Back in December 2017, Surly announced the release of a new front-loading light touring bike – the Pack Rat. I was excited about the possibilities from the moment I learned of this bike’s existence and Bike Touring News was one of the first shops to stock them. In the intervening 4 months, Surly has released no fewer than three more new models – the “Allroad” Midnight Special, a redesign of the Pugsley expedition fatbike and the entry-level dirt touring Bridge Club.
What with all this newness in such a short period, I was a little afraid that the humble Pack Rat might be forgotten. I had already had favorable impressions from brief rides around town, so I set out to test this bike’s capabilities on a weekend ride. I wanted to know if the Pack Rat was capable of loaded touring over the mix of terrain we commonly encounter here in Idaho and if this was a platform I could recommend for two-wheeled exploration past the end of the pavement.
In order for this road test to be meaningful, I’m going to need you to hang with me in the Land of Make-Believe for just a little while. Got your Imagination Cap on? Good.
I’m going to make a statement that should be treated as fact for the duration of this post. Ready?
The bike pictured below is a Pack Rat. Got it?
My old war horse of a touring bike – affectionately known as the Rando-Gnar – is nearly identical to the Pack Rat in every way that matters. Both bikes are designed around 650b wheels with clearance for 47mm “Road Plus” tires. Both feature geometry optimized for a front load. Steel frames, drop bars, cantilever brakes, plenty of braze-ons for racks and cages. Heck, they’re even (almost) the same color. Nearly every component on the Rando-Gnar would move right over onto a Pack Rat frame.
In order to transform a stock Pack Rat into the bike you see above, all you need to do is mount a set of WTB Byway tires, drop the gearing down a bit and attach whatever racks and bags you deem necessary. Boom, pow! You’re ready to pack your gear and hit the road.
For this exploration of the Pack Rat’s touring capabilities, I mapped out a route that would cover around 160 miles of paved and dirt roads that would vary widely in condition. I knew of one stretch of unmaintained road that would likely be in very poor condition. The roads that climbed into the foothills of the Boise and Payette National Forests were more of an unknown quantity as I had not ridden them before. I had some idea of what to expect and had been assured by a Forest Service Ranger that the roads were free of snow – though I had my doubts. Most of the remainder consisted of varying qualities of pavement and maintained dirt roads.
I set out from Boise on smooth pavement and re-adjusted to the ride of a loaded bike. My haphazard packing strategy resulted in a heavier bike than I would have liked but I felt confident that I was well prepared for the unpredictable springtime weather and road conditions. Rolling tubeless at 42psi, the Byways cruised down the pavement nearly as fast as a good racing tire. I felt the weight of my load when the road turned uphill but the ride was speedy and efficient overall.
When the road turned to dirt in the rolling foothills north of Eagle, the Pack Rat pressed ahead with aplomb. Traction was adequate for out-of-the-saddle riding over some of the steeper pitches, though I had to be conscious of my weight distribution to prevent the rear tire from slipping on looser ground.
From the saddle at the top of Sand Hollow Road, our route descended the unmaintained Johnson Creek Road to the Payette River. This road bears deep, rutted scars from heavy truck use in wet conditions and is very eroded in spots. We rolled in, enjoying the views while keeping to the high ground between the ruts.
The ruts were nearly three feet deep in spots but the clay was hard and firmly packed, making for predictable traction even at off-camber angles.
One section of the road has been completely taken over by the creek and presents about a quarter-mile of bumpy riding over loose, slippery river rocks. I rode cautiously but never felt in danger of bottoming out my tires.
Johnson Creek Road drops into Shalerock Road, a wide and well-maintained dirt road that descends into the Montour Valley. We basked in the dusky light on the descent to the Montour Campground for the first night’s camp.
After a hearty breakfast at the Triangle Cafe we struck out to the north the next morning, gradually gaining elevation on the paved Sweet/Ola highway. The snowy mountaintops in the distance made me wonder about the elevation of the snow line.
The road turns to dirt a couple of miles past the little town of Ola. Conditions were excellent – nicely packed clay with a scattering of loose pea to marble-sized gravel. The Pack Rat carried speed well and cornered confidently.
I was forced to adapt my pedaling rhythm to the lumpy terrain and the Pack Rat responded well – forging forward to crest each roller as I rose out of the saddle.
The Byway tires provided a sufficiently large contact patch and plenty of cushioning to keep the bike composed on the quick descents. Momentum is everything when pedaling a loaded bike, so it was nice to have the confidence to let the bike run on the short downhills and carry good speed into the next climb.
The road continued to wind its way north, following Squaw Creek toward its headwaters in the Payette National Forest. We were getting close to 4,000 feet above sea level and entering the pine forest, so we began to encounter wet conditions and sections of slushy snow on the road.
The 47mm tires sank somewhat into the softened road surface, slowing their roll and forcing me to work harder for the same speed. However, they certainly provided more traction and flotation than narrower tires would have.
The road began to climb more steeply and the snowy stretches became longer until they became practically uninterrupted.
While the snow was not very deep, the Byway’s diamond tread didn’t provide enough bite for steering or pedaling through the slippery slush. Likewise, the 47mm width was not sufficient to say on top of the crust layer. I could ride brief stretches when the road leveled out but climbing was not possible.
