All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

It's a legitimate issue with grassroots racing. My opinion is social media influencing young riders they really need that podium picture (because self-confidence issues) and will do questionable things in order to do so.

 

Anyone see the bikes AMP Research used to build? they were pretty advanced for their time and very interesting
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/now-that-was-a-bike-1993-amp-b2.html

 

Yea it’s kinda silly. I think a lot of it has to do with UCI and USAC and how they classify Pro, Cat 1, etc. I think most race promoters call it “Open” just so they don’t have to deal and if needed they can combine Pro/cat1/2/3 into a single race.

 

Not sure how they determine start times but this might be a huge mistake in enduro racing. Last thing you want is to have to pull over every 30 seconds to let the guy behind you make a pass. Or hold up a guy on a heater run.

 

America...always doing it different. USAC is always confusing to me.

I was down racing at a velodrome on vacation a few years ago. No matter how hard I tried they wouldn't recognize a UCI licence so I had to race Cat 5 (or whatever they called the lowest category) I easily won the first two races before they finally decided to let me race Cat 1/2.

 

Gonna give bikepacking a go this year. Found this nifty barbag mounting system I'm gonna try out for my tent on the bars, the Drj0n GFunk system:

https://bikepacking.com/gear/drj0n-bagworks-gfunk-strap-deck-system-review/

 

The best advice I've ever heard about bikepacking was to try it without buying "the" gear prior to giving a trip a try. So in essence, use backpacking gear until you do a trip or two.

 

Yeah I hear you there, that's generally good advice in other hobbies too. I've dabbled in bikepacking before, and this piece solves a problem I couldn't really work around with my backpacking stuff due to how my brake/shift cables lay on my Sirius. It should take a little weight (and more importantly bulk) out of my pack and make life a little better.

 

We’re at Oak Mtn in Birmingham. Kinda far from N GA for a day trip but a quick overnighter makes it more palatable. Fri/Sat ride and get back before SHTF.

yeah man, I’ve had it about a year and a half. Think last night was 20th night in it if my memory serves. It’s a work in progress. Change something, add something after about every trip. Makes quick trips like this real easy. Pretty much loaded up ready go all the time.

I get about 12 mpg towing at interstate speeds. I tend to take back roads when I can though so I usually get a little better than that. It’s pretty tongue heavy for it’s size so it tows well.

 

And the Occam, great bike. It’s not the first bike I grab most days but I’ve been really happy with it. Ordered it with the Fox 36 upgrade but I see now they offer a version that includes the 36. I’d definitely go that route over the 34.

 

The tent/sleeping bag issue is where I am at with this as well. I’m going to do a bit of bike packing this year as well and am figuring out how I can carry my old bag and 4 person tent. The bag, I think I can manage on the front bar somehow, although I haven’t tried to mount it yet. Thought about doing that this weekend. But the tent, I don’t know how that is going to work on my bike. I know it’s to wide….so not sure what I’ll do there. I guess I could just get a footprint and a sleeping pad and sleep under the stars.

My wife made me a frame bag out of an old pair of waders I had for fly fishing. With some dry bags, I figure I can pack clothes or whatever else in the dry bag and mount that with straps to the seat post and with the fork mounts I have for water, I should be ok for an over nighter or two night trip if I have access to a store to purchase food for second day.

I love the bikepacking.com site - it is a great site to read, lots of info, cool routes and great stories. And I love they have some routes in my home state of New Mexico. One of these days, I’d like to ride a portion of the GDMBR.

 

For your viewing pleasure. This is White Line in Sedona. I rode my bike up Broken Arrow and was rewarded when I reached White Line. I saw some college kid do White Line, Holy Shit!!!! I think I was just as nervous as he was. This video is not the college kid but the same route. When he finished I was able to talk to him, he was so pumped that his hands were trembling. He flew out from school to try this trail and did not tell anyone he was doing it. Yes, it is as scary as it looks.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/fnNruwodYmE

 

@whitedlite checkout NF they have stuff in stock on their site! Better act quickly

 

If you can get away with a cowboy camp type scenario, and skip the tent altogether, you can save so much room.

I bought a sheet of Tyvek for a clean place to sleep and sprawl out last time and it worked so well. Plus packs down the almost nothing comparatively.

I think Im gonna give this one a go this year if I can bully one of my riding buddies into doing it.

https://bikepacking.com/routes/cathedral-valley-loop/

 

Similar Rigs, Loving ours! I was warned not to use the hitch, how's yours holding up?

 

Damn, everything in medium is gone...

 

depending on the size of the poles, you could strap those to your top tube or down tube. the tent body/fly can be stuffed anywhere; handlebars, saddle bag, backpack, frame bag.
if youre riding a hard tail, you can strap the whole thing to a rack. i got a rack that mounts to my seat tube for like $40. it hasn't broken yet, but does shift/spin around the seat tube on rockier stuff. one that mounts to the seat stays would probably be more secure, but thats more of a touring setup.

last few times i bikepacked i just take my hammock and tarp instead. still debating on getting those wing things for my sleeping pad or just go underquilt. the sleeping bag route is more versatile in my opinion. deff had some exhausted nights where ive pulled off on the side of the trail with no trees and just unroll the pad and sleep right there on the ground.

the GDMBR has been on my list for awhile since I saw Ride the Divide long ago. no way i could do the whole thing in one trip, but breaking it up by states may be more doable.

 

You should get fat like me because everything for a 33 inch waist in mountain biking pants are almost always in stock

 

So if 33 is fat, what is 34-36…grotesque?

Asking for me.

 

I was thinking the same thing. Guess if a 33 is fat I’ll see my way outta here