Roam Bikepacking

What is Bikepacking?

Go on a journey by bike. Strip back to the essentials and load up your bike. Take the backroads and gravel detours. Explore the places between the places.

Bikepacking Bags

Bikepacking is a close relative of cycle touring, which people have been doing since the bicycle was invented; simply going on a journey by bike, moving on each day and taking the essentials you need with you.

The term ‘bikepacking’ was coined and has become increasingly popular, in part due to the development of a new range of bags, designed to spread the weight of your kit more evenly across the bike. This allows for nimbler handling and a surprisingly less cumbersome feel than traditional bulky rear pannier bags. Although bikepacking bags have less capacity than panniers, with a bit of minimalist packing, you can comfortably fit what you need for a long weekend and benefit from carrying less weight.

Gravel

Next came the arrival of ‘gravel bikes’, which, put very simply are like road bikes with chunkier tyres and lower gears, designed to be equally at home on smooth tarmac roads as they are on gravel tracks. Gravel refers to the road surface, so anything that’s not smooth tarmac. That could be a forest fire road, bridleway, a rough farm track, a canal path or any unpaved road.

This combination of gravel bikes and bikepacking bags, has made it possible to enjoy more adventurous multi day routes that combine quiet rural lanes, with traffic free gravel tracks, opening up a host of appealing wild areas which would have previously been out of reach, allowing anyone with a yearning for adventure to get off the beaten track.

Routes In Nature

Our routes combine quiet country lanes and gravel tracks to get you into nature, but end each day in rural civilisation with the comforts of a hot shower and a cosy pub for a well earned drink.

Get On It - Get To It - Get In It

The routes have been designed to allow you to take your time, stop for a swim, take in the views and enjoy the journey. You’ll pass wild swim spots, head over mountain passes, through remote villages and down forested valleys. They provide a challenge but are achievable, taking you on a journey, moving on each day. After 3 days you’ll feel like you’ve been away for a week, having seen so much, leaving you feeling re-energised and rosy cheeked.

The pay off for getting away from it all and taking the quiet backroads is that you will encounter a few lumps and bumps. There’s no denying it, Wales is hilly, but just take your time, embrace its majesty and enjoy the freewheeling feeling on the other side.

Bikepacking In Wales

In preparation for a bike trip over the world’s highest motorable pass, deep in the Indian Himalaya, our founder and his fellow adventurers set about getting ready by taking regular weekend cycling trips in the UK. It soon became apparent that for a sense of wilderness, quiet roads, spectacular scenery, great country pubs and the opportunity for adventure, Wales was the only place to go.

Some of our routes pass through wild, remote and sparsely inhabited parts of the country where you can expect to go most of the day without passing a shop, without phone signal and exposed to the elements. This is what creates the ‘wilderness’; so as long as you have a taste for adventure and follow our safety advice, it will only add to your experience.

Use The Best Kit

We have invested in top quality kit so you don’t have to. It’s tried, tested and chosen with reliability, packability and your comfort in mind.

The Bike

You are provided with a gravel bike from Temple Cycles. The highly praised and versatile adventure bike is perfect for the trips we offer; equally at home on gravel tracks as it is on the country lanes, it’s a pleasure to ride.

You can expect a wide range of gears for a helping hand on the climbs, disk brakes for confident braking, whatever the weather. Wide profile, hard wearing tyres minimise the chance of getting a puncture, soften the ride on any rough tracks and provide good grip in all conditions.

Carrying Your Kit

To keep your kit dry and neatly stowed on your bike, we use top quality frame, saddle and bar bags from Ortlieb, Restrap and Carridice. These bags spread the weight evenly across the bike, so you’ll barely notice it’s there after a couple of miles. Space is limited, so stick to the kit list and pack light.

Gear That Makes Camping Comfy

For groups who are camping, we’ve selected a treat of high quality, lightweight and compact camping kit. Spacious MSR Elixir tents, Exped camping mats and air pillow as well as Alpkit sleeping bags to keep you cosy. No one likes to start the day without a brew, so you’ll have a compact MSR stove to boil up water in no time. Mug, spoon, coffee are provided, as well as some Firepot breakfast pouches (vegan beans or apple porridge) for those occasions when there isn’t a café nearby.

 

Own Your Adventure

We believe that being self-sufficient offers a more rewarding experience, so we give you what you need, but leave you free to pedal your own adventure.

