An evolution of bike touring, bikepacking is a relatively new sub-industry in the cycling world. Bike touring has been around for decades and utilizes a touring bike, racks, and panniers. Touring bikes aren’t built for wilderness trails. Bikepacking, on the other hand, is really just a combination of backpacking and biking—think long distances on two wheels, many overnight stays in the wilderness and a backpack to hold your supplies. Well, rather than a backpack, several mountain bike specific bags are mounted to the bike to carry all of the essentials for a week-long trip in the backcountry. Bikepacking bags range from large saddlebags, frame bags, handlebars bags to top tube bags. It’s a growing activity, and manufacturers are pushing the envelope the make the best, lightest and most convenient packs possible.
A number of self-supported bike races have helped grow the sport. The Colorado Trail Race, which travels through some of the toughest singletrack in the nation, spans 500 miles from Denver to Durango. The Tour Divide travels from Banff, British Columbia to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. It’s the world’s longest, off-pavement cycling route. The Arizona Trail Race navigates the entire state from Mexico to the Utah border, through the desert, high alpine mountains and through the Grand Canyon.
With the growing popularity of fat bikes, bike packing is year-round sport—even in snowy and cold weather. The increase in demand for fat bikes is partly due to winter ultras and races around the states. Some popular winter bikepacking events include The Arrowhead 135 up in Minnesota, the Fat Pursuit in Idaho and the Iditarod Trail in Alaska.
If racing or organized events aren’t your things, no problem. Bikepacking is a great way to travel with friends or family at an enjoyable pace while taking in the scenery and traveling a bit faster and further than hiking. It’s truly a unique way to explore the backcountry! Carrying everyone you need on your bike yields a sense of freedom and simplicity.
Part of the challenge, and appeal, of this growing sport is the planning—what to pack, how to pack, and where to go. You need to think lightweight. But there is a science to it—everything needs to have a purpose and be compact.
Here is a simple bikepacking infographic to get your wheels turning on your fat bike adventure.
Bikepacking with a Fat Bike Infographic – An infographic by the team at The-House
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