Bikepacking Adventure - Everything you need to know!
Have you booked or thinking about booking our two day, one night bikepacking adventure in the Cotswolds? If so, here’s all the information you need! We’ll be covering
Destination
Cycling Experience
Fitness
Equipment
Logistics
Itinerary & Distances
Camping
Bathroom Facilities
Health & Safety
Weather
Food
Luggage & Packing
DESTINATION
We will be cycling through the Cotswold hills around Bath, where the variety of terrain - from country lanes on rolling green hills, to woodland tracks, to bridleways between distinctive local yellow limestone villages and rocky by-ways - makes mountain biking one of the best ways to discover the area.
This is an overnight expedition style adventure, so we'll be carrying everything we need with us on our bikes, and sleeping overnight in the great outdoors, under a tarp! Aside from the awesome riding, we’ll have the opportunity to stop for tea, cake and beer, to chat around the campfire and to see the sunrise from our sleeping bags.
The terrain is hilly, so be prepared to dig deep!
CYCLING EXPERIENCE
Gutsy Girls is all about getting out of your comfort zone in a supportive environment, but for your enjoyment we do ask that you are realistic in your suitability for this adventure. You do not need to have mountain biked before but do need to be able to ride a bike confidently (e.g. on roads with traffic and on canal tow paths etc) and be willing to ride on a variety of terrain. We will help you build your off road skills!
The guests who have enjoyed this trip most do not necessarily identify as "cyclists" (no lycra needed!), but are people who might enjoy a bike ride fairly regularly, or perhaps commute a couple of miles each way to work a few times a week, alongside having a good base level of fitness. Other guests who have thrived on this trip have been fairly fit through other exercise and are confident cyclists despite not being regular ones. Be prepared to dig deep for some of the hills!
If you aren't quite sure about your experience level, please drop us an email and we can advise.
FITNESS
We will be cycling for 6-8 hours for two consecutive days on undulating and varied terrain, so a good base level of fitness and stamina is required. If you exercise (gym, swim, run, spin etc) two or three times a week, and have a little bit of resilience for the hills, you’ll be fine for this adventure! Depending on the route, we will be covering 35-55 km per day with about 600 metres of vertical climbing.
EQUIPMENT
Bikes and bikepacking luggage are all provided for you. This is high quality kit, perfectly suited to this adventure.
USING YOUR OWN BIKE
If you want to use your own mountain bike please let us know as soon as possible (including the make and model and size of your bike). We need to make sure it is suitable for the terrain and that the bikepacking luggage fits; if it does not meet our requirements you will be required to use our bikes.
If you do bring your bike, we will need to do a safety check on your bike on arrival, so please arrive 20 minutes earlier to allow us time to do this.
Please note we do not provide any reduction in price for those bringing their own bike.
You can also bring your own helmet if you prefer to use your own, but good quality ones will be provided if not.
LOGISTICS
WHATSAPP GROUP We will create a WhatsApp group for your group which you can use to plan any travel together if you wish!
ARRIVAL
Meeting Time: 9.00 am
Meeting Location:
Bath Outdoors
Unit 8 Broadway Court
Miles Street
Bath
BA2 4HX
The shop (Bath Outdoors) is about an 8 minute walk from the train station in Bath. If you are struggling to find the shop head for the corner of Miles Street and Excelsior Street. You will then find yourself standing opposite Broadway Court (units under the railway arches). Bath Outdoors is the end unit.
If you drive, there isn’t parking on site, but there are paid car parks near the train station.
DEPARTURE
We should be back at the shop in Bath by about 4 - 5 pm on the second day, and we will need to unpack, repack our own bags, and return all our bikepacking gear before leaving the shop. You should be free to leave at about 5 pm, but this does depend a bit on the speed of the group. Please make sure you book flexible travel tickets.
ITINERARY & DISTANCES
We don’t publish an exact itinerary as we have various different routes and campsites and these change depending on the season, conditions, and group. As a guide:
We’ll be cycling between 35 and 55 km on both days.
The terrain is varied - roads with traffic (minimal), smaller country roads, canal tow paths, dedicated cycle paths on disused railways, and narrow, rocky or muddy bridleways through woods, across fields and through farms.
There will be quite a few hills - this is the Cotswolds! You may need to dig deep! It is not a race though and you can always get off and walk up if you need to.
Hills mean downs as well as ups! Some of these downs are on road, and some might be off road. We will help you build your technical off road skills during the weekend. Again, you can always walk if you need to.
We will have plenty of rest stops to admire the scenery or look at wildlife, and are likely to stop at a cafe or pub for drinks and snacks at least once a day.
CAMPING
We use a couple of different campsites, depending on the season, conditions and route we take. These campsites are wild‘ish’, and we will have a large outdoor space to ourselves. There will be some facilities at the campsite, but they will be minimal! At the least, there will be a toilet and cold running water.
We will be provided with a tarp, bivvy bag - essentially a waterproof outer layer for your sleeping bag - and sleeping mat. This is an amazing opportunity to sleep out under the stars and feel completely connected to the nature surrounding you. Don’t worry if you’ve never bivvied before - help and support will be provided!
Make sure you bring enough clothes to keep you warm and dry in the evenings and overnight.
WATER & TOILET FACILITIES
Please make sure you bring plenty of water - cycling is sweaty and therefore thirsty work! There will be the occasional opportunity to fill up during the day when we stop at a pub or cafe.
There will be toilets and running water at the campsite.
The biggest question we get before any expedition is ‘how do we go to the toilet’?
We will have the opportunity to use the facilities at any pubs or cafes that we stop at, and there are public toilets in some of the villages we cycle through; these facilities usually come around often enough.
