BIKEPACKING : Great British Escapades 2023

Earlier this year way back in the Summer I took on the Great British Escapades; by far my most fun off-road bikepacking adventure of 2023. https://greatbritishescapades.com/
These are my highlights from this 3-day adventure off-road in Southern England taking in the North and South Downs.

The Great British Escapades – a series of off-road bikepacking events in Great Britain.

Sitting alongside the flagship Great British Divide they wanted to create some shorter, long-weekend events that would challenge new and experienced bikepackers alike. Events that start and finish in the same location, that never take you too far from civilisation and that can be completed in around three days.

With an early evening start, live tracking, and a checkpoint to pass through, the Escapades have many of the elements you would experience on an ultra-distance ride just in a condensed form at a little under 500km in distance.

For riders new to this form of cycling they provide a perfect introduction to longer distance rides – they are confidence inspiring and a great opportunity to perhaps prepare for your first ultra – refining your kit and honing your skills along the way. For the already experienced they are perfect for challenging yourself in terms of a quick finish time or focusing on areas of your performance that could be improved.

We all want to do 2000+km events but let’s face it, these are not always possible to fit in to your life and not everyone can dedicate all the training time let alone two weeks or so actually riding it. The Escapades are a great option to get your fix within a small amount of time and at a fairly modest cost.

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– Camping Stuff –
Inertia X Frame Sleeping Pag – https://amzn.to/3fYIWex
Naturehike Mongar 2 Person Tent – https://amzn.to/3ColHBZ
Vango Microlite 300 Sleeping Bag – https://amzn.to/3VgKtwC
Sea to Summit Reactor Plus Compact Themolite Mummy Liner – https://amzn.to/3SUMUDk
Collapsible Non-stick pan – https://amzn.to/3rIVbyx
Sea to Summit Collapsible Bowl – https://amzn.to/3yy7Sjh
Camping Windshield – https://amzn.to/3Cq8F75

– Cycling Stuff –
RockBros Top Tube bag : https://amzn.to/3tzvGzo
RavPower 26800mah Power Bank: https://amzn.to/2KzUdSF
Tri/Handlebar GoPro Mount 1/2 – https://amzn.to/3i8zAtL
Tri/Handlebar GoPro-Cateye 2/2 – https://amzn.to/2XF6cSc
6 pack of GT85 Spray Lube – https://amzn.to/3EyUAa1

– Video / Audio Stuff –
HoverAir X1 – Close-quarters Drone – https://uk.thehover.com/
DJI Action 4 – https://amzn.to/3QpekT7
GoPro Hero 6 Black – https://amzn.to/3fYYgrF
GoPro Hero 5 Black for Helmet cam – https://amzn.to/3STD8BH
ProStandard Grill Mount (mouth mount)
Amazon Basic Lightweight Tripod with bag – https://amzn.to/3rIUB3P
Ulanzi GoPro Magnet Quick Release mount: https://amzn.to/2V4x0Kg
Camera Windshield Housing : https://amzn.to/2KBy6vb
WebCam: https://amzn.to/3m4m77e
Neewer LED Dimmable Light Panel: https://amzn.to/33iZ4OR
Lavalier Lapel Microphone – https://amzn.to/3ytW8yk

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// Homepage: https://ridebygravel.com/richard-lake/
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480 km that is 8,000 M of climbing for many people first checkpoint will be the McDonald’s in Rochester at about 90k something like that so watch this Reas be flat uh let me tell you my strategy for this ride my strategy is just to go out and enjoy it that is literally It I was going to mention about sleeping and my plan and how I’d like to ride through the Great British escad I love sleeping ey nature it’s part of the adventure is it finding some to sleep getting a new boy bag waking up next morning going out riding Again never seen some many bikes at Before hey folks good morning it is about 10: to 5 S well littleit chili finish eting this and get Going I was thinking to myself I’m not very good at this I’m going so so slow incredibly slow I looked at the on the elevation and it was 18% I was like oh okay check this out for view so Lush and Green More back guard of shenanigans very draining on me this both physically and mentally I’ve got a lot to learn it’s going down some in a fiish gravel and I’m just trying to break all the way down course that doesn’t help it I just need to ride over

It and then there’s a little Fork where you turned right and a really tiny single track dodging nals going over bumps and ramps and watching out for bricks and boulders all we in like a space you know less than sometimes less than the size handlebars I guess that’s why I think

Our M about be better cuz I know already that I Coke better off road with flat bars I tell you what though I am having fun when you uh a bit of a noob it’s always good to look ahead and see someone in the same situation as

You kind of believe we’re riding through sand no sand here to go to Sand [Laughter] Castle wow beautiful view before I head back into the sand it is turning out to be a nice Day I need F stop me so chicken and get on with it there’s a bit down the side here I think I can get through where am I going apparently the uh South down when to get there few people said it’s a little bit more easy another Gate Oh I have arrived in the South Downs and there’s some beautiful views around here stunning I have taken a look at the upcoming profile and uh I quickly turned away feel on top of the World Okay we’re going up to Half 8 I think oh I did quick m 2 and 1 half hours riding left for Me Welcome morning folks stay me it’s another day full of bike packing off in the here we got Brighton maybe you can see the lights I don’t know I can see the sunshine over there certainly not Sunny up here it’s cold yeah need to get down get warmed up um so

We’re heading towards East BN it’s 45k away and then there’s 150 km left in this Trip Probably seen a lot of me walking but if you ever visited the North and South Downs be all too familiar with the uh M effort required to get up these Things so we’re here in Alon it’s about to have double breakfast wless crisps milk Coke four pints of milk four four pints of milk yeah so I just left alist lovely refreshed and now after all that food which right going back up hill The View

Back on to Alon and there’s a horse been car carved into the hillside there Since we come off the South Downs it’s been onto the road so knocking down those kilometers fairly quickly so it’s tea time not sure where we are how many times have I said that so it’s time for pizza 12in pizza and L and a large liter liter and a half of

Coke to carry me back 67 km to go I’m liking that number I’m liking that number it is uh 10 7 so be warm is on after this start to feel the Cold so we just R into the uh Sunset one p of time not time we’re going to finish maybe this side of H 10 would be nice be good quite possible didn’t film it but we just had a bit of a road diversion just what you want right near the end of the

Ride Ser