Introduction Thread

[zs3889]

I've posted a little bit on here (in preparation for bikepacking the Colorado Trail, Tour Divide and Arizona Trail Race). I've since moved to Northern Arizona and am hoping to do some bikepacking trips around here. Hit me up if you're local and want to bikepack on trails!

There is a group of us in Utah that do bikepacking trips in Southern Utah in the spring and fall. You should consider joining the group on meetup.

Here's the link:

https://www.meetup.com/SLC-Bicycle-Touring-and-Bikepacking/

[SoCalEpicRyder]

Hello all. Mike from Corona Ca. I found out about this site when someone mentioned the personal setups section in another forum I was reading a couple days ago. The idea of camping with a mountain bike has been drawing me in since I stumbled on the idea in the bike packing  subs at mtbr dot com.

I haven't lurked much because I'm rebuilding the engine in my 4Runner this week but I will be looking around.

I'm currently considering a Motobecane Fantom  Titanium boost 29r hardtail as an all around street to trail bike that could be bike packed.

 http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/plus-boost-bikes/29er-boost-bikes-ftm-team-ti.htm

[Dries]

Hi everybody!

I'm new to this forum and have almost no experience in bikepacking.
But I ride between 100 and 120km a week (it's my main way of transportation)
I am planning on saving up money and building my own MTB-Tourbike in about a year...


keep moving forward!

Dries

[dreilly]

Hi everyone! I'm Doug and I live in Oneonta, NY. I've been road biking and touring for a while, but am relatively new to bikepacking, though it feels like the homecoming I was always missing but never could put my finger on just quite what it was. I'm a stargazer, and I run a small science museum. Just taken a few short trips so far, but looking forward to doing more!

Right now I ride a Cannondale Fat Caad 2 with a bunch of different set of seasonal "shoes".

[domarom]

Hello My name is Dominica I've been long distance touring for a few years but am interesting in getting into bike packing! I'm here to get some tips for a newbie on how to start and plan my first trip to New Zealand for a couple of weeks in February. Any tips, links etc  for someone just starting out would be much appreciated. Even what bike to buy for this trip is something I need to figure out! I am quite versed in the backcountry, its the application of a bike I'm excited about!

[owtdorz]

Wife and I are going to BP together on our new tandem. I'm not new to BP but this will be her first. She hikes and backpacks a lot. Looking forward to a new adventure together. Bags are being measured and made.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

[Crossup]

Hi Steven here...
I'm probably going to take the prize for roundest peg in the squarish hole.....after several years of thinking bikepacking was my future because I'm tired of being limited to out and back day trips I'm finally going to give it a serious go this spring.
Why the round peg?  well first off I'm 100% backpacking my gear(well maybe something on the handlebars) but also I totally buck conventional wisdom by riding a full on downhill bike...yes uphill.

[LDog]

Bill Garlinghouse here. My chosen username, LDog is also my trail name in the backpacking community and on related forums. Did the AT in five sections in recent years.  Embraced the UL philosophy as I was gearing up for that, and refined my kit over the years ...  Been an avid cyclist since the early 70's.  Traded in my Schwinn Collegiate for a Juenet touring bike in my senior year in HS, and rode from Madison, WI to Michigan's Tip-o-the-Mit.  Worked summers on Mackinac Island, where I got into racing.  The Island's 8 miles around, so not much opportunity for touring.  I traded in my Juenet for a Mondia racing bike.  Joined the Navy, took my bike aboard ship, and rode wherever we pulled in.  Got married, sired two boys.  When the first was old enough to ride, I bought both of us MTBs.  Mine was a 1997 Gary Fischer Paragon 8 speed w/ Shimano Deore LX and a Indy SL Rock Shock. Pretty hot shit back then ...  Did a lot of single track riding.  Still have it, along with an old Trek 1200 aluminum racing bike, and an old 1984 Schwinn LeTour Luxe fixie conversion.

I always wanted to get back into touring. Dreamed of a trans-continental trek. The idea of riding forest roads, and camping along the way became a recurring dream. And in the last several years I watched as manufacturers began making bikes purpose-built for that dream, and the cottage industry began making "bikepacking bags."  It was like the world was changing to accommodate my dreams. Spent a lot of time on the Google, and became a bit obsessed with the Salsa Vaya.  It's been on my eBay wish list for a few years, and so those eBay notifications kept fueling the burn...

Recently an AT Hiking buddy posted his intention to ride the GAP/C&O Canal trails, and was looking for a partner. I agreed, knowing I didn't have a proper bike for the ride. I found a LBS that carried Salsa - Einstein Cycles in Traverse City. They ordered one for me and I picked it up a few days ago.  They did a great job fitting it to me and tolerating my geezer questions...

So now I'm looking at Revelate and Apidura bags, putting together a tool kit, and putting some miles on her.  Looking forward to learning from you all, and participating as I'm able.

LDog

[ForestyForest]

Hello my name is Simon and I like to do bike trips.  I'm from Canada but I have a love for riding the South Western USA.  When I'm not on an adventure I like to make my own gear.

[fatleon]

Hi I'm Leon

I haven't done any bike trips yet, just afternoon rides, but I'm planning to do a piece of the CDT this fall. I got a 04 ish specialized rockhopper and I've been getting it set up the way i like it. I'm still gathering equipment and stuff.

[Houndog]

Hi I'm Jeff,
             Getting back into riding bought a Marin Pine Mountain ,going to bikecamp the Katy Trail in Sept ..
      

[Tacodelmontana]

Hola guys, I’m Taco. I’m from LA and the San Gabriel Mtns are my home or whatever. I ride bikes a lot, and am on a tour in Oregon right now riding bikes far less than I anticipated. Too busy climbing weird volcanic formations and watching YouTube videos.

