[Closed] Bike-packing - Bags full of disappointment...

Mary's Enduro Donkey

Nice one. Looking forward to more.

Ta Eddiebaby

Keeping it very real. That's a nicely told tale of a near non-event. Thanks for writing and sharing.

I enjoyed it too.

A welcome break from the relentless tide of inspirational tales that make me feel like such an underachiever.

Local to me, so nice to see the route.
Shame it went wrong 🙁

Some nice pics on the "New beginners" article too!

Well done for giving it a go OP,your next trip will be epic.

Lol 🙂

"...adventure seeds planted in our mind pots..." 😀
I can't see why you think that was a failure. Looked better than most of my successes!

Very good. Nice read.

Thanks for the feedback STW!

However, the plans for month long bike-packing trips in Colorado have put on hold until we can successfully navigate 30 miles away from Sheffield Train station.

Made me smile

I enjoyed that too.

Probably something that I should give a whirl too really.

Cheers mindmap3. Give it a go. If nothing else it just makes you reflect on and appreciate your rides a little more.

Enjoyed that, thanks.
🙂

Sounds like a good adventure. I always like to consider what I'll do if I do have a mechanical (it's all part of the adventure!), at least you got out of the wilderness fairly easily and safely. Better luck next time!

Philjunior - It's made me realise that if you're gonna do multi day rides you need to add in availability of spares as a factor when buying new parts. If I had hope hubs it would have been a quick fix apparently.

Philjunior - It's made me realise that if you're gonna do multi day rides you need to add in availability of spares as a factor when buying new parts. If I had hope hubs it would have been a quick fix apparently.

I think the real life solution is just more maintenance, if you really were going to be in the wilderness you'd probably have stripped the bike down, and replaced everything that could be replaced (bearings, pawls, those 3yr old carbon handlebars that you jokingly said were getting on a bit and that manufacturers were just making money when they said replace very 3-5 years, etc). Unless you got very lucky, even a shimano freehub would be hard to come by outside the EU.

Not a dig, but there's a difference between "reliable enough to do regularly 30mile rides and only have the occasional ride ending mechanical", and "reliable enough to do 300 miles" which is no more onerous on components than doing 10x 30mile rides, but to be successful needs 10x the reliability.

My O-O fatty with stock bits is reliable, but if I had to ride LEJOG, I'd take the El-mariachi with new-ish hope bits, not for the tyres, but because I can be 99% sure nothing is going to wear out in the next 900miles.

thesisnotaspoon - Completely agree. I guess you can't leave any stone unturned. A full strip down and rebuild is in order before the next ride!

Very enjoyable. Even more so ,when I read it, Alan Titchmarsh's voice was narrating!

Curses, I read that comment first, and now the Titchmarsh narration will not let go of me.

I like it. And having been stuck on Hope station with a mates busted free hub many years ago, my commiserations..

Liked the humour, looking forward to your next epic adventure!

Yep - liked that and I had the Titchmarsh voice reading it to me too, before I'd read Senor J's comment above...

Very enjoyable.

Nicely written. Gentle humour. Like.

Refreshingly lacking in "epic"ness.

Enjoyed that, keep at it 🙂

Nice write up Adam

loving the realness... a refreshing change from all that 'inspirational' bollox The Mag seemed to plaster its most of it pages with, last time I read it - years ago. Have they cured themselves of all that now, or is it still the same old, same old twaffle..?

Magazines need more writers like the OP. Funny, irreverent, informative and engaging... not living up their backsides in MTB-journo-world.

/minor-rant

Thanks no_eyed_deer!

Bmd fer layterz.

inspiring and nicely written.. well done for the first steps towards more Bike Packing adventures

I've tried floating the idea with the riding group but I think I'm better off just following your lead and go out and do it.

Nice little read,as someone who's Bikepack curious it's good to read about someone giving it a go & things not quite going to plan.
I like reading those epic adventures people enjoy but lets face it,they're about the dream,a bit of escapism for most of us.Your trip's about the everyday reality complete with a knackered freehub.Keep up the good work!

Good work and keep it up. Blog writing is incredibly thankless in the main and you may just find that actually it comes across as a catharsis, which is no bad thing. I find mine a good way to look back on things rather than trying to spur others on.

Cheers shedbrewed. Mind if I take a look at your blog? Might be able to get a few tips.

Sorry couldn't join you for that one Adam, I fancy a trip in them summer, wild camp, travel nice and light.

[quote=shedbrewed ]Good work and keep it up. Blog writing is incredibly thankless in the main and you may just find that actually it comes across as a catharsis, which is no bad thing. I find mine a good way to look back on things rather than trying to spur others on.Same here. I was in the practice of jotting down stuff on longer trips anyway. I posted a couple on here and folk seemed to like them so I thought I might as well stick them in a blog. I didn't write up much last year (no longer trips) but hope to kick things off again in 2016.

Nice. Short, sweet, well written, nice photos and cheered me up after an hour trying to figure out what airport parking and hotel to book.

Thanks for the feedback. I've emitted more word pollution on last weekends ride at Cannock Chase. Link below...
https://tinapedalturner.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/cannock-chase-conspiracy/