Emma Kingston is an outdoor adventurer, author, teacher and self-confessed map geek who lives in Bristol - the UK’s first designated Cycling City. She has ridden, walked, swam and camped in the South West for over 20 years and her knowledge of the area is enviable. Specialising in mountain biking, she has travelled extensively around the rest of UK, Europe and further afield in search of ever more flowing singletrack.
Emma took up bikepacking when she realised it meant that she could stay out and ride her bike for longer, take the time to explore interesting places off route, and eat an outrageous amount of ice cream.
In the summer of 2021, she released her first book 'Bikepacking England' which contains 20 great multi-day off-road routes around the country and proves that you don’t have to go far to have a memorable adventure.
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out
www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.
Show notes
- Who is Emma
- Her passion for the outdoors and adventure
- Being into her cycling
- Focusing on having fun
- Her relationship to the outdoors
- Being afraid of heights at a young age
- Going on family adventures
- Exploring more of Wales on mountain bikes
- Growing up in Bristol and being able to escape the city
- Being inspired by her parents
- Making the transition to solo adventures and expeditions
- Being more into team sports such as hockey and ultimate frisbee
- Pushing her limits and building resilience
- Making decisions for herself
- Heading to Wales to bike pack for the first time
- Concerns before the trip
- Feeling confident and prepared on the bike
- Why it was a case of getting on and doing it
- Why you should go on a solo adventure
- Trusting in her own capabilities
- The stories we tell ourselves
- Being scared?
- Feeling safe while on the road
- How the book came about and the process of writing it.
- Having local adventures and creating new memories
- The type of routes included in the book
- Getting practical advice
- Sleep systems for Bikepacking
- clothing layers
- Food while on the bike
- GPS and route planning
- Will there be a second book?
- Why you don’t need to suffer on adventures
- Future adventure dreams
- Final words of advice to encourage you to get on your bike
- Look at the barriers that are holding you back
- Don’t apologies for being a beginner
- “You are so much more capable than you think you are”
- Roll with the bikepacking and see where it will take you
Social Media
About the book
Bikepacking England by Emma Kingston contains 20 great multi-day mountain bike adventures across England.
Explore ancient holloways and hunt for fossils in Bridport and the Jurassic Coast, tackle the stiff climbs and spectacular singletrack of the Dark Peak, discover stunning coastal scenery on the Isle of Man or Exmoor or traverse the rolling countryside around the Ridgeway and Chilterns – every corner of England has a different experience to offer.
Each route includes all the information you need to help you plan your ride, points of interest along the route, food recommendations and accommodation options, in addition to stunning photography and overview mapping. Downloadable GPX files of the routes are also available, including optional routes and shortcuts. This book is full of practical tips and advice for both experienced bikepackers and those who want to try it out for the first time, including lots of information on wild camping.
Let Bikepacking England inspire you to get out there on your bike with your tent and enjoy the best bikepacking adventures that England has to offer.