This feature was produced in association with Cycle Surgery.
Meet the expert: Barry Godin manages Cycle Surgery on Strype Street, London E1, which specialises in off-road riding and is the capital’s largest MTB store
BikesEtc: Hi Barry, how did you get into bikepacking?
Barry Godin: Well, my background is in extreme mountain biking which I did for about 15 years, as well as riding long-distance, day-to-day routes such as the Tour de Mont Blanc.
Those experiences took me to all these grand places but I never got to camp. So two years ago, I went to the Cairngorms on a mountain bike with a tent strapped to my back and got my first taste of a self-sufficient bike ride.
After that I rode across the north and south of Devon, which I’d call my first proper bikepacking adventure. I’ve been on 14 more since then. It’s safe to say I quite like it!
BikesEtc: Clearly! So what’s the best thing about it for you?
BG: It gets you into these wild places that you’d normally only get to see if you walk.
Doing it on a bike, though, means you can cover vast distances and explore even further into the wilderness.
I love the sense of freedom it gives you. You can go wherever you want, stop wherever you want, camp wherever you want.
BikesEtc: What’s the longest you’ve been out in the wilderness?
BG: I was lucky enough to spend three weeks exploring the interior of Iceland in 2015. That was 100% wild everything because you’re 100% in the middle of nowhere.
Then, last year, I spent 18 days riding around the Hebrides.
BikesEtc: Got any advice for anyone new to bikepacking?
BG: A while back, I went out for a very long ride in January, when the weather was horrendous, and tried to ‘wild’ camp as well. Not surprisingly, it was too much!
So after that I learned to ask myself three questions: What season will I be doing the trip? Do I want to go a really long distance? Can I camp out?
If you’re doing big distances or riding in a season when the weather’s going to be rough, you’re better off staying in a B&B.
If you’re riding in the summer and you’re dong shorter distances, then you’ll be able to camp out.
The other thing is to make sure you prepare yourself physically to cycle those long distances. Push your boundaries.
If you know you can cycle 100 miles in a day without the weight of your packs, you’ll be able to cover 70 miles when you’re fully laden.
Although things do get easier as the ride goes on, because not only are you getting fitter, but as you eat through the meals you’ve brought with you, your bike gets lighter, too!
For that reason, aim to do the longer legs later in your trip.
BikeEtc: Got any top tips for staying safe while bikepacking?
BG: If you’re on the road, own the road. Don’t hide at the sides, make sure any vehicles can see you.
If you’re off road, always ride within your capabilities. On a multi-day ride, set out to complete the leg, rather than take the hardest route possible.
Other than that, don’t forget to sort some travel insurance, and if you’re riding a really long distance you can get a trackers that’ll beam your location every five minutes, via GPS, to a website where loved ones can see where you are.
If you’re nervous about going off on your own, or going somewhere really obscure, they’re a good back-up. SPOT and Pebbell are both well-known brands.
I’d also say it’s a good idea to keep a battery brick with you. You’ll be able to recharge your phone or GPS from it.
BikesEtc: Got any maintenance hacks you can share that have got you out of a tight spot?
BG: If you get a slash in your tyre wall, you can use part of an old food packet to line the tyre to stop the inner tube being exposed.
Also I always carry spare spokes, not just to repair the wheel, but should your frame snap they’ll also do a job if you zip-tie some either side of the break like a splint.
Plus, you can’t go anywhere without chain links, a chain tool and definitely have a spare mech hanger.
If that goes, you can guarantee that even if you do find a bike shop in the middle of nowhere they won’t stock one that matches your bike.
Believe me, it’s one of the best 15 or 20 pounds a bikepacker can spend.
BikesEtc: Why are bikepacking-specific bags so important?
BG: While its not always possible to do a ride without a backpack, it’s a good idea to get as much of the weight onto the bike as possible.
Bags made specifically for bikepacking also help you to distribute the weight more evenly across the bike’s frame, rather than have it disrupting the balance of the bike as traditional panniers tend to do.
As for how big your bike bags are, that all depends on how far you’re going and how self-sufficient you want to be.
Altura’s range is very good value for money, but they tend to be smaller. Ortlieb’s range, meanwhile, is very good in my experience, if you want something a bit bigger.
BikesEtc: Finally, would you say there’s one item you’ve learnt to always take with to guarantee a successful bikepacking trip?
BG: Sure, my bike!
