Latest Event Updates
Then and Now – 1938 to 2023 – Cycling on the Isle of Skye
Are you sitting comfortably?
Then I’ll begin.
On 19th March 2020 at the start of the Covid outbreak where everything was locked down and we were stuck in the house with nothing to do, I saw a Facebook post on The Social Distancing Cycling Facebook group set up by Fred Zelt from an American lady called Carol Skinger from Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
Carol like most of us had the time to create this post
https://www.facebook.com/groups/215255319880702/permalink/217589929647241
If you are not a member it reads
“My Mom (Connie) bicycled around Scotland with her Smith College roommate (Jean) in 1938.
I added their map route in a comment. This was a couple years after they graduated from Smith College in Northampton, MA. I have the photo album with tiny thumbnail size photos (negs are gone) and a map of the route and my mother’s diary of it. The album includes pics on the ship going over. I still plan to do it at some point. Probably drive some of it and bike some of it. This is my mom. One of my early memories was how huge her bicycle looked to me”.
“Here’s their route in August 1938. Some is by train. The hatching shows train parts but it’s hard to see on this photo.”
Calling in the help of a great friend Jeff (Summittoppler) Price we set about searching the post and the photos which Carol sent us electronic copies of.
Boring days of lockdown flew by thanks to Google’s Streetview and we found a lot of the places around Scotland.
Jump forward to May 2023 and I had a planned trip to the Isle of Skye, what better time (just before Mother’s Day in America) to help recreate the same photos from 85 years before.
This is the Isle of Skye part of the trip from the map
Knowing the island quite well although not visited for over 20 years Jeff and I set around pinpointing where the photos were taken and in which direction.
Here are the now and old postage stamp sized photos from 85 years ago.
The main things that you will see are the roads have been massively altered to cope with evolving traffic conditions and the angles have changed, plus the camera technology and quality of lenses have changed from bulky box cameras to smart phones.
This was the first photo taken in heading West out of the town of Broadford on the Isle of Skye
And with a copy of the 1938 photo held over it
Where you’ll find it on Google https://goo.gl/maps/nCPJtEUL8bdQhJJa7
And how the road looks now https://goo.gl/maps/xh9eucH5aJewngUw6
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Photo 2 was on the road further up the road opposite the small island of Scalpay
And with a copy of the 1938 photo held over it, with Connie, Carol’s Mom pushing up the hill for a bit of a rest in the sunny weather.
Where you’ll find it on Google https://goo.gl/maps/41secJMsChn516NDA
And how the road looks now https://goo.gl/maps/K88ThJKispjbhsKu8
It’s a shame that the house isn’t in the best of conditions when you look at it from the other side
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Photo 3 was very hard to find as the hill in the background of the photo was very faint and hard to identify, plus the road angle has massively changed years ago.
But we think this is roughly the right spot because of the small bridge in the middle distance which is also hard to spot
Where you’ll find it on Google https://goo.gl/maps/jUwds1kKb5rZm5KA9
And how the road looks now https://goo.gl/maps/HEoEaZUCEstw7AXe6
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Photo 4 and 5 were taken from the same spot one looking back on where they came from and one facing north towards Sligachan
Where you’ll find the next 2 photos on Google maps https://goo.gl/maps/ysMWMfpobWtrfpQPA
And how the road looks now https://goo.gl/maps/ysMWMfpobWtrfpQPA
Then turned to face the north
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Because film camera’s were not what they are the girls bought postcards from the main “tourist spots” of the day including the Cuillin range and the famous river bridge view near their Sligachan hotel.
At Sligachan the girls headed out North West towards Dunvegan where they stopped on a climb to take this photo.
Where you’ll find the next 2 photos on Google maps https://goo.gl/maps/7FsJn43aB41LfVfH6
And how the road looks now https://goo.gl/maps/Np8tqYh7xq24zoPp9
After this photo maybe the girls ran out of film (remember those days?) as they could have taken a photo with a backdrop like this behind them of the Cuillin ridge.
