This special section will (as soon as we’ve got our semi-colons in gear) present all the riders Joolze photographed at the South Lakes 100 / 200 ride this year and all the views and opinions that the riders gave to us (thank you). Quite a few here. More to come. One ride. Many voices.
Knowing how temperatures can fall dramatically in the Lakes, I would always opt for a good three season sleeping bag, over a bit of extra weight, that said my bag feels noticeably heavier than some others doing the ride and they seemed to sleep ok.
It’s always important to have something to look forward to post pedal. On Jennride I had my hip flask and a can of craft beer stowed away.
For me the build up to the ride meant reflecting on the lives of others, people who’d used their bikes to connect, share their stories and inspire others, like Jenn, or who encapsulated what it is to be self-reliant, determined and always pushing their limits like Mike Hall.
I prefer to travel as light as possible and get round without stopping. If I do have to stop then a primaloft jacket and a foil bivy rather than a sleeping bag and a mat!
I think I can say I’ve now cracked the packing issues I first had when I started out. My stuff is so minimal compared to when I did my first trip, I mean I pulled a bob trailer around mid Wales on the Trans-Cambrian Way which wasn’t fun!!
I think that bikepacking is a sport that is hard to organise events for, as part of the appeal to me is not having a set route or time limit. The bonus on the JennRide was meeting like-minded individuals.
During the ride I met up with a few people I go out with on a Monday Night Pub Ride (MNPR) and they commented “a stunning effort on the heaviest bike in the world” so I will look carefully at what I take in future.
The ride could be done as an extended Mountain Marathon… or with the intention of stopping at a certain point… or after an amount of time or distance but keeping to the course… or as a suggestion and modified to suit wishes, or needs…
The ride felt like just what it was – good people from the biking community coming together through their enjoyment of riding to remember a great person and hopefully help others
I’m a bog standard dyed in the wool mountain biker. I live on the edge of the Peak District and have been throwing my leg over an MTB for about 26 yrs. This was a great event, I’d do it again.
