heading upmarket

[Mariner]

Apparently a new craze is sweeping the cycling world called bikepacking.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wellbeing/fi ... ing-craze/
Could get crowded out there this summer but come autumn I expect a load of gear 'for sale only used once'.

[cyclingtiger]

Long live the great british pursuit of buying all the gear, trying something once and the flogging the gear on ebay and never talking about it again.

[Bearbonesnorm]

An informative insight into the world of bikepacking or a shameless PR exercise to shift some books to people who think 'adventure' is foregoing Waitrose for Sainsburys once a year? ... the decision is yours, as they used to say on some quiz show who's name I can't remember.

[Dave Barter]

I wish I had his publisher. That book has been pushed everywhere!

[Bearbonesnorm]

I wish I had his publisher.

I wish I had a publisher.

[Ian]

There's a big piece in the Sunday Times too, also by LMcJ.

First time Wildcat Gear has hit the broadsheets too!

[JackT]

I wish I had his publisher. That book has been pushed everywhere!

I do have his publisher (Wild Things publish my Lost Lanes books). My friend Dan Start set up Wild Things off the back of his successes with the Wild Swimming books that he wrote, which were published initially by another author-turned-publisher Punk, whose own success was built on its founder Jonathan Knight's Cool Camping book. Both Punk and Wild Things are very much cottage industries, run by one or two people that publish a small handful of titles each year. They are at completely the other end of the publishing scale from the Penguins, Random Houses etc.

As they have close to no marketing budget their success depends on bringing out books that get major coverage in the travel pages and the glossy lifestyle magazines, or if possible, TV like the One Show. To achieve this the subject of the book has to coincide with an almost indefinable zeitgeist, that makes commissioning editors think "oh this looks like the latest thing, lets commission a big feature on it". This means that they have to make the activity look accessible and pleasurable, presenting the very best side of it, and not scaring people off. A lot depends on the energy the author himself/herself is willing to put in to hawking the book around prior to publication. What makes something of the zeitgeist is hard to define, and I know Wild Things and Punk have had an equal share of sank without trace books as big hits - and they didn't really know which would be which to begin with. But in determining what does succeed, more often than not, there's a significant under-the-radar community already doing it, the successful book is merely the dolphin that happens to leap above the waves.

What I can say about Wild Things titles is that all the books are all written by enthusiasts, who are definitely not doing it for the money (writing these kinds of books is definitely a below minimum wage activity) but because they want to produce a book that captures their love for... camping, swimming outdoors, running up mountains, visiting ruins, cycle touring, bikepacking, staying in bothies, whatever the subject of the book is.

Everyone should make their own opinion of these books, on whether they paint an accurate representation of an activity, whether they're useful or not, inspirational or not. But I'm certain one thing they're not is shameless PR exercises. With regard to Bikepacking, the photographs in the book are amazing, collecting some of the best UK bikepacking photography by the likes of Cass Gilbert. It really makes you want to go out and do it. Whether it's enough to bring a whole raft of new people in, to convince espresso supping roadies to embrace fat tyres and Nescafe in a bivvy bag, who knows. The barriers to entry to Bikepacking both in terms of kit and more importantly, moral fibre and a sense of initiative, are more than for something like wild swimming, where you just have to take off your clothes and jump in a river. I suspect the biggest impact of the book will be to encourage people to go for a simple S24O (short ride, overnight bike camp out, whatever you want to call it) rather than a multi day trip.

I wish the book success. Even if it becomes a bestseller I doubt the trails will suddenly be chock full of new bikepackers. There's enough space for everyone.

[FlyingFox]

I'm glad that bikepacking is being pushed out a bit more, and that small publishers are allowing authors to get a book written, it's nice to have something on the bookshelf to read when I can't get out myself!

[Bearbonesnorm]

Whether it's enough to bring a whole raft of new people in, to convince espresso supping roadies to embrace fat tyres and Nescafe in a bivvy bag, who knows. The barriers to entry to Bikepacking both in terms of kit and more importantly, moral fibre and a sense of initiative, are more than for something like wild swimming, where you just have to take off your clothes and jump in a river. I suspect the biggest impact of the book will be to encourage people to go for a simple S24O (little ride out, overnight bike camp out, whatever you want to call it) rather than a multi day trip.

