Grauniad article

[RIP]

For the three of us that still occasionally read 'the papers' there was an article in yesterday's Grauniad by Alf Alderson - 'Gravel Roads And True Grit'. Personally I enjoyed reading the article. I mention it here as part of our ongoing 'keeping an eye on usage/abusage of the term 'bikepacking'. Gravel biked round Abergwesyn, Tregaron, Claerwen, Teifi Pools, Rhayader etc.

Looked a lovely ride in fact, all around BBB heartland.

Alf was "bikepacking" (article's quotes not mine) with a large seatpack and small rucksack. Dunno what seatpack but close inspection of photo indicates a possible support frame. Stopped at Neuadd Arms for a pint while it was raining. Great boozer, done loads for wacky pastimes as we know.

Stayed at Y Talbot (£85 doubles) in Tregaron and Elan Valley Hotel (£75 doubles). Nice pubs too.

In the spirit of other recent threads, here's your quiz question: 'was Alf bikepacking?'.

Second quiz question: Alf rightly points out to readers that Claerwen one of the 'few' (dirt) roads where you can travel in such solitude. "Do we agree that showing the mainstream these possibilities is great because it encourages tens of thousands of them to try and get out there and experience this solitude?".

I offer these quiz questions purely to stimulate our ongoing discussions but obviously I know what all the different answers will be by now anyway and I know which words/phrases I've used that you'll pick me up on

[Bearbonesnorm]

In the spirit of other recent threads, here's your quiz question: 'was Alf bikepacking?'.

Depends on whether these were booked in advance or whether he simply chanced upon the opportunity - Stayed at Y Talbot (£85 doubles) in Tregaron and Elan Valley Hotel (£75 doubles).

Perhaps the answer is to be found in the answer to another question - was he was carrying sleeping kit - if he wasn't, then he was simply riding a bike over consecutive days.

Alf rightly points out to readers that Claerwen one of the 'few' (dirt) roads where you can travel in such solitude.

I wonder whether Alf lives in a city? Claerwen is often like a motorway. I could show Alf some proper solitude should he wish I don't see as it does any harm, after all bikepacking requires effort. It's a way of enjoying the countryside that requires much more input than the usual - 'park up, wind your window down so you can look at the view, not forgetting to throw your rubbish out the window as you drive off in search of the next spot in your book of lovely places to visit'. It's enough to put 95% of the population off.

I hope my answers are in accordance with your expectations Reg?

[psling]

#1 - he was on a bike and he had a pack. My answer though is 'No, he was not bikepacking'. Why? Because he was staying (presumably) at those fine hostelries [as an aside, have had some great lock-ins at the Neuadd in Gordon Green's days ]

#2 - the road around Claerwen and others in that area are already very well known and have been for years so I don't believe any 'secrets' are being revealed. And anyway, since when has the Grauniad been mainstream...?

Edit: there seems to be a theme growing here! (Morning Stu. Morning Reg).

[Bearbonesnorm]

Actually, I have a question ... Why is there an article about bikepacking in the paper? Is it simply latching on to a misguided belief that bikepacking is the next big thing and if they don't write about it, they'll be less relevant - after all, it appears that Alf was 'touring' in the classic sense, so could have written the exact same article at any point over the previous 30 years, or is it something else?

[RIP]

'Expectations' - yep, all present and correct thank you .

[voodoo_simon]

As mentioned in another thread, bikepacking (to me) is a mindset. Staying in hotels and having the need to use a seat pack and rucksack probably means he wasn’t in ‘that’ mindset.

Pointing out routes in a paper? Hmmm, I have a copy of lost lanes Wales, so I have no right to comment or judge on that one!

And £75 for a double, what was he drinking? 25 year old single malts...

[RIP]

('Morning Peter, knew you'd rock up pretty soon ). Here's another question then (no answers from me - it's a Sunday morning and I'm still hols unpacking between teabreaks): "would the article have been changed or read differently in any way if the single use of the single word 'bikepacking' had not been there?". That might answer one of Stuart's questions. Or might not .

PS. Re 'Grauniad, mainstream, etc' - don't worry the Sun will be in on the BP act soon - especially when I tell the about that nude bikepacking experiment that I tried a few years ago...

[Bearbonesnorm]

He spent £160 on accommodation - that could have bought, tarp, bivvy bag and sleeping bag and thus free accommodation for the foreseeable.

[psling]

after all, it appears that Alf was 'touring' in the classic sense, so could have written the exact same article at any point over the previous 30 years

And, without the benefit of seeing the photo of his bike and kit, he may well have written it anytime during the last 30 years! Newspapers have been known to regurgitate old articles when the subject matter comes on topic albeit in a slightly varied guise. I certainly vaguely remember having my interest piqued by Rough Stuff type articles in Sunday supplements way, way back.

Must be the appearance of Spring or something. We're asking some BIG questions of ourselves on here at the moment!