When I was able to ride, I was constantly attempting to correct my line and keep the bike from sliding out from under me. A mountain bike with 2-3″ tires would have handled these conditions much better than the Pack Rat but would have also been sluggish on the pavement and smooth dirt roads.
We pressed on despite the snow-covered road. Traction was sufficient for walking and I didn’t think the pass was all that distant. In hindsight, I probably should have paid attention to the omens and turned back.
The snow continued to get deeper until it dragged at the bottom of my panniers. The north-facing section of road just over the summit held drifts at least 3 feet deep. I’m sure this road will be spectacular in a couple of months when all the snow is gone! I don’t know how long it took to cover the 8 or 9 snowy miles but the time would definitely be measured in hours.
Clearly, these conditions were well outside the Pack Rat’s intended use. Even a fatbike with 5″ tires would have been useless in snow that deep and wet. I could have certainly saved myself some pain and suffering by turning back but I had made good time earlier in the day and knew I had sufficient daylight to get through. I pushed, dragged, slipped and postholed over and down the pass, hoping that my planned campsite wouldn’t be under snow.
The campground still held some snow but there was plenty of dry ground. I breathed a sigh of relief to have arrived and then set about drying my shoes and feet, eating food and doing my best to recover for tomorrow’s 90+ mile burn back to Boise.
I slept deeply and woke feeling surprisingly fresh after the previous day’s exertions. I made breakfast, pulled on my frozen shoes and hit the road just as the sun began to peek over the eastern ridge. The forest service road had yet to shake off the night’s chill. Yesterday’s soft, wet mud and slippery slush had hardened into frozen dirt and roughly textured ice. The Pack Rat excelled in these conditions, though I rode the icy sections cautiously and did walk a couple of slicker stretches.
Before long, the road reemerged from the trees and dried completely. Conditions on the southbound leg started off similar to the northbound side. The cloud-filtered sun warmed the air and I enjoyed the (mostly) downhill grades and undulating terrain. The Pack Rat hummed along, carrying speed through the troughs and over the top of the endless rollers.
When we hit the Washington County line road conditions changed drastically. The road had recently been graded and was evenly surfaced with 1-2″ size gravel. I’d estimate the gravel had been laid no more than a week prior. There were decent tracks laid down by auto traffic through most stretches but the rock lay in piles several inches deep in some spots. Line choice was key, but the Pack Rat handled these challenging conditions admirably. I’ve often felt that slimmer tires perform well in these kinds of conditions as they are narrow enough to push the loose rocks aside and grip on the hardpack beneath where a wider tire would float and roll on the top layer.
After turning off the recently-graded stretch of road conditions improved. There were some seriously steep climbs on this leg of the ride that I would have wished away but the Pack Rat never held me back. My legs had begun to tire and struggled to supply the necessary power.
Approaching the town of Emmett, it began to look like the highway would be a better option than returning via yet more nasty rollers in the Eagle foothills. My body was tired and shadows were getting long. We spun our way down the paved highway shoulder into the valley, turned to the east and finished the final few miles back to Boise. My pedal strokes were weak and I was happy to be on a bike that rolled efficiently and didn’t ask for much leg strength to maintain forward progress on the asphalt and chipseal.
Overall, I came away from this ride even more excited for the Pack Rat’s potential. It may not be your go-anywhere touring bike. There are plenty of roads, tracks and trails over seriously rugged terrain in Idaho where a little more bike (Ogre, Troll, ECR, Bridge Club, etc.) would be a better fit. It also won’t carry a transcontinental load as well as the Long Haul or Disc Trucker. However, if you want a bike to travel a mix of dirt and pavement with a light-to-medium load on the weekend, pull double-duty on the weekday commute and have a good time doing it, the Pack Rat is worth your attention. If nothing else, it’ll get you out of town and into the fun stuff in a hurry!
Traditional visit to Fass Bike in Vicente Guerrero
It’s difficult to put into words the emotions, the experience and reality of our adventure in Baja California, Mexico. The Baja Divide Bike Route was established in the winter of 2015-2016 by Lael Wilcox and Nicolas Carman. Read in detail on bajadivide.com. Make note that these two are professional endurance athletes and many years younger than the Bike Hermit and Sky King. We started pondering our own trip not long after the Baja Divide website was published. Everything fell into place over the summer of 2017.
We sold Bike Touring News to Ryan King – a perfect fit to carry on the blog, online store and retail store front. We had nothing holding us back nor did we need to adhere to a tight time frame. Granted, selling the business along with 98 percent of our worldly possessions and moving into our 1968 Boles Aero trailer left us little time to put miles on the bikes. Overall, I don’t think our adventure would have changed much if we’d started with stronger legs.Our Baja Divide experience included biking, bike hiking (lots of bike hiking) and bus riding. Prior to rolling out of San Diego we’d agreed on a few major points that were vital as the trip moved forward.
We agreed to be safe and prudent. We realized the need to error on the side of caution. Falling and breaking something when you are in the middle of nowhere, in a country where you don’t speak the language, on roads that are very difficult to navigate was not something we wanted to risk.
We agreed that we would not be in a hurry. We had no time constraints so if we only covered 20 miles or if we decided to explore an area we would do just that. Stop and enjoy the Baja, its people and the country – what a concept.
We agreed that we wanted this to be fun. We weren’t so naive as to know it wouldn’t be hard at times but “being able to” and “wanting to” are not the same thing.
