Generic Touring Thread

Appropriate timing for your advice on stops. I got caught in a storm yesterday and have got a bit ill. Gonna rest today in Tranche sur Mer and pick up the km tomorrow all being well

Ouch, remember, no shame in getting the train if you don't make the kms

Totally. Made some friends over the shocking reffing in the game Kane won for England tho. So that’s made up for it :D

Doing some touring in July along the UK south coast, Plymouth > Brighton then upto London for the Dunwich Dynamo. Planning to wild camp a few nights in the week, anyone had much experience wild camping anywhere along the south coast? Any good spots? To throw another spanner in the works two of us are hammock camping.

Depends how long you plan to take I guess. There's some great, dramatic camping to be had in Dartmoor obviously but that's not far out of Plymouth unless you go round the coast and double back after Totnes. Some nice quiet valleys and nooks in Dorset - think Thorncombe Beacon way. New Forest has got some beautiful beach camping by Sowley Marsh. Might be private-ish so might want to keep subtle but it's fantastic white sand, shallow water and great views of the IoW. This side of Southampton (I'm in Brighton - though oddly moving to Plymouth!) it's a bit grim along the coast itself so I'd be tempted to do the south downs way - head up to Winchester and enjoy the views.

Probably should have been more specific, stops are Lyme Regis & Isle of White

My work contract comes to an end in October and have been thinking about a leisurely 5-ish day adventure.

Top contender at the moment is NCR 8 Holyhead to Cardiff @ 257 miles. Really like this due to the psychogeography element of cycling the length of one country and going straight through Snowdonia. Also 50 miles a day seems spot on.

Any other routes people would suggest investigating?

Around Lyme Regis is harder to find a good spot than you might imagine, I tried last year.

My main tip would be stay back from the coastline a bit (unless you're happy to drag a bike through the undercliff, which is a bit rough for a road bike). I think there might be some nice wild countryside near the river cottage, up near ish to uplyme?

Good to know, looks like there’s more camping sites up that way which would suggest it’s a better location, cheers!

You may also be a bit more relaxed about where to camp than I was so could find it easier!

Let me know how you get on, though - would be intrigued to hear if you found a good spot in case I'm back up that way some time soon.

Our main concern will just be somewhere we can hang 2 hammocks AND pitch a tent, we'd probably be slightly better off if we all adopted one kind of sleep system but hey ho.

I'll try and remember to do a little run down after the trip.

What hammock set up are you taking? Hammock + sleeping bag + pillow?

9 days left and I'm off to Minsk

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/322324/

I have a great route from Abergavenny to Machynlleth. 2 days on small roads, through Black Mountains, central Wales, etc. Opportunity for some bothying.

Hammock/tarp, sleeping bag opened out as a quilt, jury’s out of if a sleeping pad is necessary in the UK in July. I’ve got a self inflating 3/4 mat I could take.. it might be decided by how well / where it fits on the bike.. if I find an easy place for it I’ll take it, if not possibly leave it out.

bothying

Now we're talking I can smell the fire and taste the whiskey already, will send you a PM.

In terms of temp I don't think you'll need any extra insulation. Can always chuck some clothes under too

here you go! marked the bothy and inn I liked staying at - although others are near this route

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19151523

Ah you've stayed in the Grywne fawr bothy? How is it - I was up that way and ended up sleeping out on hay bluff, but wondered if the bothy would've been a better shout... How close to the road is the bothy, or how rideable are the tracks up to it?

The bothy is very spartan, but comfortable and extremely atmospheric. There's enough room to sleep 4, however you may well have company! I would very highly recommend staying there.

There are two ways to get up there:

• Hike up from Capel-y-Ffin, which is a lovely place in its own right
  
• Take the road up to the reservoir (rideable on any bike), and then a short way on a rough track
  
  

Excuse my poor drawing skills, but this makes it clearer I hope:

Is there a forum recommended budget tarpaulin - 3m x 2m kind of size, with eyelets.

Asked about this a few weeks ago, @spotter and @7Üp were keen on their DD Superlights, but I was also recommended the Lomo tarp which is only £20ish and I was going to go for that. Haven't got around to buying it yet though as I haven't been camping since

Lomo would be more in my range, although amazon have a couple of even cheaper options.

Yeah, there's some on AliExpress too - I think the 3F UL stuff on there is supposed to be decent quality but I don't know anyone who's actually got one so it's a bit of a gamble.

Much appreciated for all this, cycled up to Cambridge today to get me in the mood and think more miles in the legs are needed!