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And their final photo was taken from the boat as they sailed out of Portree
And with the 1938 photo standing on the concrete jetty instead of from on a boat.
Where you’ll find the next 2 photos on Google maps https://goo.gl/maps/L5M1wqh9Qi5sMUk77
And how the road looks now https://goo.gl/maps/fLJSacx5LzuQmUEp7
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Carol tells me that she plans to come over to retrace her Mom’s trip, but as the roads are so busy on the Isle of Skye in 2023 over 1938, I have advised that this route wouldn’t be as enjoyable today as it was then on the faster roads for cars and lorries. Hopefully we can meet up and ride together on quieter roads on Skye.
We also need to look into the other photo’s from her Mom’s trip around the rest of Scotland as we have found where the others have been taken, we can recreate these photos as above together in a year or two’s time.
The UK Pack Rafting Meet Up 2019
Upon arrival to the campsite.
Please park up in front of reception, go in and pay Megan, back in your car/van/bike and bear left and keep left heading down towards the waterfront, down here you will see either Aaron in his Red Mazda or our white (with go faster stripes) Peugeot campervan.
Friday afternoon Aaron (red Mazda) will meet and great you and show you where to pitch up for the weekend
Friday evening when I arrive, I’ll be around to register you to the event, sort out your weekend lake permits at £3.50 (exact money please) Plus if you’ve made it clear before now that you want to go to Gordon’s sough dough bread making and beer talks with samples £5 each per person per talk, again exact monies please.
That’s the end of the money spending for the weekend*
If you arrive before the main 2 large tents are erected please head to where Aaron ask’s you to go to, once these tents are up you are free to move or go where ever you like.
If you are early with time to kill, please can you see if Andy needs help putting the large tent up?
*Unless you want to Join Jason’s last minute taster session on Saturday afternoon (cash is king remember)
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.
Yours and my checklist
Please note even if the forecast is good you WILL get wet, a good waterproof top and waterproof over trouser should be warm, water proof boots and socks are also a good idea ( wellies will do or saddles for the brave… But no white woolly sock with the saddles please….. there are some standard that we can’t let slip 😉 ) as you will need to wade in and out of the water. Plus the paddles do splash you with water.
So, bring more clothes than you need and a good towel or two.
Something to sleep in, on or under. From hammocks (trees nearby), bivi bag, tents, campervan or caravan. All are welcome
All the food and drink that you will need for the duration of your visit.
£3.50 cash each for lake permit, £5 cash each for the soughdough bread demo and for the beer talk the fiver covers your samples. No places left now, sorry.
A comfy folding chair for the evening and for chilling out.
Warm clothing for the evening.
Photo ID, please don’t be offended if asked for this when borrowing a pack raft as they are not cheap.
Well behaved dogs on leads welcome
If you have a spare extension lead please can you bring it as we may need a few for Saturday night
If you have logs for the fire pit for Saturday night that would be welcome please
If you have one bring your pack raft, PFD, paddle etc
For those on the white water sessions which are held a short drive away from the camp site please remember that you’ll need a fiver will cover site fees and a couple of quid for parking just in case you can’t blag a free space.
If you are booked on the bike and paddle on Saturday afternoon don’t forget your bike (folding bike for me) and a rucksack. 13.30 meet up at the Alpaca display
The camp site takes card payments, but the manufacturers over the weekend don’t and the Saturday afternoon taster session will need to be booked and paid for with Jason of Tirio. Cash only.
Rules, Quiet by 11pm please
And please look out for one another and one another’s property. There is no security on site – we are the security, if in doubt ask the see their pack rafting lake permit that they get on arrival.