We agreed to make smart decisions, as a team. Taking breaks, stopping for the day, never letting the distance between us get so great that we couldn’t easily wait for who ever was in the back. Eating even when we didn’t feel hungry.
Looking back, knowing these parameters from the beginning made for very few moments of frustration with each other. Frustrations with the route are an entirely different story.
Welcome sight – Sea of Cortez
To date, this was the longest bike trip I have done. I’ve ridden numerous 3, 4, 5 day trips both on pavement and on dirt roads. I am not afraid of long days and I’m typically a strong climber so I wasn’t overly concerned about this trip. We ride some extremely rough roads in the Owyhee Desert carrying the same loads we carried in the Baja. What I wasn’t prepared for was the magnitude of the poor conditions of the so-called roads. It’s one thing to have a tough stretch for a mile or two, it’s a whole different experience to have the tough stretch of road turn into miles and miles of difficulty, day after day after day. I started the trip thinking that we’d still pedal the entire 1700 miles – though it would take us longer than some of the younger, stronger people who rave about the ride. I kept that thought through the 305 miles of the first section, despite sitting under a scrub brush literally in tears after 4 hours of death grip descents or downhill walking alternating with climbs so steep you would have to push the bike forward, grip the brake, take a step and repeat.
Champion Bike Hikers!
A turn of events in Vicente Guerrero and a review our initial agreement helped us make the next smart choice.We rolled into Vicente Guerrero in the dark, right at rush hour. Mexico Hwy 1 runs right through the center of town, carrying the bulk of the motorized traffic in the Baja but also the end of the work day traffic for Vicente Guerrero. We do a web search for hotels and note they are all on the other side of a deep arroyo spanned by a two lane bridge with no shoulder. We manage to get across hwy 1 with the intent of finding a back road to the hotel. A young man on a BMX bike rides past us, stops and asks (in perfect English) if he can help. (This is not the first friendly local we encounter, nor the last. Read the Bike Hermits Crazy Guy on Bike Journal for more). Manuel leads us across the bridge – turns out there is a sidewalk we couldn’t see in the dark. He takes us to the hotel and speaks to the desk clerk to arrange quite a large room for us on the ground floor. We gratefully tip him 100 pesos – about $5. Being very tired from an extremely challenging day we head out in search of food and enter the first open restaurant we see. The next day we realized we’d broken one of the rules our good friend Paul has told us about eating – never eat where you can’t see them prepare the food. We ordered chicken sandwiches which came with lettuce and tomato and a lettuce salad. We inhaled everything.
At 3am I wake up with my stomach rolling. I jokingly refer to my stomach as the princess stomach because I am sensitive to many foods so at first I just wrote it off as being dehydrated, yada, yada. Jim wakes up at about 6am with his stomach rolling. That’s when I knew we were in trouble. In talking to others we expect the lettuce was washed in unclean water and that’s what took us out.We took three days of unexpected downtime to read and research the route ahead, known as Section 2, Valle de los Cirios – 559 miles of the most remote part of the ride. Water availability at one point is 120 miles apart. In addition to being wiped out from being sick we knew that riding 120 miles in 3 days on this route was not realistic as we wouldn’t be able to carry sufficient water to be safe. Back to the agreement above – make smart decisions and we want this to be fun.Once we made the decision to take the bus to Mulege – thus skipping section two entirely – I let go of my old belief that it isn’t a bike trip if you don’t ride every mile. Riding every mile sometimes misses the point. Our Baja Divide became a multi-modal adventure that involved bikes.
Overall, the bike riding sections didn’t get any easier. In fact some of our hardest biking days occurred after Mulege. I would love to say that I learned to appreciate the difficult sections but I would be lying. Riding the tough sections was physically and mentally exhausting. We found it frustrating to read descriptions on the cue sheets or comments about the ride that (IMO) brush off the conditions of some of the backroads and brush off the distance to the next water stop. To me, those are life threatening and I worry that someone is going to get seriously injured or even lose their life because they haven’t realized the depth of the undertaking.
When did I know I was done with the bike portion of our adventure? This is actually a two part recognition. We’d just completed our third day of the section from Ciudad Constitution to La Paz. We arrived at the San Everisto, a small fishing village on the sea of Cortez. The store and restaurant were both closed, we had to ask for water from a house. We camped on the beach with the tiny fishing village to our backs and large sailboats and power boats anchored in the bay. The economic difference was striking. I thought to myself, “who is having more fun – that person paddling to their beautiful boat in the kayak or me sitting on the beach, covered in sweat eating lentils and spaghetti?” I commented to Jim that it might be time to rethink the rest of the trip.
Next day, we stop at another house to ask for water. We don’t fill everything as we don’t want to make them go without and we expect to get to the next available water that day. About 8 miles into the day the road starts to climb with such a steep grade it is hard to believe vehicles could drive it. The next 5 miles or so vacillated from extremely steep and rocky climbing (which meant pushing the bike) to extremely steep and rocky descending (which meant more walking). We push over two huge climbs and encounter a man walking with his two dogs. He is pushing a cart and we laugh that he is probably traveling faster than we are. He tells us the supposed water refill site further along doesn’t exist and he had to knock on doors for water. It’s hot, we are mentally and physically exhausted and now we know we’ll probably run out of water. What we were hoping would be a day-and-a-half ride to La Paz is probably more likely at a full two days at least. Jim looks at me and says “once we get to La Paz I am done with the Baja Divide.” I said, “sounds good to me.”
