January done with a local roll out to the seaside gazing at the bright lights of Cowes and Portsmouth. Dry but awoke to a bank of fog. Breakfast at Stefs Kitchen as fuel for Sundays ride, 56 miles all in. 1/1
I'll add some pictures later

First for me of the year in the MTB mecca that is North Norfolk. Not the best of photos as there was a real "pea-souper" of a fog and couldn't see more than 20 yds during the night.

1 by Scud75, on Flickr[/img]

4 by Scud75, on Flickr[/img]

6 by Scud75, on Flickr[/img]

3 by Scud75, on Flickr[/img]

[img6 by Scud75, on Flickr][/img]

Dammit Scud, I was hoping for pictures of the bored housewives (walks off muttering...)

back out with the housewives on the 18th Feb to "micro-adventure"!!

They are already excited, as i missed 87 messages on my FB message group thingy overnight!

My first bike bivi and my first tick for BAM, think I need to make the ride in a little shorter next time, being a novice bivi biker my ambition exceeded my energy. The extra sticky mud at the end of the day was a real challenge. Still had a great time in an historical location with the imagined sound of phantom Roman legions marching along the Ackling Dyke, or was it just the wind blowing through trees.
Will post picture when I've work how to do it.

Just remembered I've not posted my bivvy from last week. Headed out 7 hours later than planned due to Mrs512 not arriving home from "lunch" until after 6. I left her slightly inebriated and headed for the hills on a slimmed down route, done 15 or so miles before pitching the tarp and bedding down for the night. Kept waking up thinking badgers were coming to eat me, what's that about? Had a long lie in the morning and then took the short route home. Only 22 miles covered but I've proven to myself my new down bag is warm enough so I'm happy to go further next month

Trying to beat my last attempt which failed after 10/12.

Little overnighter out in the Clwydians yesterday, bike is still in storage so this was a walking trip (hope that still counts for Bivy-a-month)…

Making use of the walking poles:-


Sadly no stilton & crackers for supper:-

Mrs dummy is away again this weekend so bam1 is next weekend or bust, I've doubts about my sleeping bag coping with the current subzero temps so I'm hoping the post Christmas funds will stretch to some malt which adds about 10deg to any bag Not sure on the plan yet but it's either local or ride until I'm lost/knackered. I love not knowing where I'm going to sleep so probably the later but north Oxfordshire is not the most inspiring place to ride, February will be back in Devon tramping around exmoor, roll on spring.
Untitled by steve norris, on Flickr

Zippy wrote:I'm in!

Right, let's have a proper crack at this (I wasn't too far out in 2016, but not quite there - which I don't mind as you do have to prioritise in life and all that jazz )

1/12

Bear Bones Winter Bivvy - Church or Chapel.


P1050263 by Chris Reeves, on Flickr

More stories / photos about it here: http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB ... =10&t=9172

83B808AB-C98C-4E54-8F20-371E98919511
Jan 18th Bivi by dorsetshirelad

It was harder to work out how to up load picture that do the bivi

Little overnighter out in the Clwydians yesterday, bike is still in storage so this was a walking trip (hope that still counts for Bivy-a-month)…

It'll count with regard to personal satisfaction / goal but not for the BaM award as the guidelines state -

4/ A bike must be involved - it's bikepacking, the clue's in the name.

Bivvy 1/12 on Sat night up near Mount Famine above Hayfield. First bike bivvy (have done some walking ones before), and first solo.
Lessons learned:

Finding a good spot in the dark is quite difficult and even the slightest slope can be a problem in a very slippery bivvy bag.
I need more practice with using bike/wheels to set up tarp (or take a pole).
I need a warmer sleeping bag. Water bottle was frozen almost solid in the morning, I wasn't much better.
Need to work out how to mount lights and bar harness so they don't argue with each other.

I might try a bothy/hut for Feb! Anyone know any Peak district ones?

