on your bike !

using the lockdown to sort some comp filles out - and this morning is - sort all the pics and vids from the cycle camping trips i did last spring // summer // autumn

the details are private - but synopsis - several trips ranging from 245 km in 2 days with just one camp ] - to 590 km in 4 full days + with 4 camps

all with exclusivly or largely " off highway travel "

and almost always " wild camping " - with hammock and tarp or inflate mat + bivvy bag

carrying everything needed for entire trip - except water

i use a ruggedised touring bike - with full panier set - but full suspension mountain bikes can be fitted with smaller pannier sets - both from and read - they have a lot lower weight limits - but far better terrain handling

of course - there is terrain that no bike can cope with - esp if loaded

but there again - over flat even trerrain - i was getting 30kph easily - and sustainable

needs no fuel - just keep yourself fed // hydrated

almost as quitet as a " on foot " in many terrains

low profile - not much bigger than you if laid flat to hide

and obviously - faster and less tiring over many terrain types - and the weight of gear - is on the tyres - not your hips

so - bikes - for novement - not the solution for every one - and every situation

but in the right instance - as i said - 245 km in 2 days

consider .....................

a reply to: ignorant_ape

The details are private - but synopsis - several trips ranging from 245 km in 2 days with just one camp ] - to 590 km in 4 full days + with 4 camps

Impressive.

It's amazing what we can do when put our minds to it.

I used to bicycle to get to work at a camp ground about 6 miles from home. The cycling and physical labor at the park kept me in great shape. The last year I worked there I put a Grubee Skyhawk motorized bicycle kit on a bike, it is the lower powered motor kit and gets 20-25mph and around 100 miles to a gallon of gas/oil mix. Dangerous and fun as hell to ride, I haven't been riding on my own human power since.

I intend to pedal cycle on a regular basis as it is low impact exercise and gets you around faster and farther than walking. It is also silent and requires less maintenance than the motorized bicycle, plus it's a cool looking cruiser style bike. The fat tire bikes are big around here, pretty expensive though.

Stealth camping is something I want to do, much like what you describe, except you camp in areas you may not have permission to. Set up at dark and leave before first light, leave little trace of your presence. Probably necessary to stealth camp now with the state wide shut downs and parks being closed. Good practice to do anyway.

I started into mountain biking last summer. This is something I desperately want to do. I've been shopping racks and trunks on Amazon.

I'm looking at an Ibera trunk with a 19l capacity. I think that and a smallish backpack would do me for an overnight.

a reply to: ignorant_ape

Good for you!!
My round trips are usually 120 kms and it still kills me but I can't not do it....life is made for living right??




Here is one with a shelter we built, bikes are at the entrance.


The hardest one I did was 100kms there and back in under 24 hrs, so 200kms in under 24 hrs, we ended up with guns shoved in our face by the Quebec fuzz.
We were competing...the first to complain and whine loses, was hard not to complain after you see guns and cops. LOL