How do you support the (adopted) local economy?

[benconnolli]

I morally support the concept of helping out local communities when passing through, but do not necessarily want to buy what they are selling. I quite like the anticipation of preparing my riding snacks, and cooking in nice outsidey places as well as sleeping there, which pretty much cuts off any streams of income to the towns I pass through.

Recently my bikepacking has been local to me, so I have been helping my local economy out from home, but I was wondering if other people consider this at all and what they do about it?

[ScotRoutes]

Isn't that what pubs are for?

[woodsmith]

I do sometimes feel guilty about not pumping much money into the local economy of places that I pass through on the bike but I much prefer to wild camp and cook my own food in camp. Sometimes local businesses don't make it all that easy to support them either. Being routinely charged £12 - £15 for 3 square metres of grass or being asked to pay £10 for a medium gas can of stove fuel soon gets old. The way we travel with the minimum of luggage weight and volume means I,m not going to load myself down with hand crafted woolens or driftwood patio furniture.
When travelling in Turkey the picture was very different with kebabs for a quid each and a night in a 3star hotel for a tenner and many grocery shops being independantly run rather than part of a chain.

[Richpips]

I buy cooked food and more importantly beer at every opportunity when on my travels.

Having said that the places need to be open to take my money, which in the current situation isn't always the case.

[ScotRoutes]

I buy cooked food and more importantly beer at every opportunity when on my travels.

Having said that the places need to be open to take my money, which in the current situation isn't always the case.

Stopping at cafes, pubs etc is also a great way to meet the locals, find out how they tick, what their concerns are etc. For me, that's an essential part of my journey.

And yes, it's perfectly understandable that may of the places I might routinely travel through are currently not available.

[TheBrownDog]

I inevitably leave something at home and have to buy it locally (like those new sunglasses a few weeks ago ... ) Pubs n cafes for food n drink too, though I also like cooking where I camp, especially for breakfast. And every so often, an opportunity arises to add something extra.

I was touring the Cotswolds a few years ago and on my last day stopped for lunch at a posh pub which had some paintings by local artists for sale. This caught me eye so I bought it. It was far too big to strap to my rack so the landlord wrapped it in a sack and made a sort of sling out of hay bale twine, and off I wobbled with it strapped over my back. Thankfully it was only a few miles back to the train station and the sidewinds weren't too bad.

[RIP]

Stopping at cafes, pubs etc is also a great way to meet the locals, find out how they tick, what their concerns are etc. For me, that's an essential part of my journey.

Ditto. I'm buying things but at the same time gaining interaction. Of course many of us bikepack for the solitude and total self-sufficiency, but there's no reason not to have the best of both worlds. You also gain kindnesses and stories from buying and interacting. For me, there's no story in solitarily brewing some noodles and watching yet another sunset.

I once stopped off (solo, unsupported, blah...) for a quick half somewhere (yes MaM, honest. Well ok..er..) and ended up staying six hours, meeting an amazing cross-section of society, eating the world's best vegeburger, being invited to kip on the village green under my tarp in the snow, and finally being brought a quilt and pillow at midnight by a very nice local lady.

So yes, forget 'buying things', you're buying a treasure trove of stories.

OK, be 'self-sufficient' (really? you must have acquired it from somewhere!) but however small it is do something.

It's just not very easy at the moment.

[RIP]

This caught me eye so I bought it. It was far too big to strap to my rack so the landlord wrapped it in a sack and made a sort of sling out of hay bale twine, and off I wobbled with it strapped over my back.

See, there's a fab story right there! (do the two bovines 'represent' anything here Tim or am I being too deep )

If you bring food and drink to make your own meals, buy it when you get there instead - I believe everyone on the planet gets food from somewhere nearby? Might not be what you're used to, but swap that for a story.

[Cheeky Monkey]

You are the Yin to my Yang Reg (me being rather an antisocial bugger)

[RIP]

Absolutely, each to their own Mr Yang (or are you Mr Ying?) .

I like solo stuff too by the way .

If Ben will forgive me for widening the discussion a little, and sorry to labour the point, but why is bringing/buying everything from home and strapping it to a bike and riding totally alone for 3-x days regarded as being 'self-supported' / 'self-sufficient' etc, but riding around and acquiring/buying stuff locally isn't? OK, an exception might be a pure 'unsupported' race but that's not an everyday occurence. I can see that not allowing a fellow rider to help you fix a puncture or find your way is in the Rules, so presumably a shop is also excluded, but again that's not everyday.

