How long could you do it for?

[Bearbonesnorm]

A week, a month, a year?

How long do you think you could happily bikepack for in the UK if you had no ties and no reason to stop / go home and had enough cash to get by?

[SteveM]

I reckon you could spend a year just riding and seeing the UK, as for how long I could take it ?, dunno really, longest has been two weeks but will hopefully be three months in new zealand come January

[jameso]

in the UK

About 2-3 weeks in the summer, max.

Somewhere more different ie Asia or the Americas, months, happily. Possibly years. Foreign places fascinate me these days. Why not the UK? Familiarity and contempt and all that maybe, but the more I see of other places the more I appreciate the details at home.

[Chew]

Personally one i get to about 10 days on my own i'm ready for home.

If you had the mindset you could probably do it for ever (and some do). Depends how you define bikepacking and if the 2 nights roughing it, 1 night civilized is ok?
This time of year i think i'd want to be moving south to somewhere warmer (Southern Spain/Italy) and then once it warms up head north (Scotland/Norway).

After living away and having gone travelling for a while, there was a pull to come home. If its not in Yorkshire, its not worth visiting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm6VC5gdaFA

[Bearbonesnorm]

I reckon you could spend a year just riding and seeing the UK

That's what I thought, obviously the UK isn't that big but I think there's enough corners to explore and things to see, that you could quite easily pass a year.

[slarge]

On my own, about a week. Then not talking to people would wear me down. With friends or partner, weeks and weeks. Sharing those views, moments and peace could go on for ever....

[Scattamah]

I reckon you could go for quite some time with unlimited funds. A shower or room once a week...you'd get pretty adept at finding wild camping spots/not being shot at by a farmer. Maybe cover 50 miles a day taking it easy with quite a bit of sightseeing. Start in the summer and given the right gear go all the way through to the next summer. Or start in the spring time and go through to late autumn.

Then again...you could do it like these 2 larakins for free... http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/07/31/boo ... ge-mahood/

Greetz

S.

[Ray Young]

How long do you think you could happily bikepack for in the UK if you had no ties and no reason to stop / go home and had enough cash to get by?

A year yes but going through the whole winter in Britain would be the real tester. How often and for how many nights in a row would you allow the use of paid accommodation before declaring you are no longer bike packing continuously?

[Richpips]

We sold up and went travelling (in a campervan) for a few months round Europe. The summer was ace, but the cold and wet of the winter was not.

Whilst I would happily do a couple of weeks bikepacking in winter in the UK or further afield, there's no way I would want to do much longer than that. I could manage a whole summer though.

[Ray Young]

I have had a re think and I reckon realistically it would be 8 to 9 months. I couldn't cope with the whole winter under a tent or tarp.

[Dave Barter]

For me it is all about contrast. I would be out for as long as my biking was not normality, as soon as it was I'd escape back to something else

[FLV]

probably about a week at this time of year, the dark and rain would wear me down. Summer, if the weather was generally good, a couple of months I guess.

That is, if I had nothing in particular to go home for, but I do, so I expect shorter in reality.

[FLV]

I reckon you could go for quite some time with unlimited funds. A shower or room once a week...you'd get pretty adept at finding wild camping spots/not being shot at by a farmer. Maybe cover 50 miles a day taking it easy with quite a bit of sightseeing. Start in the summer and given the right gear go all the way through to the next summer. Or start in the spring time and go through to late autumn.

Then again...you could do it like these 2 larakins for free... http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/07/31/boo ... ge-mahood/

Greetz

S.

Strange to see that!
I met ben by chance in a hostal in chamonix a couple of winters or so ago, we had a few beers together, he's a nice chap.

[jameso]

Ah, were we talking living out, no roofed accommodation etc? 2-3 weeks anywhere then, unless it was consistently warm enough to be dry mostly. If it's comfortable to be outside the majority of the time I'd still fancy my chances at a year or more : ) That's not the UK though.
I don't think you're not truly bikepacking in any way if you B+B it now and then though. Simply that there's no point carrying what we'd think of as BP gear if you were under a roof 90% of the time.

[ianfitz]

I really don't know the answer to this but would really love the opportunity to find out!

Depends on weather/temperature, terrain and company I guess. Would be a great experiment

If I 'had to ' be out for a long time I'd head to Scotland in may then trickle back south to be in the alps then Pyrenees by September, morocco for winter and then gradually back north in spring. Those migrating birds must be on to something

[Cheeky Monkey]

Part of me feels like I *should* say "oh, months and months". However, if I'm honest I doubt it'd be more than a week or two.

The potentially frugal living of bikepacking is great (to me) as something to do in contrast to "everyday" life. However, because it will be frugal in this respect you will need other things to make the experience worthwhile / pleasurable / stimulating / etc. There's some great things in the UK but I doubt the quality of riding (a laden bike) and the repeated vaguely exciting-ness of views would sustain me for much longer than the aforementioned "week or two".

Like most though, I'd love the chance to find out (or the bottle to toss it all in and do so).

Each to their own of course

[rando nomad]

So long as I'm allowed to stop in a pub once in a while, I could go for a while in the UK

I think starting in the spring and going until the late fall, I could travel through most of the UK easily. I think the winter months could be
tough with the cold and darkness, but then that is what the pub is for.

[Dave Barter]

Consider this then http://oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/ I've been working with this guy as part of some research into a long term book writing project of mine. He has finally committed to a complete year of riding.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Consider this then http://oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/ I've been working with this guy as part of some research into a long term book writing project of mine. He has finally committed to a complete year of riding.

Much respect, that's a very serious undertaking.

[Dave Barter]

Not as serious as the guy I found in 1860 who ride a penny farthing for 200 miles along American railroad tracks

[benp1]

I reckon I could do it for a couple of weeks (with someone else ideally) before I would want to go home for a bit (and I'd miss the family!)

I see it as a break from normality and love the relaxation, the change, the living at my pace etc. I love coming home and getting in the shower, and then a real bed for the night!

[jameso]

Dave, if you're daveb on stw I just mailed you re Stevens challenge and hosting.
edit, saw your reply, ta.

[Mike]

Till I get a sore ass

[Dave Barter]

3 days then ;-)

[Dave Barter]

Dave, if you're daveb on stw I just mailed you re Stevens challenge and hosting.
edit, saw your reply, ta.

You mean the davidb who has now lost the will to live. Thanks James, and all the others from here who can see through the bollocks and understand just what this bloke is about to put himself through and just how pragmatic you have to be.