If you’ve read the Crazy Guy Journal you know that shortly after this two wonderful brothers stopped with their tiny truck and gave us a lift to La Paz and we officially left the route. We didn’t quit biking, nor did we quit adventuring. We just reviewed our agreement and adapted.
Was it fun? Overall the Baja was amazing. We saw areas that most visitors probably have no idea exist. We met people who have so little I was actually racking my brain about what I had on my bike that I could give them.
Stopping and exploring, camping on some beautiful beaches, absorbing the sights, sounds and food was fantastic.
I’m sad to say that the biking parts were often not fun. This was difficult for both of us to accept as we really do like to bike pack and enjoy a challenge.
Would I recommend the route? I don’t think so. I continue to read the comments on the Baja Divide Facebook page and wonder how many people start the route and then make a change of plans or readjust their trip like we did. Again, this route is very rugged and remote and we’ll probably never hear about those who have been seriously injured or ill and in trouble. Occasionally someone will post about bike issues but we were fortunate to not have any problems. We had dinner in La Paz, with Jenny and Matt Aker – also professional endurance bike racers. At first they gushed about the route and the ride and it was only after we started asking them hard questions and sharing our experience did they admit that yes, even for them, the route had some extremely challenging moments. It’s interesting that bike riders only seem to post about the good times. We don’t want to come across as sour grapes type people and we aren’t. We are realistic people and want to communicate that it isn’t always “fun” and this route should never be taken lightly.
Was it scary? We got this question on our Facebook pages often. The Baja was not scary at all, ever. Out in the middle of nowhere if we came across people they were always friendly.
The Amazing Kool-Aid Popsicle – Gift from a Trail Angel
We wished we knew the language. Total strangers would offer us beer, cold drinks, food. Shop keepers would smile and laugh as we bumbled through attempted communication and they repeated words over and over for Jim so he could work on the correct pronunciation. We walked the streets of La Paz well after dark and never felt uncomfortable.
Will we go back? I hope so, but it won’t be on bicycles. The Bay of Conception worked its way into my heart, it would be intriguing to return for an extended stay.
What’s next? I type this sitting outside in Yuma, Arizona. Our next obligation isn’t until May 1st when we report to work at a dude ranch in Victor, Idaho. We are still adapting to the slow life but getting better. We may or may not get to Alpine Texas this winter. We may just get lost in the Arizona desert too. Regardless, we know there is plenty of biking in our future.
It is no secret that Surly builds versatile, durable bikes that are adaptable to a wide range of uses and conditions. They also deliver bang for the buck that is pretty darn hard to beat. When Micah started thinking about a new city bike, there were tons of options on the table. After much deliberation, the Straggler rose to the top of the pile.
It is sometimes difficult to swallow the expense of a frame-up build, especially when talking about a city bike that is going to see tough conditions; this bike is going to be ridden hard, locked up, knocked around and put away wet. The Straggler comes out of the box with a solid build that leaves plenty of room for add-ons but little need for upgrades.
Like most quality completes, Surly bikes don’t come with pedals. Chromag’s Contact platforms provide all-condition traction, customizable grip, rock-solid durability and foot-cradling comfort. Platforms are especially sensible for a city bike, allowing the rider to choose footwear based weather, comfort and style rather than being stuck in cycling shoes.
Proper, full-coverage fenders were a must. However, the stock 700×41 Knards were just a little too wide to fit cleanly with the SKS Longboards. Micah also wanted something a little faster rolling, with excellent tubeless performance. Schwalbe G-Ones in 700×38 snapped onto the Alex rims securely and really make this bike fly on dirt or pavement.
Front and rear dynamo lighting were also a priority. We’ve been really impressed with the Kasai dynamos and expect to build many more wheels around them. There are less expensive headlight options out there (the B+M Eyc is a favorite for city bikes) but the bright beam and good looks of the B+M Lumotec IQ-X won out, despite the higher price. The B+M Secula taillight is no more expensive than a battery taillight and the full-length brake housing along the top tube provided a clean path to route the wire.
Of course, what good is a dedicated city bike if you’re stuck carrying your cargo on your back? Surly’s 8-Pack Rack mounts up cleanly to nearly any Surly fork and provides a solid platform for a wide variety of bags. Micah’s Lone Peak Rack Pack Deluxe fits like a glove. While we’ve sometimes been frustrated by the lack of light mounting options on the Surly racks, the crown mount included with the IQ-X bolted straight into one of the M5 barrels and provides a solid perch. We prefer to mount headlights underneath or on the side of a front rack for better protection but the 8-Pack doesn’t make that easy. Micah likes his headlight to stand up “loud and proud” anyway, so who are we to argue?
Scroll through the gallery and check out the build! The “Blueberry Muffin Top” powdercoat really sparkles in the sun! How would you build your Straggler? Post your photos or ideas in the comments!
A few months back, I came across a small article about a Sub24O ride from Crouch, ID to Boiling Hot Springs. After posting said article to Facebook, I find that I have 3 general types of friends, the kind that will click that little ‘heart button’ and then comment something like “you are so badass, I wish I could do something like this”, well dude you could, and you should. Then there are the people, who you probably haven’t spoken to in years, that will like and share the post and then go do it on their own, with their own bike touring squad. The best kind, however, are the ones that text you later, with genuine interest, and over tacos you start to develop a plan. Many beers and several puns later, a weekend was chosen and the gears were put in motion (pun intended).
