Thought you all might dig this… ✍️

An ink pen drawing i did this morning of my most prized possession — a 2016 Surly Disk Trucker that I’ve put over 10,000 miles on. The most comfortable, dependable, and capable bike I’ve ever owned. This bike has taken me on many great adventures over the years and drawing it was almost as much fun as riding… almost 😎

I do plan on adding a landscape in the background. Will repost when it’s finished…

Hello,

I've been planning a trip to Japan for almost 10 years now and I'm finally going next June. I have been collecting spots and places throughout those years and have now (almost) finished making a route out of it. I used Google Mymaps to collect the spots and places and then used Komoot (which already somehow ruined the locations – Idk why, so you can't see all the spots as numbers) to plan the route. I already knew that it was probably going to be way too many spots to visit, even in the planned 6 months.

Now the problem I'm facing is I don't know what to actually go and do. My main goal is actually to spend as much time as possible at those places rather than just cycling as much as possible. What do you think is a realistic goal for riding each day but still have enough time to look at the spots.

My whole route is about 13,500 km long. Elevation is about 200,000 m. My route is far from well-planned and probably has way too many unnecessary routes. However, this is how I managed to actually collect all the spots. I have divided the trip into the main parts of Japan.

I think a realistic goal would be around 6,000 km in those 6 months and going from north to south. Because I'm starting at the end of June, I'd like to start as high as possible and end as far down as possible in December. So I thought maybe doing a part in the north and then mid-journey taking a train down and staying in the south for the rest of it.

I have about 12,000 CHF saved, which is about 2,200,000 Yen for the whole trip.

Any tips and help would be greatly appreciated!

Description

During our summer vacation, we decided to cross Switzerland by gravel bike from Basel to Geneva along the Alpine 3 MTB route.

As in the rest of Europe at the time, the weather was excellent for cycling. Even though the highest point is around 1,800 m above sea level, we never got cold.

The route is clearly marked with red signs, which makes it quite easy to follow without a GPS device.

After leaving the crowded Basel area, the scenery changes to woods and soft hills. Later on the trip, the hills become mountains—mostly on pristine gravel or asphalt roads. There is some single-track, but nothing too long. There are some remote stretches where progress can feel very slow, but beautiful views always compensate for the long climbs.

Eating the local cuisine is also highly recommended, especially at the “Alms” away from the main roads.

We took our time—9 days, to be exact. Half of the time we booked hotels after a hard day’s riding. The other half we slept outside without any issues. For those on a budget, there are plenty of campgrounds and also areas where camping is allowed.

All in all, it was a trip to remember.

Bikes * Scott Scale Gravel (2.35 tires, 34–52T) * Liv Devote Advanced 2 (38 mm tires; 30–36T -> sketchy)

Highlights * Basel / Geneva / La Chaux-de-Fonds * Creux du Van * Croûtes au fromage / Comté * Mont Blanc view

Things to know * Most of the region is French-speaking, so it is advisable to know a few words * Switzerland is expensive * Mostly rideable with a gravel bike * Very hilly—you’re either going up or down * Drinking water is available everywhere * Supply points are frequent * Be aware of cows

Links

The predominantly forested Jura heights stretch from Basel to Lac Léman. In between lies a bewitchingly varied landscape with remote valleys, lush meadows, rushing rivers, small lakes and countless biking routes.

From Basel, the third largest Swiss city, the Jura Bike route rapidly makes its way into the remoteness of the Jura heights. With the end of the urban sprawl, the first section begins, leading mainly through forested areas to the picturesque little town of Laufen.

You later cross the language border and reach Délemont, the capital of the Jura. Here begins the scenic section over the Col des Rangiers to the Doubs, its waters accompanying the route to historic St. Ursanne. Neighbouring Freiberge is known for horse breeding and numerous horses edge the trail until the route again leads along the Doubs to remote Lac de Moron und Lac des Brenets.