I actually believe the book does a very good job with regard to the above and probably will be enough to persuade some people to give it a go (out of over a hundred photographs, there's only one that depicts rain). It contains limited technical information but does contain thirty different routes, although only seven are located above Manchester, with 3 in Scotland and 3 in Wales ... maybe that's a good indicator as to the target market?

Everyone should make their own opinion of these books, on whether they paint an accurate representation of an activity, whether they're useful or not, inspirational or not. But I'm certain one thing they're not is shameless PR exercises.

I don't recall that anyone said they were. I was personally referring to the piece in the Telegraph, which really is a poorly disguised PR exercise. I think I'd genuinely struggle to write a piece about bikepacking within the UK and not mention any established events, recognised routes or give any other points for future reference other than the book ... perhaps the readership of the Telegraph would have been better served had the piece been presented as a book review?

I wish the book success.

Me too ... there'll even be a discount code in this weeks newsletter for people who would like to buy a copy.

[ctznsmith]

If being successful is gaining a tiny slice in a rigged game then good luck to them.

Personally I'd rather not dumb down the content or reduce the realism of the account in order to shift units.

It's all very well saying I need to create or harness this 'trend' to make a living but your actions make more money in the long run for the established companies which bolsters their position. The environmental impact of fleeting consumption based on a trend where people buy something because the media tells them they need to and then dispose of it when something new comes along shouldn't also be ignored (although it does mean cheap secondhand kit).

Support, nuture and create independent alternatives, don't go begging at the table for scraps.

(As for calling your capitalist enterprise 'Punk'... )

[Mart]

[quote="JackT"]to convince espresso supping roadies to embrace fat tyres and Nescafe in a bivvy bagquote]

I'm no roadie, but I'm sticking with the espressos

[JackT]

I was personally referring to the piece in the Telegraph, which really is a poorly disguised PR exercise. I think I'd genuinely struggle to write a piece about bikepacking within the UK and not mention any established events, recognised routes or give any other points for future reference other than the book ... perhaps the readership of the Telegraph would have been better served had the piece been presented as a book review?

The way this works is that you (the author/publisher) offer the newspaper some of the content from the book (an extract, some of the routes), almost always for free, in exchange for some positive exposure. Newspapers are looking for free material, people selling stuff want to get their stuff seen. That the Telegraph actually sent out a journo to meet Laurence and go for ride is a bonus.

[GregMay]

Stu - if you need copy editing done - fire it my way. Happy to do it for you. May be able to give some advice on the publishing side too.

[JackT]

I'd see Stu as being the perfect person to write the bikepacking equivalent of Ronald Turbull's The Book of the Bivvy. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Bivvy-Ron ... 1852845619 In other words, a witty, insightful cult classic, by someone who's been there and done it a thousand times, that tells it like it is and stands the test of time.

[whitestone]

Just delivered this very moment from Amazon. Can't comment/review as I'm at wor

[sean_iow]

....people who think 'adventure' is foregoing Waitrose for Sainsburys once a year? ... the decision is yours, as they used to say on some quiz show who's name I can't remember.

Stu might be onto something here as I saw this in the entrance of my local Sainsburys this weekend



I assume they left their bike outside in the bike rack as taking a bike into a supermarket is frowned upon

Sean

[Farawayvisions]

I've lost track of the number of pitches to magazines and newspapers that fall into a black hole - Bikepacking? I had a nibble a few weeks ago for the bike blog in The Guardian, but after being told they had no budget in this section, for freelancers, (seriously) I moved on and wrote something more serious for Guardian's Opinion, something sensible for a magazine and something more sensational for The Mail.

I was interviewed about wild camping for The Sunday Times (Irish edition), but the piece was 'edited' to make me seem a bit more... shall we say feminine.

I'm glad to see bikepacking hit the papers, it's a great opportunity for everyone who writes about the subject (with honesty and passion).

[Single Speed George]

I wish the book success. Even if it becomes a bestseller I doubt the trails will suddenly be chock full of new bikepackers. There's enough space for everyone.

ye but as soon as things become popular someone will try and make money from it look at fell running (proper sport ) vs trail running (expensive and lycra filled ) etc etc but ye allways good to get people outdoors, i just live in / near the lakes so get a bit fed up of all the tourists parking everywher and clogging up the local trails all summer, and no i dont work in hospitalty so no benifit hahahaha

[Single Speed George]

I'd see Stu as being the perfect person to write the bikepacking equivalent of Ronald Turbull's The Book of the Bivvy. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Bivvy-Ron ... 1852845619 In other words, a witty, insightful cult classic, by someone who's been there and done it a thousand times, that tells it like it is and stands the test of time.

someone should do a book like these guys do for skiing, telemark , and backpacking for us they are amazing https://www.amazon.co.uk/Really-Backcou ... 0762745851

[cyclingtiger]

Really?

