Bush by bike

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Quixoticgeek

Full Member
Aug 4, 2013
2,483
24
Europe
Anyone else here combine cycling with bushcraft? I see lots of talk in here of 4x4's and a bit about motor bikes. But is anyone else self powered on 2 wheels?

J
 

bopdude

Full Member
Feb 19, 2013
3,010
222
59
Stockton on Tees
Not as yet, I've given it some thought this year to the point of thinking about custom built panniers for kit, we'll see if it goes anywhere next year.

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woof

Full Member
Apr 12, 2008
3,647
5
lincolnshire
Not for a long time, & back then we just called it camping. Now i've taken early retirement i aim to try it again, though i'm still going to have to work 3 days a week to eak out the pension.
Not sure why you feel the need for custom panniers bopdude, there are plenty out there, but each to their own. Trailer sounds good, but might encourage you to carry more gear.Talking of trailers, i'm now a self employed gardener & have been thinking of a bike trailer, for local jobs & jobs not requiring a chipper & such.

Rob

Rob
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,178
2,935
66
Pembrokeshire
I used to do a good deal of cycle camping and everything used to fit into two standard rear panniers and a day pack all strapped to the rear rack.
I still use the bike for the odd quick trip out to the woods with just day gear in one pannier.
I just looked at prices - the panniers I have, plus the rear rack together cost more now than my bike did!
I only paid £65 for my basic mountain bike... but it does have Shimano gears. The panniers and rack now cost around £72!
I guess the panniers are better quality than the bike!
 

woof

Full Member
Apr 12, 2008
3,647
5
lincolnshire
No problems with shimano on mountain bikes, but i do like campagnalo on the road.

Just been ebaying at bike trailers, can't believe how cheap they are, just need to find one big enough to take the lawnmower...

Rob
 

Bowlander

Full Member
Nov 28, 2011
1,353
1
Forest of Bowland
*cringe*

Sorry, I'm a recovering bike snob. :p
I've had many friends with what I would call "junk bikes" (as a snob) amazed at when they performed poorly and they say "but it's got shimano!"

I always chuckle when I see the bike snobs at a local cafe bragging about their £200 pedals being 5g lighter than the originals. Its especially funny when their lycra onesies are failing to hide a 5kg paunch which will have a much greater effect on their performance!

Used to do a bit of cycle camping as a teenager and will hopefully do a bit more as my son gets older, he can do about 10km on his freecycle bike with shimano gears.



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mountainm

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 12, 2011
9,990
12
Selby
www.mikemountain.co.uk
I always chuckle when I see the bike snobs at a local cafe bragging about their £200 pedals being 5g lighter than the originals. Its especially funny when their lycra onesies are failing to hide a 5kg paunch which will have a much greater effect on their performance!


Me too! When at uni I built my own bike from a scrapped frame and cheap parts. It was a heavy mongrel but it got me very fit.
 

Dark Horse Dave

Full Member
Apr 5, 2007
1,739
72
Surrey / South West London
Well before it was nicked :(, I used to use my bike to get to the woods and have a bike bimble, especially if I wanted a quickish trip out to try something out, eg a hammock, axe, saw, tarp set-up. In previous times I used to go up there with my son on a pull-along behind as well.

On panniers I found that Ortliebs are excellent; pricey but super tough, and with a big carrying capacity. I've never had anything get wet in them either.

Oh, and I used Shimano on that bike & Campag on my road bike. Both work just as well as the other!
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,178
2,935
66
Pembrokeshire
I wrote a book "Discovering Pembrokeshire by bicycle" using a mountain bike that cost me less than £100 - it had Shimano gears too. No suspension, hybrid tyres and it weighed a ton!
But it got me around:)
I started cycling to rebuild my legs after I trashed my right knee for a second time and got fed up with paying a gym to sit on a static bike, listening to rubbish music, smelling other folks stale sweat and looking out of dirty windows at lovely spring days...
After that bike was worn out and needing a few repairs I found I could buy a new bike for less than some new spokes and the cost of a new set of gears etc that the original bike needed ... so I got my current bike.
I am no speed freak or bike snob :)
This cheapo, with shimano gears, has been well paid for by the book its predecessor wrote :)
 

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