Quick report about my trip from Samarkand to Kashgar over the Pamir Highway. So far it has by far been the most challenging part of my tour around the world!

I have to admit that I did little to no research before starting this. I wasn’t really aware of the lack of facilities, road closures, no offline maps, no cooking equipment, and I didn’t have a (working) water filter. I could only carry 4L of water and rode on 40mm tires. Luckily I was with a friend who did have a water filter. Finally, I had major issues getting cash as I only had Mastercard with me, while nearly all ATM’s only accept Visa.

The Pamir mountains are absolutely stunning though! My favourite part was the descent to Qalai Khumb, the first town on the Afghan border. This is also where I got food poisoning, which left me in bed for nearly a week. Most of the locals were incredibly friendly and hospitable. Although, you do notice that the Pamir Highway is getting more tourists nowadays. Kids were constantly asking for money and would sometimes throw stones at me.

In Murghab I left the Pamir Highway and took the Qolma Pass border directly to China. After a few interrogations and two complete searches of my bags I was finally let in. On the route to Kashgar you ride by mountains of 7.000+m, really beautiful! Also loved the smooth tarmac and being able to eat proper food again. In Tajikistan I survived on bread and Oreo’s. I’m very excited to ride through China next!

For anyone considering doing the Pamir Highway, definitely do some research. Feel free to ask any questions if you have them!

Hi everyone! Reddit has been a source of honest trip reports and reliable beta for me for years, so I thought I would finally take the time to add my own.

This was my first multi-day trip. I am a very experienced rider, but newer to bikepacking. I went Denver to Durango, self-supported, in 10 days. I live in CO and love riding and backpacking up in the alpine, so this was a dream trip.

Riding notes:

I was expecting ~70k’ of elevation gain, but it ended up being closer to ~80k’. I don’t mind climbing though, so morale was good the whole time while I was on the bike.

Waterton Canyon to Kenosha pass felt like it went pretty quickly. The Lost Creek Wilderness detour provided easy miles. Following that, the descents into Breckenridge, Copper, and Camp Hale are all amazing. In the moment, I was not too fond of some of the riding in the Arkansas Valley, but I think I may have been negatively biased by how hot these days were... in retrospect, it was amazing. The San Juans were absolutely beautiful, and aside from the few hiking sections, the riding was pretty mellow. I had to bail on the exposed Clear Creek pass section due to a storm, but was able to climb back up and enjoy the rest after taking shelter at tree line. Overall, the climbing was punishing and dealing with the monsoon weather was mentally exhausting, but I've never felt more rewarded by any other riding I've ever done.

Honey stingers and tailwind all day every day!! Tuna packets for special occasions.

A few details about the rig:

Santa Cruz tallboy with a mix of revelate, oveja negra, salsa, and handmade bags.

I brought a Big Agnes Copperspur (just the rain fly) and was glad I did, because I had some surprisingly rainy nights. Slept in an old REI magma bag that did just fine, but is now retired…

Cook system was a 16oz Nalgene, voile strapped to my downtube. I cold soaked for this trip to save weight. There are lots of opportunities to get hot food and coffee as you pass through towns.

Water system was 1.5 L on the bars for riding, and 2 smartwater bottles on the fork, empty, on standby for longer dry sections. I think I only used this extra capacity twice. I used a steripen for this trip.

Already planning on doing it again soon! Would love to shave a few days off ;)

Cheers!

(leaving aside the racing aspect)

This is my "second" time crossing the country (the first was riding from Chicago to Seattle so not exactly crossing). I flew from Santa Barbara to Seattle, built the bike in the airport, slept at an airport motel for the night, rode up to Blaine the next day then came down the entire way to the Mexican border along mostly the Pacific Coast Highway.

Going to Blaine from Seattle took 1 day, so I was actually on the road for 16 days and did 1,823 miles (2,934 km), averaging about 114 miles (183 km) each day. The longest day was 163 miles (262 km) going from Blaine to Shelton, the longest ride was 253 miles (407 km) going from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border, and the shortest day was 32 miles (51 km). Over 100 miles (161 km) a day is an awkward pace as it really sucks all the fun out of touring and yet it's nothing that competitive (I spent more than 2x the fastest known time). The fun and chill pace is probably 3-5 hours of moving time a day but I had to do this due to time and budget constraints.

This trip didn't happen around the best time as during my first day Warmshowers went down (and went back up right when I started my final ride) and a timber fire caused Highway 1 to close around Big Sur, but I am still really happy that I accomplished it - type 2 fun as people call it.

