THE UK’S EASIEST AND HARDEST BIKEPACKING ROUTES

Welcome to more keep smiling adventures, where this week we will be having a look at the 5 easiest UK bikepacking routes great for beginners and 5 of the harder UK bikepacking routes that I have taken on over the last couple of years here on YouTube.

To watch the full adventures of these bikepacking adventures, head over to the main channel @KeepSmilingAdventures

Find more info on the routes here – www.keepsmilingadventures.com/

00:00 Intro
00:42 New Forest
02:27 Rebellion Way
04:04 Canti Way
05:51 The Gower
07:19 North Downs Way
09:04 The Hardest
09:22 South Downs
11:03 Sarn Helen
12:16 GB Divide
14:34 Great north Trail
16:49 Lakeland 200
18:50 Thank you

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The gear i am currently using

The tent – https://youtu.be/n9GKHSf805E
Framebag – https://youtu.be/6LM3UJKDOEk
Seatpost bag – https://youtu.be/W1E_iWY6Ajo
Jones Handlebars – https://youtu.be/dhPBSdRros8
Gravel bike – https://youtu.be/Gnd_4LgTyrg
plus bike mtb – https://youtu.be/COTUOzLPbGk
gps device – https://youtu.be/BWeMmx62A9M
mtb shoes – https://youtu.be/OYVEnfXwT0k
All the gear from GNT – https://youtu.be/e5oKSoPoMk0
Vest bag – https://youtu.be/01nzgd-t550
Ortleib bar roll https://youtu.be/Uk9fLgS1ioo
Dynamo setup – https://youtu.be/SL7MhjB6Lp0
Questions answered – https://youtu.be/u1q9AEs9flE
Gb divide bike/gear- https://youtu.be/epcZ81wqFCo

