Just replied to a post and noticed is was exactly 6 years ago today that I joined the Bear Bones forum.. [Joined:Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:11 am]
6 years! Which is how long l have been bikepacking for.. Does that make me old school yet?

How long ago did you discover bikepacking?

PS: This is a similar experience to how I usually discover it is my wedding anniversary: last minute and too late to pretend it wasn't by chance..

What's your name and what year were you born mate?

In Reverse - Name is Seventy Two, born in the year of Simon...

Started strapping camping gear on the bike in 2012. Joined the community here in 2014. Still feel new to it all.

Greetz

S.

simon72 wrote:In Reverse - Name is Seventy Two, born in the year of Simon...

Excellent. Well happy anniversary to you

I think I graduated from offroad touring after a lady in a bikeshop told me I should start going to Stuart's events.

I should start going to Stuart's events.

....... and riding them backwards

Started way back after reading about some guys riding in the Himalayas in MBUK in the early 90's
Bolted a Blackburn rack onto my Clockwork and the rest is history

simon72 wrote:
How long ago did you discover bikepacking?

Coming up to my 30th year of bikepacking. First mountain bike bought 10th September 1988 - first trip (with sleeping bag and mat by bike - no panniers - off-road) November 1988 to "wildcamp" as the term is used now, in Ynyslas dunes.

Joined here Nov 15, proceeded to go on the Scottish Winter Bivvy the next month, no idea why I kept doing it after that missearble night but I did and I'vce bivvied out every month since! Love the forum and the fact it showed me I wasn't the only weirdo that liked cycling around the hills camping!

For me it was the summer of 92. Finished uni, yet to have a job, just seen an article in MBUK about 2 guys riding down the GR5. Had plans to go to chamonix anyway so why not take the bike? Took the euroexpress to Geneva and biked south on my kona explosif (well discovered major hike a bike) along the GR5 with everything in a rucksack, wild camping along the way. Somewhere since then I lost the ability to just simply pack and head out without overthinking the whole thing - kit, route, where I’ll get food etc. So to comfirm I still had it in me, I did the TdeMB last year for my 50th year. Being back in the alps with my bike 25years on and now ‘bike packing’ had a nice symmetry about it. The first trip was very much fuelled by confidence of youth and the second by confidence from experience. Had a fantastic time. Doing the WRT for the first time last year reminded me of that simple ‘just ride and see where you end’ up approach of my younger days. So Stu a big thanks for creating such a great event.

RichinNW wrote:For me it was the summer of 92. Finished uni, yet to have a job, just seen an article in MBUK about 2 guys riding down the GR5. Had plans to go to chamonix anyway so why not take the bike? Took the euroexpress to Geneva and biked south on my kona explosif (well discovered major hike a bike) along the GR5 with everything in a rucksack, wild camping along the way. Somewhere since then I lost the ability to just simply pack and head out without overthinking the whole thing - kit, route, where I’ll get food etc. So to comfirm I still had it in me, I did the TdeMB last year for my 50th year. Being back in the alps with my bike 25years on and now ‘bike packing’ had a nice symmetry about it. The first trip was very much fuelled by confidence of youth and the second by confidence from experience. Had a fantastic time. Doing the WRT for the first time last year reminded me of that simple ‘just ride and see where you end’ up approach of my younger days. So Stu a big thanks for creating such a great event.

Good and inspiring read that