[RIP]

me being rather an antisocial bugger

2642 posts says otherwise

[Bearbonesnorm]

I love calling in at shops, cafes, pubs, petrol stations etc. I find it breaks a ride up, it's a good excuse for a quick breather to gather your thoughts and even if there's nothing I 'actually' want, I'll never refuse a brew ... and cake ... and a hand knitted hat with ear-flaps.

[Borderer]

When I was a kid we used to go on camping holidays and my mum would take every meal with us in tins or packets. Even at a young age I knew that this was diminishing our enjoyment of travelling. The rare times I was allowed a fresh Cornish pasty or whatever from a takeaway were the highlights of the trip.

So now we always try to eat local wherever we are. This is a lot easier outside of the UK, where prices are much cheaper, but still can be done. Generally now it is poverty that restricts what we get to eat or where we go, which I find frustrating. Last year after cycling to Toronto we weren't able to go up the CN tower as it was just too expensive and we literally didn't have enough in the bank. I have to admit that in spite of being a Tory govt policy, Eat Out to Help Out really scored very highly in this house. It was like being a rich person. We could go out and eat whatever we wanted. The boy could have pudding. And a drink that wasn't tap water! We quite deliberately went on a long cycle trip at that time to really max that out, and we really, really enjoyed it.

Maybe after the second wave they will have another EO2HO and we will ride off and stuff our faces again.

[jameso]

Good Q. On my last trip I was looking at the pile of plastic wrappers from a Tesco Metro dinner and seeing what was wrong. I've never really got out of that 'gas station raid' mentality with getting food on solo trips - tend to go to places I know will have what I need. But that's too often a big-name supermarket. Or when it's a local independent shop (always use indy businesses where there's a choice) the food is still plastic-wrapped and packaged. Same goes for general household shopping. A separate-ish issue though.

France always seems easier to stop in locally-owned cafes and patisseries. I guess the answer in the UK is pubs for dinner but that pub dinner time is often one of the two best times to be riding, in the low evening sun. I'd generally eat at 5ish then ride until a bit after dark and eat a bit more at a bivi spot. Also happy to camp out early - but still, relies on having food at the bivi. Pub stops on my solo rides are often when passing one after 9pm and feeling like 'one for the road' and a snack, good to have time not being too solo mentality or reclusive. If it's a social ride then it's pub stop most evenings for food, why not.

I guess all in all my riding isn't really that much of interest to local economies. Though having said that I have happily spent >30Euro / £30 on a nice dinner on consecutive nights, seeing the bivi and the other £4 dinner nights as a saving and it being a cheap holiday overall.

[ton]

i never take any food with me whilst away cycling.
one of my reasons to cycle and cycle tour, is to visit as many pubs, and cafes as possible, and to try as many local beers to the area that i am visiting.
paying £12 for a pint of local ale in Norway last year is testament to this.......................

and Lochinver is also a vaguely exciting place to cycle to for lunch.

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[Shewie]

Normally I’d stock up in local shops if backpacking, but biking is new to me this year so need to sample the pubs and cafes in the valleys.

I did get the feeling that outsiders weren’t very welcome when I visited a pub in N Wales a few months ago, understandable though.

[RIP]

I'll never refuse a brew ... and cake ... and a hand knitted hat with ear-flaps.

Once went into Staylittle Stores for a brew and supplies. Nice chit chat etc. Departed after a while to The Star. Felt a bit heavier for some reason. Oh. Seems I'd acquired a large bright red stuffed Welsh dragon for no apparent reason. Naturally (s)he accompanied me round the whole WRT perched on my helmet. Now resident in Stu's workshop I believe.

So yeah, stuff happens when you go local even if you didn't mean it to .

[holdsteady]

love to find a local independent bakery or chippy rather than use Greggs, chain fast food places or Supermarket sandwiches when on my travels. I tend to only carry snacks with me unless going somewhere really remote.

My friend's retired parents have a campervan and annually drive down to southern Spain for about a month and take loads of cans of baked beans and other food from home to reduce expenditure and they were offended to discover that they were dismissively referred to as "nosebaggers" for doing this and not contributing much to the local economy, My friend recently called me a nosebagger for taking my own snacks to the cinema and not paying £80 for a 1/4 of their pick'n'mix.

[hanuman]

i never take any food with me whilst away cycling.
one of my reasons to cycle and cycle tour, is to visit as many pubs, and cafes as possible, and to try as many local beers to the area that i am visiting.
paying £12 for a pint of local ale in Norway last year is testament to this.......................

and Lochinver is also a vaguely exciting place to cycle to for lunch.

IMG_20201002_141053.jpg

Those pies look immense