Heading off road can be liberating Dave Noakesīikepacking’s minimalist equipment and self-sufficiency feel particularly liberating. That said, some farmers are open to the idea of you pitching up for one night if you ask nicely. When it comes to camping out, we don’t have it quite as easy, as it’s illegal to camp in the wild without the landowner’s permission (the exceptions being Dartmoor in Devon and all of Scotland). The Americans may have thousands of kilometres of gravel trails and forest tracks, but we’re pretty well served here in the UK too, with an extensive network of bridleways and permissive routes. Having a shelter to hand gave me great flexibility, allowing me to savour the journey and unhurriedly explore market towns when I reached them, though I could equally well have chosen to largely avoid civilization. Carrying a stove in my bag, I didn’t need to wait until I reached a town to have a coffee break so when I saw a nice view I pitched up, brewed up and enjoyed a cuppa al fresco. With food, drink and clothing on board, I was only constrained by daylight and fatigue. My setup took it all in its stride, my legs less so - sometimes going was slow as I lost a lot of momentum bouncing on the uneven surface. When planning an adventure it pays to be prepared, but an open mind is a must when you are at the whim of the weatherĪfter a brief stint on a busy main road I turned onto a bridleway, enjoying forest tracks and trails with the surface switching between hard-packed dirt, grass, a lot of very sharp, flinty gravel and some chalk. But you don’t have to go off into the depths of the wilderness the back lanes, woods and moorlands are all within reach for most of us in the UK. If you’re looking to explore an entire country or region rather than a small patch of wilderness or lone mountain range, bikepacking allows you to cover distances ranging from 10 to 100 miles in a day. One of the greatest things about this form of travel as opposed to, say, hiking, is the distances you can cover on a bike, travelling further off the beaten track than you can on foot in a shorter amount of time. ![]() In our busy lives, a whole day on the bike, from dusk until dawn feels like luxury. Favourite event you've been part of? Ooh, there are too many.Attaching kit to your bar and frame will balance loads Dave Noakesīike and bags sorted, I hopped aboard my steed clutching a Ridgeway trail map, figuring I’d leave the world of phones and mobile reception behind for a couple of days of unfettered freedom.Įven before I’d begun pedalling I felt a deep sense of relief as I surveyed the landscape from the top of Ivinghoe Beacon, the Chilterns beckoning.Favourite place to ride? Italy or California (probably).Then when I started racing gravel bikes we agreed to work together properly. ![]()
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