The thing is about drinking beer while planning a bike trip, some of the fine details get lost in translation… A bit of advice I’ll share with you, something I’ve learned in my bike touring endeavors, always have a plan B, in fact always have at least a plan B, probably a plan C, and just for good measure, keep plan D tucked away in your back pocket. The weekend I picked for this adventure just so happened to be the first weekend after the start of Boise State’s Fall Semester, and with my touring partner in the middle of earning his MBA, he had to back out at the last minute. I’ve toured alone before, see ‘Crazy girl rides across Oregon’, so I had no qualms about setting out on my own, but when the Bike Hermit and Sky King caught wind of the trip, they felt it necessary to join in on the fun. And so, after a few beers, I left the two of them to pour over maps of the route that I had planned for months, double checking all the details and making sure I hadn’t just made the whole thing up.
The next morning I pulled up to Bike Touring News at 0900, gear spread across the entirety of the garage, Revelate frame bags, Surly junk straps, Hennessy Hammocks, BTN water bottles and various bits of clothing needing to be packed and loaded into the truck. I tried to keep my cool as I stuffed my sleeping gear into my handlebar bag, a Revelate SweetRoll that was fighting back. An hour later, we were heading out, driving in circles so the Bike Hermit could find an ethanol free gas station (Horseshoe Bend does have ethanol free for future reference). As the temps rose into the high 80’s we pulled into Crouch, finding a spot suitable for overnight parking, next to the log cabin that doubles as the town hall. Thankfully the City of Crouch offers free WIFI, thus I was able to get a shot of the fully loaded Karate Monkey off to my many instagram followers (all 50 of them). At noon, I headed up Middle Fork Rd, a few minutes ahead of the Bike Hermit and Sky King.
The first 8 or so miles are rolling pavement flowing past a mixture of old barns, open fields and modern homes perched along the Middle Fork of the Payette River. Once the road hits the boundary of the Boise National Forest, it turns to gravel with both designated and primitive camp spots every few miles. The steady climb takes you past several fishing and/or swimming opportunities, which despite their remote location seem to surge with popularity on weekends. Most of the motorists and ATV users were respectful to the ‘Share The Road’ signage, but without doubt, we did encounter the occasional driver who seemed to give zero shits about the lives of cyclists. I would highly recommend bringing an extra handkerchief to tie up bandit style for this exact reason, protecting yourself from the intermittent dust bowls. The 16 miles of gravel transitions from washboard, to packed dirt, to deep layers, making us thankful for the 3” tires in place on the Surly ECR, Troll and Karate Monkey.
In late August, the Middle Fork runs at just above 100 CFS, making it the perfect time to access the natural hot springs requiring river crossings to access. The low flow also leaves small pockets above sections of rapids where brook trout made futile attempts to hide from the Bike Hermit’s Tenkara Rod. The short distance from Crouch to our destination allowed us for plenty of time to stop and fish with daylight left to set up camp. At mile 16, the road forks, the east taking you along the traditional main route of the Idaho Hot Springs trail, the north taking you up to Boiling Hot Springs, our intended destination. Sky King’s research showed that the designated camp spot at Boiling Springs would cost $16.00, more than the cost of gas to get from Boise to Crouch, leading us to look for a primitive spot along the river. Just below Silver Creek, along a stretch of river where several trout could be seen with the naked eye jumping in the afternoon sunlight, we set up camp for the night. IPA’s supplied by Mother Earth Brewing were cooled in the sub 60 degree water and fly rods were rigged for slaying. As the sun set below the canyon, the fishing slowed and Sky King whipped up a delicious riverside happy hour consisting of crackers, cheese and red peppers. After refueling, the Bike Hermit and I headed north in search of undiscovered trout waters, scurrying down steep embankments to the deep pockets protected by downed trees and large boulders. We fished until dark before drifting off in Hennessy Hammocks to the sound of the river bubbling close by.
The quiet of the remote location and the lack of sun in the canyon allowed us to sleep in well past 0900 and we took our time packing up in the cool morning air. The Bike Hermit revealed his ninja fast packing skills, training from coffee drinking, jogger pants wearing, sunday breakfast type guy into the Bike Hermit in less than 10 minutes, a real Clark Kent to Superman type moment.
It wasn’t until we had gone a few miles before we realized how much of a steady climb we had undertaken the day before, making it a true Sunday Funday. The extra time allowed us to stopped at Fire Crew Hot Springs, the Bike Hermit fished while Sky King and I explored the warm pools on the west side of the river. We came out of the canyon in the late Sunday afternoon heat, making the last few miles a bit harsh. Thankfully The Dirty Shame serves up a good burger and the squad was once again smiling while reliving tales from the past 24 hours.
Bike Touring News endorses this ride for numerous reasons
quick overnighter not far from home with options to go further.
road surface is doable – could ride w/ 32 mm tires (mildly rough – washboards, sand and gravel)
gradual climbing
great shake down trip for new gear, new bike packers, new bikes etc.
plenty of water at various campgrounds along the way (or take a filter)
With the creation of the Krampus and the ECR Surly Bikes introduced a new wheel/tire standard; 29+.
