The plan starts close to home. I’ll roll out from Albourne to Hove station (about 15km) and hop on the train to Chichester. From there, the adventure begins properly – a 90km ride through West Sussex and into the New Forest, finishing up at a campsite where I’ll pitch my brand-new one-person tent. Just me, my bike, and a pile of kit I’ve been obsessively gathering over the past few weeks: sleeping bag, mat, mini-stove, and a couple of dehydrated meals to test.
Day two is the big one – around 140km heading inland towards Petworth and up to Cranleigh, where I’ll crash at a second campsite close to the Downs Link. After that, the finale: an easy 40km roll home via Henfield and down the Downs Link, before a hot shower, proper food, and hopefully a big grin on my face.
I’ve never done bikepacking before. For years I’ve looked at photos and read blogs of people strapping bags to bikes, heading out into the wild, and thought: one day, I’ll give that a go. That day is (weather permitting!) this Thursday.
It’s also the perfect excuse to test the Kinesis in its natural habitat. Since May, it’s been on plenty of road and gravel rides, but this will be the first time I’ve loaded it up with kit and asked it to carry me into the unknown. If the bike’s anything like it’s been so far – smooth, responsive, and just plain fun to ride – I think we’re going to get along just fine.
The weather is turning now, and I know this may be my last chance for 2025 before the winter really bites. But that almost makes it better. One trip to test the set-up, see if I love it, and if I do, then 2026 can be the year of bigger adventures. Maybe longer trips, maybe further afield.
I’ll let you know how it all goes – the riding, the camping, the kit, the food, and whether bikepacking really lives up to the hype I’ve built in my head.
Oh, and next time I’ll share something a bit different: my new treadmill set-up, and how I’ve been experimenting with Zwift and Peloton running apps to make indoor running (almost) fun.
Until then – time to pack the bags, charge the lights, and see what this whole bikepacking thing is really about.
