You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
We are currently away in France and my 4.5year old has been doing some pretty epic rides every day, to get to and from the climbing areas... (not being pushed at all, he’s raring to go every day)
We have been talking about bikepacking, when we get home and he’s pretty psyched on the idea...
I’m after some ideas for, wild, locations with 20+ mile loops, that we could break into two days riding with a wild camp in the middle.
Off road/gravel and relatively flat, or with long gentle climbs.
We are based in the south west but happy to travel.
Everywhere I can think of would be too climby
Any ideas or gpx’s of routes would be very helpful.
Thetford Forest/Brecklands and Peddars Way or Suffolk Sandling Walk or Coastal Path (with bridleways detours obvs).
Check out Cass Gilbert’s instagram (whileoutriding), he’s done some in Purbecks and recently rode the Velodyssee (nice and flat!).
Cheers, I’ll check those out. Thanks
Sout West based, so lots of nice countryside around there - why not just ride to a good camp spot in a wood the right distance from home then ride back vi an alternative route next day? Teach him that there's good stuff on your doorstep if you look for it?
You may be able to include a few hills if you're prepared to stick a bungy cord on his bars and give him a bit of assistance.
How about some of the South Peak old railway line trails? Pretty flat for the most part, maybe start at Middleton Top and see how far you get?
PS Don't start at Cromford!
In sw , have a look at mineral tramway
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/mineral-tramways-coast-to-coast
And try to add a bit to Truro/ malpas etc as you could add a bike on boat ferry with the river to the route
See also https://www.visitdartmoor.co.uk/things-to-do/the-granite-way-cycle-route-p250623
Also Tarka trail braunton to Torrington ?
Ace suggestions cheers... peak option is a good one, I grew up 4 miles from Middleton top and nan and grandad still live there, so added bonus for the boy...
He has already ridden the granite way and tarka many times (from trailer to solo) so after something a bit more remote... mineral way is a great option though!
Might practice the bungee assist when we get into the alps, think he will need it then if he wants to keep riding each day.
Any alpine flat trails anyone knows of, while we are out here?
We are heading to aosta and ecrins for a few weeks...
Can't think of much flat ground in the Ecrin/Aosta area, but it's stunning there. Prob is bikes are banned in the Ecrins NP as you prob know. There is a good open track from the lower Izoard area, on other side of the river from the road climb out of Briancon, that gets you to a popular camping lake? Bit of climbing but nothing dramatic.
There's a good long straight + flat track in the Cotswolds, an old byway. Name escapes me now. Will post when remembered.
me and my then 7 year old did a two day trip across dartmoor a few years back. we parked in princetown and rode down to burrator reservoir and and wild camped over night just below sheep tor. second day was across the dam and back up to princetown following the old railway line. day two was a bit of a slog with it being a combination of uphill, and being quite exposed to the wind but a great weekend out and not too taxing .
Jameso, yep apart from bombing around the campsite in ailefroide, I think the boys biking will be limited in the ecrins...
I think I know the Lake you mean and have a feeling I may find something in the vanoise... if you remember the byway name, that would be great, I was thinking Cotswolds or north Dorset may offer some gold.
Smehrlich, I know the very route, I run it quite often, the decent to burator is a bit gnar for the boy at the moment but one to bank for a year or twos time
Jack Thurston posted a link to a Devon Coast2Coast ride earlier on. Devon C2C
Looks like a very good route and mainly on the Tarka trail and old rail lines.