In 2017 they revamped both bikes in order to take advantage of some new technologies and hub standards.
Krampus
In regards to handling, the Krampus has always been the more playful sibling to the ECR due to a slightly different, more trail oriented geometry. In fact it is listed on the Surly Bikes website in the trail category while the ECR is listed in the touring category..
Here’s a quick rundown of changes to the complete Krampus bikes for 2017:
The frame (still 4130 chrome-moly steel) is internally butted and externally shaped for added strength. The head tube diameter is 44mm to accommodate forks with tapered steer tubes. The seat tube now takes a seat post with 30.9mm diameter so most dropper posts will fit. And there is a port for an internally routed dropper post cable. Rear dropouts are another Surly innovation, one they call “Gnot Boost”. The short description for Gnot Boost is that it will accept 3 of the most common current rear hub standards. The long description can be found in this earlier post on the 2017 Surly Karate Monkey bikes. The fork only accepts a 15x110mm thru axle hub.
Surly supplies complete bikes with a Salsa 12×148 mm thru axle rear hub and Salsa 15×110 mm through axle front hub laced to Alex MD40 rims. The Surly Dirt Wizard tires and the rims are tubeless ready but the bikes are delivered with tubes installed. Rim tape, valve stems and sealant are all that’s needed to make them tubeless.
The gearing is now 1×11 with a SRAM NX drive train. 30 tooth chain ring and 11-42 tooth cassette.
SRAM Level hydraulic brakes provide most excellent stopping.
ECR -(No, I don’t know what ECR stands for) – Sky King would say Extremely Cool & Rad
The changes to the ECR for 2017 are not as dramatic:
Probably the biggest change in 2017 is that the x-small and small ECR bikes are designed to use 27.5″ wheels. The medium bikes can be had with either 27.5″ or 29″ wheels. The large and x-large bikes are only available for 29″ wheels.
The updated Troll dropouts get the Gnot Boost treatment but still have Rohloff hub torque arm slot and they still have holes to mount one of the Surly trailers- Ted and/or Bill. That’s pretty neat! The fork takes a standard 100 mm quick release hub and is not suspension corrected. The seat post is still 27.2 and the head tube still takes a standard 1 1/8″ non-tapered headset.
Gearing is still 2×10 but the rear cassette has a 40 tooth large cog vs. 36 on the legacy ECR.
Surly’s own Moloko handlebars handle steering and controls.
Rear hubs on complete bikes are Salsa 12×148 through axle and the front hubs are Surly Ultra New 100mm quick release. Alex MD40 rims.
In Summary
For bikepacking either bike will work, especially since the Krampus fork now sports more braze-ons for racks and cages. A couple of things make the ECR better for a dedicated camping machine though. For one, the BB7 mechanical disc brakes on the ECR are more easily serviced in the field. The ECR has a wider gear range with the 2×10 drive train. The lowest (easiest) gear for climbing is only nominally lower but the top end for fast cruising on smoother roads is significantly higher with the ECR. For the person who wants one bike suitable as a bikepacking machine and a fun, nimble all mountain trail bike the Krampus would be a great solution.
The stakes are high when traveling far into the backcountry by bicycle. The potential success or failure of your trip is (literally) riding on your wheels. A mechanical malfunction at the wrong time can leave you in a very serious situation. Like teeth, taxes or electricity, your bicycle wheels are easy to ignore when they aren’t causing problems, but can leave you in a world of pain and trouble when things go bad. Fortunately, most of these kinds of problems can be prevented by choosing appropriate equipment and ensuring it is well-maintained before heading out for a trip. This is especially true when talking about wheels.
In this post, we’ll discuss what makes a good bikepacking wheel, how to evaluate your current wheels and some points to consider when shopping for new wheels. Hopefully we’ll be able to help you enjoy your bikepacking adventures with no wheel-related malfunctions!
Reliable wheels are essential when traveling though rough, remote areas.
In general, we think good bikepacking wheels should be durable and reliable above all else. Gram-saving components will make precious little difference in the ride of your bike when loaded down with 35 pounds of gear and failures are much more than a minor inconvenience when you’re two days from the nearest town. Fortunately, most truly trail-worthy mountain bike wheels are built to handle pretty rough treatment and won’t suffer greatly under the added stress applied by a loaded bike. However, many lower-end wheelsets are not built with long-term durability in mind.
Are your wheels ready for bikepacking? Many stock wheelsets are not. Bike manufacturers often cut cost on wheels when spec’ing bikes for middle-of-the-curve riders. Even many high-end bikes are shipped with inferior wheels that don’t hold up to hard riding. However, it isn’t always easy to tell a high-quality wheel from a cheap look-alike. In addition, even top-flight wheels can be a liability if they’re nearing the end of their useful life.
There are a few ways to evaluate your wheels for quality and condition, so let’s get into those:
Consider their Service Record
Assuming you’ve put some hard miles on your wheels, perhaps the simplest measure of quality is their service record on the trail. So, how have your wheels performed so far? Have they needed regular re-truing? Have you broken any spokes? Do the hubs make any funny noises or need repeated bearing adjustments? If so, you’d be wise to consider repairing or upgrading your wheels before taking off into the woods. If they’ve taken some abuse with no ill-effects you’re likely to be in good shape. If you’re unsure about any of these points, a trusted mechanic can help assess your wheels.