[Music] welcome back to more keep smiling adventures and in today’s video we will be taking a look at some of the UK’s easiest and hardest bike packing routes that I have completed over the past couple of years on this channel so if you are looking for your next bike packing Adventure whether you are a beginner who wants an easy pedal through the countryside or someone who wants to test their limits then make sure to stay tuned to the end because this is the five most easiest and the five most hardest bike packing routes in the UK let’s start with some easy pedaling with the five easiest UK bike packing routs at number one we have the New Forest The New Forest is the best place to start for some really nice traffic free gravel and that makes it one of the easiest places to go on a bike packing Adventure the gravel is maintained gravel so you know it’s all ridable all year round there is over 100 miles of gravel paths to Pedal around the New Forest wide Forest tracks and of course all the animals roaming around the New Forest is on the flatter side also making this a great place to start if you are looking for your first bik packing Adventure there are a few Hills here and there we will be definitely manageable for most people as long as your gears work you will be fine even if your Fitness levels are not the best so be it the challenges make these Adventures even more memorable The New Forest can be a bit busy in the summer holidays but once you get onto the gravel tracks you can feel like you are in the middle of nowhere but always close enough to somewhere where you can stock up on supplies or find help if needed the New Forest is a great place to test how your bike feels loaded with all the gear you think you will need and all the gear you will find out you didn’t need a great place to get used to how your loaded bike feels and although wild camping is not allowed in the New Forest like the rest of England and Wales it’s definitely possible but if you would rather get an official campsite there are plenty around for me the new Forest is the easiest place to start by packing at number two we have the Rebellion way the Rebellion way is another great easy UK bike packing route a cycling UK route and probably the easiest route that I have done myself the distance might be a challenge for some people at 231 Mi or 372 km but the route itself is fairly flat throughout with only a few gradual climbs along the way nothing thin too steep most of this route is along cycle routes along quiet country lanes with the occasional off-road gravel Trail or Bridal way most of this route is actually on paved surfaces so it’s not a technical ride making it a great option for those that maybe don’t want the extreme technical trails and just want some nice pedaling and to enjoy the scenery this route will take you on an adventure around Norfolk with lots of nice pedaling to experience and lots of History to discover I think this is a great starting route if you are looking to go out for a few nights the route is easy to ride with plenty of places to stop along the way whether you want to Wild camp or just get a hotel for the night as this route is not that remote you have them options no special gear or expensive bikes are required to ride this route a simple hybrid bike will get the job done cycling UK did a good job here at making a nice easy bike packing route for [Music] beginners the KY way another UK cycling route and another great easy beginner route at 155 Mi or 250 km this is another mostly fast flowing route with some beautiful Coastal riding along the way this is a very chilled out route explor floring the Kent Downs the coastal Cliffs of the South Coast you don’t really need to carry too much kit as you are always around little Seaside towns where you can find shops and pubs and you don’t really need big tires for this one not quite road tires but something with a little tread and you would be good to go the coastal paths can get a bit busy at times so it’s best to try and do the coastal sections early but that is honestly the best time to do them seab Breeze and pedaling along listening to the waves most of the terrain along this route is paved or hard packed surfaces and there is little in the way of technical riding a big portion of this ride is along the coast where you ride along a shared use path this route itself isn’t without any challenges and there are a few climbs here and there but I think they will be manageable for most people and they are not very long either the one thing on this ride that can make it a little harder is if you have to head into the wind along them Coastline sections then it becomes a bit of a grind but overall with the beautiful Coastal Riding the Kent downs and the Beautiful Rye Harbor this makes a great easy route with some peaceful mindf freeing [Music] pedaling the ga Wales on an easy route is a rarity but this little short overnight bike packing Route Around the gawa lets you experience whales in a whole new light it’s less rugged but equally beautiful in its own right this route is also really short at under 50 Mi which makes it a great route for a beginner who just wants to spend the night Under the Stars whales is a tough place to ride and this route does still have some climbs but they are mostly pretty short but steep so you will need some easy gearing but the trails are pretty much all ridable although you might find yourself with the odd hiker bike section over some Sandy Trails as you head along the stunning Coastline no one likes a hiker bike but you know what if you are ever thinking of taking on some of the bigger longer and harder routes you might want to get a bit of practice in with some hiker bike this being a short route it makes it a great introduction to to explore some of whales the views on this route are stunning and well worth a little trip out on the trails most of the trails are quite simple to ride a couple of steep descents where you will want some good brakes a gravel bike with 40 mm tires or bigger is your best bet along this route go out and enjoy the [Music] ga at number five the north downsway for me this is the much more beginner friendly version of the South Downs Way and although it does have its challenges with some climbing it’s an incredibly beautiful route to follow with most of your time spent pedaling along off-road trails lots of single track with trees either side mean it isn’t affected by the wind as much and it’s a Well signposted Route which makes navigation fairly easy I’d still use a GPS but there are signs marking out the North way cycle route as well as the walking route the best time to take this route on is Blue Bell season because pedling through the trees with the Ground full of color is an amazing sight starting in farum you can extend the north Downs way all the way to DOA heading into the Kent Downs which makes for a great bik packing Adventure which isn’t overly long at 137 Mi 220 km for me this is a great balance of fun easy pedaling with the occasional challenge to make it feel really fun and a rewarding ride when you get to the end plenty of spots to set up camp for the night and the distance between being off-road out of the way and coming through a town where you can grab your supplies is never too far away I think this is a great route for a beginner who is looking to start challenging themselves and are getting ready to take on some bigger longer and harder routes the north Downs Way is a great route to start on so they are the five easiest UK bik packing roots in my opinion so now it’s time to get your heart pump in of the UK’s hardest bike packing roots for those wanting to push themselves both mentally and physically let’s [Music] go so onto the hardest routes in the UK and we’re starting off with number one the South Downs Way the much harder version of the north Downs