First Cycle Camping Tour - Tour Report!

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Sara_H

Guru
Well! We're back. After much research and preperation and some last minute wobbles over the weather forecast we've popped our cycle camping cherry's!

We drove the twenty miles or so th the High Peak Trail at Middleton Top - they charged me £10.80 to park for three days, though this causeed much head scratching in the shop so I can't garuntee it would cost the same again!

here's LO as we're about to leave. Note the two stoways in his pannier pockets!
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Off we go along the trail. About five miles in we have a puncture! My multi tool doesn't fit his wheel nuts! Doh! Luckily a passing chap has the correct size spanner and hast the inner tube changed in a jiffy.
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We stop at Parsley Hay for lunch, buy correct spanner, just in case! There has evidently been a very heavy down pour, but we missed it.
Not long after we arrive at our camp site, The Royal Oak at Hurdlow. Tent is soon up and we scoff veggie sausage and Smash!
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Next morning we pack up in the rain, but it stops as we leave. We have breakfsat in the pub before we go. It's lovely, but a bit on the steep size. That said, its huge and we make some of it into sandwhiches which are had for supper later.

We head off down Tissington Trail. Its down hill for the most part - Wheeeeee! We stop mostly only for trail mix.
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We turn off the trail at Tissington and follow route 54 through the Tissington estate along quiet country lanes which offer some fabulous views.
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Not long after we arrive at our camp site near Carsinton Water, The Pudding Room - The owner has a bakery and shop onsite. She's in the right job, I can confirm that her pusddings and her campsite (flat campsite - epic!) are both excellent. Son pretends to be a zombie in the night and scares me to death.
Next morning we pack up in the rain again. Head off down route 54 to Carsington Water and do a circuit of the resevoir, before following the route back to the high peak trail and retracing our tyre tracks to middleton top.
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Sad to say its the end of our first cycle camping tour and we can't wait to go again!

What have we learned? We packed too much food. I need a new pair of Crocs. Other campers are jealous when you arrive by bike. Monopoly Deal card game is addictive and makes young boys cheat. We love cycle camping!!!!
 

Octet

Veteran
Sounds like an excellent adventure! Glad you had fun!
 
Excellent Sara and timely. I just have a map of Anglesey spread out on the table, planning a 3 day tour for self and son2. I've shown him this and his first question was how far did you ride?
 
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Sara_H

Sara_H

Guru
We only did about 15 miles each day. we could have easily done double, especially considering the forgiving terrain.

We're planning Newcastle to Edinburgh in the October half term!
 

TwoInTow

Active Member
Fantastic! So great that you both enjoyed it so much. I did a blog of my first tour with my daughter here. It is rapidly becoming a way of life for us, with tours planned ever year. If we didn't have visitors, I'd probably hitch a ride with you and your son for Newcastle to Edinburgh, as it sounds great!! But I'll look out for a report on the way back, and maybe I can do it with mine next year.(I've been thinking about Coast and Castles for a while...)

Congratulations on a wonderful initiation for your son into what might be a lifelong love!
 
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Sara_H

Sara_H

Guru
Fantastic! So great that you both enjoyed it so much. I did a blog of my first tour with my daughter here. It is rapidly becoming a way of life for us, with tours planned ever year. If we didn't have visitors, I'd probably hitch a ride with you and your son for Newcastle to Edinburgh, as it sounds great!! But I'll look out for a report on the way back, and maybe I can do it with mine next year.(I've been thinking about Coast and Castles for a while...)

Congratulations on a wonderful initiation for your son into what might be a lifelong love!

What a fab blog!

I did part of the Coast and Castles route last year, from Blythe to Berwick upon Tweed and can recommend it. Some friends are doing and invited us to join them, so a step up for LO!

As for the initiation, I've been fairly determined to get son into both cycling and camping. As far as I'm concerned, with a bike and a tent, the worlds your oyster!
 
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Sara_H

Sara_H

Guru
Good to hear about other cycle campers doing it with children. Why don't more people do it? All my friends think I'm bonkers! I think its a perfect family holiday.
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
Great report, Sara, and great pictures too.
I think you were brave to go for a cycling/camping holiday with the weather we have been having.
Your son certainly looks the touring cyclist, panniers and all! :thumbsup:
 
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Sara_H

Sara_H

Guru
Great report, Sara, and great pictures too.
I think you were brave to go for a cycling/camping holiday with the weather we have been having.
Your son certainly looks the touring cyclist, panniers and all! :thumbsup:
My philosophy has always been, that if it's raining you can still do exactly what you planned to do in the sunshine, so long as you have a good set of waterproofs!

No such thing as the wrong weather, only the wrong clothes!
 
We only did about 15 miles each day. we could have easily done double, especially considering the forgiving terrain
Glad you had a good time and the weather didn't put you off. It's a nice part of the World and great for a family cycle tour.

I hired a tandem and cycled part of the Tissington Trail last yr with my brother in law. Had a great time but now know I really don't like tandems :sad:. This is a vid of that trip

We're planning Newcastle to Edinburgh in the October half term!
I did the Coast and Castles from Edinburgh to Nr Newcastle last yr. Lovely cycling although a bit more of a challenge than the railpaths of Derbyshire. This is a vid of that trip. PM me if you want any info.

Happy CycleCamping!
 
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Sara_H

Sara_H

Guru
Great report, Sara, and great pictures too.
I think you were brave to go for a cycling/camping holiday with the weather we have been having.
Your son certainly looks the touring cyclist, panniers and all! :thumbsup:
Ha! theres was quite a bit of friction over that. Son is an aspiring road racer, and has been convinced by his dad that panniers, mudguards etc are evil! Had a tough job convincing him to have a rack, and have had to promise to take it off now we're back. I think Santa is bringing him a road bike for christmas, and the Dawes that's pictured here will become his "tourer".
That said, I he was clearly secretly very proud of his self carrying the tent poles and other bits of stuff and he can't wait to do it again!
 
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Sara_H

Sara_H

Guru
Glad you had a good time and the weather didn't put you off. It's a nice part of the World and great for a family cycle tour.

I hired a tandem and cycled part of the Tissington Trail last yr with my brother in law. Had a great time but now know I really don't like tandems :sad:. This is a vid of that trip


I did the Coast and Castles from Edinburgh to Nr Newcastle last yr. Lovely cycling although a bit more of a challenge than the railpaths of Derbyshire. This is a vid of that trip. PM me if you want any info.

Happy CycleCamping!
I think I've seen your coast and castles video before.

Think we're planning about thirty miles a day - don't think it will be too much of a problem for son, he would literally cycle all day if he could and he LOVES hills - the steeper and longer the better!
 
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