There’s a great sense of anticipation and excitement in planning a bikepacking adventure. Each element of the planning has its own little pleasures. Perhaps it's the satisfaction of creating a perfect route stopping by all your bucket list places, or maybe it's the thought of an evening meal in a cosy pub just round the corner from your campsite. What ever it is, there's nothing that quite beats planning your very own adventure.
This particular blog post is probably more suited to the kind of person that’s read an adventure article on line or watched something inspirational on TV and wished they could make it happen for themselves. Contrary to Enid Blyton's Famous Five, "falling into adventure" doesn’t really happen. It takes a little bit of planning and some prior preparation, but it’s easy enough for anyone to do, and pretty much guarantees an epic and memorable time away.
The basics
When to go
I find the best months for really enjoying a cycle adventure are April to October. The weather is generally better which certainly alleviates the requirement for more expensive specialist winter riding gear, the days are longer and there's generally more accommodation available.
Where to go
Rolling hills, coastal routes overlooking the sea, quiet country back roads, national parks, old cities, you can pretty much cycle the whole of the UK. Personally, I avoid anything too mountainous, leaving that for walking and scrambling adventures, and stick to routes I know I can get up and down with a bike loaded with equipment.
Who to go with
I’ve travelled solo and with groups of friends. No party size is better than the other, it’s just a different riding dynamic. If this is going to be your first trip then I would suggest going with at least one other person. It’s handy for sharing gear, having a friend to talk to and if you get into trouble, having two of you to sort out a problem is better than struggling on your own.
How long to go for
Again, if this is your first time then how about a short ride and an overnight at a B&B? If you like it then go for a longer trip or try camping. People have cycled around the world so there really isn’t any maximum duration. If you can cycle for a week then you can probably cycle for a month. If you are planning a longer trip then do remember to plan for rest days. Your legs will thank you for them!
How to plan a successful bikepacking adventure
These are my six tried and tested steps for planning a bikepacking trip.
1. Establish a goal
Having a goal gives an adventure a sense of purpose. It doesn’t need to be anything life changing or dramatic, it may be to get away and de-stress, or perhaps there’s a new cycle trail that you want to explore or a cliff top campsite overlooking the sea that would make a great Instagram photo. Whatever it may be, I feel having a goal in mind helps shape the route and influences where to stay.
Josh at Keep Smiling Adventures bikepacked 200 miles just to get himself a traditional Cornish Pasty!
2. Plan a route
If this is your first trip, I would strongly recommend following a tried and tested route. There are oodles of fantastic resources that offer great ideas for routes. The selection below are by no means exhaustive, but I've found they're are a great place to start.
Sustrans
The UK charity Sustrans, manages a network of approximately 15,000 miles (21,000km) of signed cycle routes. The criteria for a National Cycle route is that 50% of the miles should be away from a road and all sections should be suitable for an unsupervised 12 year old to ride on. These cycle trails can form the basis of a really great adventure. Routes like the Tarka Trail, is a 180 mile, figure of eight loop joining the North Devon coast to Dartmoor and is part of National Cycle route #27. The southern loop incorporates the longest, continuous off-road cycle path in the UK.
As well as offering access to the National Cycle Network and some great information about using the trails, Sustrans also have a 'Find a route' function on their website allowing you to select a location, ideal distance/length of ride, and route type. For the latter you can select: "all road", "traffic free" or anywhere in between. The routes are printable but they also offer digital and paper cycle route maps, plus a whole host of other useful cycling information.
Cycling UK
Formerly the Cyclist Tourist Club (CTC), Cycling UK has set about reinvigorating UK touring and bikepacking by releasing a steady stream of new routes, such as the King Alfred's Way, the West Kernow Way and the Cantii Way. These are great routes with an accompanying guide book explaining the route, typical stop over points and the history behind the local area.
Cycle.travel
In my opinion cycle.travel is one of the best route resources, and certainly the most intuitive route planning software on the internet. Created by Richard Fairhurst, a Cartographer, Sustrans volunteer and an early pioneer of Open Street Map, cycle.travel has a huge selection of route guides which include detailed descriptions, overnight stops, suggested leg distances and so on.
Travel guides, books, magazines, web articles, social media
These offer a plethora of inspiration, normally accompanied by stunning photos and evocative descriptions. This is probably where I get the first seeds of a cycle adventure before looking into some of the more dedicated cycle resources above. These are just a few of my favourites:
Pannier.cc a cool and funky UK site dedicated to the art of Bikepacking. Just looking at the photos, will have you strapping on your bike bags and heading off for an adventure.
