Canvas Based Adventures
After a couple of years of “credit-card bike-packing” e.g. travelling overnight by bike, but taking the soft option of staying in hotels, I got curious enough about proper camping bike-packing to invest in a tent and give it a go.
I have done some camping in the past and always enjoyed it. Waking up outside, in a grassy field, woken by the birds is pretty special, however I also really enjoy riding to a Premier Inn, knowing there is a bath tub and king sized bed waiting for me at the end of a long day in the saddle. I didn’t want to go crazy investing a ton of money into something I might not want to continue, however to even do one night you have to buy a certain amount of stuff.
The kit I have bought is a NatureHike Cloud-up one person tent from Amazon at £87. I splashed out on a Thermarest down sleeping bag and sleeping mat. I bought the tiniest camping stove ever, with a super light titanium pot and 100g gas canister. My favourite purchase is my bike-matching purple titanium spork which cost £4.50.
I decided to camping in the New Forest for my first trip. I chose a campsite on the edge of the National Park in Ashurst, because it looked good and was close to home so I could ride down after work on Friday.
I packed the bike the night before. Apidura is my absolute favourite luggage range, I have tried Topeak and ProDiscover bags, and much prefer Apidura. I already own the smallest saddle pack, the smallest frame bag and the brilliant new top tube bolt-on bag. For this trip I also bought the handlebar bag. I watched many, many YouTube videos on the best way to carry everything and put the new tent inner, outer and ground sheet in the handlebar bag, sleeping bag stuffed (without the stuff bag) in the saddle pack, along with clothes, puffy jacket and the cooking stuff. In the frame bag I put all the other necessary bits: pump, battery packs and cables, first aid kit, wash stuff, tent pegs, mini lock etc. The top tube bag is mostly reserved for snacks! While having the smallest GR20 frame (IMHO) looks awesome, it definitely does limit the size of bags and therefore the amount of stuff I can carry, and sadly I couldn’t fit everything in and needed an overspill rucksack, which had the sleeping mat and food in. I strapped the tent poles on the top of my saddle pack.
I cycled down at 6pm and arrived at 7pm, it was the first time I have ridden the GR20 with so much extra weight, the bike definitely felt quite different, I also loath riding with a rucksack. There was a headwind and I had done a full day on my feet at work (with bike commutes either end) and it felt hard! When I arrived at the campsite the super-friendly check staff said that would get an automatic refund of half the price because I arrived on bike, which was lovely! I found a spot and set up camp, the tent is super easy to put up, the sleeping mat was inflated and sleeping bag unpacked. It all looked very cosy. The staff at the campsite said that there had been bike thefts and offered to lock my bike away in their alarmed shed, which I did.
I ate a pack of refried beans in burritos (though had to share with a visiting Ian), using the fab little stove and was ready to settle down. Overnight the sleeping bag was lovely and warm and the sleeping pad comfy. I enjoyed the noise of owls, some creature munching just outside and the birds waking up at dawn.
In the morning I used my little stove to make a (surprisingly delicious) instant coffee and porridge breakfast. I waited for Ian to come down to go for an all day off-road forest ride.
Leaving the campsite, we had a great day, doing a 58 mile mostly off-road ride, both of us feeling very lucky we have the New Forest so close to us. The day was pretty long and we bought pizzas from Ashurst to take back to the campsite for dinner. Ian left shortly afterwards and I definitely was more than a little jealous that he was going home to a bed in a house! However the campsite showers were clean and hot, and I really enjoyed reading a book on my Kindle on my phone being that tucked up in my cosy tent and sleeping bag.
The next morning I unzipped the tent to be greeting by a stunning blue sky, surrounded by wild ponies, as I brewed up my coffee I realised I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I think this was the moment I decided this was for me, and I couldn’t wait to go further afield.
I was only 12 miles from home, but I took the long way home, going deeper into the forest off-road before heading home on a 40 mile ride, with a fully loaded bike. The bike felt great today off-road and on, I enjoyed the satisfaction of knowing I was carrying everything I needed.
Going forward there are some changes I will make. I have ordered a larger saddle pack and also some fork bags, plus an add on bag that goes on the handlebar bag, with all these additions I shouldn’t need the rucksack.
I think that Premier Inn bike packing is brilliant, having an hour long bath and watching Brian Cox on BBC2 from a king-sized bed after a epic ride to somewhere new is priceless. But, knowing that I’m carrying everything on my bike that I need to eat, sleep and generally survive is a whole different experience, and I can’t wait to plan some new canvas based adventures.
