I really enjoyed this film. This would be the ‘backyard’ for quite a few on here.
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I didn’t want to have to use the pannier bag as it’s a bit heavy & one sides… fine for commuting… but all the kit meant i needed it in the end.
Good point on balance tho, I don’t think I considered it & the front drybag was mostly clothes/light packable stuff.
And yeah there was a resonance about every 4mph which was kind of alarming… nearly had me off 400m from home the first time i stood up. Rode it into Hay on the middle day unloaded and was then immediately freaked out by the loaded version the next morning.
Amazing how quickly you adapt, certainly on the way home i was chucking it into corners at almost normal speeds.
I remember in my long distance running days I met up with Daz in the Lakes when he was on one of his LEJOGs. I tried to pick up his bike and the back wheel stayed on the ground! 
He’d just cycled over the Kirkstone!
Nice kit. What’s the trade-off/decision between a tarp and a hooped-bivi for example?
I’m cycling over the border tomorrow before it’s closed 
to have a cycle with a mate who has recently done a LEJOGLE, allbeit he started locally.
From his Strava photos most of the time he camped, with the occasional luxury of a hotel/B&B & even bothies. As a ploy to stop him tearing my legs off I’ll try & keep him talking about his experiences.
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Tarp makes me more rugged… grrrrr.
I went round that loop on one of the bikepacking groups also, mixed opinions and probably no one perfect solution.
Not convinced i’d get along well with the enclosed feel of a hooped bivi.
Tarp gives more flexibility of setup too, with the poles? using your bike? between trees?
Big tarp for space/comfort… or small tarp for lightweight etc.
Maybe better for condensation depending on the bivi.
Look up gatewood cape solution also, seem very popular and lightweight.
Likely when I get time/space I’ll experiment with a few designs of my own in ripstop.
Weather dependent too I guess. Crap weather (if anticipated) would favour something more enclosed.
We’re doing the KAW in May/June, but at a nice relaxed pace over a few days… can’t wait!
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I’d be interested in May for a section but am entered for SDW100 in June.
Resurrecting this thread, I’m guessing it includes Audaxes?
I’m about to click go on a 200km audax around the Pennines at the end of the month, perfect for the Enigma and I’ve pimped it with the 303’s and Conti 5K’s (28’s)
I just need to start growing my beard now.
This is the route, assuming it’s the same. The area around Alston is beautiful but also very remote.
Hartside 200 2017 - A bike ride in Richmondshire, England (ridewithgps.com)
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I rode through Alston yesterday, coming from Middleton (so the other way up Yad Moss to this audax) - some great cycling in the North Pennines, I’m slowly ticking off the big climbs 
PS - a couple of photos from Thursday’s ride across the moors to Edmundbyers are on the photos thread 
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I saw your photos and wondered if they were around that area. I’m hoping it will be dry to get those views.
I have ridden a lot of the second half of the route that comes back from Alston and it’s really nice.
Agreed … I did GDF, Hartside and Dowgang Hush on a ride last summer. The first two were in my top four climbs of the year.
The other two were, coincidentally, also on a single ride but in Snowdonia.
I should clarify that this moorland photos are north of Stanhope, it’s more bracken than heather moorland on that audax route
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So you’ll start & finish on the same day? Sounds soft 
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There’s some good climbing around Stanhope and that area, I’ve done a handful of rides around there in the past.
Yeah, it’s a bit lame but I’ll build up to bikepacking in the future!
I’m guessing 8-9 hours including a couple of stops.
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I didn’t bike pack; I did a 405k (Brevet Cymru) which is why I’m gobbing off 
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Yes, was up and down all day.
Surprisingly, the most well known climb (Crawleyside Bank) was the least inspiring.
My route was a copy and paste from the velo29 sportif, but starting and finishing in Middleton instead of Barnard Castle
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I’ll get my skates on and do two laps for 406k
@Cobbie Not sure if I’ve done that one, I did a fairly short audax that went from Seaham to Hamsterley a few times and went up a climb just outside of Langley Park. I remember because my front mech didn’t work after it had seized! Think I had to kick it get it to change down 
Velo29 do a few good sportives, there’s one over the moors in a few weeks but I think it’s when I’m away.
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I think it was in May, must be the same course that I did - I had a pass for this weekend so filed it for my trip:
It’s a really excellent route