Bikepacking.com An American website, YouTube channel and glossy publication. Heaps of useful information and plenty of UK route inspiration as well.
Keep Smiling Adventures A YouTube channel featuring the ever happy Josh Parsons, a long distance cyclist who appears to be on a mission to ride all the UK bikepacking routes (along with creating his own).
Inspiring bike rides Down to earth people who just enjoy cycle touring without the accompanying marketing hype. It was this site that got me back into into multi-day cycling. (The link is to their Instagram page as the website appears to be down...)
Navigating by map and compass in the hills is pretty easy but on a bike I'd go for a GPS (Global Positioning System). In order to use a GPS, you'll need a .gpx file of the route, Most of the resources listed above provide the ability to download a .gpx file and they'll be reliable and thoroughly tested.
If you don't have a GPS you can use your smart phone. Just watch your battery as these apps will drain power very quickly. Plan to take a portable battery pack with you if this is your only navigational device.
Other sources for routes
The sites below are household names within the cycling community and are used by millions of cyclists for route planning. They hold a plethora of readily available routes from half hour local rides to full blown multi-day adventures. The routes are available for download or alternately, by installing the relevant app, can be used straight from your phone.
However, I'd steer clear of these platforms if it's your first trip. Not all the contributors are as thorough when it comes to creating routes for navigational suitability or access rights. Their 'easy' level of ride might be 'difficult' to you or they may enjoy facing the wrath of irate walkers by cycling down a Foot Path, not what you want for your first Bikepacking adventure! If you are going to use these resources, look for star rated contributors such as Katherine Moore on Komoot or any of the Brand Ambassadors on Ride with GPS.
And when you've ridden everyone else's routes, how about having a go at creating your own route?
3. Book accommodation
Booking accommodation is pretty easy these days and with such a vast amount of places to stay, it really isn't that difficult finding something suitable.
These are probably the top types of accommodation available to cyclists.
Campsites
Bothies (Originally Scottish camping barn but there are now a number in England and Wales)
Wild camp spots (Legal in Scotland and parts of Dartmoor only)
Youth Hostels (YHA). Although membership is not needed in order to stay at their hostels, you do get a discount on accommodation and your membership fee goes into supporting this amazing network of facilities.
B&B’s
Hotels - Premier Inn, Travelodge etc.
Warm Showers This is a growing community of touring cyclists providing reciprocal hospitality for cyclists and hosts. I haven't used the network but it gets great reviews.
Distance and budget are all influences on my choice of accommodation. Two or three nights wild camping is perfectly doable but there comes a point when you really need a decent shower or to sort out your washing. I tend to mix up the accommodation with perhaps a few days camping then a B&B and a pub meal. It’s also nice to sometimes treat yourself to either of these for the last night of a long trip!
I find it easy to find and book accommodation on the internet, although I still like to try and book in person if at all possible, especially if you want to find out if they have secure storage for a muddy bike. I organised a Brighton to London charity cycle ride in 2014 for a large group, and I rang to book the Brighton Premier Inn for our overnight stay before we set off. They happily accommodated us and all of our 25 bikes without question! Communication is key and a friendly note or request via a personal email or telephone call goes a long way.
For longer, wild camping trips where the luxury of a shower has been absent for a few days, why not try a spot of wild swimming? If that’s not your thing then how about stopping at a leisure centre and using their facilities for a small charge.
Check in with your accommodation on the morning of your planned arrival
Unless your wild camping, I find it a good idea to give my planned overnight destination a quick courtesy call to advise them of my approximate time of arrival. It’s not uncommon for people to book accommodation and fail to turn up. The last thing I want is for a campsite to close its check in if I’m running late on the presumption that I’m one of those people who have failed to turn up. I find this particularly important if I haven’t had the opportunity to book in person and it’s only been an automated web-booking system. It’s also comforting to know that someone is looking out for you when you finally arrive bedraggled and tired after a long day in the saddle.
Many years ago, my wife and I enjoyed a two day walk in the Lake District. On the second day we got absolutely drenched and arrived late at our camp site. I’d called the owners to advise of our slightly delayed arrival time and when we finally reached our campsite we were greeted with warm towels and a piping hot cup of tea!
Travel arrangements
Whilst I’m securing my accommodation, I’ll also check my travel arrangements at the same time. If I’m driving to a start point, I’ll want to make sure I can park my car securely and if I’m travelling by train I’ll check the train operators cycle policy. Many train operators require you to book your bike on the day to avoid too many bikes on any one train. There may also be a supplementary fee to pay.
