6/6. I took an early mark at work so thought I'd get a proper trail ride in and packed light (for me) I was eating at the pub and planning to get home for breakfast - so just a small frame bag with my tarp and hammock, and a jacket, quilt and UQ in my bar bag, water tools and pump on my back.

I spent a couple of hours dicking about in Great Beards and Browns woods and the surrounds. If you're anywhere near the Chalfonts, there's a great network of single track in there, but go late, as it's a haven for dog walkers, and watch your front wheel, because a lot of them don't seem bothered about cleaning up their mess. Dinner was a nice ploughmans and a pint and I headed off around 9pm to find a place to hang in Hales Wood. All up, a very relaxing fun bivvy, but I really need to go further afield at some point soon.

Celebrated the shortest night with a pedal out of Sheffield and up onto the moors for a bivvy.
First time out in a hammock, and first proper outdoor test of my new 8g stove. Suffice to say the stove was hot, the hammock was chilly!


https://www.instagram.com/p/BkVuo6in1KT/

5th bivvy of the year, 4/6 months in 2018.

Nice one Landslide. Surprisingly nippy up here in our graveyard bivvy not far from you...

Finally got round to going on a "proper adventure" on my adventure bike. Went to an entire different country, Scotland, for a week of grrrravel and gwwwoar. Initially it was going to be the Wild About Argyll Trail, but two days in I realised my bike could take me anywhere and the embedded hipster gave me an urge to be different so navigation started being by pointing at things. The trail is lush and bang on for that kind of bike, I just wanted more control, more being lost and found. I had 8 punctures each one heavily mocked by the midges out in force, my own doing by a combination of expired glue, shoddy patching, and lazy re inflation. Upon hearing about those rough stuff fellas in the Alps doing it I reckoned I could lose that emergency kilo of food that I usually carry "cycling burns 500 calories an hour you know" and feast at every glimmer of civilisation. This was usually entire cakes, a bunch of bananas and can of cold tomato soup, but on a desperate late arrival to a restaurant/bar was three packets of crisps and pint of ale. Saying that the bartender did feel sorry for me after I begged the cocktail orange and saved me four boxes of food they were going to throw away. As the days wore on I felt such a genuine connection to my bike. All the problems, worries, pains, happened when I wasn't riding it. This is probably just me becoming semi competent at handling a bike after the extended time in the saddle, but it just did whatever I thought, without me thinking about it. It was not a tool, or a companion, it was an extension of myself as I conquered hills and rode forever into the distance. There was always that tipping point when up became down, my hands found the drops, and a gleeful grin wiped over my face like a kid before christmas who knows they are getting the biggest present, a long descent. Scotland really was as beautiful and serene as everyone says it is. And the midges were as bad as they say they are. My legs were mainly red and it was not sunburn. Mad to think this holiday which has definitely changed my life a bit cost about £160 including last minute trains from Birmingham. Bikepacking is absolutely brilliant. Cheers to all the daft folk on here who do daft stuff and got me from looking at bits for my #soenduro mountain bike on the classifieds to the two wheeled tramp I am today

Nice one Ben , are you out of Wales now and up Birmingham way ?

Out of Wales yeah, but I’ve got a job in the Cotswolds so am living here now

benconnolli wrote:Out of Wales yeah, but I’ve got a job in the Cotswolds so am living here now

Have a scout about mate and let me know if your about in September and I'll have a trundle down ,more beer and talk more bollox as on wrt
Cheers
Stuart

middleagedmadness wrote:

benconnolli wrote:Out of Wales yeah, but I’ve got a job in the Cotswolds so am living here now

Have a scout about mate and let me know if your about in September and I'll have a trundle down ,more beer and talk more bollox as on wrt
Cheers
Stuart

Sounds grand. Have poked my head around a bit and keep seeing potential spots and v cosy pubs. Nothing on my ideal flat field with taps round the corner from a boozer from the wrt but what is?
September is looking to be full of biking. The first week I’m doing the Torino-Nice Rally and know there has been talk of tackling the highest paved road in Europe on the last weekend with roadies from work. That still leaves the middle for vivid and bollox

Cheers Ben

Nice little toddle round the White Peak (although at times we bimbled (ta Steve) and others we trundled (ta Ian)). From Bamford straight onto the Bradwell lane climb to the gliding club, round to Eyam with a bonus diversion to Stoney Middleton chippy. Factoid: the only Grade ll listed chippy in the country. Who luckily also do good chips. And.... CREAM SODA! And.... DANDELION AND BURDOCK! I'm in heaven. Brought back down to earth when I put my salt on before my vinegar and so told that I wouldn't get a job there. Sigh. Sacked before even starting.



