finding another way to cross a river but like I said sometimes things go wrong so here are some things to know before you go on a UK B packing [Music] Adventure the emergency phone number is 999 that's three9 you can reach the same service by dial in 112 or 911 in the UK the 999 switchboard can connect you to the ambulance fire police Coast Guard search and rescue and bomb disposal or Services you should call 999 only in serious emergencies only the UK is quite well connected but there are areas where you may not have signal this is common in some remote sections in Scotland and Wales especially when down in between the mountains or Hills if you are going to be going into a remote area on your own then a satellite phone like a gan in reach might be a good idea alternatively make sure to let someone know where you are going and give them a copy of the route you will be doing and check in with them regularly if you find yourself in a scenario where you need to contact the emergency services and you are not sure exactly where you are there are a couple of ways to let them know if you are using a GPS unit then you should be able to access your current GPS coordinates on my Garmin it's as simple as a couple of TAPS a couple of apps to add to your phone are what free words so you can give your current position which works very similar to a GPS coordinate another app is OS locate which converts your GPS location to the OS grid reference the emergency service operator will have access to a computer and internet there so the more details you can give the better understanding basic first aid is also a great idea but often knowing first aid is not for yourself but for someone else carrying a first aid kit is also very good practice personally it's nearly always better to just build it up yourself than buy a pre-made one for bike packing it's a good idea to have plenty of antibacterial wipes some kind of bandage enough that you can wrap it around for a twisted ankle for example some plasters some cream for insect bites I use hydrocortisone cream because I also get a bit of eczema occasionally if you are in Scotland then some smidge to repel the midge the main thing to remember while in emergency is to stay safe and stay calm when it comes to finding somewh to sleep for the night you essentially have three options you can wild Camp you can stay at a official campsite or you can have a bit more luxury with a BMB or a hotel I won't go into too much detail when it comes to bmbs or hotels I'm sure most of you know how to use the internet to find one but in the UK to find a hotel in B&B you will need to get yourself to a more builtup area in most cases small towns and cities are your best bet and some of the small villages have some rooms available at pubs the price of a room for the night can vary a lot in the UK from location to the time of the year if you find a room for 70 to 80 at night nowadays you're doing all right most rooms are going to be around the 100 Mark though but depending on location can be much more in my experience from both working in hotels and using them from time to time on my bike packing Adventures most of the places have somewhere to leave a bike sometimes they have a garage sometimes they might leave it in an office and occasionally they might only have an outdoor space around the back normally by the kitchen so it's best to call the place and make sure they have somewhere safe to leave your bike and somewhere that you are personally happy to leave your bike if you would prefer to Camp then you can find official campsites dotted around the place some are seasonal and some are open all year round some have showers and other facilities and some are just a field normally you do need to pre-book your Camp spot but sometimes you can just turn up and get a spot for the night prices again vary just like hotels and can be anything from around 10 a night to 50 a night the final option is to have complete flexibility and wild Camp here we need to go over a few things because in England and Wales wild camping is not officially permitted without the land owner's permission apart from dmore where at least the time of making this video is still permitted in sections that you are allowed to Wild camp in Scotland you have the right to enjoy most land as long as you act responsibly you can wild Camp you can set up a camp spot and stay for two to three days before moving on however in England and Wales things get a little complicated and I'm sure you have heard many people say that wild camping in England and Wales is illegal well the good news is that is not completely true it is not illegal you are not going to a criminal record or going to prison for wild camping however as essentially all land is owned by someone in England or Wales technically if you decide to Wild Camp you would be trespassing as you have not been granted permission from the landowner unlike some countries this is not a criminal offense but a civil matter what what does this mean in reality it means that if you are somehow discovered wild camping by the owner of said land then you can be asked to leave and not leaving will then become agravated trespass which can become a criminal offense so the rule is to always be polite apologize and move on if discovered also if you are spotted setting up the camp my recommendation is to move on then also however I really want to make this clear as this is a question I get asked time and time again and I understand why but if you are wild camping correctly meaning setting up late and leaving early and not having great big fires than the likelihood of you ever being disc discovered is Next To None the best way to go about wild camping in England and Wales is to set up just off the main trail whether that be a bridleway or a footpath once you get off road and the sun has started to set you will very likely see no one you will start to get a feel for a place once stopped as to how busy a trail might be when looking for somewhere to Wild camp in England and Wales it's important to choose a spot that isn't going to get in the way of someone else using the trail even though you are very unlikely to see anyone after Sunset you don't want to be camping directly on the trail because people can still come through at night most likely someone just like you enjoying the outdoors just because wild camping is not permitted does not make it illegal and while Scotland 100% have it right you can wild camp in England and Wales there are plenty of remote areas where you cannot see anyone all day and especially at night but you must follow the rules of setting up late and leaving early and just have no fires use a little stove if you want but leave no Trace completely understand the anxiety of camping somewhere and maybe bumping into somebody but the realistic chance of somebody actually seeing you once the sun has set is practically zero with that being said wild camping in the UK is best with a tent or a bivvy you can use a hammock in the UK but it can be a lot harder to find places as a lot of the wood in the UK are private and often the trails don't really go through them so it's a lot easier with a small tent or [Music] bivy when choosing a tent for a bike packing trip in the UK you have a couple of options a free standing tent a tent that uses poles to form the structure of the tent and can be used without staking it out these tents are likely to be a little heavier than non-freestanding tents but offer the flexibility of setting up the areas that it can be hard to stake a tent out in non-freestanding tent requires staking out to keep their shape to set up non-freestanding tents first staked out and typically popped up 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2024-12-07 19:13

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