What – The UK Pack Rafting Meet Up 2019
When – Fri 20th, Sat 21st & 22nd September
Where – Venue, Lake Tegid (Lake Bala) at Glanllyn Campsite
Why – This will be the largest ever UK collection of 5 different manufacturers of Pack Rafts showing off their range of pack rafts for you to see and test paddle
Supported* by
Who’s it for? It’s open to anyone with a pack raft within travelling distance of Bala or for those who are Pack Raft curious and looking to get in to pack rafting in the future.
Why – The last 2 meet ups have worked well because pack rafters have met up and sorted out their own adventures as well as joining on the organised paddles, so please feel free to turn up and do your own thing with no pressure to join in.
The plan – To meet up on the Friday evening at Glanllyn camp site https://www.glanllyn.com/ which is just 5 minutes (3 miles) South West of the town of Bala on the A494 on the shore of Lake Tegid (AKA Lake Bala) – Postcode – LL23 7SS
For those with limited time or those who are just wanting to try out a boat or two, chill out and go with the flow for the evening with a camp out you are more than welcome to join us from Saturday and spend the evening learning stuff and talking rubbish, before leaving on Sunday morning/afternoon after you have tried out some of the pack rafts.
The head line details
Jason Taylor of Tirio and his team have kindly offered to lead a Saturday afternoon taster session that can only be booked on the day for a minimal charge (cash please)
Andy Toop will be down from Back Country Scotland with a range of around 10 assorted Alpaca Packrafts of different makes and models for you to have test paddles in.
Tim Clark of Longshore International who will be up with 4 or 5 of his Longshore Packrafts.
Jason Taylor from Tirio will have a full range of Kokokelli pack rafts to demonstrate.
Sven Schellin and Thomas Butzmann from packrafting.de with pack rafts from MRS and Anfibio
Zach from Kokopelli has kindly sent me one of their all new 2019 (for up to grade 4) white water heavy duty pack rafts called the Reccon for testing on the lake and the calm river nearby over the weekend. Personally I can’t wait to try this one out on the rough stuff after getting training from Jason of Tirio in a month or two on a 2 day WW course.
The costs for the weekend
Meet up – Free*
Camp site – Prices from £11 a night to £25 a night, depending if you are in a tent or a Campervan with EHU. You can arrive on the day and pay the campsite on arrival.
Lake paddling permit
To paddle on Lake Tegid we do need to have a canoe paddling permit. I’ve spoken with Arwel Morris The Snowdonia National Parks Warden for the Llyn Tegid and Penllyn area who says the normal charge is £3.50 per day, but as we are a group he will give us a discount of just £3.50 each for the whole weekend, and the good news is that he will collect it from me (or the wife) during the weekend and not beforehand.
So, upon arrival please sign in with my wife (Yola) giving here your name, address and your £3.50 in the exact cash. That way she can pay for us all when the ranger arrives sometime on Saturday.
Here’s the finer details about the weekend and what’s going to be available.
The Saturday Afternoon #Packraft101. Taster sessions. – Contents: Intro to packrafting, raft design and components, associated kit, inflation, outfitting, launch, basic strokes, paddle short journey, egress, deflate, care, maintenance and bio-security. Ideal for the packraft curious or those family members that are wondering what all the fuss is about! We’ll have a range of rafts to try too! £15pp including kit hire. Delivered by Jason and one of his team.
Other things going on
Saturday afternoon, there will be an into Bike Pack Rafting mini trip, with Andy Toop from Back Country Scotland and myself. This is now fully booked, but bring your bike as we might have a chance for a 2nd trip
Please bring your own folding chairs for the evening shenanigans
Pack raft field repairs from Sven, just ask him at any time
Saturday T-time, from 5,45pm
5.45pm/6pm – Gordon Stovin – master sourdough baker and BeerBods ale expert has offered to run a couple of land-based sessions. He’s a total legend and these aren’t to be missed! I’m going to both!!!
#BackCountryBaking Take your Bivvy Cooking skills up a level.