Way in my opinion a 100 mile 160 km off-road Trail the South Downs Way is a very popular walking and cycling route it starts in Winchester and finishes in eastborn or vice versa it’s nearly all off-road and is very well signposted and what’s even better and I’m not sure there are many other Trails like this in the UK at least but they have water taps along the way but this route it’s always a challenge if you are not going up you are going down and that down is fast and sometimes rough so you need to be concentrating and them ups are nearly always steep it is all ridable if you have the legs and the energy but sometimes it’s a little Technical and ruty in places with 100 Mil and about 12,000 ft of elevation gain it’s a route that can feel Relentless at times descend for a minute then climb for five that is how the route feels the whole way but that’s not to say it’s not a great route to take on and a very rewarding one with some absolutely incredible views along the way it’s a route that you need a good level of Fitness to enjoy though there are water taps along the Route like I mentioned and there are a few t- rooms along the Route but everything can feel slow goinging and far away so make sure sure you pack enough supplies and fuel yourself sufficiently and number two on the hardest routes in the UK We are following in the footsteps of the Romans from Conway to Swansea around 200 miles an epic Welsh coast to coast of the San Helen by pack and Route this one is a great challenge but because it is Wales after all the trails are rugged Rocky and not always ridable them Romans were never known for smooth roads there is plenty of hike a bike and plenty of technical trails to overcome on this one but then you make it oh does it feel so good and for all the hardships you will go through on a ride like this there are some incredibly old trails to ride along think of all the journeys that have been made using these old Roman roads and now you with 20,000 ft of elevation gain though it’s a tough one Welsh steep climbs remember everything in Wells is steep and they only ever go straight over the hills and never around them at least that’s what it feels like when you are down on the ground on to number three rugged remote the Great British divide GRS to Land’s End an off-road endtoend Adventure 1200 M across Scotland North England Wales and the southwest of England a true epic and a sure way to have an epic adventure I took this route on in Reverse from the normal Direction spoiler alert I think it’s actually better this way in March making my way through the Scottish islands first a cool breeze and a nice 10° is what I was riding in it was actually perfect the mountains still with snow on top just me alone in nature it doesn’t get much better than that it was an adventure with so many memories made being the longest ride on this list I guess you might be surprised that it’s only at number three in the hardest by packing routs although it is a very challenging ride with 1300 M or over 2,000 km and being the length of the UK called course going to have harder sections and some easier sections but for the most part it uses a lot more of the less technical Trails think wide open bridleways and Forest tracks over the Steep Rocky hi bike sections there is of course some of that in there as well but not as much as you might think but that being said it is incredibly beautiful route that gives you a chance to explore England Scotland and Wales All In one Fell Swoop you will be finding yourself in very remote places with nothing in sight for miles and miles so make sure you are really prepared for a bik packing Adventure like this one a very good amount of Fitness is required as you can imagine going from one end of the UK to the other there is plenty of tough riding ahead of you not only the riding but with the Ever Changing weather you will have to be resilient to keep yourself going there are loads and loads of magical moment when you ride something like this but you have to take the good with the [Music] bad the great North Trail an absolute epic ride pedaling up to cap craft in Scotland the 780 M epic ride starts in the penines and ends at the most northwesterly point Cape Raph it’s rugged it’s tough and beautiful a very rewarding ride when you get to the end some days but have you wishing you were there already While others you just want to stop and admire the beauty this route actually gets easier the further north you get the penon briway is the hardest section on this route and it makes up most of the England section very steep rough and Rocky terrain with gates after Gates the first half of this route can be a slog and a real struggle at times often at times it just feels like you are never making any progress this route will test your limits a challenging route that is remote rugged but quite bloody beautiful this route is a pure Adventure a pure test to what the human body and mind can overcome this route doesn’t even finish in a well populated area when you can just jump on the train back home oh no this route finishes at the most Northwest point in Great Britain but that definitely adds to the charm of an adventure like this at around 750 mes or 1,200 km with over 70,000 ft of elevation gain it’s definitely a route you need to experience with good Fitness and the easiest gearing you can get your hands on I think if you want to take this route on yourself you need to have that mentality that there are going to be good times and bad times s and you need to learn to take the good with the bad a high level of fitness and bike handling skills is one thing but being able to overcome the mental Battle of a ride like this is something else I wouldn’t recommend taking on this route if you don’t have a mountain bike it will be a miserable experience on a gravel bike for a great deal of it on to what I believe is the hardest route that I have taken on in the UK over the last couple of years the Lakeland 200 now this one is one challenging ride and probably one of the hardest routes in the UK in my opinion well the hardest 200 km or 130 mil of my life 130 mil with 22,000 ft of elevation gain I could leave it at that really in my opinion this is a route more suited to not actually bike packing and much more for a mountain bike trip where you either just ride the whole thing in one go which would be an epic tough challenge or you stay in a BMB for the night this way the riding might be a little more enjoyable because it is incredibly tough and lots of very steep technical trails with a fully loaded bike and even without all your gear on your bike you will still have some pretty long hiker bike sections the worst thing is sometimes you hike up and down it’s that kind of ride having said that though the lakes are a beautiful place and it is worth going just to sit in nature nature that feels like you are sitting in a painting it’s only a short route this is by far the hardest route I have done over the last couple of years on this channel the trails are incredibly Technical and can be very dangerous so a very high level of bike handling skills are needed if you want to ride as much of this route as you can remote rugged and Technical Trails means you need to know what you are doing on a route like this if you don’t know what you’re doing I’d stay far away from this one this is a type two kind of ride for sure and I probably wouldn’t do it again but I’m glad I did keep going and got through it so there we have it the five easiest and five hardest bike packing routs that I have covered in the UK over the last couple of years if you want to discover more about these routs or other Roots like these then make sure to check out the keep smiling Adventures website which will be linked below this video under the Subscribe button so until next time keep smiling and enjoy the adventure [Music]