For those of you who will be on your period during the expedition, we have all had this experience and are happy to address any questions you may have about this! You will need to dispose of any waste properly; if you do not use a menstruation cup, remember to bring extra zip lock bags for your waste.
HEALTH
It is essential that during the expedition you let one of our guides know if you have any medical issues that might affect your health or enjoyment on this trip, and that you bring any medication you need with you.
TICKS
There can be ticks in the countryside on this trip. We recommend avoiding walking through or weeing in long grass (where they live and can transfer themselves onto you), and to tuck your trousers into your socks in the evenings off the bike to avoid gaps in your clothing. Use insect repellent. Our guides will have tick removal tools with them and can help remove ticks if you find them. Ticks do tend to like warm, damp places, so make sure you check yourself over every day, especially in your groin, armpits, and torso. If you have had a tick and later develop a “target rash” around the bite area, please seek medical advice for Lyme Disease and do let us know so that we can follow up. This is rare, and ticks are nothing to panic about - but it is best to be aware.
SAFETY
This adventure will be managed by an experienced British Cycling qualified guide. They will be carrying a group first aid kit and basic bike maintenance tools. All our guides are qualified and insured to work in this environment.
WEATHER
We ride come rain or shine, so please pack a waterproof jacket and trousers and other appropriate clothing if the forecast is wet. We will monitor the weather leading up to the start of the journey and during and if we feel the weather conditions are unsafe or too challenging, we will notify you as soon as possible. We do reserve the right to postpone or cancel the journey due to weather, should it be necessary.
FOOD
We can cater for all dietary requirements and will have requested this information when you booked. If you are not sure you have made us aware, or have changed dietary requirements since booking, please make sure you let us know asap.
Please ensure you arrive on day one having had a good breakfast and bring a packed lunch for BOTH days. Whilst we are at the campsite we will be eating boil in the bag expedition meals for dinner and breakfast which are nutritious and surprisingly tasty! We will be provided with individual camp stoves and pots in which to boil up water for these and also for tea and coffee (we will provide some tea and coffee bags, powdered milk and sugar). Once again, don’t worry if you’ve never used a camp stove, help and support will be provided!
We will also provide some snack bars, but you will need to bring your own snacks as well to supplement these. Cycling up and down dale is hungry work and staying well fuelled (and hydrated) is key.
SPENDING MONEY
We will stop at at least one watering hole or cafe to enjoy something to eat and drink. You will need cash as well as a credit card due to some of the more remote locations only taking cash.
LUGGAGE
It is very important to pack light for this trip since you will be carrying everything on your bike or on your back in the backpack you bring. Be aware that as well as the kit you bring, you will need to fit in a tarp, bivvy bag, inflatable sleeping mat, mini stove, small gas canister, and cooking pot, as well as your food and snacks - all of which will be given to you at the start.
Don’t forget to bring a day pack to carry anything that doesn’t fit on the bike. If your sleeping bag is bulky you may need to carry it in your day pack (we recommend this as it is light, and you can fit smaller, but heavier things in the bike luggage), so make sure the day pack you bring is big enough.
PACKING
After our welcome briefing we will pack our kit into our bikepacking luggage. This consists of a dry bag on your handlebars, a frame bag and a saddle pack.
You can leave your main bag along with any unneeded kit at the shop where we meet at the start.
There is a toilet and water tap available at our start point.
Once we are fully loaded up, we will set off on our adventure.
PACKING LIST
You will know what you are comfortable cycling in, but we do recommend padded shorts or tights for multi day cycling! Off the bike we will be living outside, so a warm change of clothes will be required for the evenings.
WE PROVIDE:
Mountain bike
Helmet
Saddle pack
Handlebar bags
Frame bag
Sleeping mat
Tarp
Bivvy bag
Pegs for the tarp
Camp stove, gas canister and cooking pot
Dinner day 1 and breakfast day 2
Tea and coffee bags, powdered milk and sugar
If you would like to use your own equipment, please send us the details on the bike you have so we can check its suitability.
YOU WILL NEED:
KIT
Warm, lightweight sleeping Bag (2 or 3 season)
Head torch
Mug (plastic or metal)
Spoon / fork / spork
Shoes / trainers to cycle in
Inflatable / camping pillow (optional)
2 x 750 ml Water bottles or 1.5 litre hydration pack
HYGIENE
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Mini deodorant
Any other basic toiletries you need - keep it light!
Very small towel (Microfibre/fast drying) - optional
Suncream
Any prescription medication
Insect repellent
CLOTHING
Gym / comfortable clothing for cycling in (padded shorts/tights recommended!)
Gloves for cycling
Trainers (waterproof recommended if wet)
Waterproof jacket (waterproof trousers if the forecast looks wet!)
Warm dry clothes for the evening and overnight (base layers, fleeces)
Lightweight insulated jacket (down or synthetic)
Warm hat
Sunglasses
Flip flops (for the evening) - optional
OTHER STUFF
Camera
Battery pack to charge your phone / watch (or go technology free for the weekend!)
Snacks
Electrolytes - if you think you’ll need them
Money - we will stop at at least one watering hole to enjoy something to eat and drink. You will need cash as well as a credit card due to some of the more remote locations only taking cash.
Lunches for both days - e.g. picnic-style foods that don’t need to be heated or kept chilled - sandwiches, pitta bread or wraps, or a pasta salad. Carbs are good!
Snacks! (There will be stops along the way but you should bring enough to get you through the weekend). Snacks should be high energy foods like flapjacks, cereal bars, nuts, dried fruit etc.
Backpack to carry snacks, lunches and water and anything you need to bring that doesn’t fit into the luggage on your bike.
