When it comes to bikepacking I have adventured a lot in the past decade. I have concluded that the better you can prepare, the more enjoyable your trip will be, and you will also have much more fun. I’m going to introduce you to the bikepacking cheat sheet!

I am sometimes an overthinker, and this has come to help in certain situations. One of them was prior to a race when I decided to make myself a bikepacking cheat sheet to help me stay as efficient as possible on my next adventure. In this article, we will discuss:

• What Is A Bikepacking Cheat Sheet?
• Making Your Own Bikepacking Cheat Sheet
• Where To Put Your Bikepacking Cheat Sheet

What Is A Bikepacking Cheat Sheet?

I have been lucky enough to do a lot of bikepacking and ultra racing. During this time, I learned that being prepared and organized beforehand can make the adventure not just better but easier. 

I came up with the bikepacking cheat sheet when I first got into racing, and I can’t believe so few bikepackers take this route. It’s easy to make, and it’s such a valuable resource on a bikepacking trip. 

A bikepacking cheat sheet can tell you where to get food and sleep and even how far along your journey you are. It’s a guide to keep things simple when you’re tired and start to overthink or underthink your activities. This is what a bikepacking cheat sheet looks like. 

Here’s my cheat sheet for the Rebellion Way Norfolk!

As you can see, I have not only distances between big towns and cities but also much more, such as shops I can use, hotels, and even bike shops. I also think it’s important to have notes so you know if you have any challenging sections coming up. 

Making Your Own Bikepacking Cheat Sheet

Now for the fun bit. I am going to give you a step-by-step guide on how to make your own bikepacking cheat sheet. This process is all about gathering information and knowing where to find it. 

Step One: Create Your Route!

Before we start making a cheat sheet, you need your route. You might roughly know which direction you’re heading in, but I recommend putting it into a navigation application such as Komoot or RideWithGPS to perfect it. 

Once in, open the map. I recommend penciling out a chart like I have above. Then, we will start filing it in next. 

Step Two: Understanding Where To Get Information From

The next step is to understand where you are going to get your information from. The route information, such as distance, climbing, and terrain, comes from the Komoot or RideWithGPS application. 

Google Maps and Google itself provide information on shops and opening times. Using these two programs, you will get all the information you need. It might seem complex when you start, but it’s easier than you think.

Step Three: Plan The Stops

Planning the first stop is the toughest one. You first need to consider how far you can realistically travel between stops. You should also consider water capacity, the speed you ride at, and even how much food you can carry on the bike. 

When casually bikepacking, I will go around 100 km per stop or less. I often aim to reach around 200 km per stop when ultra cycling. They are completely different setups and rest is much less when racing. 

When you know the rough distance you can cover, then find a small town where you will be able to stop at that distance and then mark it on your chart. Repeat the process until you have them all filled in.

Step Four: Fill In The Information

Now you have the stops. You just have to fill in the information. So get on Google and start researching hotels and shops that look like good places to resupply or stay and add them to your list. I have only included one or two examples, but you could add four or five. 

I try to go to shops with lots of different foods, such as small supermarkets or garages. Also, as they have very long opening hours, it makes it much easier than worrying about whether I can make it in time before the end of the day or when I need to complete that section.

Step Five: Add Notes

Now, for the notes, this section is very important. Here, I like to put anything that will help me in that section. It might be the terrain I’m going on if it’s going to get much hillier, or even things such as border crossings. 

You now have a full cheat sheet for your next adventure! It gets easier and easier the more you do it, and it becomes second nature after a while. 

Where To Put Your Bikepacking Cheat Sheet

Years ago, I used to put a mini cheat sheet on the bike’s top tube but realized I needed more space for it. I typically keep it either on my phone or in a document on Google Docs, or I print it out and have it kept in my top tube bag. 

Printing it is the best way to go, so you can just grab it when you need it, but you have to be very careful that if the weather is bad, you don’t let it get wet as this could cause you issues later down the line. 

A Final Note: Bikepacking Cheat Sheet

Having a bikepacking cheat sheet makes it much easier. It’s just getting information before an adventure that you can use quickly. It has always made my trips much less stressful and I always feel I know where I’m at. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If you enjoyed this you might like The Ultimate Bikepacking Kit List, Dealing With Dogs When Bikepacking, and Bike Security When Bikepacking.