Emma Kingston is an outdoor adventurer, author, teacher, and self-confessed map geek who resides in Bristol, the UK’s first designated Cycling City. With over 20 years of experience riding, walking, swimming, and camping in the South West, Emma's intimate knowledge of the area is enviable. Specialising in mountain biking, she has traveled extensively across the UK and Europe in search of the perfect single track.
Emma’s passion for bike-packing emerged from her love for extended bike rides and exploring off-route locations. This enthusiasm culminated in the release of her first book, Bikepacking England, in the summer of 2021. The book features 20 multi-day off-road cycling adventures, demonstrating that memorable adventures are often closer to home than we think.
Following the success of her first book, Emma has recently published Bikepacking Wales: 18 Multi-Day Off-Road Cycling Adventures, further showcasing her expertise and passion for exploring new trails.
Balancing her career as a full-time primary school teacher, Emma meticulously plans and prepares each route she includes in her books. Her dedication ensures readers and cyclists experience the best possible adventures.
Despite facing challenges such as recovering from a bike accident, Emma remains committed to her adventures, often connecting and riding with others to rebuild her confidence. She enjoys riding her full suspension Santa Cruz Juliana Mountain Bike and dreams of adding a gravel bike to her collection.
Listen to this episode on the Tough Girl Podcast for an engaging and inspiring conversation with Emma Kingston, where we'll uncover the secrets of bikepacking, the joy of discovering adventure in unexpected places, and the transformative power of embracing the outdoors.
Listen to Emma Kingston's inspiring journey on the Tough Girl Podcast!
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Show notes
- Who is Emma
- Being based in Bristol, South West England
- Working as a full time primary school teacher
- The first time we spoke to Emma - Sep 9, 2021 Emma Kingston - Teacher, Outdoor Adventurer and Author of Bikepacking England
- Reflecting back on the end of 2021and the launch of her first book
- Book: Bikepacking England 20 multi-day off-road cycling adventures
- Starting to think about the second book - Bikepacking Wales
- The planning and preparation in relation to the creation of the book
- Picking the rides and doing the research
- Nick Cotton Guide Books to cycling
- Book: In pursuit of Spring - By Edward Thomas
- Exciting new books from Wild Things Publishing and Vertebrae Publishing
- Finding the time to do the research while working a full time job
- Wanting to put together the best routes possible for the readers and cyclists
- The planning and preparation before even riding a route
- Using geograph.com
- Dealing with an injury after a bike accident
- Building back up her confidence to start riding again
- Connecting and going out riding with other people
- Riding a full suspension Santa Cruz Juliana Mountain Bike
- What did I call my bike?
- How many bikes….
- Why the perfect bike number is N+1
- Wanting to get a gravel bike
- Exploring Wales and learning about the culture, the people and the language
- Why backpacking doesn’t always have to be type 2 fun
- The drovers of Wales
- Her love for Wales
- Book: Bikepacking Scotland, 20 multi-day cycling adventures off the beaten track. By Markus Stitz
- Thinking about writing a book about biking in Ireland
- Taking a breather and riding without an agenda
- How you can connect with Emma
- Final words of advice and why you should start off small and take small steps to build your confidence.
- Barebones Bikepacking Events
- Sisters in the Wild - Supported bike backing trips
- Guidebook: Wild Swimming Walks Eryri Wales: 28 river, lake & waterfall days out in North Wales. By Emma Marshall.
- Guidebook: Stand-up Paddle Boarding in the Lake District - Beautiful places to paddleboard in Cumbria. By Jo Moseley
- Guidebook: Gravel Rides South West By Catherine Moore (Commissioned)
- Book: Ethel - The biography of countryside pioneer Ethel Haythornthwaite By Helen Mort.
Social Media
Website: www.emmaoutdoors.com
Instagram: @emma.outdoors
Twitter/X: @emma_outdoors