Because this is the sort of level I'd like to see a bikepacking book pitched at.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Never-Wipe-You ... 1484007840

[Richard G]

I'd see Stu as being the perfect person to write the bikepacking equivalent of Ronald Turbull's The Book of the Bivvy. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Bivvy-Ron ... 1852845619 In other words, a witty, insightful cult classic, by someone who's been there and done it a thousand times, that tells it like it is and stands the test of time.

Bought that yesterday and started reading it last night. Good stuff.

Still couldn't convince me to do it though...

[Alpinum]

Attention, hijack!

[...]
I was interviewed about wild camping for The Sunday Times (Irish edition), but the piece was 'edited' to make me seem a bit more... shall we say feminine.

[...].

Reminds me of a fellow GDT hiker and her issues with "feminine":
http://www.walkingwithwired.com/2015/09 ... issed.html
http://www.walkingwithwired.com/2015/09 ... -back.html

but then
http://www.walkingwithwired.com/2015/10 ... ature.html

anyhow, always good to read about stuff we enjoy doing, but better (for me) is to read about stuff that's new to us

I'd see Stu as being the perfect person to write the bikepacking equivalent of Ronald Turbull's The Book of the Bivvy. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Bivvy-Ron ... 1852845619 In other words, a witty, insightful cult classic, by someone who's been there and done it a thousand times, that tells it like it is and stands the test of time.

someone should do a book like these guys do for skiing, telemark , and backpacking for us they are amazing https://www.amazon.co.uk/Really-Backcou ... 0762745851

George, just a blind shot; you might be happy reading http://www.mountaineersbooks.org/Extrem ... -P137.aspx (if you don't already know it) and then the logic concequence is: http://www.mountaineersbooks.org/Climbi ... -P260.aspx. It does work. You will end up organising your own alpine style expedition to uncharted places

[jameso]

George, just a blind shot; you might be happy reading http://www.mountaineersbooks.org/Extrem ... -P137.aspx (if you don't already know it) and then the logic concequence is: http://www.mountaineersbooks.org/Climbi ... -P260.aspx. It does work. You will end up organising your own alpine style expedition to uncharted places

Mark Twight's book is a worthwhile read. 'Motivational' .. extreme for sure. I think most bikepacker/tourers can learn from climbing. Or, I did, despite being a bumbling amateur climber who didn't get up very much. Overloading, timing, knowing what you can do vs what you hope you can do .. etc. We already do a lot of things in a similar way, it's just that climbing tests commitment more than being on a bike is likely to unless you're in the Idita or something similarly risky.

Back to summer camping and beer-packing eh : )

[ddraver]

Attention, hijack!

[...]
I was interviewed about wild camping for The Sunday Times (Irish edition), but the piece was 'edited' to make me seem a bit more... shall we say feminine.

[...].

Reminds me of a fellow GDT hiker and her issues with "feminine":
http://www.walkingwithwired.com/2015/09 ... issed.html
http://www.walkingwithwired.com/2015/09 ... -back.html

but then
http://www.walkingwithwired.com/2015/10 ... ature.html

anyhow, always good to read about stuff we enjoy doing, but better (for me) is to read about stuff that's new to us

They re interesting those articles. Without wanting to start a discussion which can get somewhat political, if you re a woman tempted to get into bike/backpacking (or something similar) are those sorts of things about how to pee, how to worry about make-up etc some of the blockers in your path? Even, boring old me get's ask how I go number 2 when I'm out and I ve been on day walks with girls who had mascarra in their rucksack.

The reality is that can be a big deal for some women and the attitudes above of "just don't" doesnt help.

I see what she means, but she is already a superhiker. The issue is trying to get women who don't already get out, to get out

[Bearbonesnorm]

Sometimes, just persuading women to have a wee outside can be quite difficult

However, I do think there's a 'price of admission' that comes with certain activities and some people won't be willing to cough up. Activities shouldn't be dumbed down or sanitised for those who won't pay the price ... because that path leads to glamping*


* I understand that many people won't agree with this point of view. Obviously people are entitled to others ... even if they are wrong