In the Summer of 2024 I went back to Canterbury to take on the Great British Escapades; this time on a mountain bike – the Specialized Epic Evo.
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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mate this is amazing isn’t it look at the weather first all day R it excellent sun’s out morning George morning Rich how are you yeah very good thanks good sleep oh I want to get out [Music] [Applause] hey folks how you doing it’s Richard from B pack and Adventures I’m here in Kent the Great British es pades yes I’m back again for the second year I’ve come back with a Moun bike this year I’ll drop a link to a previous video if you want to go find out a little bit more about the bike [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so hey folks hope you’re doing well welcome to another video on the channel this is the Great British Escapade started out in the PO and Rain Heavens opened came from nowhere few people arrived with any sort of waterproof and I was one of those people opting for more summery clothes eventually we got going out of the woods and here you can see me flying just through the beautiful Kent Countryside arrived at Rochester I think it’s about 10:00 p.m. something like that and eventually arrived here at rygate Hill at the Pagoda managed to get a quick power now about 25 minutes or [Music] so and then was was off again here reaching Box Hill that climb made famous by zwift of [Music] course I actually recorded the first part of this video in hyperlapse mode that means everything was super slow like slow motion and no audio whatever so i’ had to uh get a little bit Technical and speed all this part the video up I went down boxill it was absolutely amazing it’s really cold though really chilly uh to about half 5 in the morning something like that after box was out the way with there a nasty hi bike section which I are to remember from last year this is a little bit further along as I get towards checkpoint one can’t remember the name of the place but it was the trade station and it gives everybody opportunity to grab some food go to the toilet get some drink and just to have a quick power and app if you wanted I’ll probably spent about 25 minutes half an hour there just doing all the above and then eventually was off again so as you can imagine I’ve arrived at cp1 filmed absolutely nothing just been uh stuff in my face with food a bacon sandwich and then a sausage sandwich L time to get it going again it’s about 25k to hair which is the next kind of big town that we’re going first so that’ll be a stock up Point won’t be a c it won’t be a cafe stop at everything I’m just going to get some food and uh yeah keep on moving so first day full riding just mind myself in these glasses um I forgot to bring M with me that’s by why you’d be watching me not wearing the glasses up to this point again forgot them uh so Kevin Francis who’s the organizer of the great Bush esade somebody his car so we’re with these jaw breakers for Oakleys so I’ve always wanted to wear here so got good opportunity to try out a here and see what I think to them anyway back to my effort as you can see blue skies up there awesome still a little bit chilly though it is very sunnday very steep very very beyond me unfortun at the moment so anybody’s like oh yeah it’s that easy you might want to try it on a fully laden bike but it does add a whole new dimension he this is amazing isn’t it look at the weather [Music] as time goes by I’m [Music] rain day riding excellent sun’s out no rain about another beautiful Woodland [Music] I think must be getting close to ha here now hope so because getting low on [Music] water that’s what I’m talking about garlic di exploded all down I know that’s what happens it’s it’s impossible to open the garlic dip without I managed to I managed to drop Richard in it with the um so they were like oh I know you’ve got a tell thing cuz I watched Francis cage and I was like Francis Cage’s rubbish you want to you want to watch Spike packing Adventures we started a craze here in ha everybody’s gone for the pizza option what are you going with margarita man Margarita excellent and we’re about to find a a tree like this one which is not in the middle of a busy town uh get 40 Winks just me enjoying 30 minute in that just all the outskirts of Hazel in middle of round about thought you do so was pretty desperate to uh to get a quick nap so roundabout it was you can tell everybody now slept on a roundabout and it had no gar lifted no climbs between us and lunch okay look M it’s all downhill now downhill to lunch mate making our way over to graffam now uh it’s a little bit of a rest um again some food get a couple energy drinks and get going again that’s I’m start to enter the South Downs properly and have some real good for in the field good wide open views I’m so glad we made it halfway there oh living on a pray I really had to put some ought to put some music on cuz I’ve had these uh things on my head the entire time not been playing any music so George riding he’s going to get an ice cream in he read my