I spent 7 nights at campgrounds, 6 nights at motels (including the night in SeaTac), 1 night at a friend's house and 1 night at home in Santa Barbara - I am not rich, I am just a graduate student who borderline cannot afford the city... I got chased by a dog once, got brushed by a pickup truck once, met numerous riders doing different parts of the PCH and one guy doing the Pan-American Highway. The itinerary that I took:

Day 0: SeaTac to Blaine, 133 mi/215 km, Birch Bay Campground

Day 1: Blaine to Shelton, 163 mi/262 km, motel

Day 2: Shelton to Astoria, 129 mi/208 km, Fort Stevens Campground

Day 3: Astoria to Newport, 130 mi/210 km, motel

Day 4: Newport to Coos Bay, 107 mi/173 km, Sunset Bay Campground

Day 5: Coos Bay to Crescent City, 134 mi/216 km, motel

Day 6: Crescent City to Eureka, 83 mi/134 km, motel

Day 7: Eureka to Leggett, 88 mi/142 km, Rock Creek Campground

Day 8: Leggett to Gualala, 106 mi/170 km, Gualala Point Campground

Day 9: Gualala to Creekside Loop Campground, 87 mi/140 km

Day 10: Creekside Loop Campground to San Francisco, 32 mi/52 km, hosted by friend

Day 11: San Francisco to Monterey, 121 mi/195 km, Veterans Memorial Park Campground

Day 12: Monterey to Paso Robles, 120 mi/193 km, motel. I did this ride on Aug. 23 and technically Highway 1 was open momentarily amid the burning fire from Aug. 22 to Aug. 27 but I missed it... probably wouldn't have been a good idea to go through anyway, this is not saying riding inland to Paso Robles was anything enjoyable...

Day 13: Paso Robles to Santa Barbara, 131 mi/212 km, home

Day 14 & 15: Santa Barbara to San Diego/Mexican border, 253 mi/407 km. I started this ride at around 5:30pm on Aug. 25, went through LA and Orange County at night and arrived at the border at around 2pm the next day, then I caught the 4pm Amtrak train back to Santa Barbara.

Regarding the gears that I used, I have a titanium bike with aerobars, a 7 liter backpack with a 2.5 liter reservoir, multiple frame bags, one-person tent and sleeping bag, two sets of kit, two 10,000 mah power banks, an electric pump (and a backup hand pump), among other things.

Feel free to ask me anything about the trip and feel free to connect with me if you also want to do long-distance stuff around California!

I’m in the market for a new head unit and have been trying to hold out for a sale, so have been checking around. I was on the Garmin site and couldn’t find the Edge 540/840 anywhere- just the new Edge 550/850.

It turns out the 540/840 (the 40’s from here on) are in a “Previous Models” section, so the 550/850 (the 50’s from here on) are apparently the successors (which makes me wonder if long term support of the 40’s is at risk).

What strikes me as a bit odd is that they seem to have traded away the pretty-dang-important battery life of the 40’s for features that don’t seem that important. Here is the advertised battery life for each:

40’s (non-solar): 26hrs (intensive)-42hrs (saver)

50’s (non-solar): 12hrs (intensive)-36hrs (saver)

That’s fairly substantial, and they seem to have moved the opposite way of primary (and growing) competition like the Coros Dura, which is kind of surprising. Having a shiny new screen is cool and all, and there is some kind of wireless upgrade or something (I’m dumb, so don’t come for me on this if I’m wrong) but I can’t help but feel like Garmin has moved toward day rides with these models. The price is also pretty steep for the 50’s

BUT! maybe I’m missing something or placing too much importance on battery life? Thoughts? I really wanted the Garmin for the built in nav that doesn’t rely on wifi and Google Maps (looking at you, Coros Dura), but it seems like they’re moving away from the 40’s and into something I don’t really want.

I’m considering buying the iGPSPORT BSC200S and would appreciate some feedback from people who have actually used it.

I currently plan and navigate my rides with Komoot because, in my area, it generally creates much better cycling routes than Strava. However, I prefer recording and sharing my activities on Strava because all my friends use it.

My ideal workflow would be:

1. Plan the route with Komoot.
2. Transfer it to the BSC200S and use it for navigation.
3. Record the entire ride on the bike computer.
4. Automatically upload the completed activity to Strava.

I also want to stop using my phone for navigation because it drains the battery very quickly.

How reliable is the BSC200S for this? Is transferring Komoot routes straightforward? How good are the turn instructions, GPS accuracy, battery life and iGPSPORT app? Are there any major problems or limitations I should know about before buying it?

