Day 8 Bikepacking the South Downs and the Surrey Hills

[@SteveBrill]

Great round up for an excellent series of rides Darren. It’s amazing how much stuff you were able to carry and I was just waiting for the rabbit to get pulled out! 🐇 Cracking stuff mate and look forward to future videos. Have a great weekend and a bit of chill time. 👍

[@DarrenPhillips]

Thanks Steve, I don’t think I actually mentioned that I used everything I took, except for the things you don’t want to use anyway, the tools and spares and first aid stuff. Although I could have done with carrying some spare chain lube, as as get the rain storm, my drivetrain sounded awful. Enjoy your weekend too Steve!

[@justinhaskins8001]

Awesome series of videos for an amazing adventure. I am in awe of how many climbs you achieved with all that kit. The kit talk was very timely as I'm just planning what I need for my big trip.

[@DarrenPhillips]

Thanks Justin, I’m in awe of the distances you’ve been riding this year. Good luck for PBP, you’ll smash it! Just make sure when the going gets tough to remember to enjoy it, you chose to do it and you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. It worked for me!

[@DuckRideDuck]

Great Series, look forward to the next one 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@DarrenPhillips]

Thanks James, I’m still in the planning stage, but I’m very excited!

[@Borovets2010]

Enjoyed this series, great job 👏

[@DarrenPhillips]

Awesome, thank you!

[@peteradshead6566]

Well done Darren, you're so intrepid. I sometimes wonder if our paths will cross cycling somewhere in Somerset but a slim chance of that considering your ambitions now you've done that epic ride. Have fun, Pete.

[@DarrenPhillips]

Thanks Pete, I still have the odd pedal around Somerset, usually on the tandem. So if you see me, shout hello!

[@Teifilass]

Wow everything but the kitchen sink 😝 Loved the vlogs, next time I will wait till they’re all uploaded and bing watch just like being at the movies 😂 a cycling movie perfect. Thanks so much loved every minute.

[@DarrenPhillips]

Thanks Michelle, it’s amazing what you can get inside all the bags! I’m glad you e enjoyed it. I’ve been dreaming and planning the next one this week. I’m very excited!!

[@Teifilass]

@@DarrenPhillips I loom forward to it.

[@jonathangreen7111]

We have toured/bikepacked in France for many years. It is ideal: decent, cheap campsites everywhere, a huge network of quiet roads, great diversity of terrain. BUT some bits are flat, boring & empty/dead so beware. Also I would argue that it's MUCH better to design & plan your own route rather than leave it to an "algorithm" (yes, komoot, I'm looking at you 🤨). Happy to offer some recommendations if you want. Happy planning 👍

[@DarrenPhillips]

Thanks Jonathan, I usually do put a lot of research into my planning. When there are other times, I like to be surprised, which often leads to off road adventures. But that always makes me smile! I’m currently planning an epic trip, which has got me all excited. It might not be until next year for that one. But there is some flat and some not so flat!! Although, I do have a free week in September now, so I’ve got to plan something for that week 🤔

[@jonathangreen7111]

UK or abroad?

[@DarrenPhillips]

Abroad! It will depend on whether I can get three weeks off in a row or not, as to what the trip ends up being. I have the fee different versions at the moment, with the start and end changing, depending on how much time I have to do it. Which oddly seems harder than getting permission from the missus!!

[@ianbooth369]

Cracking series, lovely to see your kit too, Alpkit is good stuff. You picked a hard route with all those climbs! Shame about the trains, this booking bikes is a real problem, they could do so much more to help cyclists, who would use the trains more. What was your total mileage and total feet climbed ? Well done again 👏 huge respect for your efforts 👏👏

[@DarrenPhillips]

Thanks Ian, it was 590m/950km and 12000m/39700ft. One day, I will find a space on a train. It’s now a mission!!

[@lewiswalker7803]

Fantastic series Darren, looking forward to the French version!! How you carted all that kit around ill never know, although it was surprisingly tidy and compact.

[@DarrenPhillips]

Thanks Lewis, I need to sync up my leave dates with Pete for the French version, so it won’t be this year sadly. Although, I’ve been planning something a bit longer and more epic. So if that comes off, it’ll be very exciting. Just a small matter of getting the time off, wife’s permission and ideally a riding companion with 3 weeks off, and I’m laughing!

[@benatkins2106]

Useful video. How did you find that Alpkit sleeping bag and sleeping pad? Were you warm enough? Did you have to wear thermals to be warm enough? It’s some of the kit that I don’t yet have so interested in your thoughts. Thanks so much!

[@DarrenPhillips]

Thank Ben, I really like the sleeping bag. Even on the coldest night in the storm, I was very warm. I only slept in my pants, so no need for clothes or thermals. The pad is easy to blow up, easy to deflate and packs up really small. It’s the one Pete had, so it’s the second pad I’ve tried: I slept really well on it and would highly recommend them both.

[@benatkins2106]

@@DarrenPhillips Thanks. That’s good to know.

[@davewatt8840]

Good insight into what your carrying in your bags, what you think of the Restrap saddle bag? What size you use? Cheers

[@DarrenPhillips]

Thanks Dave, I have the 8L saddle pack. I’ve been very impressed with how much you don’t even realise it’s there. It doesn’t sway at all and fixes quite securely. The bag insert fits in easily and the straps tighten up securely as well. I haven’t got anything to compare it to, as I haven’t used anything else. But I can’t see any reason why you would, when a product is this good. The thing that drew my Restrap In the first place, was the lifetime guarantee. So should any of the products ever break, they will fix or replace them. Which gives you confidence that they trust their own product. They say buy cheap buy twice, but this is buy quality just the once. If I’m spending my own hard earned cash, I want value for money.

[@davewatt8840]

@DarrenPhillips thanks for that Darren, have a Restrap frame bag that I use on my gravel bike, good sturdy bag, may treat myself to a saddle bag for my small bikepacking adventure. Thanks again for your honest review 👍

[@rachelanne9486]

Was that you in the blue top just cycling up through Combe St Nicholas - 07:20 this morning?

[@DarrenPhillips]

I wish! No I’m at work in Wells today 😞

[@rachelanne9486]

@@DarrenPhillips same as me then, at work in Combe 🤣😂

[@DarrenPhillips]

It’ll soon be the weekend! For which it is my long weekend, 3 days off after today! 😊

[@tonystaples9136]

the 500 in Scotland Trains are a joke and we accept it Seems to be a lack of underwear in this packing list 🙃🙃 Pot noodles isnt food seems to be a lot of heavy cable stuff

[@DarrenPhillips]

I did have underwear, but missed it out! I took just one pair, as I was in cycle kit most of the day. The Pot Noodle was my back up, in case I didn’t find anything, as it’s lightweight. Just in case I couldn’t find anything to eat. Unfortunately, the price of making videos, is the equipment you have to carry, as they all needed to be charged daily. I was supposed to do the NC500 for my 50th birthday in 2020, but that got cancelled. One day I will find a train with the bike space I booked! I’m determined now!! 😂 Thanks for watching Tony