However, just because you haven’t had issues yet doesn’t mean they won’t crop up in the future. The key here is preventative maintenance. We’ll talk more about that in a bit. For now, let’s take a closer look at your wheels and see if we can evaluate them for quality and condition.
Check Those Spokes
A spoke is a spoke is a spoke, right? How big of a difference do spokes really make? Well, imagine if the Golden Gate Bridge was built with suspension cables made from cheap steel to cut cost. Bicycle wheels and suspension bridges have a lot in common. Spokes made from poor-quality steel will have a much shorter lifespan and will be prone to breakage. Quality brands like DT Swiss, Wheelsmith and Sapim mark their spokes, either on the head (DT, Wheelsmith) or just below the j-bend (Sapim). Cheap spokes will have no mark at all or one of a handful of markings such as a star or uppercase “S” or “N”. If you’re curious, you can investigate the mark on your spokes using this extra-nerdy Spoke Head Identification website.
Quality spokes from DT Swiss. Their butts are visible if you look closely.
A butted spoke is also a definite indicator of quality. Butted spokes are tapered in the center and thicker at the ends. Sometimes the butts will be clearly visible. If not, you can feel for the taper by grasping the spoke near the nipple with your thumb and forefinger. Slide your fingers up the spoke and you’ll feel the diameter decrease if your spoke is butted. A butted spoke distributes stress along that slender center section rather than focusing it at the j-bend or threads, improving durability. As a happy side effect, they are also lighter.
Regardless of quality, any bent or gouged spokes can cause problems or break prematurely. Bends typically happen when an object lodges in the wheel as it turns or through impact. Gouging most often occurs on the drive-side spokes due to the chain shifting over the largest cassette cog. Cassette removal may be necessary for this inspection.
Inspect Your Rims
Rim failure can be sneaky!
As we discussed in a previous post, single-wall rims are wholly inadequate for bikepacking. Fortunately, even entry-level mountain bikes typically feature a double-wall rim. Much like spokes, the quality of a rim can be difficult to assess. Rim makers such as DT Swiss and Stan’s are at the top of the original equipment game. WTB and AlexRims are common in the middle of the range. Fortunately, even many inexpensive rims can hold up to hard riding if kept true and properly tensioned.
Of course, even the best rims will suffer the ill effects of high mileage, hard riding or abuse. If your rims have any major dents or bends you’d be wise to replace them before a big trip. Also, check the nipple seat for cracks. This is a common failure mode on quality wheels that have reached the end of their life. On a bike with rim brakes, you should also inspect the brake track for excess wear.
Evaluate Your Hubs
Formula hubs are typically affordable and reliable. They’re common on quality stock wheels and hand-built options.
Even inexpensive hubs rarely fail but you’d still be wise to evaluate their condition before heading out. Is there play in the bearings? Try to push the wheel side-to-side while clamped in your frame or fork. Do you feel any knocking or play? Remove the wheel and turn the axle end by hand. Do the bearings feel rough when you turn the axles? Does your freehub make odd noises when coasting or fail to engage when you start pedaling? If your hubs exhibit any of these signs you’d be wise to service them before hitting the trail.
Steer Clear of “Wheel Systems”
Wheel Systems may look fast and flashy but sacrifice reliability and serviceability.
We have seen a nearly infinite number of departures from the traditionally-spoked design as manufacturers continue to reinvent the bicycle wheel. Some of these variations may offer a performance benefit for competitive cyclists. Most simply want to stand out from the crowd and appear unique. Regardless of the result, they accomplish this at the expense of durability and serviceability. You may be wise to consider a replacement if your wheels have fewer than 28 spokes, nipples that aren’t square or spokes that aren’t made of stainless steel with a j-bend at the hub. Fortunately, most bike makers are using more traditional wheels on their mountain bikes these days.
Preventative Maintenance is Key!
Assuming your wheels pass the test above, you’ll want to make sure they’re in the best possible shape before you head out for your trip. Wheels that are properly trued and tensioned will be much less likely to go out of true or break spokes. Hubs that are properly adjusted and lubricated will very rarely fail, even under demanding conditions. If you’re not a top-flight home mechanic you may want to leave this job to a professional. A skilled mechanic will also be able to update you on the condition of your wheels and help you make preventative repairs to avoid untimely failures.
Need an Upgrade? Go Hand Built!
A front wheel comes together in the Bike Touring News workshop.
If your wheels aren’t up to the task or if you’re just looking for an upgrade you’d be well-advised to go hand built. Unless finished by a skilled wheel builder, machine-built wheels are often undertensioned and tend to need repeated truing even if they are built with quality components. A hand built wheel allows you the choice of components specific to your application and the ability to customize to your heart’s content. A good wheel builder will also build to precise, even spoke tension and take steps to remove the stresses that cause wheels to go out of true, resulting in a very durable, reliable wheel built specifically for your riding style and intended use. They don’t have to be expensive either. Our prices for hand built wheelsets typically start around $300 and go up from there depending on options. We build a large number of bikepacking wheels here at Bike Touring News and would love to talk with you about your dream hoops!