Wild Camping
Wild camping is not permitted anywhere other than Scotland and parts of Dartmoor. If you do wish to camp somewhere other than a public campsite then always seek the landowner’s permission before hand. That said, there are a plenty of guidelines on how to wild camp anywhere if you choose. Being discrete and respectful, setting up after dusk and departing at dawn and leaving no trace have always put me in good stead whenever I've wild camped.
4. Plan a menu
If your goal is to travel well off the beaten track, then carrying your own stove, water and food is the best option. Conversely if you’re planning more of a lightweight trip, or an adventure that will take you through pretty villages or bustling towns, then utilising food stops on the way will be more practical.
Evening meals
If you're staying in a hostel, B&B, or hotel etc. then I'd definitely take advantage of whatever they’re offering on the menu. Camping is slightly more involved but again not too much of a challenge. A cheap and easy option is to cook up some pasta/rice/noodles and combine with a sauce, veg or meat. If you're happy to spend a bit more money and feel space and weight isn’t an issue then the 'boil in the bag' type foods such as Wayfayrer meals, are delicious, pre-cooked food. They simply require heating in their sealed pouch in boiling water for a few minutes or at a pinch they’re even safe to be eaten cold. They weigh more compared to dehydrated meals as they already contain the necessary liquid, so if you’re looking for something lighter, particularly if you’re carrying food for 3 or 4 days then I’ve found Adventure Food to be a great alternate. Just remember to have enough fresh water to boil your meal at the end of the day.
Lunch
This is an easy meal and can either be a packed lunch or purchased en-route, (first ensuring I planned the route through a town or village…) More often than not, lunch consists of whatever I can find on the way. Which could be this...
Or better still, this...
Breakfast
Not a problem if you are staying in a B&B or hostel.
If I’m wild camping then I’ll get up with the sunrise, pack up my kit and cook up or buy breakfast away from my camping area some time later.
If I’m on a campsite then I prefer something simple. Museli with powdered milk and perhaps a cup of tea or coffee will still allow me to get on my way quickly without worrying about cleaning my pots and pans or waiting for my stove to cool down. Or similarly, I'll eat something small like a trail bar then stop for a decent breakfast where there’s a bit more civilisation a little later.
Wayfayrer and Adventure Foods both have a number of meals in their breakfast range.
Water
I always carry 2 x one litre bottles of water on my bike. It’s important to stay hydrated so I’ll probably drink this throughout the day. If I’m at a campsite for the evening then there’s normally a ready supply of water for cooking, washing up and refilling for the next days journey. I need to be more careful when wild camping however, so I might take slightly more water or refill my bottles for a second time on the same day.
There’s a really handy UK wide free water bottle filling service that’s been set up over the last few years. Download the app and it will show you the nearest place to refill your water bottle for free!
If you're really looking to stay off the beaten track then you might want to consider collecting and purifying your own water on the way. Typically you'll be looking either to add a bacteria killing chemical in the form of a liquid or tablet or strain the water through a filter. There are plenty of good instructional articles or vlogs explaining how this is done, so do some research and find the best solution to suit your trip.
Food quantity
There’s heaps of information readily available on the internet regarding what and how to eat when you’re exercising. However for completeness I’ll add a few pointers which hopefully will assist.
I typically burn twice as many calories in a day cycling than a normal (inactive) day, therefore I need to consume more to keep my energy levels up.
I always build up my carbohydrate reserves a day or so before I set off on my adventure.
I find it better to graze throughout the day in between meals to keep energy levels up rather than overeating breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Trail mix – nuts, dried fruit, seeds etc. is a great grazing food. I sometimes add chocolate chips and jelly babies for a treat.
I regularly use products from the Science in Sport (SIS) range to help me top up my energy levels without having to consume more meals.
Stoves and eating equipment
In terms of stoves, there are so many types and brands on the market that suggesting one becomes very much opinionated. Therefore, I’ll simply offer a few pointers and guidelines:
In the real world I’ve found that there is no difference to the time you eat when heating food via a Trangia taking ten minutes to boil a litre of water verses a Jetboil taking three minutes. It’s more about when I start to cook my food relative to what I’m doing at the time.
I ensure I have a stove which has a fuel source readily available in the country I am travelling. (Be aware of the restrictions on stoves and fuel canisters when flying.)
A windshield and a lid help preserve fuel and speed up cooking.
Remember to pack something to light the stove with!
In terms of cutlery / crockery, I tend to only carry a spoon, a mug and a single small pot.
5. Kit and Equipment
It goes without saying that you'll need a certain level of equipment in order to go on a cycle adventure – a bike being the obvious one.
