Introduction Thread

[jonesy792]

Welcome Phil.  While most everyone else may think your nuts for doing tour divide, I for one am jealous and wish I was doing it also. mabe 2011...

[scottyb]

Hi my name is Scott Boyer,

I live in Colorado Springs CO and have lived here most of my life. My dad was a cyclist and got me started on bikes at a pretty young age. I have been in the bike industry most of my "adult" life. I currently work at Colorado Cyclist as a tech service rep.

Pretty new to bike packing. Started this last year but I have been doing long xc rides for a number of years now. I do a blog you can check out here http://epicrides.wordpress.com

[phil_rad]

Hi Scott!

Welcome to Bikepacking.net!

Happy Trails

Phil

[wdlandparker]

hi my name is Tazeus Steyskal,
just got interested in bikepacking about 3-4 months ago, only one little overnight on the ring the peak trail near colorado springs, i am a high school student so for me most of the year consists of yearning for enough spare time to actually go on long rides. But if anyone else in the area is  in terested drop me a line.
namaste,
 Taz

[ballistic_ken]

Hi all.

I'm Ken, and I found this site thru a series of links from advrider, to mtbr, to here.

I'm 40, just quit smoking (after 20 yrs of smoking) and got on a bike to help get back into shape.  I'm 1 month in, and feel a LOT better but I know I have a long row to hoe.

I won't post much, but will read a lot.  Thanks for a great forum.

[efuentes]

Hi, My name is Edmundo Fuentes,

Thanks for a fantastic site, I have been a lifelong cyclist very interested in exploring and offroading.

After a few years Jeeping I am back on my bike.

I will try to contribute some routes and rides in the Copper Canyon area in Mexico, already have some GPS maps of mostly backroads at http://coppercanyongate.blogspot.com if interested.

I am also putting together some info on lesser known routes along the coastal Sinaloa and Sonora states.

Saludos 

[phil_rad]

Hi Edmundo,

Welcome! Thanks for the link!

Happy trails

Phil

[mattinaustin]

I will try to contribute some routes and rides in the Copper Canyon area in Mexico, already have some GPS maps of mostly backroads at http://coppercanyongate.blogspot.com if interested.

Hi Edmundo....looking forward to hearing about your adventures in Copper Canyon.  I spent a week out there a few years back and have to say it was some of the best mountain biking I have ever done.  Seemed ideal for bikepacking, although I understand you don't want to get lost in the wrong areas where certain farmers don't want to be found.

--Matt

[Lonesome Luddite]

Hello, I'm Matt Maxwell.

I live and work in Ames, IA as a bike mechanic. 

I've been seriously biking for about ten years now.  I do commuting, gravel road rides and races, the occasional 24 hour race, and I especially love snow biking.  I've done a little bikepacking (overnighters mostly), but would like to do longer rides/events (should I ever have the time).  This winter though my focus is on ski-packing. 

I look forward to learning from everyone here.

Matt

[paxton coyote]

 New guy here, been lurking & learning from western Nebraska for awhile, will be 44 in December, did a lot of backpacking in the 80's as well as bmx, gave it all up to become a cowboy & made my living in the saddle for close to 25 years & got back on a bike after 20 years in 2001.

 I now ride a Surly KM ss mainly on gravel, dirt roads & trails & have a notion to try this bikepacking, dream bike right now is a Fargo. Started a blog of my cycling adventures as well as other things we do for fun www.paxtonpeleton.blogspot.com we have many backroad options for overnight trips around here & will probably try my hand at it in the spring.

 Really enjoy what I've learned & the adventures posted here so far, hope to post some of my own soon, won't be as wild as some though!

[phil_rad]

Welcome paxton! Good luck with your adventures.

phil

[mingus]

I've got a couple of threads running over in the General section ,thought i'd take the time to introduce myself.

I'm from Melbourne, Australia and have been regularly cycling for about 3 years now. I recently did some touring in Europe and have got the bug for long distance travel by bike. While reasearching for that trip i found this website and instantly loved the idea of bikepacking. I'm currently planning an onroad trip (as i've never really ridden offroad) but i'm on a Cross bike so am keen to take it off road and see what sort of terrain i can handle on it. Maybe i'll do a few off road trips on it before committing to an MTB for something more serious.

This is an awesome forum, i've gleaned heaps of info from it already. I'd love to hear from any other Aussies on here about where to ride etc

[sailor]

Hi All,
My name is Carl and I live in Seattle.  Im investigating bike backing because I love the wilderness but don't like hiking nearly as much as I like riding my bike.  I am friends with Gracie and Matt who did Divide by one last summer and they suggested this would be something I like.  Im looking to do a big trip in summer 2010 and will be asking for lots of advise.

[Black Dog]

Chris, first post here. Riding since '68, camping since '73, mountain biking since '86. Definitely a newb to bikepacking
but I'm eager to learn and experience. I'm something of a vintage MTB fan, only ride rigid and the jewel
in my collection is a '92 Steve Potts CCR (original and only owner) Just got my mitts on a Fargo and can't wait to
build it up and break it in. I'm planning a trip on the C & O with my brother some time next spring, not exactly wilderness
touring but it'll be a good way to spend some quality time with my only sibling. After that, who knows?

