Adventure Plans
Borderlands Bikepack: Lazonby to Carlisle, 11-15 September 2023
Borderlands Bikepack: Lazonby to Carlisle, 11-15 September 2023
Five days of riding linked up into a proper Borderlands bikepacking trip, from Lazonby through Newbrough, Wooler, Innerleithen, and Moffat before finishing in Carlisle. Across the full route we covered 418.88 km with 5863.8 m of climbing, with a mix of fun exploring, big hill days, sunshine, headwinds, and one route change forced by a mechanical.
Quick Summary
This was a five-day bikepacking ride from 11 to 15 September, stitched together from daily stages across the Borderlands. The shape of the trip changed as we went, but that was part of it: some days were about exploring and finding fun lines, some were about getting over the next set of hills, and one day became a bit of a salvage job after a bike problem.
What We Got Up To
We started by riding from Lazonby to Newbrough, with plenty of time spent exploring on the way. It sounds like the right kind of opening day: moving forward, but not in too much of a rush, and still making room for the interesting bits.
Day two took us from Newbrough to Wooler and was clearly one of the tougher stages. There were lots of hills, and a fair bit of time was spent reattaching mudguards, which says plenty about the roads and the general feel of the day. It sounds like one of those rides where progress comes in bursts between small mechanical annoyances.
From Wooler to Innerleithen on day three, things seemed to click. It was the best day of the trip by our own notes, with sunshine, good roads and cycle paths, and bakeries all helping the mood. After a harder second day, that kind of stage can really reset everything.
Day four was meant to be a straightforward ride from Innerleithen to Moffat, but a mechanical issue with Beth's bike changed the plan. We altered the route and still had to work hard for it, especially on the climb into Moffat, which was made tougher by a strong headwind. That sounds like the grittiest day of the trip: not the one we drew up in advance, but the one we had to manage as it came.
The final day ran from Moffat to Carlisle. Rain had been forecast all day, but we stayed dry for the first 20 miles, which felt like a small win at the end of the trip. By then the finish was in sight, and there was also the bonus of catching an earlier train home.
Conditions and Gear
The trip seems to have thrown a bit of everything at us over five days:
- big climbing days
- at least one strong headwind
- a threatening final-day forecast
- enough roughness or vibration to keep knocking mudguards loose
- one mechanical issue serious enough to change the route
That combination is a good reminder that bikepacking kit only has to do a few things well, but it really does need to do them well. Mudguards that stay put, luggage that doesn't need constant fiddling, and a bike that can cope with several long days in a row all matter more once you're a couple of stages in.
The weather also seemed to swing between very good and potentially grim. Sunshine and easy riding on day three would have felt especially good after the hillier, more frustrating second day, while the final day's forecast probably kept us honest even if the rain held off for a while.
Highlights and Learnings
A few things stand out from the trip.
First, the variety. Even from short notes, each day had its own character. The opening ride was playful and exploratory, day two was hilly and awkward, day three was the clear high point, day four became a problem-solving day, and day five had that end-of-trip mix of tired legs and getting-home focus.
Second, morale clearly followed the route and conditions. Nice roads, sun, and a bakery stop can turn a long day into the best one of the trip. On the other side of that, a headwind or repeated kit issues can make a shorter day feel much bigger.
Third, flexibility mattered. Changing the route after a mechanical and still getting to Moffat is the kind of thing that doesn't always make for the smoothest day, but it often becomes the part of the trip you remember most clearly later.
The photos from across the five days capture that changing feel well, from the early excitement of setting out, through the bigger middle days, to the final push back toward Carlisle.
By the end, this felt like a full trip rather than just a stack of rides: 418.88 km and 5863.8 m of climbing, a few setbacks, a few lucky breaks, and a route that kept changing character from day to day. The best part was how distinct each stage felt, even when all of them were tied together by the same simple job of riding to the next place.