Looking at Landslide's post, I reckon BearBoners will be as identifiable by Outdry jackets as much as the BB shirts.

September BaM (yes it is October now, but I’m rubbish with months and haven’t had any WiFi)
This month was odd in that bikepacking developed from a hobby into my means for survival.

The first week was incredible riding the TNR. Slept in some cool places, saw some big hills, great trip. I would be quite satisfied if stays as the best trip of my life as long as I live. That good.

I got back to England and had sort of got my months and weeks all mixed up while my head was in the clouds. I had given notice in the filthy hippy house/ commune but the place I was planning on moving into was not available until mid October. Turns out that is what 13.10.18 means, nothing to do with September. Daft twig! It had came. I was as two wheeled tramp as I ever would be.

I fitted my life into four panniers and travelled to work every morning with all my worldly possessions (apart from the multiple bikes and general stuff hoarded at my parents house but shhhh). I managed two nights of this properly in the woods like an actual homeless person before “moving in” to a campsite.

I was desperately hassling any estate agent I could to sort a roof over my head. It is incredibly inconvenient them only being open during working hours, when I was busy during those same working hours, working, surprisingly. I tried to tell myself it was an extension of the holiday, and I was drifting back into dull reality, but sitting under a tarp on your own listening to incessant drizzle every evening is proper rubbish.

After a week of this alternative lifestyle I finally found somewhere. It was empty. It was close enough to work. It had a roof. It had a bike shed*!!!! It was ideal. I practically bit off the estate agents hand as I swallowed up this life ring. Three days and far too much paperwork later I had the keys.

It is sort of nice to know that I can fend for myself if needed, but this whole fiasco has put me off the whole romance of ditches for a while.

*cupboard under the stairs

9/9
the trip started with a drive from High Wycombe to oxford to see Joan Armatrading with various family members, then off to Winchester where i kipped in the back of the car for an early start.

cold start


After the frosty start the weather turned glorious





just after this bridge i found a little fly fishing place where they fired up the grill for bacon and coffee much needed! https://www.meonsprings.com/fishing.html



We're all individuals!.......IM NOT!







Somewhere around here i left the trail and popped into Worthing to catch up with an old friend.....13 years...micro brewery...mini night club.....it was very late when i left.
I was offered a bed but as i spent the previous night in the car i needed a BAM. Eventually i wobbled my way back to the trail and haphazardly pitched my tent in a little field. when i finally awoke much later than planned i could just make out the roof of a house over the slight rise.....yes it was a large garden
hasty retreat beaten

An attractive lady of the running clan informed me that this particular hill is known as the 'relentless bas*ard'




Nearly there


Made it



110 miles with my diversion and over 12000ft of climbing, its a tougher route than i expected but flows, highly recommended, waters easier to find than on the ridge way and there are some screaming downhills, down into Queen Elizabeth country park was fun and got a round of applause

normally this is where the story ends but life had other ideas...
I began to feel a little off half an hour into the train journey, then all hell let loose i spent the next hour kneeling on the floor of the train bog being violently sick , eventually i poked my head out long enough to ask the guard when we’d get to Winchester, "you must have got on the 18:35 rather than the 18:38, they both say Portsmouth harbour but this one doesn't go to Winchester". I jumped off the train at the next stop, petersfield which was deserted on a Sunday night, Phones dead eventually a managed to beg someone to call me a taxi, although by this time an ambulance would have done. Thankfully i made it to cheesefoot head without running up a cleaning bill
the rest of the journey home was a bit of a blur, screeching into laybys on the A34
Spent Monday and Tues in bed just as ill, whatever i picked up its a game of two half's....After a short intermission we changed ends

Roll on October

It rained all night last night on my October bivi a month
10/10 done and the 31st in a row.
Only a local one but they all count





But the sun was out for the following beach ride

Still going well for my #biviaweek
Last night
43342693_10156880803626474_3992372792568840192_o by Richard Munro, on Flickr
Last week
42852909_10156864212051474_2654798398955192320_o by Richard Munro, on Flickr
2 weeks ago
42218121_10156845199376474_4832138374674382848_o by Richard Munro, on Flickr

The "bike wheels to prop tarp" ploy - don't see that often at the moment .

RIP wrote:The "bike wheels to prop tarp" ploy - don't see that often at the moment .

Here ya go..

All three set ups #2 by metalheart-UK, on Flickr

RIP wrote:The "bike wheels to prop tarp" ploy - don't see that often at the moment .

Rich's favoured method

Top night out in every respect. Train a bit late due to leaves on the line - to make matters worse they were still attached to the tree.....

Gig was brilliant.

