WRT - Scary? Unappealing?

[Polisherman]

It's bloody ace, don't change 'owt Stu!

[nedrapier]

I've zero interest in HaB as type 2 fun. I don't think that providing a route, rather than have riders having to spend ages looking over maps to decide a suitable route through an area they don't know

Forcing people to plot their own course means they might come back quite a few times, still believing that the HaB was a result of their route choice and navigation, rather than simply Mid Wales.

[psling]

D'you know, with all the talk of HaB - I've done a handful of WRTs now, I'm a pootler rather than a racer and I usually only cover 100km or so over the event. I can only recall one occasion of (unrideable) hike a bike in all that time.
[On the other hand, the Winter Event has seen me what feels like armpit deep in bog on more than one occasion!]

[JohnClimber]

For me part of the fun of any ride or hiking trip is the planning of it. Maps, blogs, strava heat maps, google aerials, geograph, advice on here. Great for slack times at work too

Before the www I spent hours as a kid with maps(and sadly even borrowing them for a very long time from the library ) and peaces of string measuring routes and using Naismith's rule. Am I just a weirdo nerd??

I think this could be another problem, the majority of us fall into a bracket where we enjoyed the Scouts and Geography at school, we now love looking over paper maps, and now the internet adds another dimension to our planning "fun".....

The youth of today (I believe) were never taught to read a map, they are happy to follow green, blue, red or even black arrows through forests and go to events where there are marshals, First Aid'ers and mechanics on hand at food stops, with arrows at every open gate and junction pointing there where to turn.
They would never have gone out to "build dens" instead they play on playstations (other consoles are available so I'm told) staring at the gogglebox.

Will bike packing die out as we die off? I guess it will.

[nedrapier]

all the talk of HaB

I'm just joining in, really!

Not done a WRT, first event was Winter this year. I was riding with an old(ish) hand, so the route we started with was mostly well known and rideable, and when we checked the time and our enthusiasm levels at the windfarm, we ditched the "exploratory" route and opted for the track. The only other bit of walking was on a couple of steep tracks which would have been perfectly rideable with more gears, fresher legs or lighter bikes.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Will bike packing die out as we die off? I guess it will.

I think there's hope John. I received an email from someone asking to join the forum this morning - here's an extract. It makes me happy.

I am 22 and my bike is 25. It is a lovely mat grey Orange Clockwork with a pair of forest green Karrimor panniers for carrying luggage. All passed down from my Grandad now unable to ride.

[Ray Young]

There seems to be a few comments refering to the idea that some people are "not prepared to" or are "not confident enough" to set their own routes because it may involve hab or may just not be a very enjoyable route. Do these same people then only attend trail centres or do routes set out in guide books. If that's the case then I feel rather sad for them. Making up routes then discovering what they're like is half the fun.

[ScotRoutes]

Some folk need to realise that there are shades of grey. I know it's not intentional but this thread is coming over a bit elitist.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Some folk need to realise that there are shades of grey.

Many shades Colin but I did think how well balanced a post it was with many different ideas and points of view expressed?

[Oli.vert]

Certainly you could look at it as elitist, or you could look at it as simply setting the bar higher than low to medium.

I'm not sure there's anything wrong with that. When you come to look at it, the WRT is one of the simplest forms of events, start at a set location and time, ride wherever and as far as you like with the intention of returning at some point the next day or so, and have a laugh. There's even some cryptic clues given for those that like a puzzle as to good riding and camping spots (sorry, I can't bring myself to use the b word). Nothing elitist about that.

Do you know how to pitch up for the night? You do? Great.
Can you use a map? You can? Bonus!

And really, that's as high as the bar is set. It's not all that high really.

I think I'm talking myself into signing up.

[benconnolli]

Hey! Millennial yuppie using a hand me down bike here.
Nobody has taught me how to use a map. I am rubbish at it. I embrace this and don’t see everyone’s obsession with planning a perfect route. On microadventures I will pick whichever way the wind is going, ehhh that bridal way looks nice and nobly, there is a sign for a pub let’s go there. I am carrying my bed and kitchen so am free to go where I please. At the end of it all I either retrace my tracks if they are interesting, ask a local, or follow signs to a railway station and hop on home. The unknown is where the adventure is for me. You are only lost if you don’t whant to be where you are. Possibly I miss some great riding, or waste my energy on roads not suited to the bike, but bikepacking is about the freedom to roam. I will make some kind of plan for this WRT, take a map with the checkpoint things pencilled on then probably ignore it anyway and ride where my heart or marginally better organised riding buddy takes me.

[windjammer]

Bikepacking is (by my experience) still growing as a thing. I have another mate already keen to do BAM2018 and a few more keen to join us once the weather matches their kit.

As for the WRT, 2 things.

(a) it's a helluva long way away for me.

(b) (and this might be controversial) I've actually no idea what the format is. Maybe that's because it is very informal, but I've never read enough (based on (a) ?) to make it any clearer.

i travel from hull to wales if you can get to a train station on a friday tea time near manchester or birmingham i can pick you up and drop you back on the monday

[windjammer]

I have signed up for this year and I'm wildly excited about it.

