Overnight on a Bike

A few years back I went to a bike touring workshop at The Gear Fix, hosted by two awesome femmes who’ve pedaled everywhere from Mexico to the Great Divide. They were passionate about showing others how relatively simple and freeing it can be to ride bikes for days on end. I bought my first piece of bike gear right then and there – a somewhat used handlebar bag that could carry a good stash of snacks, a phone and some other essentials. (Pro tip: Handlebar bags are excellent for anyone who rides regularly – whether on trails or the streets.) At that workshop I also won a raffle and walked away with a seatpost bag – a handy number that straps to a bike’s seatpost, offering plenty of room to stuff a small sleeping bag and a change of clothes. With these two pieces of gear and some straps, I was well on my way to beginning life as a bikepacker/bike tourer. If I can start this at 40 with relatively little capital outlay, I’d say most others can do it, too.

Riding along the Deschutes River on an overnight near Madras with bike friends. Credit: Nicole Vulcan

While there’s plenty to learn about bike repair and ultra-light gear and the finer points of this bike rack or that one, I see all of that advanced gear talk as somewhat intimidating to those who want to start but feel overwhelmed by the amount of one-upmanship and downright capitalist bro-dude competitive gear-comparison out there.

If you’re someone who craves adventure and wants to do it on a bike, you don’t have to have all the new, advanced, lightweight gear. All you really need is food, water and maybe some shelter. On a nice night, a lightweight hammock can even replace the need for tent-shelter.

In honor of our Summer Adventure issue, these are some tips for those ready to head out on their first bikepacking or bike touring trip this summer. (BTW, what’s the difference between bikepacking and bike touring? They’re essentially the same thing – though the former tends to be the nomenclature adopted by those racing on mountain or gravel bikes, according to a recent writeup in The Radavist; the latter term is used by those who primarily ride for pleasure.)

Try an overnight

Ride great gravel routes! / 13,000+ miles!

To determine if this is something you actually want to invest your time and money in, plan a short, simple route that offers some level of “out” – as in, someone could come rescue you quickly if something goes awry. A 20- or 30-mile jaunt that threads through some National Forest or Bureau of Land Management land, or past a campground you can reserve, is ideal and will give you the vibe. Check out routes on Dirty Freehub, a locally run site that offers step-by-step directions for dozens of roads, gravel and singletrack in the area.

Bike camp can be pretty simple. On this trip, I slept in a hammock and skipped bringing the bulkier tent, though my riding partner had one just in case I needed to escape the rain. Credit: Nicole Vulcan

Keep the gear simple

Obviously, you’ll need a bike that has all of its parts working correctly, but it doesn’t have to be new or fancy; just comfortable for you. On my first overnight, I rode my hardtail mountain bike because that’s what I had. In addition to my handlebar and seat post bags, I’ve since upgraded to a gravel bike and a pair of front racks that hold some decent Ortlieb panniers, but on my first ride I literally bought some large, glorified twist ties and strapped my sleeping bag to the handlebars and wore a small backpack to carry a small stove for my coffee. The less you bring, the lighter your setup and the less difficult things will be. Food tastes SO GOOD after a day on the bike, but you don’t have to go gourmet. Pack a burrito and the makings of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or plan a route that offers snack and restaurant stops along the way. Also highly recommended: bike shorts and some chamois butter.

Use groups to find riding partners

Riding solo can be the ultimate adventure, though this combo of exploring and occasional uphill-climbing suffer-fest is really best experienced — not to mention safer — with friends. If you don’t already have a crew of bike friends, there are plenty of online groups on MeetUp and Facebook where you might be able to find an adventure partner.

Learn how to change a tire

While spending some time learning how to service your own bike is always a good idea, at the bare minimum, every rider should know how to change the tires on their own ride. Getting tubeless tires is the route I’ve decided is best for me (damn you, goatheads!) but even tubeless setups can go wrong, and the dual challenges of either, 1. changing your own tire in the boonies when it’s hot as heck, there’s no shade and you don’t really know how, or 2., having your riding partners always have to bail you out and service your bike should ideally be avoided, for harmony’s sake.

There’s plenty more to learn on this topic, but too often, outdoor-meccas like Bend fail to offer an in-point for those who didn’t come out of the womb as a fully formed outdoor-expert human. Start out riding your bike. Then ride a little longer, and pack some food. You got this.

This article appears in Source Weekly June 15, 2023.