[aluminiumsucks]

Hey all.  My name is Ben.  Just found this site early this summer and have been totally taken with it.  I've been riding a bike off-road since the early 90's and have been doing on and off-road tours for the last several years.  It was always rack and pannier type stuff and seeing everyone's different setups and the potential for adventure out there has been really inspiring and I thought I'd join the forums and toss in my two cents from time to time.  Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far.

[Curtis C]

Howdy Folks, Its Curtis from Colorado here. Hey I just started riding this past April to change up my weight lose routine. I never would have imagined I would enjoy MTB'ing so much. I am hooked.
I have pretty much always been an outdoors enthusiast. I enjoy backpacking, hunting, fishing, snow skiing. I have quite an assortment of gear collected over the years so now I am going to plan some bike packing trips for the spring, summer, and fall of 2010. Just reading a few of the post I could quickly see some of you folks have already tried and found some of my plans to be ineffective for bike packing. I will save that for the other sub forums. Anyways I just wanted to say hello from Calhan, Colorado

Thanks for having me
Curtis

[adski71]

Hello to all,my name is Dave,  I live in England near to a place called the Peak District,not exactly what you'd call wilderness like what you have in the state's,but some of the higher spots and were only talking 2000 ft can get a bit wild in winter,not very often though!Still you can get a good 2-3 day bikepacking adventure if you try hard.Pretty new to this though,started last summer but been mtbing for 20 year's on and off.Ambition to come over to State's to really test myself on the Tour Divide, and would love to try out some real winter condition's on the arrowhead trail and Iditirod! Oneday!            

[k7]

Gerry here - from Phoenix AZ although I've lived and worked in quite a few different places. 

I got my first 10-speed when I was about 12-years old - called a Londoneer.  Instant freedom.  Never seemed to bother my father when someone mentioned that they saw me 25-miles from home.  This was the very early 70's and it was a simpler time.

As I got older, I got into motorcycles.  I rode from about 15 until 19 or so and only hit the ground at faster than 55 twice.  After one of those, my parents showed up at the base hospital 'cause I called to tell them there was a rumor going round that I was dead.  Road rash galore baby.

Out of motorcycles and back into bikes in San Antonio in the second half of the 70's.  Used to ride with the local club every Sunday and even did a weeklong 600 mile tour of the Hill Country.  Through college was much the same.  Glacier to Yellowstone, climbed up to Clingman's dome from each side, a few centuries and even a double.  Good times. 

Then came family, baby, divorce, you name, btdt.  Out of bikes, round two on the motorcycles, a proud adventure rider, many trips to Copper Canyon and around the SW.  My wife understands my wanderlust and lets me do pretty much what I want. 

Out of bikes, into kayaks now.  Part of the motivation was to get back into shape.  Riding a motorcycle wasn't doing me any physical good.  Part of the kayaking was a dedication to working out.  For example, I went from leg-pressing 145 pounds to 400 pounds now.  I have dialed that back to 300 just to keep my knees from complaining too much.  My waist has gone from a 44 to a 38 as I've progressed. 

I did a trip on AL River last year and a riverboat/kayak trip in the Amazon this year.   There's a slideshow here if you're truely bored. 

I love adventure traveling and I decided that a mountain bike will be perfect for the type of trips that I favor... backroads, dirt roads, no cars, no people.   

I can picture a trip to Batopilas Chihuahua on the bike - way down this little road. 

 

This is the Copper Canyon area of Mexico - a beautiful place. 

From the AL River trip - a part of the trip when I didn't see anyone else for about 2 days:



I'm not as young as most of you guys but at heart, I'm still 15.  I'm thankful my wife understands and accepts that too.  Hopefully, I'll have a new bike in a few days and my cycling coma will end.  Life is good 'eh?

[mattinaustin]

Welcome Gerry...sounds like you have a lot of experience under your belt and adding a mountain bike to your repertoire is a natural progression.

I love the Copper Canyon picture....I almost flew over the edge of that very road when I overcooked it coming down during my visit.  High speed (and v-brakes) and those vistas don't mix well...gotta stay focused.  Saw lots of KLR's and 650 GS's out there, they were always curious why we would be on our mountain bikes, but it is some of the best riding around. 

Would love to go back someday.

[k7]

Thanks Matt - it's truly a beautiful place isn't it?   Maybe we should organize a rally there - stay in Creel and then move towards Batopilas and perhaps beyond.   I did the motorcycle thing there for 3 or 4 years in a row and really enjoy it. 

Austin 'eh?  When we did our Hill Country tour in the 70's, we rode from San Antonio to Austin via San Marcos.  We stayed with my friends' aunt and uncle - I remember that their home was just off of Bee Caves Rd.  Nice folks - gave us long-necks as we recovered from the 113-mile day by soaking in their hot tub. 

I was a lot younger then.