[Closed] Where to go for first gravel ride / bike packing?

Epping forest via the river Lea? 😉

Yep that's certainly an option, thought it might be nice to go a bit further afield though!

I can point you at some great spots in the Peak, but not really anything that would be a massive amount of fun on a cross bike, to be honest.

No reason to drive...

I'm riding down to Surrey Hills on Saturday and staying in a little campsite overnight.

Will ride back through the Hurtwood on Sunday.

Easy 25mile each way (I live in Twickenham)  - probably about 35-40% road TBH, but less hassle than driving anywhere...

Train Euston to Berkhamsted, ride from east end of Ridgeway on that, some lanes and other gravel-ish tracks to other end, back next day on similar route? 165 miles I think. Got gps.

Try the L2B offroad route down to the SDW then turn right towards winchester, go as far as you fancy. Loads of places to tuck yourself away for the night and plenty of villages with pubs and cafes to drop off the hill to.

jimdubleyou

Subscriber
No reason to drive…

I’m riding down to Surrey Hills on Saturday and staying in a little campsite overnight.

Will ride back through the Hurtwood on Sunday.

Easy 25mile each way (I live in Twickenham) – probably about 35-40% road TBH, but less hassle than driving anywhere…

Hmmm. Did you ride FNRTTC to Whitstable?
It was very cold at the 'little campsite' last Saturday night.

Downslink to Steyning and pick up the South Downs Way. Head west and pick up the Shipwrights Way to Bentley, or from Winchester, there's various small roads bridleways that will connect you to the end of the Basingstoke Canal at Greywell - towpath all the way back to London. Easy to get from Bentley to Basingstoke Canal too. Whilst the SDW track itself is busy in daytime, you only need to venture a 100m or so either side and you'll be pretty isolated - particularly heading west towards Winchester. I've encountered folks bivvying up there in the middle of the night right. Harting Down on a clear night is a great spot.

Duane...

...I am based in London...

Get the sleeper from Euston to Inverness. Leaves in evening, sleep on train, and you're in Inverness early morning.

Now you have the entire Highlands to roam, and you can go anywhere.

(Or you could get off at Aviemore - I've heard there may be some good stuff around there... 🙂 )

aP from Isleworth?

Will be taking the thermals 🙂

Have a good weekend. We need to ride out from the TW sometime.

Norfolk.

It'll be so dull it'll make gravel riding seem interesting.

As jimdoubleyou has said its quite easy to ride out into the Surrey Hills. We did it last weekend. We stayed at a little campsite and went to the local pub for what turned out to be a pretty good evening meal. 3.5 hours out, 3 hours back. Perfect S24O.

@Nobeerinthefridge.

I challenge you to come to Norfolk with a gravel bike and i'll show you that it isn't as flat as people think and people don't have six fingers, when was the last time you cycled here, or are you just going for stereotypical prejudices?

Whatever the plan, give yourself some bail options if you find it tougher going than you think, or you get hijacked by neck/shoulder pain, get bored or just start hating it. Long, highland routes with limited bailouts would be bold if you've not ridden that distance on the bike before.

Given you haven't done any bikepacking before I'd do a quick overnighter close to home first so you know how to set up your bivy system in the dark, come across any faults/misunderstandings/etc. without being too committed - if it all goes pear shaped you can just pack up and head home.

Also 80 miles a day off-road is a lot especially if you aren't used to riding a loaded bike. Easter weekend my wife and I did the southern loop and a bit of the HT550, riding steadily rather than racing but we are used to long distance riding. We carried sleeping kit along with food and fuel for three night's camping. Our daily distances were 95km, 95km, 125km, 60km. We had one cafe stop each of the first two days, two on the third and none on the fourth. We were riding from about 7/8am to dusk each day apart from the last day (Glen Nevis to Tyndrum on the WHW) when we finished at 5pm.

Two years ago I raced the HT550, my daily distances were 170km, 200km, 120km, 120km & 260km (a twenty seven hour day). That's racing not touring and apart from stopping for food I was riding dawn to dusk.

OK, not everywhere is like the Highlands but I'd cut your intended mileage back significantly or rather don't have a "target" just have a rough idea of where you like to head towards and see how things go. Take note of the weather - you don't want to be riding back to the start into a block headwind.

Train to Hungerford, Berkshire then minor road up to Combe Gibbet where the Wayfarer's Walk trail starts. Stonking views all around, Watership Down territory too. Follow all the way (tiny section where you can't ride but easy road alternative) to New Alresford. Minor roads to Winchester for London-bound train.

I challenge you to come to Norfolk with a gravel bike and i’ll show you that it isn’t as flat as people think and people don’t have six fingers, when was the last time you cycled here, or are you just going for stereotypical prejudices?

I lived in Norfolk for 14 years and cycled for most of those. I go back on a regular basis cycling everything from the Fens to the amusingly named Cromer ridge.

I can confirm that it is actually, flat as ****. All of it! With the exception of the bits falling into the sea.

Pedders way might be a shout having said that.

Can’t recall if that’s a bridle way or not. Must be 20 years since I rode it. Then pick a mix of tracks and back roads back to the start. Plenty of pub grub and cafes about.

I was going to recommends Peddars but hard to recommend somewhere someone else states is dull as hell, i'm not a Norfolk native, but have loved here 6 years now and there is some good gravel riding to be had, i live in Breckland area and it is rolling round here not pan flat like Fens

Plus i'd be happy to show OP around and recommend some bivi spots too