20181012_222644

Industrial estate a bit bleak so found a spot in the woods next to it. Very composty ground but 6" Ti V pegs stolen from my tarp setup worked a treat. Seriously impressed with those even at an apparently flimsy 9g each. Windy night but Ok. Up at 7am to a beautiful sunrise, fed, packed and gone in 36 minutes. Eleven drops of 'rain' as I left. Gawd I feel a right fraud compared to what's presumably going on 200 miles west. Still, at least I'm out there.

20181013_070959

20181013_072425

Oh and I picked up and took away 2 cans and 3 bottles. Think I might start a new website LeaveLESSTrace.org .

10/10 32/32

'Reg'

Not sold on the tent though I'm afraid - FAR less room to move around for the weight than a tarp, can't see out, false sense of 'security', messier to pack up than a rectangle of tarp, more 'intrusive' etc etc. So, tent for the Xmas bivi then....

You would have been glad of the tent 200 miles further west !!

Even more glad of a pub probably .

Reg, been meaning to ask. What's with the tent then? You'll be asking for a go in one of my hammocks next.

Hi Tim, yes, erm, I've absolutely no idea why the tent! I was reaching out for the tarp in the loft, when some strange force seemed to grab my hand and swerved it towards the tent. Powerless I was, powerless. As to why, all suggestions gratefully received. I'll be drinking mineral water next. I worry myself sometimes.

Blowing a gale until 1:30am...

IMG_2564 by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_2565 by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

Damage caused by the fires:
IMG_2568 by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_2567 by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

Didn't bother with an early morning dip

the lake up on Winter hill sort of off the shooting huts descent/climb?

On the way to Whimberry Hill, north of Gilligants Farm

October done. I nearly baled as my son has my warmer sleeping bag, but I figured my quilt would be fine if I layered up a bit with a jacket, and indeed it was. I rode out from home, followed the Misbourne River (not that there's much of a river anymore) up through Amersham and Hyde Heath, then picked my way on various bridleways and lanes up around Chesham before turning east and heading back through Ley Hill and Flaunden to end up at Chenies.

It was a whole 23 miles at an average speed of not very fast at all, but it was getting dark, I felt like a feed, and the Bedford Arms do great burgers. After dinner it was just a 10 minute ride to a spot on the footpath that runs down the back of Chenies Manor. It's a busy path, but it was late, dark and cold and I was going to be up early, so I didn't mind that it was a bit exposed. Had a quiet night and was packed and gone before the sun came up, riding straight home for breakfast.

Well a last minute , lets get out there moment with it being such a nice Saturday. Local spin (10miles) out to the coastal pine woods for a chilled evening with a bottle of Hoopers Dandelion and Burdock, good company and an early morning ride home along the beach. 10/10

Hoopers Dandelion and Burdock

Is this what you actually took or has Stu been mucking about with the swear feature again?

Whisky

Beer

Maybe not then

Cheeky Monkey wrote:

Hoopers Dandelion and Burdock

Is this what you actually took or has Stu been mucking about with the swear feature again?

Whisky

Beer

Maybe not then

Ha Ha - what an ace idea!!!

Octobers b.a.m was a bit different normally I ride down to meet scott at the clee or longmynd a few pints and off up the hill ,due to family constraints I finally did a local one ,now I have done 8 out of 10 this year but this was my first solo so come 7 oclock last night it was time to pull on my big boy trousers and wipe away the snot bubbles .After a "will you hurry up and f''k off" off the wife I was out ,it took a little less time than I had thought so had found my spot and set up by 9.After a cheeky 1/2 bottle of wine I drifted off to be woken about 4 by the rain lashing down (good job I had taken tarp set up instructions off my young fella) woke again at 630 and didn't want to move but its quite a busy area where I had pitched and didn't want some old doddery fella with his dog giving out to me so I packed up and headed home ,all in all not quite as enjoyable as when im out with company but still it was a night out
,there were no pigmen I wasn't attacked by the cannock werewolf and more to my disappointment I wasn't kidnapped by any doggers
IMG_20181026_045850 by Stuart Dean, on FlickrIMG_20181025_205453 by Stuart Dean, on Flickr

Impressive erection there Stu mate! I find it's always a pleasure impressing any passing dogger walkers with your prowess isn't it? In fact often some of them stop and marvel at it. And if it stays up all night without collapsing at an unfortunate moment so much the better obviously.

RIP wrote:Impressive erection there Stu mate! I find it's always a pleasure impressing any passing dogger walkers with your prowess isn't it? In fact often some of them stop and marvel at it. And if it stays up all night without collapsing at an unfortunate moment so much the better obviously.

All night reg ,think I'm getting to that age where it takes all night instead of doing it all night

I've had a hard day and now I'm amusing myself trying to work out where on Cannock you dossed simply from the silhouette of the terrain in the first piccie. No, don't tell me, don't tell me.. tip of the tongue.. er.. erm....

Don't think I've clocked your tarp before... what ya packin' there chap?