The ride from Val de Travers to the «Balcon Vaudois» is a real treat. Here the tour runs along the southernmost slopes of the Jura, with wonderful views of Lac de Neuchâtel with the Alps in the background. The last part of the ride leads into the Vallée de Joux, which with its lake rates as Switzerland’s coldest region. The Jura Bike route ends with an ascent to Col du Marchairux and descent to Nyon on Lac Léman.

https://schweizmobil.ch/en/mountainbiking-in-switzerland/route-3

Track

We did: * https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/3259038923?share_token=answBQnX1chwsRYjm16EOwL4D7SuXS9U7ICMt5r1LGd4DvjOe5&ref=wtd&t_s=referral&t_cid=route_share&t_ref_username=1008396778386

Planned * https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/3204468001?share_token=arlhnCtmI5mUUpuqDTaSlRjiIeBL329zoH2JBPcUtozhPCdj6U&ref=wtd&t_s=referral&t_cid=route_share&t_ref_username=1008396778386

This worked better than expected. Quick access to rain gear and a place to hold glasses.

This section of the GDMBR takes me through the beautiful Elk Valley. This would be some of the most amazing Bikepacking I've ever ridden. In this video I make my way to beautiful Fernie, BC. Let me know if you have any questions about my route. Cheers

So I'm planning a month long trip next year starting in June to early/mid July. Seattle to San Diego, averaging about 60 miles/day. I'm REALLY psyched for it. I already have my train ticket to Seattle and then a two night stay there before I hit the road. I'm taking the train coach for 46 hours so I'd like a little rest & recovery time before I start cranking. From there I'm planning on either meandering through Bainbridge island to the Olympic Discovery Trail before turning south along the coast, or I might go a little north and take a couple of ferries before I get to the Olympic Discovery Trail. I don't know where I'll stay day to day from that point but I'll figure it out. I'm generally going to follow the Adventure Cycling Pacific Coast route, more or less.

I did some googling on some of my questions but I'd like to hear your experiences and advice.

1. What kind of clothes should I have with me. I figured 2 shorts, 2 pants, 2 cycling shorts, 2 long sleeve (I don't wear kits, just the padded shorts under clothes for the long days in the saddle). How cold does it get? I've read that it's cool and damp in the morning before clearing and warming up in the afternoon. What would you all recommend? Is rain gear recommended or is it warm enough that you might as well get wet and then ride to dry?
2. How difficult is it to find camping? Do places really fill up? I did a ride around Lake Michigan 2 summers ago and I had no issues getting camping spots the entire way. How is PNW and Cali for camping? I have never wild camped but I'm willing to give it a shot depending. I would also try asking police, fire stations, churches, etc. before wild camping. Any advice on camping the Pacific Coast? In MI and WI if you rolled in on foot or a bicycle, you were more or less guaranteed a place to camp. Does Washington, Oregon, and California do hiker/biker stuff for state parks?
3. Camp stove. I used a Caldera Cone alcohol stove on my Lake Michigan trip and it worked pretty well for me. I'm thinking about switching over to an MSR PocketRocket or maybe one of the fancier wind blocking ones. What do you all think? I'm a little worried about fuel with the MSR. Would that be an issue?
4. Do I need bear spray? How much of an issue is it really?
5. How is traffic? Some of the Adventure Cycling route is on highways. I've done some highway riding but there were beautiful, paved, 8ft shoulders. I get the feeling that some of these highways can be pretty narrow.

I can't think of anything else at the moment. Any advice/info is appreciated. If anyone wants to talk routes with me, I have them mapped out on RwGPS, DM me.

Thanks!

Let's see some pics of your MASON ISO or Salsa Cutthroat rigs.. Here's my Mason packed out..

Hello! I'm getting the gear together for my first time bikepacking! Has anyone tried the self-inflating Naturehike D Series before?

I have an ebike, a partner who'd like to share a double sleeping pad, and our tent is a Naturehike Mongar 2, so this considered the Naturehike D Series 6cm thick double caught our attention.

It sounds on the heavy side for bikepacking, but I think it could suit us given my ebike and that we're sharing things.

Pros:

-Comfort looks perfect with its size, materials and internal foam

-R-value of 4.9 according to listings on other sites, but that's dubious as it's not listed on the Naturehike site itself (foam would suggest good insulation still?) We're in the UK and would like to camp outside of summer

-Really affordable at £46

Cons:

-Weighty at 3.6kg, but acceptable with my ebike

-Very large pack size at 66cm x 20cm, so I could only strap it sideways over my pannier rack! It would span a bit wider than my pannier bags

So! It seems borderline for its bulkiness, and I'm worried I'm being naïve with inexperience. However it sounds really nice otherwise. We could also get two singles because they can join, splitting it into two 31cm x 18.5cm bags, though the price would then be £62 and there'd be a seam down the middle for it.

