The world of leisure biking is nothing if not creative in terms of methods to promote bikes and related bits of equipment, and two of the most well-liked new – or theoretically new – ideas are bikepacking and gravel bikes.
As with all such concepts there may be the inevitable advertising guff, however each are nonetheless fascinating, if generally misunderstood. Earlier this week, on pattern as ever, I managed each, with a four-day journey across the King Alfred’s Manner, a 218-mile primarily off-road loop by means of the lanes, tracks, woods and ridges of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex.
The path, put collectively by Biking UK and taking in elements of the Ridgeway and South Downs Manner, is extremely advisable, however what I wish to recount right here is extra the mechanics of how I and a good friend did it – and to explain the concepts behind such journeys.
What’s bikepacking? Is it simply touring rebranded?
Sure and no. Touring historically sticks to roads and includes a sturdy, road-type machine, usually with a baggage rack, even racks, and panniers. Bikepacking is equally self-supported however tends to imply lighter hundreds, with luggage linked extra on to the bike, permitting quicker speeds and higher ease on off-road routes. In fact, this isn’t a brand new thought, however it’s more and more widespread.
What bike do you employ? And what is a gravel bike, anyway?
You possibly can bikepack on any bike you need, together with a highway machine for high-speed tarmac touring. However straying too lengthy on to tough, slippery surfaces calls out for wider, grippy tyres and possibly disc brakes. Mountain bikes have, after all, had this space coated for many years. A gravel bike is maybe the love youngster of a highway bike and a mountain bike, thus a detailed cousin of the cyclocross bike. As typically marketed, a gravel bike is a drop-handlebar machine with disc brakes, clearance for wider tyres, no suspension and a comparatively forgiving journey geometry. In actuality, this could differ. For instance, the bike I rode had straight handlebars. Why? As a result of I want them.
However what’s the purpose of gravel bikes?
The purpose is to mix a number of the finest parts of highway using (a light-weight, agile, speedy bike) and mountain biking (taking to filth paths, muddy tracks, or no matter turns up). Some trendy mountain bikes, with light-weight frames and 27in wheels, cowl lots of the identical floor, metaphorically and actually. However gravel bikes are enjoyable for a purpose. Mine feels very almost as quick and agile on tarmac as a highway bike, however will confidently bounce down a rocky hillside.
What gear do you want for bikepacking?
The brief and simplistic reply is: it relies upon what you might be planning to take and the way you wish to do it. On the King Alfred’s Manner you see all kinds of options (some additionally involving mountain bikes and electric-assist mountain bikes), together with one man whose major baggage was a water-proof bag merely lashed to the seatpost of his bike. We have been tenting for a number of the journey, and so took tents, sleeping luggage and mats, together with every part else. For me this concerned a large-ish handlebar bag and an unlimited pack hooked up to the saddle, each with roll-end closing which made them – and so they have been very a lot examined on this – totally waterproof. I additionally had a small bag hooked up to the body triangle.
Can’t you simply use panniers?
In fact. And we did see some individuals with them on the route. However the bikepacking baggage idea brings a few benefits. First, it makes the assembled bike no wider than your handlebars, helpful for squeezing down hedge-fringed single-track routes. Additionally, the baggage are so tightly lashed there may be virtually no wobble, and nearly no probability of something detaching from the bike amid a teeth-chattering, faster-than-strictly-planned descent down a rocky valley. I may really feel the burden on the bike throughout climbs, however for essentially the most half it felt as balanced and nimble as if it have been unladen. I’ve ridden so much with panniers, and it’s not fairly the identical.
Can we’ve got some specifics on what you used?
My bike was a reasonably outdated carbon-framed On One cyclocross bike I beforehand used for commuting. Turning it right into a usable gravel bike simply required a longer-cage rear derailleur and a dinner-plate-sized cassette. My good friend rode a ready-made Planet X gravel bike (Planet X and On One are literally the identical South Yorkshire-based firm). My bike was £1,000 new, which for many individuals could appear an absurd sum, however within the realm of extraordinarily versatile hobbyist bikes is fairly good. We each used Panaracer GravelKing tyres, which have been glorious.
Lastly, any suggestions for the King Alfred’s Manner?
I might primarily say: permit sufficient time. Some individuals dash spherical it in three and even two days, and in the event you’re completely satisfied to try this, it might be thrilling. However keep in mind that there are lots of hills, and that a number of the tracks – notably alongside the Ridgeway and South Downs Manner – can get very slippery if it rains, necessitating a slower tempo. If I journey the route once more, and I’d like to, I’d be tempted to take 5 days, permitting extra time to cease correctly at locations alongside the best way, reminiscent of Stonehenge and Avebury.