“There’s a lot of things I’m happy to do without for days at a time. Like a change of clothes or showers.But bread isn’t one of them. In this workshop I’ll talk about my backcountry sourdough experiments and demonstrate some of the more successful ones including firecaccia(tm) and ULW crumpets (patent pending). Bring an appetite. And cheese.” Gordon
Stuart Wight from Bear Bones bike packing will be talking about all things to do with making your wild camping shelter and sleep system set ups not only lighter but smaller to pack down to carry – Free to attend
#WildernessBeers – We all love a good beer after a hard day in the wilds. But what to carry? We’ve got Gordon from BeerBods to help us with that one… Here’s a beer tasting session with a difference!
“A couple of years ago I had a go at doing the OMM (the really wet and windy one in Langdale). It was horrible! As part of getting my kit dialled for the event I realised that it would involve sleeping out on the hill on the night before my birthday and beer would be needed. So I set about researching the highest alcohol by volume beer I could find in a 330ml can. In this talk you can find out what I settled on and taste some of my go to wilderness beers.“ Gordon
Talk will include some tall tales about beer and sampling some great beers round the fire. Bring a suitable thing to drink from. Please tell us you’re coming along so we can make sure we’ve enough for everyone – £5 pp suggested donation
Dave Barter the cycling book author who is currently (at the time of typing this) halfway through this years Tour Divide race and is coming up to Colorado when the front runners are currently having nightmare problems with unseasonable snow and muddy tracks, will give a talk about his trials and tribulations on this years race.
Free, but I’ve put an 18 rating on it as he’s not known at Sweary Dave for nothing.
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Film night follows Dave’s talk – Free
It ends at 11pm, we will try and get the following films shown in this time.
Sven Schellin and his Balkin trip film
Oblivious to dangers – Jacob Haagensen the UrbanPackrafter
Fluid Trails a film by Deane Parker
Sunday morning wild swimming with Simeon Rackham, bring your trucks, cossy or wet suit, or paddle alongside in the warmth 😉
#WildernessBeer and #BackCountryBaking must be paid for on the Friday/Saturday, Cash is King here as we have no way of taking cards. £5 per person per session
Campsite booking – Please pay on arrival saying you are at the pack rafting meet up
Don’t worry about booking your camp site, I spoke with the owners today and there is loads of space for both Friday and Saturday nights.
Please note – We have reserved the large area in the red area by the river’s edge, close to the beach area, but please note that if you arrive before 6pm or 7pm and Jason, Andy or myself are not on site yet and you are want to pitch your tent / van or please can you leave a large 40m area in the middle which is circled in yellow for the main event tents.
Food & Drink – I looked in to hiring a hog roast but these start from £800……….
So, please bring your own weekends supply of food, drink, warm & waterproof clothing, some comfy seating for the evening and whatever you fancy with you, plus if possible a bit of firewood to keep the raised fire pit going well into the evenings. There is a small store on site but no bar so please bring your drinks for the evenings.
* Please note that no profits will be made by the organiser or any of the helping team
If you have any questions or ideas of what you would like to see or do if it’s not been mentioned please email me at
johnmoore200@aol.com
And now the all important small print
Please note that this is not an insured “event” this is a free meet up of like mined friends with no insurance outside the booked Tirio sessions.
You, your mate/s, your vehicle/s, your pack raft/s, your bike/s and everything that you bring are brought along at your own risk. I or my helpers will not be held responsible should anything go wrong.
There will be no hire pack rafts for the whole weekend, the pack rafts are included in the sessions for those need them.
This will be the biggest ever collection of test boats here in the UK from 4 different manufacturers and 3 different suppliers over the whole weekend.
There is no security on site, you are the security, please make sure everything is safe and you keep your eye out for everyone else as they are doing for you.
Don’t be an idiot, play nice, play safe, enjoy yourselves and don’t forget…. There is no such thing as a silly question, please ask who ever you want what ever you want to ask. This is fairly new hobby to most of us and this weekend is all about learning.
