Bikepacking England Guidebook by Emma Kingston

Released today, Bikepacking England is a new 176-page printed guidebook that features maps and detailed descriptions of 20 multi-day off-road cycling adventures around England. Written by mountain biker Emma Kingston, who’s been riding trails in the UK for more than 20 years, it includes essential information and advice for routes in the Lake District, Exmoor, Northumberland, and the Jurassic Coast, as well as downloadable GPX files for every track inside. The book aims to inform experienced and first-time backpackers alike, and to inspire readers to get out on their bikes to see what England has to offer.

In advance of today’s launch of Bikepacking England, our friend Markus Stitz (@reizkultur) sat down for a video chat with Emma to better understand what led her to work on this project. Find excerpts from their chat below (or watch the full 45-minute conversation on YouTube).

When did your mountain biking journey start?

My childhood was definitely one of real fun and enjoyment, but with an element of healthy resilience thrown in there for good measure. Mountain biking started when my twin brother and my dad really got into downhill. Somewhere in my garage I have a full-face helmet, leg and arm pads, and goggles. I dabbled in that for a couple of years, but that’s not the riding that I decided that I enjoy. I’m more about riding within my own limits and having a bit more mellow time.

How’d the book come about?

At the end of rides, I like to jot down some of my thoughts. Sometimes, if something odd has happened or I’ve seen something magical, it’s just nice to jot that down or take a picture to have as a record. When I had a knee injury a long time ago and couldn’t get out on my bike, I was absolutely jumping at the bit to do something exciting, having done these trips. I think perhaps the best thing for me in that situation was to live vicariously and write about them, and it was suggested by my partner that I sit down and do something. It sort of snowballed from there.

What does bikepacking mean to you?

Because of my job, I’m quite an organized person. I like having things compartmentalized, so it’s almost like a release valve at the weekend or on holidays. It’s a nice way for me to de-stress. I often ride on my own, actually. I just find that a meditative thing where lots of weird thoughts come to you, and it’s a nice way to decompress after a hard week or a hard time.

What are your three top tips?

Number 1: I’d probably say if you hadn’t done bikepacking before that unless you were feeling really confident with your riding, navigating, and wild camping, if you choose to do that, it’s probably best to go with a friend who’s done it before. If you’ve told a friend that you’re gonna do something and you’ve both committed, they’re there to hold you to account in some ways, which can be supportive and encouraging.

Number 2: I’m going to say food, which probably features in every single ride. I’d say for me, if I am a little bit unsure, I will pack some extra treats. Or just stop and get myself the most enormous cake. Sometimes, if you’re finding things hard, it’s amazing what it does for your mood.

Number 3: Practice riding with a load on your bike if you haven’t done it before, and see how that feels in terms of the effort it takes to get up hills. But I’ve actually found that I usually manage to clean loose techie climbs better fully loaded than when I’m just on my bike without bags. That extra ballast sometimes surprises you.

Could you tell us more about your choice of trails in the book?

I’d say they’re all pretty accessible, and a lot of them aren’t overly technical. I’ve made sure that all the climbs are mostly rideable, even when fully loaded. And the descents are the ones you’re going to enjoy because there’s flow and a little bit of technical interest to keep someone like me interested, who’s predominantly into my mountain biking. I think the good thing about making a bikepacking book around England is that you’re never that far away from somewhere, but it doesn’t take much to feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. You have to almost reframe your idea of what is wild when you ride in England.

I think there’s a sense that a lot of us are preconditioned to feel that wild equates to empty, untouched, and no human inside. But I guess if you reframe that and you’re happy to redefine it, then England has so many wonderful places. At the same time, you’ve got that sort of safety net of knowing that there’s probably a train station like a 20-minute cycle to the east or a local cafe that you could go and fill up in. The book doesn’t specify wild camping spots; I think that’s definitely a choice that an individual rider wants to make. There’s a lot about leave no trace in the book to help people make informed decisions, but conversely there’s a lot in the book about accommodation and where you can get food and drink so that you can sort of plan that in if you don’t want to camp.

Can a guidebook help protect the environment?

People protect what they love, but they only love what they know. We are promoting and helping people to discover these routes for themselves, but I definitely think that if they aren’t aware of the wonders that are out there, they’re going to be less inclined to want to protect them. Promoting and showcasing just what a wonderful place we live in is almost a positive step in helping people re-engage with the landscape and to have thoughts about being a steward. That’s what I write in the book about being an environmental steward and taking responsibility for the places that you ride through.

Who is the book for?

I was really lucky when I was researching Bikepacking England that I already had a head start compared with the vast majority of people. I perhaps really already started to fully appreciate what was on our doorstep without having to jet off to exotic places, and it’s wonderful to be able to look and see the extraordinary in something that’s really quite ordinary for most of us. Giving the routes has been taking away a barrier: So many people post online, “I don’t know where to go, I don’t know where to start, or I don’t know this area.” So, I guess what I’ve tried to provide is a starting point. It’s certainly not supposed to be reductive because there’s so much more out there, but it’s definitely a starting point to get people excited about the outdoors and riding their bikes.

Head over to Vertebrate Publishing to pre-order a copy of the book for a discounted rate of £16 with free UK postage.

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