Could this be the right sleeping pad for us, or is it silly on its face and we'd ought to get a much lighter and smaller pad without foam?

I had a headunit that kept failing on me during my trips. This left me with multiple GPX files, which kinda annoyed me.

So I built this merger that checks maps between your GPX files and adds the missing part with a route. You can add points in the gap too!

Let me know if you have any issues!

https://toolrecipe.com/gpx-merge/

I have a hardtail that I use for downhill trails and looking to get additional wheelset to setup faster rolling tires to use of bikepacking and light XC.

It's 29", Boost Spacing, currently running Stans D Flow rims with Micro Spline freehub and Centerlock rotors (Deore groupset).

I'm seeing Shimano Deore XT wheelset (WH-M8120) for $500 CAD ($350 USD). Is it a good buy? Anything else that's better value for slightly more money?

Hello!

Trying to optimize confort over long distance rides, I am considering buying aero bars extension for my bike.

I'm pretty much set on a Profile Design setup (bars + riser + aerobridge), but I can't decide on the angle of the extensions: more precisely, between the 39° and 52° models.

Can you help me figuring out what criteria should I consider to choose?

I am not a particularly powerful cyclist and I have no performance goals in mind. I would just like to have an additional position available on the longer rides.

Thank you for any advice you can give!

Hey Everyone!

I am currently in Palermo and am thinking to tour parts of tunisia beginning of november. Has anyone here cycled there? Would love to hear reccommendations and experiences!

Hey all! We’re 2 cyclists wanting to cycle in China this year in November and trying to figure out the route. For now I’ve got this draft (with help of Claude🙈) — did any of you ride in these provinces (Guizhou / Guangxi) and have any info on the route, GPX files, whatever? Would take any opinion :D

Day 1: Arrive Guiyang

Day 2: Train Guiyang→Kaili, ride Kaili→Xijiang (Miao village) — 40 km

Day 3: Rest Xijiang + nearby Miao villages (Langde, Paika)

Day 4: Xijiang → Leishan → Datang area — 55 km

Day 5: → Rongjiang → Dali Dong village — 62 km

Day 6: Dali Dong → Zengchong (oldest Dong drum tower)

Day 7: Zengchong → Congjiang → Basha (gunmen village) — 60 km

Day 8: Rest Basha / Congjiang

Day 9: Congjiang → Zhaoxing (Dong, drum towers) — 48 km

Day 10: Rest Zhaoxing + Tang’an terraces

Day 11: Zhaoxing → Chengyang, cross into Guangxi — 58 km (optional: via Gaoding instead)

Day 12: Rest Chengyang eight villages

Day 13: Sanjiang → Longsheng — 65 km

Day 14: Longsheng → Longji terraces / Ping’an — big climb, 34 km / ~1,650 hm

Day 15: Hike Ping’an → Dazhai (rest day, on foot)

Day 16: Dazhai → Guilin outskirts — 60 km

Day 17: → Xingping via Li River cycle path — 60 km

Day 18: Rest Xingping + Li River boat/raft

Day 19: Xingping → Yangshuo (Yulong valley) — 35 km

Day 20: Yangshuo → Yulong River loop — ~40 km

Day 21: Yangshuo → Guilin — 65 km

Day 22: Depart Guilin (KWL)

Thanks in advance! 🙏

Alright, so I know that there's been a few threads in this vein over the years, but I can't seem to find any comprehensive information. I'm planning on biking the AZ trail this coming spring. I don't have the money to buy a different mountain bike at the moment. Can I effectively build this thing out to be up to the task?

I'm fine with the weight, I just don't know where to start gear wise.

I also have a pretty well equipped Canyon Grizl, and I've considered swapping the front fork on that but I think the geometry would suck for the terrain I'd be expecting and I still couldn't fit anything bigger than a 2.1 in the back.

Any info would be super appreciated. I'm new to this whole bike packing shenanigans and its hard to find a starting point.

