Not Just A Bikepacking Blog Anymore!

This is a little different from my usual posts about bikepacking, but I felt it really important to announce it as it’s a big stepping stone for the website and for me personally. It’s really exciting news and has been months in the process of happening.

You might have noticed the blogs have slowed down in recent weeks. That’s because I have been working on another part of the site, which I made live a few days ago. It’s all been a bit of a dream and doesn’t feel real.

The Journey Up Until Now

If you don’t know me personally, my name is Robbie Ferri. I own the Bikepackist, and it’s only ever been worked on by me. I’m an ex-semi-professional ultra cyclist who has ridden in many places around the world and even broken world records.

I have worked with many brands and have not only spent time in a bike shop but also completed my bike fitting course. So, when you hear me give advice on this website, I am sharing a decade of personal and professional knowledge. I am a writer for many big publications and create video and picture content full-time.

The Beginning

The Bikepackist bikepacking blog started a week after my son was born. That week, I realized I wanted to take a day or two off working for others and build something long-term for me and my family. It started as an idea, and I had to invest some money into it to get it started.

I always wanted to own my own blog, and with all the skills I have learned from running other people’s blogs, I knew I could be successful. When I say success, it is more about connecting with people than anything else.

Where Am I Now

It’s been around eight months, and I didn’t realize the Bikepackist was going to be popular. My goal was to hit 10,000 views in a single month before the end of the year and have 100 subscribers. Building blogs takes years, so I knew this was aiming high, and it’s years before you get traction.

In the seventh month, I had 13000 views, and around 9000 people visited the website. I was blown away by the support, and I smashed my target of 100 subscribers, too. It was a little overwhelming, and I couldn’t quite believe the nice comments and messages I was getting daily.

With work from clients slowing down due to the Google Helpful Content Update having a huge effect, the Bikepackist bikepacking blog was such a big boost for me, and it was nice to see it grow and to have something to feel driven and passionate about.

An Expensive Hobby

The Bikepackist has not made anything yet, and I didn’t want to monetize it in a traditional way like a lot of blogs, filling it with affiliate links, Google ads, and brand adverts.

In fact, the site costs me money to run, and I also lose money from taking time out each week to create the content. I do it because I love it, and that’s always been part of my thought process. I wanted to change this in the future but wasn’t sure how.

The most important thing was to give the readers the best experience possible and to always give honest reviews and facts without influence from any outside sources but still to make some money to help me and spend time working on it and covering its own bills and some of my time.

The Next Step

I had a lot of thoughts about how I could do this, and there was only one option for me, and it was a dream I have always had. The best route to go down would be to turn the Bikepackist into a bikepacking accessories shop.

It meant my bikepacking blog wouldn’t need adverts, I wouldn’t have to share affiliate links to certain stores, and I could give my totally honest advice no matter what. If people wanted to support the site, it would mean they got something back, too.

The Shop

So, the shop was born, and I had certain criteria that I wanted when I started ordering the stock ready to sell. I wanted budget bikepacking goods. I feel the industry is very overpriced, so I went to suppliers that have good-budget gear that works.

Budget Goods

It took months of hunting the right suppliers and finding budget equipment that I knew was good and that I could sell at a decent price. I faced many challenges and still am working out many kinks.

Once I found things I liked, I made the order and said goodbye to a big chunk of money, knowing how much of a risk this would be. Over the next month, delivery after delivery turned up, and some products I put into the shop, others I didn’t because it has to be goods I would use and recommend.

Finding the balance between good bikepacking gear at a low price has been a big challenge. When you buy something expensive, you get a great level of quality. I’m dealing with budget goods, which I like but will not break the bank.

Shipping

I’m ready to start shipping goods to people, but I can only ship to the UK because of my insurance. My US customers will have to wait for a while until I have sorted it out and can safely deliver it to you. You will just get the bikepacking blog for now.

A Final Note

Thanks for taking the time to read this. It’s exciting times at Bikebackist HQ, and there’s a lot I am working on in the background. If you enjoy the blogs and want to support the site, all I ask is to visit the shop and see if anything, there’s some cool stuff in there!