mind I was thinking ice cream so we just left graffam having gone up that beep beep beep beep Hill so George how was that walk for you uh very very tough um it’s tough on the arms cuz you’re holding the bike it’s tough on the feet and uh it’s just working out those TI leg what what about your lungs oh the lungs were going the heart was going don’t worry my PE heart rate for the day walking on a bike packing trip yeah hard mental absolutely as hard as I remembered last year this vit from gram is seriously long work uh just just gone past Cadence Cycles drag everyone’s dragged theel up the next Hill long steep climb it is hard work and I think it’s just uh we went some repeat until uh we should eventually stop somewhere thank you sir just better gliding down the hills now [Music] [Music] s down yeah s of that beautiful [Music] out [Music] got [Music] [Music] [Music] morning folks the hopefully final day of the great briish escapades oh barely me up morning George morning Rich how are you yeah very good thanks good sleep yeah yeah so so oh I don’t want to get out I don’t know I never want to get out have to at some point yeah I know is is it quite strong and warm and get when you start getting dressed and everything you’re like we’re going to have to get colder colder get warm again and there’s my backup alarm just in case yours didn’t go off any one for golf en join me as a run along the South Downs Way straight through the middle of golf course judging BS left and right everybody’s in B so are they Saturday morning about4 7 I think PC the name of place just left the BP garage under breakfast born coffee got going again messed about with lers and stuff hopefully all set between now and aliston which is the second control point of the Great British escapades enough water and food to go there and Beyond I don’t think it’ be a long stop what is there is uh a shop and a cafe I don’t really want to do this sit down thing this year I just want to keep moving not wasting time CU from this point onwards it’s still about 180k to do you know that’s a long day riding off road so a long day riding onroad got George ahead of me somewhere I just had stop take Bas lay off and uh I took a couple minutes finally put some music on got a bit of Prodigy Smack My Up in my ears at the moment bit Charlie said what we got at the moment is it Fire Starter yeah Fire Starter but yeah something to wake me up right anyway let’s concentrate on this [Music] I wish I could play what I’m Listen to Frankie Knuckles Your Love classic 80s house what a view that is so onto the good bit of the South Downs by that I mean where the people come and walk smoother faster flowing EIC views this B is good at all [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] lower thank you wow epic view right in front of the camera don’t know if it’s i’ appreciate right in the middle there got a hill on the left on the right just rolls down into the middle pan around ABS stunning beautiful here God this one is this one is a tough time with the agony just I popped a couple more aprof in Can Only Hold 15% on so long god wow I’m not sure it’s the last one before beard some point there’s a like a radio M on the top I think that’s this side of alfington might be wrong I can say alfon aliston something like that alfon is a notam show something right gate number 465 [Music] [Music] ah wow so many cows mind if I walk past no no can I go around about there you’re not going to P any me are you hello I don’t want to be on camera if You’ never been to the South DS before have you’ve learned it’s a very popular place to come I’d love to uh one day maybe get my hiking gear and uh hike bits of it you know sleep up here [Music] [Music] you woohoo [Music] oh no there we go I know there a more Rocky a bit [Music] woohoo oh good is this on right [Music] oh man wow all right there so arrived at Alon got myself pasty about to have that chocolate bar Coca-Cola and bit of drama going on as well sidew damage just took a tube in there George Ved about 10 minutes ago so we’re not that want that far part it’s absolutely beautiful here all you can see is nature all around at its finest I am seeing the horse on the hill that Direction one of many horses on Hills I think absolutely beautiful and uh and the weather yeah beautiful spot on so we just cool off the South down well we will be shortly that must be 140k to go it has absolutely been an amazing weekend yet again this is my second great Bush es P and who knows might be back a third time it’s not my neck of the wood so it’s good to see different things you can’t remember all of it it’s got it highlights and you know I’ll remember those most things that are stick in my mind I will say that my favorite part of the Great briti J spay by far is South Downs it’s just incredible I just love rolling across fiels like this and okay it takes you while to get up here but once you do it h feels like miles upon miles of uh this perfect riding conditions where if you’re want a grab a bike or I’m out of B like I am largely this uh route has been the uh opposite of overgrown and know well looked