When it comes to bikepacking, I have always found it incredibly empowering, and I believe everyone should try bikepacking at least once. There’s no denying that it can be scary, and some bikepacking fears are difficult to get your head around. 

In this article, I want to speak about some of the most common things that scare people when you go bikepacking and explain either ways to get around them or why they are something you shouldn’t be worrying about at all.

My Experience: Bikepacking Fears

I, Robbie Ferri, have been bikepacking for around 10 years and have been lucky enough to go to places such as Oman, Taiwan, and Peru, and I have even traveled across Europe multiple times. Bikepacking wasn’t always easy for me, and I still have to face many challenges. 

When I first started, I didn’t have any friends in bikepacking, and I had to learn it all myself through various mistakes and challenges. From the original skills I learned, I went to ultra cycling and even broke some world records during my time. 

When I first started, bikepacking scared me so much, and I felt as though no matter what I did, I spent so little time in my comfort zone. I am happy to admit it, and now I spend more time helping other people with their bikepacking alongside my own trips. 

Riding At Night

Here’s probably most people’s biggest fear, riding at night. The dark is scary, and it’s pretty overwhelming if you are not used to it. There’s one thing riding in a city at night. It’s another on a forest trail in the middle of a country you are unfamiliar with.

I hated riding at night to start with. What if my bike broke? Was I being followed or chased, and what if I got lost. I understand, but it’s easy to get over it, and the key is experience. 

I found when I first started, I would ride before the sun came up for a short amount of time and then after the sun went down. Start in small doses and then build it up to a full all-nighter, and before you know it, it won’t bother you nearly half as much. 

Top Tip: Riding At Night

Do your best to stay as visible as possible by wearing high-vis and reflective clothing. Also, invest in lights that are super bright and last a long time. Here’s my guide on riding at night. 

Injuries While On The Road

Nobody likes getting injured. It’s awful. Not only does it cause pain, but it can quickly ruin an adventure and sometimes even stop it altogether. Sometimes, injuries just happen, and there are times when it comes down to having an accident.

For bikepackers, the most common injuries come in the form of saddle sores, knee problems, and even neck issues. Injuries are avoidable, and putting certain measures in place before you go on an adventure can completely change the outcome. 

Training properly before going, getting a bike fit, strength training, and also working on flexibility. If you can do this, you will greatly reduce the risk of injuries.

Top Tip Bikepacking Injuries

Higher cadences are much better at reducing fatigue and have been proven to help reduce the load on the knees, helping prevent overuse injuries. 

Getting Lost

Most of the best adventures involve getting lost at some point. It adds an element of excitement and makes you think very logically when you might be tired or distracted. I have been lost many times, and it can be worrying. 

Getting lost is easy, and it doesn’t take much to take the wrong road or trail. Your Garmin might have frozen, or you might just be terrible at navigating. In modern times, finding yourself is much easier than you might think. 

When you get lost, don’t mess about. Get your phone out or check your sat nav or map to see where you went wrong. Once you know, either detour back on course or retrace your steps. Don’t waste time panicking and getting scared. Get on with it and get found.

Top Tip: Getting Lost

When you get lost, sometimes it’s much easier to retrace your steps than detour them. I say this because detours get complicated and can take you on some pretty awful terrain or roads. Stick with what you know, even if it might take another 20 minutes. 

Wild Animals And Dogs

I have come across my fair share of animals when bikepacking. Monkeys, snakes, and much more. The biggest fear for me for a long time was wild dogs. At this point in my life, I had never owned a dog, and I liked them, but wild ones are a different story. 

I watched videos on YouTube of bikepackers getting chased, which put me off going to certain countries. The thing with wild animals is that you just need to understand them. Dogs are territorial because they want you gone when you come into their home space. 

Dealing with dogs is the most common problem you will come across. Never ever hurt them, just get off the bike, stand your ground and walk around them. They can sense fear, but with time, they get much easier because you just become much less scared. They are the most popular of bikepacking fears.

Top Tip: Wild Animals And Dogs

Dealing with dogs is very tough. Here’s our guide, which is going to tell you exactly what you need to know to safely get around them.

Mechanical Breakdowns

When doing a talk to a group of cyclists, I got a question from someone saying, “Do you ever worry about your bike breaking?” I used to load and carry a silly amount of spares on my first couple of trips, but I did not know how to fix my bike at that point in time.

Bikes are simple when you know what the parts are and what you are looking at. Most things can be fixed roadside, and provided it was built correctly and regularly maintained, then you shouldn’t worry. Just trust it after a good pre-ride check. 

I highly recommend learning how to repair a bike before going. If I could go back to when I first started cycling, I would have stripped a bike and rebuilt it. That will tell you most of the things you need to know.

Top Tip: Mechanical Breakdowns

Learn your bike personally, and I highly recommend checking out these common repairs that are important to learn before you go bikepacking. 

Weather And Poor Conditions

Storms can be very scary when you’re in a place you don’t know and you’re not near shelter. I remember riding through the Black Forest in Germany at 4am in a thunderstorm once while it was heavily raining. It was scary!

The trick to poor weather is you need to be prepared. Having the correct gear goes a very long way, and being smart enough to know when to push into it or hideaway. I spent 2 days in a hotel once to avoid 50 mph winds and torrential rain on a trip once, and I’m glad I did.

Ensure you have waterproof bags, some good kit for cold and wet weather, and that you understand what you’re getting yourself in for. Check the weather applications before you go and determine if it’s worth doing the trip.

Top Tip Weather And Poor Conditions

If you get the chance to practice being in bad weather before the adventure, just try it to get a feel for it. Don’t go into anything dangerous.

Sleeping Rough

I love bikepacking and adventure cycling, but I do not enjoy sleeping rough, and I definitely didn’t enjoy it at all when I first started going on trips. It’s not fun for everyone, and if you are inexperienced, then it’s not always easy either and for me was one of my bikepacking fears.

There’s something very special about wild camping and just pitching up anywhere for a sleep. I can appreciate it’s not for everyone. If I am brutally honest, I don’t mind doing it, but I would much rather stay in a hotel most nights when racing.

The trick to getting sleeping rough right comes with experience. You need the correct kit and to just get some confidence. The more you do it, the easier it gets. It’s good to remember there are very few places where you are not the scariest thing in the woods. 

Top Tip Sleeping Rough

Build up your confidence over time, start by doing it with friends, then on your own at a campsite, then find somewhere local hidden and wild camp alone.

A Final Note: Bikepacking Fears

When it comes to bikepacking, it can be scary. There’s no denying that bikepacking fears get to everyone. Remember, it’s natural to be scared. It’s about instinct, your body getting ready to protect you and warn you of danger. All fears can go away with experience and enough practice. 

If you need help overcoming fear, a great article that can really help you is how to be mentally tough when bikepacking! Thanks for taking the time to read this article!