However after reading this blog, please don’t rush out and spend thousands of pounds on all the latest equipment thinking it’s going to facilitate an epic adventure. In fact it probably won’t. Borrow equipment or use what you already have first and see how you get on. You can have just as good an adventure on a well maintained budget bike as you can on one costing five times as much. When you know what you like then spend as much as you can afford that suits your personal taste. With that in mind, this list is pretty much what you’ll need but kept in very generic terms.
A bicycle. In good working order and suitable for the terrain
Kit bag. A rucksack would work for a short trip staying at a Youth Hostel, B&B or hotel. Anything longer and you'll probably want to get the weight of your kit onto your bike.
Cycling clothes. Something to cycle in, different from your spare clothes: Helmet, shoes, socks, underwear, t-shirt, shorts, fleece or jumper and a waterproof / showerproof jacket. I also take cycling gloves, cycling glasses and padded cycling shorts. Avoid anything that may chafe or restrict your movement.
Spare clothes. A second set of clothes that you can wear in the evening or if your cycling clothes get wet or damaged. Depending on the length of trip I may take a spare pair of shoes or flip-flops.
Wash kit and towel. Toothbrush and toothpaste as a minimum, hand sanitiser gel is handy, deodorant if you're planning on staying close to your friends! I always take a small pack-towel. The rest is up to you.
First aid or medication items. A handful of plasters and some painkillers are helpful. Also consider other items such as insect repellent or tweezers. Take suncream as arms, knees and the back of your neck all get maximum exposure when sitting on a bike for long periods.
Food. Snacks as a minimum, more if you’re not planning on buying on the way.
Water. At least a couple of litres of water in some kind of bike mounted water bottles should be considered a minimum. Water bladders are great but are a little less practical, particularly when you’re asking a pub landlord to fill up your water bottle.
Mobile phone. Obvious uses but can also be used to hold a digital copy of your route.
Paper map and / or GPS. With the route clearly marked or downloaded electronically. You may choose to carry a paper map and use your phone to navigate. Just watch for battery life.
Portable power bank / battery, charger and cables. For charging your electronic devices on the move and at the end of the day.
Bike lock and bike lights. Failing to secure your bike could bring the trip to an abrupt end! And always take lights just in case you end up riding after dark.
Bike tools and spares. A basic set of tools to maintain the bike, spare inner tube, puncture repair kit, chain lubrication, cable ties etc. I also find it really handy to carry a Leatherman / Swiss Army type multitool and a disposable glove.
In addition to this, you'll also need the following items if you're camping.
Cycle bags (and cycle rack). Dedicated bike bags such as panniers or bike-packing bags are better for larger / heavier loads. Your local bike shop will be able to advise what rack will fit your bike. The internet provides a great source of knowledge and opinion on the pros and cons of all types of bike bags. My advice would be to minimise the amount of kit you carry in the first place then look to balance the load across a number of bags at the front and back of the bike to maintain safe handling.
Tent or shelter. Travelling with at least one other person is great when it comes to tents. Generally, a two person tent split between two people is lighter than a one person tent carried individually. Again, the internet is great for thoughts and opinions. You don’t have to spend much here at all. I used a £40 one-person tent for a 5 day cycle tour in early Spring, sleeping in campsites, and it was perfectly adequate.
Sleeping bag and sleeping mat. It’s necessary to take a sleeping bag and inflatable mattress /sleeping mat if you want any degree of comfort when camping. Also consider an inflatable pillow. The time of year will influence your sleeping bag's “season rating” – summer being the lightest / thinnest bags, winter being the thickest. Down filling is great as it packs down small and it’s warmth to weight ratio is superior to synthetic fillings. However, it’s more expensive and doesn’t perform well if it gets wet.
Cooking and eating equipment. A stove, fuel, a pot and a spoon is really all you need. Check your food / cooking requirements against the equipment you’re taking. Don't forget some thing to light your stove with.
Food. If you’re planning to cook your own breakfast and an evening meal then don’t forget to pack these as well. There’s more detailed information in the “Eating” section of this blog.
Collapsible seat / sit mat. It's only when you start cooking or want to relax that you realise a noticeable lack of seating on campsites. I take a small collapsible seat on practically every adventure, whether that’s cycling, walking or canoeing. Highly recommended.
Head torch. Great for camping and far easier than trying to use your bike lights.
These are a couple of other items I carry if I’m a little more off the beaten track:
Wet wipes / baby wipes. Excellent for a quick freshen up if you’re nowhere near a shower for a few days.