I ride in the mountains a lot, but don’t have a mountain bike yet. Got an old 90’s steel Mongoose Rockadile 26” frame I’m gonna put together. It’s a simple cheap bike that I figure I’ll learn a lot from before I go buy something like a Surly ECR or whatever.

I’m on a Disc Trucker right now. Gonna build something light and fast off a Giant Revolt frame I used to commute on when I get back to LA soon.

Cool site, guys. Thanks.

[waltly-james]

Hi, I'm James form China.

I like riding, and my job is bikes design.with 18 years experience of Carbon an Ti bikes design.
I glad to help you to build your Ti bike, this website is parts of my design: www.waltlyti.com

If you have any problem about Ti bike frame, i glad to  help

[mostlypedals]

Hey everybody! Andrew here. I live in Flagstaff, Arizona, although I've spent the past many years in Salt Lake City, Utah, and will be moving back there in a few months.

I've done a handful of short bikepacking overnighters around Utah, and a few regular (panniers and pavement) longer tours.

I've got my eye on a 30-night GDMBR N>S attempt come August 2019, and between now and then I'm planning on tackling a handful of awesome shorter training rides around northern AZ.

I've just finished building up a new bikepacking rig (27+ HT, a Kona Big Honzo DL) after six years riding a long-travel huckster bike.

I've worked as a bike mechanic on and off for the past twelve years.

I'm also jumping in the deep end of MYOG - I've just finished tuning up (and beefing up) a sewing machine to start learning to sew on! I'm dreaming of an x-pac/cordura grame bag, a dropper-friendly x-pac seat-bag, two stem feed bags, and a DCF handlebar roll.

So anyone in Flag/Sedona who wants to ride, camp, sew, and drink some coffee or beer - let me know!

I'd love to hear any and all tips, tricks, resources, advice, steer-clears, and jokes y'all have for a bikepacker and newbie frame beg maker.

-Andrew

[mosael]

Brian
  I go by bikewright on the forums. I have been riding since 95 and I raced until 2000. I took a break and I have been back to riding for the last year. I started in the great outdoors when I was 11 in the Boy Scouts. I made to trips to Philmont in 83 & 86 and was the Crew Leader in 86. I made Eagle Scout in 86 and I am still with Scouting today as an adult leader. I have 17 years with the military and have spent some cold and wet nights in the woods. So I would say that I have a backpacking and general outdoors background.

I have not made any epic backcountry trip as of now but I have made a trip on the SNP and a couple of trips to the C&O Canal with my son and his Scout Troop. My son and I used B.O.B.'s when we took our trip from Great Falls MD to Harpers Ferry WVA and Back to Great Falls. Lesson Learn we had to much gear!!

The Trips with the Scouts our equipment was moved for us. I like to do a couple of trips this year so I am in the planning stages... Here are a couple of pictures from the C&O

this is so nice your story and your life i really like it so you published this in 2008 i would know after 10 years what you achieved and what are you doing now  thank you just for curiosity

[tuckeredout]

Hi
I'm Nelson, interested in bike packing on carbon or bamboo bikes, 27.5+ wheels, 1X drive trains.
baja divide might be in my future, maybe a wintertime route on the katy.
Just say no to steel, to racks and to panniers.

[chrisplatts01]

Hi - my name's Chris from Hastings in East Sussex and getting back into mountain biking and new to bikepacking at 65! Started mountain biking in and around the North Downs in north Kent in the early 1990s on a wonderful Orange Clockwork (which eventually got stolen in London). Subsequently rode a Cannondale (never got on with it), Specialized Rockhopper (pretty good) and Kona Muni Mula (loved it almost as much as the Orange!) before thinking I was too old for this malarkey - so switched to a Kona Jake CX bike about  7 years ago - currently set up for touring & gravel riding on wider tyres and lower gearing. But now missing the trails again, so looking for a good bikepacking rig - Sonder Frontier/Surly Bridge Club kind of thing! Knackered knees won't allow anything too radical these days, but aiming to ride the South Downs Way at some point soon.

[Gabrie]

Hi, I'm Gabrie from Belgium very close to the Dutch border in the south. So easy access to the hilly part of the Netherlands. I almost live in both countries equally. Been biking since I was 15, at 18 I even raced for 2 years but then I discovered girls and computers and forgot about training and stuff :-) Rode until my 25th but then stored my bike for almost 20 years. Now I'm back at riding often twice a weak and last year I discovered gravelriding and then got attracted to bikepacking, although I haven't done any bikepacking yet. I'm planning to do my first big tour with my partner in June 2019, riding through Scotland. She has no experience either with bikepacking.

Have done some gravelrides and just a few weeks ago I bought my own gravelbike (instead of renting), a Kona Rove NRB DL. Love it. Slowly searching for what gear we'll be needing, eventhough we probably be using a camper to go between rides instead of sleeping in the outdoors.

[PirateClimb76]

New here, from Pennsylvania.  Eyeing up my first bikepacking build,..surly ECR or Troll.  Big things to come! 

[Ghost14]

Howdy All, Rich from New Jersey. Over the past 2 decades I've hike 3 sections of the Appalachia Trail (NJ, NY & CT). I road my first Century on a Mountain bike, then finished seven 1/2 centuries on the said mountain bike. You could say I road it until it fell apart. I upgraded to a road bike and then life got in the way. I finally have time again, so the road bike came out of retirement. I've started working back up to longer rides. My eventual goal will be a 3 day ride from central New Jersey to Chincoteague Island, Virginia. After that who knows.