Trip Report - River Ramble
Alice joined our River Ramble in November, with six well-waterproofed Buds setting out from London to explore quiet roads and cycle paths along the Thames. Proposed by Diane, the trip was designed to be relaxed and beginner-friendly, with short distances, plenty of cafes, and one night at a camping and caravanning site. Alice shares her view of the weekend, and her belief that any trip can be rewarding, regardless of length or challenge.
I heard about Bikepacking Buds after attending the Sisters In The Wild rally in East Devon. I was immediately inspired to hear that such a group existed and was keen to join a trip as soon as possible. I'd spent the summer cycling around the coastline of Britain, something that I'd been dreaming of doing for years. It had been the best eleven weeks of my life so naturally I was feeling a little deflated that it was over and winter was looming.
I was craving a mini-adventure so I was really pleased when the River Ramble popped up on my Instagram feed. Although I'd done a lot of bike touring, I'm a relatively slow cyclist so the easy-going pace of this ride suited me well. I tend to view bikepacking as a lifestyle rather than a sport so I don’t pay too much attention to distance. You can have just as much of an adventure doing short journeys as long ones, and the pedalling itself is just a means to get from A to B. The things I value most from these trips are discovering new places, the connections made and the camping experience.
In the colder months my main barrier to bikepacking is finding people to go with. I'm happy doing this sort of thing solo but the thought of meeting new like-minded people excited me more. It was the first time I'd joined a trip like this without knowing anyone, and to me that's a huge part of the adventure. The pre-ride whatsapp group was really useful and a nice way to feel united before the weekend had started. We'd established that the weather was looking ominous but no-one seemed to care. I loved this!
On the day, I planned to take the train up to Clapham Junction from Shoreham by Sea but woke up to find no trains running! So I took my front wheel off, threw the bike into my Fiat 500 and drove to Putney so I could meet the group just after they'd set off. It had been bucketing down with rain all morning so I assumed some people might have dropped out. To my delight, no-one had bailed and I immediately knew these were my kind of people!
Whilst trying to put my front wheel back on I was a little heavy handed with the through-axle and ended up destroying the thread! Another setback! I threw my bike back in the car and headed to a bike shop in Kingston to buy a new axle. After finding somewhere to park, I finally found the group by tracking the live location they’d sent me. Fortunately they were in Kingston as well getting lunch so the timings worked perfectly. The group were lovely and there was not a single complaint about the rain they'd just endured.
I've learnt there's never a wrong or a right way to set up a bike for an adventure.
The great thing about meeting bikepackers for the first time is that you 'meet' their bike as well. I love seeing everyone's setup and little personalisations and it's always a good way to start a conversation. I've learnt there's never a wrong or a right way to set up a bike for an adventure. It's a very individual decision and my personal preference is always comfort (and colour!) over anything else.
From Kingston to our campsite in Chertsey the rain held off, despite it being forecast all day. It felt like the equivalent of a sunny day because we were expecting far worse! There was a nice stretch that hugged the Thames between Kingston and Hampton Court and a welcome stop at Giro Cycling Cafe in Esher. At sunset we got to the friendly campsite in Chertsey, put the tents up, then headed to the pub. I always think a pub is the perfect complement to winter camping because you appreciate being inside that extra bit more. I enjoyed chatting to the group over dinner and it felt like I'd known everyone longer than just a few hours.
The next morning we all woke up to thunder and lighting and the aggressive sound of rain on our flysheets. I giggled as we all started chatting on the whatsapp group from the comfort of our own tents. None of us wanted to get out while the rain was this heavy so we waited until it calmed down. We all agreed that the beauty of a one-nighter was that it didn't really matter that everything got soaked. We only needed it once!
Once the rain finally stopped we set off to complete the second half of the loop. Our first obstacle was a heavily flooded road. We had to cycle for quite some time through deep water with cars following us! This happened a few times and certainly made us feel more vulnerable, especially not being able to see what was underneath the water. We had a quick group conference and decided to re-route to get away from the busier roads, even though it took us a little longer. We enjoyed a much-deserved coffee stop at the Pheasantry Cafe in Bushy Park then pushed on to Richmond Park where I left the group to cycle back to my car.
It doesn't matter how much or how little cycling you've done. What matters is having that spark inside for bikepacking, which creates a fantastic group energy.
My goals on this trip were to bond with new people and have an adventure, and that's certainly what I got. It doesn't matter how much or how little cycling you've done. What matters is having that spark inside for bikepacking, which creates a fantastic group energy. I certainly came away excited for the next trip, and now feel confident about proposing one myself. I was a little apprehensive about winter approaching but this trip and the Bikepacking Buds concept has given me reason to embrace it.
Alice has indeed already proposed a trip with Bikepacking Buds! You can find Alice on IG @yello.velo and if she’s inspired you to head out on an adventure yourself, check out our upcoming trips here or propose one of your own!
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