The WRT LHC 110 miler group
Hi All,
This is the info page for the 2019 Welsh Ride Thing (WRT) Lonely Hearts Club (LHC) longer ride group over the 1st May Bank holiday weekend of Sat 4th, 5th and 6th May.
Why Lonely Heart Club?
- Not everyone has a bike packing riding buddy and over 3 days it’s nice to ride with others, you can always ride on your own as part of a group if you fancy a bit of quiet time, just keep an eye on the others and tune out and chill out
- Not everyone can map read, plot a route or very confident following a line on a GPS screen
If any of the above is you, then you are more than welcome to join either the short or long LHC group
This ride is planned to be 110 miles over the 3 days with around 10,000ft of ups & downs and picking up 11 or 12 of the 24 grid refs along the way
If you are unsure on your mileage abilities you have a few to build up to 115 hilly miles over 3 days, so get training. But if not there will be a shorter LHC group ride lead by Stevemorg, for info of this ride Click here
To join in this event you must have already signed up and paid your money because ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED
Now the legal stuff. If you join me on this group ride you have to be aware that I have no cycling leadership qualifications and no insurance. You enter this ride with me entirely at your own risk. I will not be held responsible for anything that goes wrong. Of course I have successfully lead lots of club group riders and no one has died. But if it goes wrong or you get lost it’s down to you to be self sufficient enough and be able to use your common sense to get yourself back to the start.
Please remember this is not a race, there are 24 Grid Refs some riders will try and get all of them, some won’t do any at all, my hope is that we will be to try and get 11 or 12 of them, but there are no prizes and no stress.
The below map shows, the red mark is the start and finish of the loop at Bear Bones, the route goes anti clockwise.
For a more detail here’s a closer look at the profile with POI marked on it
Day 0 Friday 3rd April – Several of us will be meeting up the evening before at The Star Inn at Dylife, Pub, B&B website As there is no rush to get to Bear Bones towers just down the road, their may/will be several drinks taken we’ll eat there on arrival and even bet a full breakfast the morning of the event. They have rooms but you need to be quick to book a bed for the night. Personally I’ll be in the campervan parking for free, several others will bivi out close buy on any flat ground that they can find. To see the pub it’s the white building in the middle of this Google street view Google street view link When you click on this picture scroll to the left to see the large free and flat car park where we park, if you look carefully between the pub and car park up the hill you will see an old grave yard, several will sleep up here, feel free to join them IF YOU DARE…….
Day 1 Saturday 4th April – Let’s do this, around 7 miles off road the rest on very quiet lanes.
It has 3 main climbs (but mountainous, but with plenty of “undulations” added in) at mile 23 we pass through the town of Newtown for shacks/food top ups.
With Stuart’s warning words ringing my in ears about the last climb up to the bivi spot on my original plan and thinking that day one may be a bit too long, we’ll take the 3 mainly flat miles to the bivi spot near a pub where we’ll eat drink and be merry.
Day 2 Sunday 5th April – the long one, round 20 miles off road the rest on very quiet lanes
58 miles, but with only 4 non mountainous climbs, but again plenty of “undulations”.
At mile 10 we pass through Welshpool looking for cafes (may be a problem on a Sunday to be honest) for breakfast and SPAR snacks for lunchtime. then it’s a long a steady ride around the top loop passing through many little/tiny villages but there are very few shops and only the odd pub, so lunch may be snacks that we bought in Welshpool.
At mile 85 there is a great little store called Dafarn Newydd Stores which some serves much needed fish and chips Menu here
Then it’s a mile up the road to The Last Grouse Pub out the back of the very posh Lake Vyrnwy Hotel Pub website
After a couple of shandies we pitch up for the night overlooking Lake Vyrnwy.
