Bikepacking
Bikepacking is a beautifully simple concept- load your camping gear onto your bike, pedal into nature, and enjoy your human-powered retreat from the modern world. Although simple in theory, outfitting a bike, choosing a route, and preparing for the unexpected all make bikepacking a daunting prospect. That’s where we come in! Our staff has dozens of trips under their belts; from rugged excursions in the desert southwest, long distance trips down the Pacific coast, or picturesque rambles in New England, we’ve done some of it all and would love to chat about it!
Bikepacking bikes
We are believers that any bike is capable of being a bikepacking bike. Even so, we are proud to carry bikes from several outstanding manufacturers that are purpose built to carry gear and ride well both loaded down and not. Bike features to look for include a stable geometry, plenty of mounting points for bags, water bottles, and other cargo, and durability to withstand day after day of hard riding.
Esker Hayduke
-Steel or titanium hardtail mountain bike built around a 120mm fork
-Large front triangle to maximize space for a frame bag
-Plenty of braze ons for additional bags, water bottles, or racks
-Ask Anne about her Hayduke (pictured) that has seen countless miles and nights outdoors!
Otso Fenrir
-Stainless steel or titanium drop bar mtb with a comfortable riding position and nearly infinite tire clearance
-Ideal for mixed terrain routes like the Great Divide or expeditions with everything from smooth dirt to chunky service roads
Giant Revolt
-Perfect for gravel “credit card touring” -overnight trips where you carry more gear than a traditional day ride, but seek overnight accommodations indoors
-Mounting points abound this frame, including spots for water bottle cages on the fork
-Fast and zippy for covering long distances on mixed surface roads
Bikepacking bags
Where a traditional bike touring setup relies on large panniers, bikepacking bikes use smaller, soft-sided bags that are more amenable to a life offroad. Some of our favorite bag companies are:
-Joe at JPaks is a longstanding friend of the shop who makes high quality, custom frame bags (pictured on the Esker Hayduke LVS).
-Revelate bags are simple, economical, and built to last.
-Oveja Negra is a Colorado based, women owned company that sews unique, practical, and durable bags in Salida.
Bikepacking routes
Picking a route that is fun, challenging, and rewarding can be a challenge. These are some of the established routes (many from Bikepacking.com) that staff have ridden and would love to chat about:
Eagle-Hardscrabble Overnighter (CO)
Sections of the Colorado Trail (CO)
Lake City Overnighter (CO)
Kokepelli (CO)
Pinions and Pines (AZ)
Fools Loop (AZ)
Madrean Rugged Ramble (AZ) (pictured)
Monumental Loop (NM)
Cathedral Loop (UT)