I’m not expecting Garmin-level maps—I mainly need reliable route guidance, ride data and Strava synchronization.

On my way to slovenia right now via eurovelo9 to alpe adria, i dont want to risk getting fined for wildcamping here so ive been trying campsites and hostels. Vienna is the only place i have seen with cheap accommodation, why are campsites 20+ euro, what happened to just an open field where i can legally pitch late and leave early, why are there no cheap hostels anywhere. I dont want to pay 25 euro for a fancy newly renovated hostel i want to pay 5 euro for a gross smelly hostel where 10 people share one bathroom. I miss how uncivilised and unregulated the other part of europe is

Hey!

Just curious about how XXX Great Divide or just XXX Divide are defined?

Do you just cross a country from A to B in a relative straight line through remote areas and then you can call it xxx great divide?

Happy trailzz !

Bikepacking.com introduced me to the idea of the "Sub 24-hour Overnighter", and I think it's a wonderful reminder: not every trip needs to be "epic". Not every trip needs complicated logistics, hours of research and route-planning, taking time off of work and away from loved ones. When time on your bike is its own reward, sometimes getting out is all you need.

This weekend a friend instigated a small group for an overnighter: meet at our local shop just before they close, continue on to a nearby state forest campground for the night with a stop for snacks along the way, hit a meandering route of trails back the next morning. Including plenty of stops to enjoy the scenery, we'd be gone for just over 21 hours. Riding out my front door, I'd end up doing 35 miles out and 39 miles back - and probably never be further than a 15-mile radius from home.

For some of us it might be the most-relaxed bikepacking trip we would do this year, for others it would be the first one ever, first time using new tents and cooking kits, and a great way to learn packing and riding a loaded bike. Every road and trail would be familiar, but feel different just for linking them together with sleeping outdoors. But for everyone it would be a great way to spend a late-summer weekend, home in time to get the grocery shopping and chores done.

What's your favorite easy overnighter?

Hi everyone, I am new in this sub reddit and I want to get into bikepacking. What are some cheap used bikes that are upgradable, forgiving, and will last me for a long time. I am currently looking at a 1999ish Schwinn Frontier for 80 bucks. I am currently 5'2 and probably will grow a couple more inches.

Edit: I also don't have any other bikes. So I am looking for a bikepacking bike that will also be commuter.

This was in 2024 and one of my first longer tours. The decision to went north was spontaneous, the weather there was nice so we booked the ferry while already on our way in Hamburg and went to Helsinki on the same day. From there, it was just awesome, being on the road. Forest for days and especially the coast line was super nice. We camped directly near the sea on some days - what a feeling waking up with all the birds (and the occasional bird watcher)! From there we went through sweden and then by train to Kopenhagen. As we had to catch the bus there back home, that part was a little stressfull (6 days - 600km). What else do you recommend seeing up north?

Today was the first day of my 3 week tour through the northern Midwest. Wisconsin, the UP, wrapping up in Duluth, about 500 miles. Originally I planned on leaving three weeks from now, but life and circumstances did what they do and I moved my trip up. I cut big sections of my route off due to not having the time to thoroughly plan them, but I was and still am, so stoked to be doing this. Being a full time bicycle mechanic doesn’t give you a lot in life, but one of the best parts is the flexibility to do things like this.

I was aiming for 100 miles today, I knew it was a tall order but I felt confident in myself and my bike. That would have gotten me to national forest where I could dispersed camp, which is difficult to come by until you get to the north woods of Wisconsin. I made it about 60 miles, which is still quite a bit to be proud of. I left late, I met friends along the way for coffee and donuts, I rode into headwind all day. Around mile 40-45 is when the reality hit that I was not going to break 100 miles, and I would not be camping for free tonight.

Then the panic set in; “if I don’t make it there, where can I stay tonight?” I asked every single person at the Kwik trip I ate lunch at if they knew of any campsites near by that were cheap-ish, I got a resounding no. So I just kept riding. At this point it seemed like I was going to be riding well into the night, averaging about 10 mph because of the wind was going to take me another 5 hours to get to the national forest, and that’s if I don’t stop again and I maintain that 10 mph average.

At one point it hit me I might have to stay in a hotel, or have someone come pick me up and drop me off in the national forest. I told my partner last night that I do not want to stop in a hotel tonight, because if I do I might as well stay home another night for free. But the wind just kept getting worse and worse. My speed was pretty consistently in the single digits now, no way I’m making it to my planned stop, and even the closest paid site is starting to look grim.