Self-Guided & Self Sufficient

That means you don’t have a guide coming along with you. Instead, we provide you with a GPS navigation system, a small device which fits onto your handlebar. It uses GPS (Global Positioning System) technology to pinpoint your exact location against detailed cycling specific digital mapping. We preload it with your route and the arrow on the screen shows you which way to go. We also provide you with a bespoke guidebook brimming with information about each day.

For a genuine adventure cycling experience, you’ll carry your kit with you in cleverly designed bags, strapped to your bike and will love the sense of freedom that comes with being self-reliant. Meals can be sourced along the way, in cafes and pubs, or packed lunches. You decide.

Support

You will have everything you need to be self sufficient. Once you set off, you’re on your own, committed to completing your journey unaided and enjoying your sticky toffee pudding in the pub all the more for it. The bikes are well maintained, punctures are rare and accidents are easily avoidable, so you probably won’t need us, but we are on call to help if you do.

We don’t follow you around like fretting parents, so could be up to 2 hours away, but will be there as fast as we can. Quite large parts of our routes are out of phone signal (a rare treat nowadays), so we provide you with an ‘Inreach’ device which allows two-way text communication, even when there is no phone signal.

FAQs

Some common questions, answered for you. But if your question isn't here, please get in touch.
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Bikepacking is strapping the essentials that you need for a multi-day, self sufficient adventure to your bike and going on a journey. It's about avoiding busy roads, instead picking out quiet country lanes, unpaved tracks and forest roads to take you deeper into the wilderness for a proper adventure. The recent development of ‘gravel’ bikes and more efficient methods of attaching your kit to your bike, has made wild areas which would have previously been out of reach, more accessible and enjoyable to anyone with an appetite for adventure and a yearning to get off the beaten track.
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No, you will go on a journey, moving on to a new place each day, but ending up where you started by the end of your trip.
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Yes, we believe that by being self-sufficient you will have a much more rewarding experience. You will pack everything you need on your bike into the specifically designed bikepacking bags. So stick to the kit list and pack light!
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It would be very easy for us to ferry your luggage for you each day, but in doing that we are taking away your sense of freedom and diluting your adventure. It may be a little bit more challenging, but you’ll appreciate what you’ve accomplished all the more by being self-sufficient.
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As you will be carrying all your belongings on your bike with you, there is a limit to how much you can bring. In plenty of time before your trip, we will send you a detailed kit list and a bag which all your stuff has to fit in. We'll also send you an informational video to show how you'll stash your kit to your bike, so you know in advance.
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No, we provide everything apart from your personal clothing. All we would recommend is investing in a pair of padded cycling shorts and it's wise to have a decent waterproof jacket, just in case. If you have your own cycling shoes and pedals, please feel free to bring them along. If you have your own helmet, you may choose to bring that as well, otherwise we will provide one.
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Our trips are designed to be challenging but achievable when tackled at an enjoyable tempo. The challenge coming in the form of some hefty hills and occasional unpaved tracks, the relatively modest distances making it achievable. Our difficulty ratings of Mellow, Moderate and Challenging are based on someone with a reasonable level of cardiovascular fitness. If you’re not a regular cyclist, then some preparation is recommended to cope with the physical demands of a full day in the saddle over hilly terrain. See the difficulty rating section on the trip info pages to make sure you choose the right route for you. And if you’re not sure, just get in touch.
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You need to be confident riding a bike, but not a mountain biker. Up to 25% of your route will be on what we refer to as gravel tracks, this could be a bridleway, a forest fire road, an ancient horse & cart route, or an unpaved farm track. We wouldn't class it as offroad, which might conjure up images of mountain biking, just not smooth tarmac. If you do come across a section of gravel track which is steeper or bumpier than you feel confident riding down, you can always get off and push your bike down that bit.
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This is an all inclusive package. We provide the bike, bikepacking bags, accommodation, camping equipment (if camping), a GPS preloaded with your route, guide book, support service and a pre trip informational videos. You just need to get yourself there, bring some clothes and sort out your own food and drinks.
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You are provided with a gravel bike from Temple Cycles, donned with great components. They’re a dream to ride, fast on the road and comfortable on the unpaved sections. Check out the ‘how it works’ section of the website for more details.
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You are welcome to use your own bike, although we would recommend using ours as we selected them specifically to be ideal for the routes our trips take and the type of terrain you will encounter, plus you save yourself the hassle of lugging your bike on the train/car. If you do choose to use your own bike, we can offer you a discount of £10 per person/per day.
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It means you don't have a guide coming along with you, cramping your style. Instead, we provide you with a GPS navigation device preloaded with an awesome route to make sure you don’t miss a turn and a comprehensive guidebook full of local knowledge and tips. So you can travel at your own pace, stop when you want and pedal your own adventure.
