Peak Tri Store – blog

Back in April, Emily cycled from Bilbao to Gibraltar on her second solo bikepacking trip. Having previously cycled from Roscoff to Bilbao, Emily planned to pick up where she left off. With a view to vaguely follow the EuroVelo Atlantic Coast Route all the way down to Gibraltar, mostly off roads on gravel tracks.

Emily’s Favourite Apps

• WarmShowers – for accomodation (anything from a sofa to a spare bed, sometimes dinner & breakfast is offered depending on who you stay with, completely free of charge)
• Komoot – for route planning
• Google Translate – it helps more than you think!

Route Planning

When planning the route, Emily works out the average mileage she will have to do each day and the elevation, she will also use apps such as Warmshowers to plan good places to stop for the night. She will factor in longer ride days followed by shorter recovery days. As a woman travelling alone, Emily prefers to stay at Warmshowers hosts, hostels and campsites rather than wild camping but sometimes there isn’t much else available.

Emily often uses Kamoot to plan local cycles, long bikepacking trips & everything inbetween. The main asset being that it’s compatible with Garmin and is extremely easy to send routes over from your phone to your bike computer in seconds. It also has a feature where people can upload photos to certain parts of the road or trail so you can get an idea of what the terrain is like.

Travelling Abroad with a Bike

Worried about ferries and border crossing? Don’t be. Emily was waved through most checks and often ushered to the front of the queue. Ferries turnout out to be great spots to meet fellow bickpackers. Take mini Allen keys – Emily’s multitool didn’t cover all sizes needed for packing the bike for the plane.

For peace of mind, purchase bike insurance coverage as well as your usual travel insurance.

Take a bike lock for when you need to pop in to shops or park up for the night.

More bike trackers are coming to the market, however, not all are compatible with both android & iphone so do your research carefully if purchasing one of these.

What To Pack (and What Not To)

You’ll find endless packing lists online, but here’s the short version: Bring less than you think you need. Quick-dry everything. Don’t forget electrolyte tablets. Emily also recommends fitting a lightweight pannier rack (adapted for a bike without mounts to help keep things stable over rougher terrain).

Here’s how Emily packs:

• Handlebar bag: tent, towel, bulky layers
• Frame bag: tools, inner tubes, snacks, lock
• Saddlebag: clothes, food, toiletries, electronics
• Top tube pouch: suncream, power bank
• Small valuables pouch: wallet, phone, passport – easy to grabs in shops

Have things that you will need throughout the day easily accessible (eg sunscreen, tools, battery pack, snacks, coat etc). Layer up. The mornings are cold so have a base layer, arm sleeves, jersey and coat so you can slowly take these off as the morning warms up. Make sure your jersey has big enough pockets for all your layers.

Top Tips

• Have emergency food that you aren’t planning on eating but have just incase.
• Eat more and eat well. Emily opted not to take a stove to save space but recommends factoring into your budget eating out to ensure you have proper meals.
• Invest in good cycling shorts. It’s worth it.
• In heavy rain, wrap bin bags over drybags to keep your clothes fully dry.
• Always carry some cash – not all hostels or campsites accept card.
• Having both a Garmin and phone on her bars made navigation easier – one for turn-by-turn, one for overview.
• Tape your bike to protect the paintwork where are of your luggage is touching it! A simple precaution to avoid your bike paint being worn through, a problem Emily encountered on her first trip.

Hopefully, you found some useful tips in here – happy bikepacking!