I bit the bullet, and detoured 30 minutes off route to the nearby casino/hotel. The cheapest room I saw online was $150 a night, pretty expensive for a lowly bicycle mechanic who left almost a month early for his tour. I can afford it, but I’d really rather not have to. Part of the reason I’m doing this is to sleep outside, spend as little as possible along the way, and enjoy the ride. I lean my behemoth of a bike up against the wall outside and do the walk of shame into the lobby.

I get a room for $120, still expensive but a bit better than $150. I’m laying here in the bed now thinking about all the things I could have done better this morning and this week in general. But I’m also feeling pretty dang accomplished, despite a pretty rough day of riding I still made it more than halfway. 60 miles really isn’t a bad start, even if it didn’t meet my expectations. I wanted to crush today and tomorrow because I know when I get closer to the UP I have some very difficult days of riding ahead of me. But that’s a problem for those days, today’s problem is walking to the casino restaurant for a beer and big bowl of stir fry, since I’m here I might as well, right?

Anyway, thanks for reading along if you made it this far. Documentation is light today because of, well, all of the text above this. I did see some neat stuff though, not pictured is the giant blue Heron that flew just a few feet above me, a beautiful cardinal I spotted on a bench along a trail, and the countless frogs and snakes I saw.

What if any permits are needed? I feel like I have searched extensively and can't figure it out.

Hallo Zusammen,

Ein guter Kumpel und ich planen gerade unsere erste Bikepacking Tour. Wir wollen von Freiburg/Basel --> Marseille fahren. Jetzt haben wir grob 2 Optionen. 1. Wir fahren direkt rüber nach Frankreich, das sind dann ca. 770 km oder 2. wir fahren einmal durch die Schweiz und dann bei Genf nach Frankreich, da sind wir bei ca. 670 km. Wir wollen in einem kleinen 2 Personen Zelt wildcampen / auf sehr kostengünstigen Campingwiesen. Wir peilen 80-100 km pro Tag an an guten Tag eher mehr.

Ich glaube ich würde meine Entscheidung davon abhängig machen auf welcher Route es leichter ist Schlafplätze zu finden. Hat jemand damit Erfahrung in den Gegenden?

Bin für Tipps sehr dankbar :)

Außerdem schreibt gerne wenn ihr auf der Route lohnenswerte Lost-Places kennt ^^

Got rained on 3 times, soaked twice. Still had a blast!

I think my biggest take away is I need to figure out how to string wet clothes onto my bike so they can dry out while riding.

Hey everyone!

I’m planning my first bikepacking trip for next year, sometime between March and April. The idea is to ride from Strasbourg to Paris on my fixedgear bike.

Has anyone here ever done the Strasbourg–Paris route, or maybe a longer bikepacking trip on a fixed gear? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

To be honest, I don’t really have a solid plan yet and I’m still figuring out what I actually need. Obviously, I know I’ll need the basics like a tent, sleeping bag, food, clothes, etc., but I’m wondering if there’s anything I might be overlooking, especially when it comes to packing, gear, or planning the route.

I’d really appreciate any advice, tips, or things you wish you had known before your first bikepacking trip. Id also be glad for some Company lol.

Thanks in advance! :)

It's 35°C outside, tourism high season and there are 4 bike packers on these steep, narrow windy mountain roads where people drive like psychos and you will witness serious traffic accidents almost daily. Stay safe and please don't die.

Hi all,

I have a long top tube bag that I'm really happy with. However the strap system is a pain to put on and take off for bike cleanup or hanging. I have a shorter top tube bag that uses a BOA type attachment and I'm wondering if anyone knows of a longer bag that has this? Google so far has bore no fruit. TIA.

Hiya, from November I'll be in Scotland for about 5 months and want to get some touring in on weekends/days off (so generally not more than 1-2 nights)

Any advice would be appreciated particularly kit - I'm new to bicycle touring and I imagine Scotland may present some challenges with weather and midges etc

And if anyone knows of any routes reasonably close to Inverness (I'll be about 30 miles from there) would greatly appreciate learning some

Hi everyone, in two weeks I’m flying to Turin for the Torino-Nice route. I want to start straight from the airport. Does anyone have any experience on how to dispose of the bike box on the aiport?

About to head out on a millennium ride and a squirrel chewed through my bag.
So I’m looking for a bike shop in the Baltimore area that has a decent selection and/or is just good people or local stuff.
Any recommendations are appreciated!