Quick question Chris - what sleeping mat were you using? I found that a simple inflatable mat was fine in the summer when the ground itself wasn't so cold but once the colder months arrived I needed some insulation so got one of the Exped Synmats. Adds a surprising amount of warmth* and comfort to the night.

* OK, I know it doesn't add warmth, more correctly you don't lose it as quickly.

I used a Thermarest NeoAir. Have just looked it up and it seems to be intended for 3 season use.
Will check out the Synmat range.
Thanks for the advice.

Quite a few on here use the Neoair without problem so it might not be that (if you've the XLite then with an R-value of 3.2 it's at the bottom end of winter rated heat retention) This review http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Sleeping- ... oAir-XLite would indicate that it's good to a few degrees below freezing.

More questions:

What sleeping bag? Did you use a bivy bag or were you in a tent? Did you bivy in a frost hollow? More info the better. Water bottle almost frozen solid - was that just the neck/opening or the whole bottle? Tip - store your water bottle upside down on cold nights, any ice will form at the "top" rather than the neck.

It's one of the early NeoAir. Not sure if it's an xlite, it's a rectangular one.
I wasn't in a frost hollow. I used a small tarp and a bivvy bag. Sleeping bag - ME Classic 500. Should be ok down to -5, I don't think it was any colder than that. I wore a thin down pullover and gilet too! Maybe I'm a cold sleeper.
The water bottle was probably 50:50 water and ice.

Kit all sounds more than ample Chris. Was it a 'proper' tarp or a silly one that covers your head / chest?

The original Neoair isn't as warm as the current range of xlites

They're still good though, and were a game changer when they came out. I've slept out in mine when it's been fairly cold but haven't been particularly warm in those conditions. I last used it in the alps when sleeping on snow, had to use a foam mat underneath as I knew it had a slow puncture.

Was replaced under warranty and I upgraded to an xthem - I'm a cold sleeper so the extra warmth is welcome. The mummy cut large xtherm is the same weight as the large rectangular original neoair

1/1 with Chew in the churches and chapels ride. Found a remote hut and then the owner found us. Oops. let us stay though.

Rode to Findhorn (again) Sat, food in the Kimberly Inn (again) and camped on the beach just out of the village. Pretty cold night, -2 maybe, a good ground frost for sure. I had a neoair xlite and goLite quilt under a hexamid so was open to the cold, happy with that given it was sub 1500gm all in?
A chance to try the bar bag as a camera bag too. No movement despite an XE1 body/24mm lens, 12mm lens and grads/holder. Result. 1/12.

ChrisF: we ended up in an 'information barn' last Friday out in the Peak as we'd opted against travelling over to Wales to take part in the Winter Event; riding out from Chesterfield we weren't really sure where we were headed but had planned on bivvying out somewhere but, literally, at the last minute remembered this barn might have been open. Anyway, this is 1/12 for me and really hoping to get more adventures completed this year.

Not sure of protocol of advertising exactly where things like this barn are - any guidance folks?

Just to post mine (1/12), bivvied in a bird hide by Lake Vyrnwy with Mike, Zippy and Scattamah.

Fen wrote:Not sure of protocol of advertising exactly where things like this barn are - any guidance folks?

I wouldn't announce its whereabouts, even if you think it's just on this forum a web search for "barn on xxxx moor" will return the info and there's a chance that the facility will be locked and neither you nor anyone else would be able to use it.

Ok so we are up and running. January literally in the bag. 87 miles round trip from the New Forest out to the highest point on the Purbecks. It's a popular spot but there was not a soul around so we had a lie in. A bit frosty with a lovely clear night, including a spectacular comet around midnight. Mostly off road, and just as well as it was a foggy ride home once We were off the hills.

Thanks for the comments and advice guys. I think the kit should have been OK, but I did set up the tarp with a very open side so I could look out at the lights in the valley, and it was breezy. Maybe next time I'll use my silshelter so I'm properly enclosed.