Rubbish bag. Something to contain my rubbish until I can dispose of it safely.
Top tip! Put all your kit into plastic (waterproof) bags to avoid your equipment getting wet if it rains.
Where should I spend my money to give me the biggest value?
For me versatility is the key. An item that can double up to do more than one task removes the need to carry two separate items. Also reducing bulky or heavy kit is a good place to spend money. Equipment that makes the ride more comfortable is also worth while for obvious reasons.
If you don’t maintain your bike yourself then perhaps take it for a service at your local bike shop. A functioning bike with good brakes and gears that work well, doesn’t cost much and makes a huge difference to your adventure. Equally I would thoroughly recommend getting a good quality saddle that fits. There’s plenty of great advice on the internet on types of saddles and saddle sizing. You could consider upgrading your tyres if they’re looking a little worn and fitting puncture proof innertubes save time and frustration from annoying punctures. A helmet is a must for obvious reasons but padded cycle shorts and gloves can avoid sores and blisters if your prone to them and a pair of glasses can avoid the all too frequent “fly in the eye”.
If you're camping then this is where I would also spend my money:
A good night’s sleep gives you the energy to get back into the saddle the next day. Spend your money on a good quality sleeping bag and inflatable mattress. Insulation from the ground is important as not only will it keep you warm, it will cushion you from the hard and invariably lumpy camping ground. As these items are being improved year after year, search for the latest internet reviews to see what the best products are to suit your budget. Buying wisely on these two items alone can double your comfort and halve the physical space taken up in your bike bags.
The sleeping bag and inflatable mattress on the right are significantly smaller, lighter, warmer and more comfortable than the larger items on the left.
Food is covered in the previous section but if you don’t have, or can’t get access to a stove, why not consider self-heating meals. They’re delicious, pre-cooked food that rely on a chemical reaction sachet in a heating pouch to heat them up without the use of a cooker or any of the associated cleaning up afterwards. I frequently use these for overnight mini adventures.
Consider replacing your standard towel with a microfibre version. You can pick one up in most good camping stores for a few pounds, significantly reducing the size and weight of a traditional towel.
A thought on bikepacking clothing
Wearing a set of lycra cycle clothing on a bike is comfortable and functional, after all that’s what it’s been designed for. However when I’m cycle touring, I go for a more casual look. I still wear my padded cycle shorts but perhaps a pair of walking shorts over the top and a short sleeve shirt over a wool t-shirt. Wool is great as it doesn’t retain body odour and can still look like an item of casual clothing. Muted colours work well as they tend to hide the trail dust (or mud!) and I carry a cap which I can quickly put on covering my “hat hair”. This is a good idea if I decide to stop in a public place, perhaps for a pub lunch, and is better than sitting in pongy lycra accentuating parts of my anatomy!
6. Double check the itinerary
A couple of days before hand I’ll double check my adventure itinerary. This will include telephoning or an email to all my pre-booked locations to ensure they are still expecting me when planned. Bookings can get lost, a location has closed down or a train / bus timetable changed. Checking your itinerary a few days before hand gives you the time to re-arrange your plans to suit and still have a great adventure.
I'll have the whole route programmed into my GPS and use this for navigation and I also carry the route on my mobile phone. I also find it handy to pre-programme my accommodation telephone numbers into my phone for easy access.
A few final tips
Please don’t spend a huge amount of money on kit and equipment if this is your first adventure. Borrow what you need and see what works best for you first. When it is time to buy something then go for the item that gives you the most overall value.
Go out for a few longer rides on your bike before your main trip to get used to being in the saddle for greater periods of time.
Learn how to fix a puncture and carry out basic bicycle maintenance before you go. Learning how to fix a damaged part in the pouring rain next to a busy road is not fun! YouTube has a huge amount of really useful “How to” videos on this kind of stuff.
Check over your bike before you set off each day. Check brakes, tyre pressures and lubricate your chain as a minimum.
Take advantage of the small moments whilst you're on the go, perhaps dry your tent during your lunch or strap a portable solar charger to your bike bags to charge your batteries whilst you’re riding.
If there’s more than one of you on your trip, think about sharing equipment where possible and avoid duplication.
Carry a paper or electronic copy of your itinerary with you and leave a copy with a friend or partner safe in the comfort that they have a rough idea where you're staying at any time during your adventure.
So that’s it really, if you follow the advice here you’re sure to have a great adventure. Don’t get hung up on the details of which stove is the best or whether you've got the right bike shoes, just get out and enjoy the adventure and learn from the experience.
Happy Adventuring!
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