I actually have no idea what it is or how it works.... off to have a butchers.



Ok, well that didn't take long.... I'm none the wiser.

See you there.

Day one
Arrive
Talk rubbish about bikes
Drink tea, eat cake, eat bacon roll
Raffle
Ride around 13:00
Later, camp and sleep

Day two (Sunday)
Ride
Eat
Camp
Sleep
* order to be decided on the day

Day three (Monday)
Ride (to BBT)
Talk rubbish about bikes
Drink more tea, eat more cake, hopefully eat more bacon rolls.
Pack up
Depart

Day Four
Frighten the life out of the wife when she wakes up next to a tramplike looking fella.
Try to find any moving parts on your bike that`s caked in Welsh mud and sheep doings.
Keep grinning at memories of a great weekend!

day five
spend a load of wonga on new stuff you saw other people using at the weekend and thought i need that

[windjammer]

Could we get grid points earlier?
Gives more time to plan

{genuine} Really, is a month not long enough?

david got loads of gadgets to upload the routes,and a weather phone called darksky,i was in the same splinter group

[psling]

by benconnolli » Mon Feb 19, 2018 5:47 pm
Hey! Millennial yuppie using a hand me down bike here.
Nobody has taught me how to use a map. I am rubbish at it. I embrace this and don’t see everyone’s obsession with planning a perfect route. On microadventures...

Uh oh! He said "microadventures". Stone him!

Welcome to the forum. A sense of humour will overcome any adversity

[Mbnut]

simply setting the bar higher than low to medium

There's going to be a bar?? Set it where you like, make sure there's cider and gin to cater for my on trend dietary requirements and stuff the route, I'm for getting hammered in a field.

Warming up to this now.

[Moder-dye]

Bunny hop the bar with a loaded bike competition! Handicaps based on weigh-in results

[RIP]

Good on you Ben(?), what an excellent first post.

[Asposium]

Could we get grid points earlier?
Gives more time to plan

{genuine} Really, is a month not long enough?

david got loads of gadgets to upload the routes,and a weather phone called darksky,i was in the same splinter group

the weather gadget is the Garmin inReach Explorer+
very handy feature of the inReach

[MarkW]

I think the format is great as is.
I think if you want to attract new riders it needs more advertising.
The first year I attended I knew nothing. I did it alone. I had super noodles, a method stove I couldn't figure out how to use, a sleeping bag only suitable for the tropics. I got lost on a mountain top in the cloud after misreading my map. I had far too much heavy gear. I also forgot my fork. I was pretty miserable. Somehow I chose to attend again but luckily joined the LHC.

The LHC helped me into bikepacking. I learnt a lot from Chew and the gang about gear, route planning, where the facilities (pubs/shops) are, as well as being quite care free about sticking to the route and schedule, oh and the sense of humour helps.

So for the newbies I think this sort of thing is really good. The downside of this is if it becomes an officially a guided group there's probably a lot of red tape (insurance and what-not)

[PeterC]

Well the WRT is what it is and that is why I am looking forward to my first. However, I do have a bit of experience in the outdoors and although I have never done a Trailquest I do get the format having a few Mountain Marathons under my belt. After a few of those my favourite opion became the Long Score event, knowing that the clock is ticking whilst you are trying to plan as high a scoring route as you are capable of within a pre defined time limit is quite good for focusing the mind I do understand though why some entrants may feel a little overwhelmed by it all as the ways in to bikepacking are many and varied, for example, I guess there are probably some who may have done their "apprenticeship" by riding in trail centres (must visit one soon) and no doubt their technical skills will be way greater than mine and maybe there is scope for some sort of events similar to the WRT, but "lite" to encourage them. (I remember once out sea kayaking with a lad who was an accomplished WW kayaker but in a lumpy sea a few miles offshore he was decidedly nervous, no riverbank you see.)

Anyway, I guess I could turn up and do a route of my own, on my own, but my reason for entering the WRT is to get a bit of company, as all of my cycling in the last three years (and associated bivvy,camp etc) have been solo. The idea of a bar meal, a beer or two in good company before weaving our way to a bivvy spot is very appealing.
My only concern? Well, I've never cycled in Wales (or England) and I think it will be a bit of a learning curve getting my head round the technicalities of access,. I would also like to visit a bothy or two but I think they good be quite busy that weekend

ps Only ever used paper maps, seriously thinking that it's time to get one of these new fangled gadgets.
PPS. I see at least three posts above where the posters hint at a more leisurely approach, sounds good to me, perhaps the making of the LHC S&S group? Slow and steady but get there in the end

[johnnystorm]

FWIW Map reading is still on the Geography syllabus here, up until a couple of years ago OS used to give us a local map for every new 11 year old that joined the school, but alas no more.

I've just bought a dozen new laminated ones and 20 compasses for this year's new d of e cohort.

[PaulB2]

We've not even got onto what bike should we use and most importantly what tyres?

[Ray Young]

and most importantly what tyres?

Or more importantly, what pressure to run them?

[Oli.vert]

We've not even got onto what bike should we use and most importantly what tyres?

That's probably a new thread.

"A WRT virgin asks"