For anyone unsure of their mileage, here’s a shortcut for you to download the GPX from this website. The shortcut is 5.4 miles and it cuts the route between miles 51 and mile 80 – Day 2 short cut
Day 3 Bank Holiday Monday 6th April – homeward bound
There’s a cafe a mile from the bivi spot that’s opening at 9.30am just for us for bacon or sausage butties, sorry there is nothing fancy or specialist.
But there is a 2nd cafe for a 2nd breakfast or a cuppa at mile 95 if we fancy another cake stop.
For a closer look at all 3 days riding and a look at the routes in detail CLICK HERE
Don’t forget the “rules”Don’t be a dick, It’s not a race, No fires, Ride at the speed of the slowest, Talk shit, Have a laugh, No fires, Don’t stress, Look out for each other, Wear bright clothing for riding on the roads, No fires, Take a working rear flashing light, don’t be afraid to ask for help or bail….and did I mention No fires?
Personally I’ll be riding this
and taking this much gear with no cooking as I’ll be stocking up on route with water, snacks and food.
Kit list as shown in the above picture, Down hat, down jacket, insulated trousers, Cumulus 250 quilt, bivi bag, air bed, airbed pump, pillow, tarp, poles and pegs, 2 x C02 (can miss out) multi tool, inner tube (tyres tubless) rain jacket, fold down back pack, loo paper, inner tub patches, wallet, ear plugs, tyre leaver, poo/bacon sticks/strips, bum butter, axle allen key, powerbank with LED light and head tourch.
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Now the finer details.
In the group I will be leading from 1/3 of the way back in the group and I will be asking for helpers. I’ll need the help of a sweeper at the back to make sure no one gets lost, 2 or 3 fitter riders up front who are happy to get gates and wait until the sweeper has passed before riding through the group back to the front again, these 3 or 4 will need to have a GPS and be able to follow a line on their screen.
Then I’ll need turn markers, these are riders who are happy to mark a turn point as directed by the faster lead riders, Finally the simple bit to stop the group in the same area is if no one is behind you on a section that your could easily get lost on you stop and wait for the person behind you to appear in view before you ride off again. This way we should all stop if we can’t see the person behind us and the group will never too split up and ride at the speed of the slowest rider.
Please be confident in your abilities this ride will not be technical, but it will be hilly.
If you don’t have a GPS please ensure that your phone has plenty of battery power (powerbanks are essential for this) so that if you want to bail I will show you the best way back. Please don’t be offended if asked to head back or if you want to push on and do your own thing if you think that we are too slow then go ahead we wont be offended but please always tell us before you head off.
For those who want a bigger ride but want to do loops on this route and meet up for the bivi’ing out you are also very welcome to hop in and hop out as I will know the rough areas where we will be stopping over.
Confirmed riders
JohnClimber, Allen, Lee R, Alexander, Micheal P, André, Gary A, Nicola, Maliban, Gary P, Lee H, Mick K, Malcolm S, Jenn, Alec, David B, Chris F, Anthony F, Ashleigh, Adam (Artie Fufkin), Andy (Wiggles) – 21 riders
Possible riders
Mark Weldon, Brian, Sam W
Don’t wait until “summer” to start bike packing
For those waiting for the warmer and drier months here in the UK, lets face it…… they don’t happen.
Yes last year June and Sept were dry but July and August 2016 were very wet and miserable.
The following photos are from my bivi a month project which I set myself after an serious bowel operation last April.
Although I’ve camped out more than 11 times, here are my 11 out of 11 bivi a month photos, from views from the sand dunes to very wet Welsh bothies.