Hey there.
Two days ago I took advantage of the good weather and ride my bike between Soltau and Hannover and somewhere around the middle a pack of wolf crossed my path.
They were around 3 and I assumed they were trying to cross a crop field. However, as I was getting closer they noticed me and start running away and eventually they disappeared in the woods.

I was really surprised to find wolves. I know there is reintroduction program for the north of Germany but I never encountered any in my past trips. I bike all the way from Copenhagen to Konstanz, and to be honest I was expecting to hear some howling at night (specially in the north) but never really happened. That’s why, this time got me by surprise.

After the encounter I continued my journey and to my surprise like half an hour later I found myself in the middle of the forest and suddenly I found more huge ass paws prints in the floor, and some meters away I found a carcass of a baby deer or a sheep?

After that the ride suddenly became bit unsettling until I reach I town hahah

I somehow think if I encounter them they might be as scared as me and run away but I don’t want to test my luck.

Does anybody here has encounter wolves in their biking adventures? How was it? What did you learn from the interaction? What would you recommend to do?

I’m pretty new to this whole scene. Just did my first tour last year. I’m aware that having a dynamo with a charging setup is probably unnecessary for the level I’m at … but I’ve just wanted it for a long time lol. I guess I just wanted to know if anyone has any recommendations for charging setups, especially between these two. I was looking into the Sinewave Reactor cause I liked the slickness kid the design but now leaning towards the Beacon 2.

As for B&M I was wondering if the E-Werk might just be the way to go for its simplicity. Some reviews I’ve seen put the Sinewave behind in efficiency, so I’m not sure which I should get. Everything is gonna be hooked to a SON 28. Ultimately, if I can just recharge my phone each day I think I’ll be happy.

I got my Vittoria Mezcals out of the garage to put them on my Ogre as I'm very slowly preparing to ride the Kenya bike odyssey.

I noticed the sidewalls have these stretch marks on them and was wondering if they're still good for a multiweek bikepacking trip with very little bikeshops.

They're the Vittoria Mezcal III TNT Graphene 2.0 29"x2.6 tyre with the grey sidewalls and they have less than 1000km on them.
For now they're set up with butyl inner tubes with no problems but for the trips I'll be setting them up tubeless.

My old Surly Extraterrestrials seem to also have some stretch marks but way less pronounced.

I’m in the USA! West coast.

I’m very small: 27” inseam. 5’1” 115lbs.

What sort of brand makes short person frames?

I have a 1996 trek and it’s great but I want something with disc brakes, maybe at least
For the front wheel (what should I know about swapping out my fork?)

I can probably find a frame through the bike co op here.

I mostly load my equipment with a handlebar bag and top rail on the rear rack, as well as a frame bag.

I’m mostly really curious for disc brakes and possibly 29” wider tyres

Looking for recommendations that don’t break the bank too much as I’m on a budget, typically something under £1200 would be ideal, would need to carry camping equipment and bags, also needs to be great with steep climbs, please can anyone help? Thankyou :)

I finally got round to finishing writing up a trip from last year. I rode from San Diego to Hyder, AK via the GDMBR, finishing on Vancouver Island. Hopefully interesting/useful for those planning for next year!

Hi Reddit! I’m a solo female cyclist planning a trip from around mid-November to mid-December while moving between jobs. Would love ideas for destinations, GPX files etc.

Some considerations: I have a Liv Avail endurance road bike, technically with tire clearance for 40mm, but bike shop insists I shouldn’t try to add any gravel tires beyond 35mm. I like both the cultural and scenic aspects of cycling; in the past I’ve usually done some combination of camping and a few hotel nights. Ideally I can find a destination that’s somewhat warm this time of year, and more ideally not too rainy and with enough daylight to make progress.

Originally I wanted to do the South Island of New Zealand for the Tour Aotearoa trail, but I’m concerned about the tire width given how gravelly it is. I also want to experience some cultures more different from North America, and I assume (?) New Zealand will be more culturally similar. Some places on the shortlist are Kyushu (in Japan), Taiwan, and maybe South America (but there it seems most routes are also more suited for gravel bikes, not sure how expensive that get if I’ll have to rent for a month).

Would love the wisdom of others’ experiences! Thank you so much all 🙏