[RIP]

42

[pistonbroke]

Venturing off on a tangent as per, is having a lock in at the Neuadd Arms the mountainbiking equivalent of being at the IOW festival or Liveaid Wembley? I've spent a few hours in there too, usually before competing in the Beacons or Cwmowen enduros or once where I entered the Man vs Horse vs Bike only for it to be banned for bikes due to a local nimby dredging up the 19C law against racing ln bridleways. My mate from college owns the land where they run the Bog Snorkling. Gordon Green was the epitome of a genial landlord, I suspect he's snorkled his last bog by now.

[psling]

would the article have been changed or read differently in any way if the single use of the single word 'bikepacking' had not been there?

'Bikepacking' is a new word for something that people have been doing for decades. Who was the first person to use the term (probably in the us of a)? Stuart will be one of the first, if not the first, to use it over here I imagine. The word is certainly in vogue at the moment and we, as an interested party, will notice that so much more than most people will. I'm sure we've all experienced the many blank looks when we mention in conversation that "I'm off bikepacking this weekend (damn it, spellcheck doesn't even recognise the word!!).

In answer to your question Reg, I would think 90% of people (other than those already aware) won't even register the word as they read the article and dream of micro-adventures [he, he!] over their flat white

[psling]

Gordon Green was the epitome of a genial landlord, I suspect he's snorkled his last bog by now

As far as I'm aware he's still about. He moved a couple of doors down the road towards the Stoney when he sold the Neuadd Arms and was still pretty active in the town until 8 or 9 years ago.

[Bearlegged]

And £75 for a double, what was he drinking? 25 year old single malts...

Ha!

[Bearbonesnorm]

Who was the first person to use the term (probably in the us of a)?

Here's a little extract from a certain forthcoming book Peter.

The earliest reference I can find to the term 'Bikepacking' is an article published in National Geographic magazine in 1973 entitled "Bikepacking across Alaska and Canada" by Dan Burden. It chronicles a 3103 mile trip from Anchorage to Missoula, Montana. Although the route could be attempted today and would still prove a real challenge, it's doubtful that many of us would choose to use the same bikes or carry the 50lb loads attached to them that were featured in the article. While the term may have been first coined with that article, the lightweight approach we associate with bikepacking today wasn't really evident.

It's another five years before 'bikepacking' resurfaces but this time not in the US but in the UK, with a book called 'Bikepacking for beginners' by Robin Adshead. A quick flip through the pages would probably leave you thinking, it's simply a book about 'bicycle touring' as many of the pictures portray drop barred road bikes equipped with panniers and racks. However, start to dig a little deeper and you quickly realise that the author believes there's a case that bikepacking is a different beast from simply being a 'traveller by bike' as he puts it. There's a deep underlying message of self sufficiency and self reliance - no pre-booking of amenities, wild camp whenever possible, carry less by learning how to get the most from your equipment and perhaps the one thing that stands out above all else is that, taking the journey is much more important than reaching the destination … a sentiment, which I believe sits very well with todays bikepacker.

Another book written in 1982, 'Backcountry Bikepacking' by William Sanders again attempted to convey the lightweight message and even included a chapter on the use of tarps but both this and Bikepacking for beginners probably remained well below the radar of most cyclists - their messages swamped by the excesses of the 70's and 80's. Sixty years ago cycle campers understood the benefits of travelling light, just as they did at the turn of the twentieth century but sometime during the seventies cycle camping morphed into a much heavier, cumbersome activity. Sadly, the image of bloated touring bikes, buckling under multiple panniers, racks and bags is one which is still perceived as the norm by many. The next time you pack your bike with just enough to keep you comfortable and safe, knowing that you won't see home the same day, week or month, remember that you're not doing anything new, you're simply following a tradition that's as old as the bicycle itself.

[RIP]

"forthcoming" - . Looking forward to a signed one, to put next to my copy of Tramp Major presented to Mrs McIntosh of McIntosh in July 1932 .

[TheBrownDog]

taking the journey is much more important than reaching the destination

It certainly is, particularly if you don't have a destination or, perhaps more accurately, just don't know where you're going.

[Bearbonesnorm]

just don't know where you're going.

Or even care

[Laurensdad]

By whom / when was 'bikepacking' defined? Was wild camping a prerequisite?

Is it not merely a mechanism for folks to go out on bikes to ride multi day routes and experience the geography and culture of the area in a way that you can't from within a train/plane/car? the mode of accommodation is surely less important than the journey?

Bearbones represents one way / mindset of bikepacking. TLS is fun, and satisfies the gear junkie in me but getting fit enough to carry kit to make the trips enjoyable is just as important to me. Invariably bikepacking trips are holiday time so fun and enjoyment are high on my list of must haves.

Cheers Phil

[JustinF]

you have to wonder what he was lugging if hoteling it, 3 days kit without a sleep system erm, some socks, short and tops, waterproof and tools, thats a frame bag then...