They can be long rides over multiple days or just a short walk from a pub after a bite to eat and a couple of beers
DON’T WAIT FOR THE SUMMER TO START, YOU’LL ONLY BE DISAPPOINTED
May 16 – #JennRide
June 16 – Sand dune view 3 miles from the pub
July 16 – Riding home after a local bivi
Aug 16 – The wettest ride of the year
Sept 16 – Back in the sand dunes
Oct 16 – With Archie who barked at every bloody owl which hooted all bloody night long
Nov 16 – A cold and frosty Northumberland
Dec 16 – The view from my bivi overlooking the sea and Snowdonia
Jan 17 – Pole position in a Welsh bothy
Feb 17 – Bivi view before bed
No
March 17 – Just a mile from the pub
Half of these were done locally with no need for the car (apart for the dog walk one), the others were no more than 2 hours drive away.
Get out from under your duvet, kick off your slippers and enjoy your riding in a different kind way getting closer to nature even if it’s close
to home.
Don’t forget I have loan gear from Wildcat now that you can test out, so what’s stopping you? 
My story for Lauf and BikeRadar.com
My ‘Bivi a month’ journey started off from my hospital bed. It was around midday on April 15th 2016, the drugs that had kept me happy were wearing off after the previous day’s operation, a burst appendix had led to a serious infection. I was 3 months into a new job, one where I returned home every night, after 20 years of hotels and driving long distances. Maybe it was the drugs or perhaps the prospect of a long recovery I suddenly thought … “if they can do it so can I”
In this instance ‘they’ are bikepackers and ‘it’ was the Bivi a Month challenge on the internet home of UK bikepacking http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk . I’d bivvied (which can include nights away in bothies) many times before but because of my mid-week away hotel life style, I found it difficult to get away at weekends on a regular basis.
So, there I was in my hospital bed, hours after a major operation, planning how I could do this each and every month. I spoke with my wife about it and we decided that the best option and one that would fit in around our home life, would be to head out on Friday nights and return back home on Saturdays. I’ve also found it best to try and do my ‘one a month’ as early in the month as possible; just in case the weather turns poor, because despite what they might say, even really hardened outdoor people don’t like the rain that much.
Since April 2016 I’ve bivvied on a tidal island and got wet feet racing the incoming tide, the Lake District on the now annual #JennRide and high up on the top of the local sand dunes. I’ve cycled to mid-Wales from England, endured (enjoyed) a ride to a Welsh bothy on the wettest day of the 2016 armed with nothing to start the fire with and I’ve walked to the local woods with my dog only to have him keep me awake with his barking at owls all night (he’s not coming again). I’ve slept for free in many places and opened my eyes to everything from industrial northern towns to the sea lapping at the beaches of Anglesey. There’s been tarps, tents and bothies where we’ve even been joined by a gang of Goth’s with flaming torches before midnight, I’ve bivied solo, with friends and with strangers who have become friends.
I’m lucky enough to have several Travers titanium bikes www.traversbikes.com to help me on my travels. They’re all different but each is fitted with Lauf forks www.laufforks.com and Brooks Cambium C17 saddles www.brooksengland.com which make for very comfortable travels. My light weight gear is carried on the bikes using WildCat bikepacking gear www.wildcatgear.co.uk
I use 3 bikes for my bikepacking trips depending on their length or the terrain. My CX/Adventure bike for local, tarmac or gravel rides, my fat bike for beach and sand dune bivvy riding and my 29er+, which is my main long distance, off road bikepacking bike. It features a dynamo hub which powers a KLite front light and a Rohloff hub in the rear wheel for its simplicity and low maintenance.
I have 2 more bivvies to do to complete my personal 12 out of 12 challenge, but as I’ve already got the worst months of January and February under my belt and with several events planned this year, plus a week-long Fat Biking trip to Iceland already booked up, I think I might as well carry on to complete my bivi a month challenge for all of 2017 as a continuation to the story.
Written by John Moore aka JohnClimber, with special thanks to Stuart, Meraid & Iola.
And here is the finished article with a direct link to it
Photo a day continues into 2017
I started with my photo a day project back in 2009 and I carry on into 2017.
To be honest I can’t go a day without taking a photo now.
Here are some from this year so far
John Climber's Cycling & Photography Blog 