Thence for a couple of beers near our bivi spot. Bar lady recognised me from 1.5 years ago - "it's Chris isn't it?" - goodness knows how, I mean last time I only wittered on about bikepacking for two hours, got drunk on Absolution, and had a panda as my riding partner, and then went off to kip in the graveyard. Hardly memorable at all really. To put the assembled throng off the scent I said 'goodnight, just off to the Travelodge' as we left which probably didn't fool anybody as it's 20 miles away in Manchester. Steve didn't even let me join in the kids tug o war on the village green.



A chilly night then down to the local cafe for second breakfast and an impressive flying display as requested to the nice cafe lady:



From there many miles of ups and downs via Monsal Trail, Eyam, Hucklow, Bradwell Moor, and Pin Dale, with Steve pronouncing himself well pleased with his new suspension fork.

Met up with Ian in the pub and then bivi'd on the tops with views and midges for company.



Hopefully Steve and Ian will be along soon with some better pics including the obligatory artyfarty ones .

6/6 28/28

'Reg'

6/6-18 in a row
joined reg for a little trip to the peaks

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The village was infected by the black death and cut itself off from the outside world to prevent spread
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reg half way through his 'I'm a little teapot routine' This was outside Stoney Middleton chippy who do the best thing ever, steak and kidney pudding (NOT Pie) and chips.
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Holiday Inn BearBones style
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Views
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Not sure what Reg is thinking, probably dont want to know!

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Thanks to Reg for his up Road, down trail route planning, the peak district for its cafes and views, reg's mate who joined us and farted a lot and Ian for the bivvy spot

BigdummySteve wrote:6/6-18 in a row
joined reg for a little trip to the peaks

Still rather gutted to have missed this.

BigdummySteve wrote:reg's mate who joined us and farted a lot

Maybe not this bit though.

'Next time' Landslide chap..

"Not sure what Reg is thinking" - me neither but that's my normal state really. Probably expecting the Dambusters over the reservoir.. (getting confused with the squadron leader cafe lady probably... nice Lancaster missus...)

Good to meet you Ian - we can try the 'grassy knoll' next time. Hopefully Lee Harvey won't be there too. Jealous of that Zpacks .

"Don't panic! We've got cake!" - yet another sticker right there methinks .

RIP wrote:'Next time' Landslide chap..

"Not sure what Reg is thinking" - me neither but that's my normal state really.

Actually come to think of it we’ve covered this before, It’s FAR away

RIP wrote:... nice Lancaster missus...).

I was going to say ‘nice Bristol’s ‘ but of course the Blenheim was TWIN engine

Cath and I went for a rather warm ride up to the north west part of the Dales. We ended up bivvying close to the Water Cut sculpture near the north end of the Pennine Bridleway with Wild Boar Fell across the other side of the valley as a backdrop



And in the morning



So that's 6/6 for us.

Calling Mr Fitz ... looking forward to the 'subtle lighting' pix Ian if they came out ok?

I’ve just put some here - https://instagram.com/p/BkfjfKRBel-/

Ta Ian

Ventured out last night, only 6 miles, but to a spot on the moors where I hoped there would be no midges... there weren't, a lovely breeze, everywhere bone dry

As it's part of one of my regular rides I'd already susssed out where I could get water, nearby, and it was good, clear, running water... draining off a lot of moor, so nowhere near drying up.

It hardly went dark, and I lay in till 7 ish, and could see a road about a mile away, and the worker ants on their way to making sure an honest day's work was done...
(but as an old tramp you do wonder whether there isn't a better way... !!! )

IMG_2428 by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_2426 by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_2425 by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

Didn't feel like leaving this morning, so lay about drinking tea, and enjoying the view

9 out of 6 so far

RIP wrote:Ta Ian

Noworries. Although they are much grainier when viewed nor on a phone screen.

Loving that "hidden in plain sight" spot Eric - an underrated technique .

(PS. 9 out of 6? Impressive stuff, nothing like "bivvying-ahead" )

Re: Bivvy a month 2018.
Post by RIP » Tue Jun 26, 2018 7:26 pm
Loving that "hidden in plain sight" spot Eric - an underrated technique .

(PS. 9 out of 6? Impressive stuff, nothing like "bivvying-ahead" )

It’s very rare I see anyone here, even during the day, so a lot less so evening...
No need for stealth, it’s nearly as remote as the Borders !

RIP wrote:
(PS. 9 out of 6? Impressive stuff, nothing like "bivvying-ahead" )

Had to do it.......
https://g.co/kgs/a71td3

"Gonna wave my freak flag high". Yet another sticker for me please.

RIP wrote:"Gonna wave my freak flag high". Yet another sticker for me please.

You don't really need a sticker. The headgear normally gives it away.