Hello again! Back for the second installment on bikepacking!
In the last installment, we talked a little bit about the origin of the term, that it’s not a totally new concept, and that it scratches an ancient itch to see what’s over the horizon. But for some, that itch might be the hives they get at schlepping 50 pounds of gear on an all-day bike ride, just so they can sleep on the cold ground.
The good news: Bikepacking is always an adventure, but you get to choose your own. There are many different ways to approach this type of travel, and, like most travel, it boils down to how much you want to spend, what your desired level of comfort is, and how free you need to be. However, regardless of the style you choose, I have to reiterate that traveling by bicycle is THE BEST way to travel. You will see and enjoy a place so much more if you are in it, and moving slowly enough to smell the roses. That being said, I’ll break this down by style so you can decide which is right for you.
The Supported Tour
Write a check, and go along for the ride! This is a beautiful way to travel, if you’ve got the green. Imagine flying to the beautiful Loire Valley of France. Two guides with a support van give you a state-of-the-art bike (even an electric bike if you prefer), fitted to you perfectly. They load your gear into the van, and tell you to call them if you have the smallest inconvenience. Flat tire? Not for your hands to fix. Need a snack? The man in the van is on his way. All of your meals are taken care of. Your only job is to make your destination each day, but truth be told, if you get tired, the magical man in the van will pick you up. As you go, you have a GPS already marked with notable locations, chateaus and wineries for you to visit. Your hotel is taken care of. There is a happy hour each day included in the cost, and you get to meet all the others in your travel group, all before sitting down to locally made dinners. You get a bed and a shower each night. Likely a pool or a sauna. Life is good at the top.
Just one thing…the trip I’m describing is available through a little bicycle outfit up the road called Trek Travel (maybe you’ve heard of them), and it is roughly $5000 for a six-day trip. Now that doesn’t include getting there, so tack on another $1000-1500 for travel. The people I know who have done these trips swear by them and are working hard to save for their next trip, and honestly, what’s not to love?
Credit Card Touring
You like biking, sure, but camping? Yeesh. You like the comforts, and you don’t mind living in that truth. Credit card touring is one in which you pack your clothes…and nothing else. Hungry? No need to cook; enjoy a restaurant. Tired? No tents here, stay at a hotel. And when it comes to riding, the really nice part is that clothes don’t weigh much. 5-10 lbs of clothing in a single bag on your bike, and you are set for a weekend or a week! The lightweight makes for easier miles, so each day you can make longer distances if you so choose. I’ve personally met credit card tourists who ride 80-120 miles a day with their light loads and carbon road bikes. This form of touring also opens you up do whatever kind of trip you want to do, whether a weekender to New Glarus, a week long trip around Wisconsin, or even a cross-country tour.
Self-Supported Touring
You don’t just look at the road and think about where it goes; you look at the road and know what it means: freedom. Everything you need is attached to your steed. Your tent, tools, parts, pots, stove, fuel, food, water, you name it, are always with you. It’s a lot, but it’s worth it. My touring bike, fully loaded, weighs in around 70-85 pounds. What I get for the extra sweat is the ability to go anywhere I want without concern for all the planning and deadlines that can sometimes suck all the joy, spontaneity, and magic that bike touring can offer through the random opportunities that pop up. You get to say YES when you are self-supported. This has created some of my best memories of touring. A random person will offer a spot to camp on their property. I say yes. A random person offered to show me a herd of wild mustangs on the plains of Wyoming. I say yes.
You ride by a waterfall with a small park in the middle of nowhere. I say yes to camping there. You are bound by nothing and free to go where the trip takes you. This form of travel is the least…insulated, but that’s part of what makes it feel so raw and real. You feel fully IN IT.
Bikepacking
For some, the idea of touring sounds great, but the idea of doing it on roads or around a lot of people is daunting. Some prefer the quiet and beauty of the ether and have a bike with big tires to get them there. They also believe in the old mountain biker’s adage: “When I’m mountain biking, I choose my level of danger; when I’m road biking, someone else chooses my level of danger.” It’s generally self-supported, but is frequently more expensive than self-supported road touring because the bags tend to be more expensive, and the gear needs to be lighter weight and smaller to fit on the bike. For any of you who have been involved in any sport, you know the paradox of paying a lot more for smaller, lighter things. Grams are costly, and somehow we pay more for less of them. Once you are out there, though, my goodness it’s gorgeous. The bike packing I have done on the Great Divide Mountain Biking Route from Banff to Glacier NP is one of the highlights of my life. There was also a time on the Colorado Trail when I took a wrong turn and ended up on the private property of some survivalists who were not happy about my presence. All memories (of their own kind) and ones that couldn’t happen with any other form of touring. PS – Treat survivalists like grizzly bears: just back away slowly and avoid eye contact.
Whatever your level or interest, there is a form of bike touring that fits. I’ll say it again: Traveling by bicycle is the BEST way to travel. You’ll meet the nicest people on a bike, and see some truly wonderful things.
If these articles have piqued your interest even a little, Shifting Gears will be hosting an overnight tour to New Glarus Woods State Park this April or May. More information to come. Consider joining us. You can dip your toe into this incredible way to travel. It’s only 20 miles to New Glarus, the town is lovely, we can have a local beverage, and there will be a support vehicle to schlep gear if you would like. Stay tuned for more information and articles!