after it’s not uh the path Less Traveled you know you’re following the foot sets of thousand people every day you get some amazing descents like this to H your skills single track as well I know I’m just describing what I’m seeing but it’s it’s all like this one time time you look at stuff and go oh my God is that bit too much and it’s sure it is oh lck booty spot been following this beautiful Cycle Way for long time now it’s great to see them brings people together into the country side and gets people on bikes ex I’m going have a bit of moan on this one cuz obviously r a long time and I’m PR of moaning about stuff and that is this one it’s just been uphill continually for what seems like miles and miles and just very gradual you know what I mean it’s just exhausting you know I prefer steep stuff a long garage things like this I just feel like sitting down for 2 minutes oh just a quick pit St it’s just been oh Relentless that way around to the uh the gy stop to arrive and then just get back on so this is where I’m haam it’s hard work going up here and I don’t know if this is the name of the place where I am but I saw sign what says badbury world of trees Bradbery trees hopefully there no well hopefully there’s not a lot of red route there’s about 40 m of the cardiac route just to get into here so hopefully that’s it cuz eight happening steep climbs and BMS no thanks sure talking about put the suspension on again there we go so I’m just trying to get through this nonsense to uh find a we Supply can’t remember name of the place but it’s not far seems to taking ever to get to yeah I’ve not been myself since coo Trail at that bench I just not been very [Applause] motivated you know I was hoping when I got back off road I Cher me up a bit and did take my mind of things a little bit cuz you often uh thinking more when you’re riding off the road thinking about where you go in there on road it’s it’s a littleit easy it less to think about and let’s face it let’s face it there was a lot of tarmac a lot of tarmac from out about I mean talking 40K it’s been a long day of TAC a Long Afternoon of TAC I found myself in St Michaels bit of a Don a kebab in a wrap got some chips as well uh behind me is the cromier the pop in there got few surprise and uh just enough lasts to 65k I think it is if I finish if I finish this side of midnight fantastic but just see how it goes sorry about the uh wobbliness my camera is away packed I think I captured this uh last time actually uh cuz it was like oh my God here we go again kind of thing but uh as you can see creepy just in the woods uh there’s not much light left in the day now it’s probably qu 10 10 something like that got 40K to do so it’s going to be close WEA finish for midnight or not it’s probably going to be after to be fair especially if uh it’s just going to be like this for the next three climbs I don’t know don’t think so I think this is the only hiy biky one but you know I always say like that don’t I and always turns out differently anyway keep on trucking hav been much at all for the last 2 3 hours I in I don’t know if you why you can see on camera but all deep fit M around here about 5k for man so put the camera away the a quick update hello folks good morning I’m here in the hall all by myself well no myself just waiting for a couple r to come in it is4 to 12 I got in about half 2 so pretty some the sort of time to last year really uh got lost in the woods at the end spent killed another hour going around in circles and those M tracks I showed you um just getting deeper and deeper and eventually I got to a fence and went I’m sure recognize that fence and i’ gone a complete loop around these uh dirty muddy woods so going got on the Google Maps and just got back on the road and uh about 5 minutes to get around five miles to get around there’s bloody Woods on the road anyway man to finish it um really enjoyed it great prous Escapade I’ll drop a link down below if you want to go out and find a little bit information about the adventure really enjoyed the the mountain bike it made light of lots of the route but it’s nice and light um and I rode relatively lightweight we’re just going to watch a few Riders arrive at the end of the escapas this year comments questions do get involved below give the video a thumbs up and if you’re not already subscribed now might be the time I’ll see you in the next video take care bye-bye how you feeling all right have we that before yeah I think so you have to recognize your face Feeling Good Very finished I feel it’s I’m feeling good tired yeah yeah I’m glad the last day was flatter and more Ry yeah say it just sort of it was yeah tough yeah that final third’s got a different kind of feel to a it there he is the Devil Himself the creator of the uh great bishes escapade been a to go home and have a shower all right for some you that’s a jump forward from last year yeah well done you’re on the nose of 12 7 hours it’s like I’m going back with a pack of M&M’s a red ball or something how long you been carrying the water around for Anthony waight Row in haam did you just need [Music]