As I put together for my epic journey on the Nice Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) I’ve responded to many contacts from individuals who wish to be a part of me on this 2,700 mile bike-camping tour. A few of them have had a style of “bank card” street touring and some have participated in intensive supported excursions, however only a few have achieved any self-supported bicycle touring… and even fewer have bike-camped alongside the way in which.
There’s a massive distinction between these two forms of touring. Sleeping in accommodations and sleeping on the bottom at night time are two fully various things… and being ready for a bike-camping expedition is of key significance when touring a route such because the GDMBR.
I can usually detect the unprepared rider by asking them three easy questions:
The primary tip off is once I ask what sort of bike they’re planning to make use of on the GDMBR. Minimally, you want a stout onerous tail (entrance suspension) or perhaps a full suspension (entrance and rear) bike.
The second indication of their readiness for such a demanding tour is the kind of tenting gear they plan to make use of. Virtually invariably the lighter and extra compact it’s the happier you can be hauling it over hill and dale.
And eventually, the third query is how they plan to barter the typically additional heavy load wanted for prolonged durations of unpaved “street” bicycle tenting. I’m curious to know whether or not they plan to make use of a trailer, panniers, body triangle, seat publish baggage, or a mixture of the aforementioned to deal with the additional meals and water.
By asking these questions I can get my potential using companions to deal with points which can be particular to the GDMBR (and particularly particular to the New Mexico part – which is about 25% of the overall 2,700 route).
This takes us again to the unique motive for this text, which is to attract some distinctions between bike touring and bike-camping.
Clearly, the primary massive distinction is that bike touring is totally on paved roads, whereas bike-camping sometimes avoids paved roads. In a bike-camping scenario, you can see your self on single-track trails, fireplace roads, and quite a few unpaved surfaces. Due to this fact, you want a stouter (i.e., heavier) bike for bike-camping.
The second vital distinction is the provision of companies. On a typical bicycle tour, you’ll often have a number of alternatives every day to resupply your meals and water or solicit help. However with bike-camping it may be every week or extra between alternatives to resupply. In the event you run out of meals, then you definitely go hungry. In the event you run out of water, then you definitely threat dehydration and will die inside a few days. Cell telephones do work in most locations alongside the GDMBR, however you should be self-sufficient even in an emergency scenario. You want to have the ability to deal with most mechanical points; together with, however not restricted to, repairing flats.
There are lots of variations between common bicycle touring and the strains of bike-camping. One should do their homework, be ready, and know what they’re getting themselves into when planning a bike-camping tour. Planning and preparation are of utmost significance for anybody planning to bike-camp.
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