Cambrian Gravel Challenge ....

[godivatrailrider]

Apologies if this has been posted already ... popped up in my FB feed..
https://www.bagman.website/cambrian-challenge/


"90km each day of fully supported on-and-off road riding in the wildest and most beautiful part of the UK

2 nights wild camping with the essentials provided for

Live music, beer and dancing indoors at one of Wales' best secret venues!

Tents transferred on your behalf so you can ride unencumbered"

Am I missing something? ..wild camping .... but fully supported and tents xferred ... Live music....

[sean_iow]

Well if they're going to transfer my tent for me I'll bring my posh one

[fatbikephil]

No fuss are doing a similar format for the across Scotland grovel ride. 'Wild' camping = not in a campsite in this context....
Probably good fun if you are social, like riding in groups and can't be arsed plotting your own route. I'm neither of the first two and sometimes in the third category so not for me
Quite a bit cheaper than that cross Greenland challenge

[RIP]

"This is not a race - it's a state of mind!". Aye, well fair enough, nice tagline, and looks quite jolly and fun in itself albeit probably not aimed at the likes of us riff-raff. Always interesting to compare and contrast these things with our own beloved WRT.

However, I sometimes think that the word "challenge" is over-used.... I'm sure its context is in there somewhere but it's not immediately obvious to a jaded old fart like Reg.

[Lazarus]

. across Scotland grovel ride.

Long days in the saddle apologising to everyone for being a mug dangling fire starter

[Bearbonesnorm]

I do sometimes wonder what constitutes bikepacking but I suppose we're all different in our approach. Personally, if I'm not carrying whatever I need to stop at any point in time, then I don't think of it as bikepacking.

I quizzed a chap on the internet the other day who described a day ride as 'bikepacking'. In my mind spending the night 'out' is an integral part but in his mind, the fact he had bags on his bike qualified?

I'm sure life used to be simple.

[Lazarus]

It's surely a fusion of the words bike and camping so you need to camp it's not bikebagging

I don't consider not carrying your gear to be allowable and arriving at a camp site is touring at best
Your thinks being portaged is simply just being soft

[RIP]

I don't consider not carrying your gear to be allowable and arriving at a camp site is touring at best
Your thinks being portaged is simply just being soft

Indeed, hence my comment about "challenge". Maybe Cambrian Gravel Glamping might be a nicer label?

[jameso]

Your thinks being portaged is simply just being soft

Could it be that you just don't feel like riding a heavy bike or don't have the kit but enjoy the campsite aspects? Not about 'soft' but just a choice?
If you don't ride much then it will be a challenge. Hoping to get a mate of mine up to doing something like this or the TCW with B+Bs this year, same thing really, it'll be good. In fact I'll send him the link to this (And ask Sean about tent hire)

..£145 though. The Crikey, how much Pennine Rally is also £150, 600km route for 3-5 days. Not saying it's not worth the £, just more than I'm happy to pay. So to be clear, I generally carry my kit and bivi because I'm tight, not any non-softness

[Bearbonesnorm]

ould it be that you just don't feel like riding a heavy bike or don't have the kit but enjoy the campsite aspects? Not about 'soft' but just a choice?
If you don't ride much then it will be a challenge. Hoping to get a mate of mine up to doing something like this or the TCW with B+Bs this year, same thing really, it'll be good. In fact I'll send him the link to this (And ask Sean about tent hire)

I agree with the above and recall the very enjoyable trip to the Highlands with the Pinnacle team a few years ago. I wrote at the time that it was something of a halfway house and smoothed the sharp edges - a good introduction for people new to multi-day bike travel. However, I did make a distinction between it and what I'd consider to be bikepacking.

I recall a time when the collective industry largely distanced themselves from the term 'bikepacking' and looked for any other label to describe their products or activities. Times have changed and the term is now much more acceptable* and I assume somewhat 'on trend**" meaning that some have a desire for association even if what they do doesn't really fit the original criteria.


*the wrong word but I'm sure you know what I mean

**what a horrible term that is

[jameso]

However, I did make a distinction between it and what I'd consider to be bikepacking.

One I agree with, it was an intro to what it could be like with easier kip + eat options. 'Smoothed-off edges', I like that.

The terms have got mixed and confused haven't they. Bikepacking as a google search term was rising over the years and trending term gets used by anyone with an interest in SEO. Next thing you know 'bikepacking' is attached to anything remotely related to bike touring and it becomes diluted.

Edit -to add - https://trends.google.com/trends/explor ... ikepacking - google search trend over the years, rises around 2017-18 onwards