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Your group will be provided with a small navigation device which fits onto your handlebar. It uses GPS (Global Positioning System) technology to pinpoint your exact location against detailed, cycling specific, digital mapping. We preload it with your route and the arrow on the screen shows you which way to go, just like using a sat nav in your car. As a backup, you will have a paper map to follow. If you do manage to get lost, you can call us and we’ll figure out where you are and tell you which way to go to get you back on track.
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We use really good tyres so punctures are rare, but do happen occasionally, so you will have the basic equipment needed and instructions on how to fix a puncture yourself. If you are not confident doing that, or you have any other issues with the bike that you can't fix yourself, just give us a call and we'll come and find you and get it sorted. We could be up to 2 hours away though.
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Barring a freak storm forcing us to postpone your trip for safety concerns, your trip will go ahead. Wales has its fair share of rain, which is one of the reasons it's so lush and beautiful. We run our trips from April to September and although it's not uncommon for it to rain in the summer, as long as you have a good weatherproof jacket, it's generally mild enough that if you do get wet, it's nothing an evening in a cosy pub with a sticky toffee pudding can’t put right.
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If you were to have a serious accident, you should call 999 or 112 in the first instance. Then we would appreciate you calling us, so we can help out as much as we can. Thankfully, accidents are rare.
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When you book, you will choose whether your group would like to camp, or stay in B&Bs. For camping groups, you can expect no frills, but friendly campsites with the essentials we would want ourselves. Toilets, hot showers, firepits and within walking distance from a good pub. Our B&Bs (Or guesthouse, Hotel or Country Pub) are often located in a small town or village, with bike friendly owners, a hearty breakfast provided and always within walking distance of a good pub.
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Food and drink is the only real additional cost on top of the price of the trip. For B&B groups, your breakfast is included in the price. You will source your own lunch along the way, stopping in a café or taking a packed lunch. It's up to you where you eat dinner, in a pub, restaurant or fish and chips. We’ll recommend our favourites. If you’re camping, the campsites are located within walking distance, or a short cycle, from a good pub where you can get dinner. Expect traditional pub grub. For breakfast, if there is a café nearby, you may choose to head there to fuel up in the morning, but the rural location of some campsites means that isn't always the case, so we also provide you with tea/coffee, a compact stove to heat up water and some porridge pouches to get you going in the morning. Lunches you source on the go, cafe or packed lunch, it's up to you.
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Camping does come with its challenges, especially if the weather is against you, but it's also the ultimate way to escape everyday life and be in nature. The equipment we use is high quality and easy to use. We can show you how to use it all and even provide you with a video of how to put up your tent. If you can’t figure it out, there’s usually an outdoorsy type on most campsites who will happily help! Or you can call us anytime with questions.
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We would strongly encourage you to use the gear we provide. Space is limited when bikepacking and we have carefully selected top quality, lightweight and packable tents, sleeping bags and mats to make sure you can pack all you need into the limited space on your bike. We would hate for you to turn up with your own stuff only to find you can’t fit it into the limited space you have on your bike.
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There isn't really any maximum group size, but if you have more than 8 in a group get in touch before you make your booking.
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You must be over the age of 18 years old on the start date of your trip, unless you are accompanied by a parent or guardian, in which case, it is up to the parent to judge if their children are capable of taking part. Please get in touch before booking if this applies to you. We would also need to consider their height, as we do not have child specific bikes, yet!
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To book, make a booking enquiry through the website. We will get back to you within 24h to confirm your chosen dates and accommodation choice availability. We would then ask for a 25% non refundable deposit to be made within 7 days to confirm your group booking. The final balance is due 28 days prior to your trip start date. Payments to be made by bank transfer.
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Exact details will be emailed to you in the build up to your trip and vary a little depending on which route you choose, but as a general rule, you would need to be at the start, dressed in your cycling gear, ready for your briefing and bike fitting at 10am.
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Let us know if you are planning on driving and we can let you in on some free parking areas to avoid official car park fees. Or, if you would feel happier parking in an official car park, you can expect to pay anywhere up to £20 per day. We cannot take any responsibility for the safety of your car for the duration of your trip.

Choose Your Adventure

Pick a route that’s right for your group and escape on a bikepacking adventure. Any questions, get in touch.

"Challenging, rewarding and beautiful. It wasn't easy at times and the weather was quite wet the first day but would have to say i thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish! Great communications and kit provided by the Roam team, felt well looked after. Can’t quite believe I made it up some of those hills..and down them!"Cambrian Mountains, May 2021, Luke