I’ve been vicariously watching the #SchoolNightBivi grow through Dan Groves and Katherine Moore for a while. When @bathoutdoors ran their first Bikepacking trip (trip in the loosest sense) I jumped at the chance and dropped Mark an email to book myself on.
The idea is obviously simple, a sub-24 hour midweek overnighter as a chance to break away from the desk and enjoy some time outside whilst making some new friends along the way. Darroch, at Bath Outdoors, has the idea nailed and uses these little overnighters as a way of sharing new products in the shop along with tips and advice on using them. It’s a really nice, chilled atmosphere for inexperienced and experienced alike to have a breath of mid-week fresh air.
So far, we’ve used a secret (and welcoming) campsite on the outskirts of Bath, just a short ride away (although being Bath, it’s at the top of a hill, of course). We’ve also been lucky with the weather, but we all know that luck is bound to run out soon.
I wasn’t sure what to expect for my first #SNB so I packed fairly light, as if I was riding somewhere more distant, but after witnessing some of the other members pulling out entire three course meals with a Trangia, I decided to up my game for the second ride out. This meant I had to take a bike with more load carrying potential so I tweaked my pub bike/frankenbike with some nice drop bars and my 11-51 Deore groupset off my mountain bike (that’s gone single speed). This meant I was able to ride out from Portishead to Bath and thus make a bit more of an event of it, whilst also eating some nice food and beer.
If you’re interested in Bikepacking and live within cycling distance of Bath then I highly recommend that follow @BathOutdoors and have a chat with the super friendly Darroch or Mark about the next School Night Bivi.