If you’re considering a new wheelset, think about incorporating a dynamo hub into the build. The benefits of dynamo lighting and charging are massive, even if you don’t expect to do a great deal of riding after dark. With a dynamo light you’ll never have to worry about charging or replacing batteries or leaving your light behind. If you’re traveling off the grid and need to charge electronics, there are a also a variety of USB charging options powered by your dynamo. That front wheel is already turning over; why not put it to work? We offer a wide range of hubs, lights and chargers for every budget and application but that is a subject for another post!
Hand built and dynamo equipped! These 27.5+ wheels are ready for anything!
It is difficult to understate the value of solid, reliable wheels for bikepacking. Good wheels are the best upgrade you can possibly make and are worth their weight in gold. We hope you’re feeling better equipped to evaluate your current wheelset or consider what you may look for in an upgrade. As always, feel free to drop us a comment to ask a question or share your experience. Have you ever had a bike trip hijacked by wheel problems? What qualities do you look for in a good wheel?
Surly Bikes as a company cultivates an image of being comprised of hooligans who, between visits to the tattoo/piercing/beard parlor, drink beer and ride bikes through campfires and sleep under bridges. While this describes the surly lot I know, they are also smart business people and engineers who happen to love bikes and bike riding. I think that is why, even if it takes longer than anyone predicted, when new products are rolled out all the bugs have been identified, all the details are considered and finalized, and everything works. Turns out, drinking beer and riding bikes through campfires is a good way to test bikes.
Consider the new Karate Monkey:
Surly Bikes’ Karate Monkey has been around almost as long as the company and in Surly tradition hasn’t changed too much over the years except for a few tweaks here and there. However, the 2017 bikes are hardly recognizable as Karate Monkeys of yore.
The Surly Karate Monkey 27.5+ Complete
The 2017 Karate Monkey has a new geometry:
– The only numbers that stay the same- geometry wise- between the old bike and the new one are the length of the head tubes and the seat tube angle. The new bikes have shorter chain stays, longer top tubes, less bottom bracket drop and slacker head tube angles. Effectively the rider is planted more over the rear wheel with the front wheel relatively far out in front. The wheelbase in the new version for the large bike is 50mm or 2 inches longer. The slack head tube and short stem have the effect of bringing the bars closer to the rider to help make up for the length of the top tube. This is a “modern trail geometry” which is meant to give the rider a combination of confident handling and agile steering.
The complete bikes are offered with two wheel sizes:
– The 1×11 geared version is spec’ed with 27.5+ wheels and tires. The stock tires are 27.5 x 3″ Surly Dirt Wizard with a 60 TPI rating. The bead is folding and the tires have a nylon insert in the sidewall and a new, more durable rubber compound. Surly says the tire is tubeless ready, but the bikes arrive stock with tubes in the tires. The Alex MD40 rims are tubeless compatible too, so to run the tires without tubes, all that’s needed is some tubeless rim tape, a valve stem and some sealant.
Here at Bike Touring News, we think 27.5+ tires (27.5 is the same thing as 650b but sounds more rad, and the +, or plus, means the tires are around 3 inches wide) are the sweet spot for traction and comfort for bikepacking and trail riding.
-The complete, single speed bike uses the identical frame, available in different colors, and 29 inch (700c) rims and tires. Surly also sells frame sets which are compatible with either wheel size.
Dropouts
-Rear Hub
Below we have two videos; one from Hermit’s Workshop and one from Surly Bikes which explain and illustrate Surly’s Gnot Boost rear frame spacing and dropouts. Basically all you need to know is that a standard 142mm thru-axle hub will work as will a 148mm spaced boost hub. With the spacers Surly provides with the frame, a 135mm quick release hub will work too. So for those with some parts on hand or who are taking parts off an existing bike to put on a Karate Monkey frame, chances are good the rear hub will fit.
-Front Hub
The stock fork on the complete bikes and frame sets is designed for a hub with a 15mm thru-axle and 110mm OLD spacing. The fork is also suspension corrected so a suspension fork with 120 or 130mm of travel won’t change the handling/geometry of the bike.
Drive Train
The geared bike uses a 1×11 drive train with a 30 tooth chain ring and 11-42 tooth cassette which should provide a gear low enough to climb all but the steepest grades that will be tackled on most bikepacking trips or single-track riding. The top end will suffer a little bit however compared to 2×10 bike, for example, equipped with a larger, outer chain ring.
1×11 drive train. Very simple. Fantastic.
Ride and Overall Impression We have the complete bikes with 27.5+ wheels and these are the bikes reviewed here.
The Answer Expert handlebars are WIDE; 790mm on the larger bikes and 730 on the small. Lots of leverage for the technical bits I guess, but they are a little wider than anything I am used to and I’m afraid I would be hooking them on trees on narrow trails. If that was the case they could always be cut shorter.
The Cane Creek headset on the stock bike is pretty generic and seems to require careful alignment and installation of the fork crown race and the headset cups. The headsets on the bikes we received were almost impossible to adjust tight enough to eliminate play without creating a bind when turning the handlebars. We ended up taking the fork crown races off and cleaning the paint and ED coating off the seat area on the fork so the races would press back on flat. That took care of the binding issues.
So-called trumpet shaped tubing for extra strength at the head tube.The rear stays have an elegant, powerful look to them
There is so much ice on the streets right now that I have not been able to ride one very far but weaving around the paths shoveled through the snow here at BTNWHQ I definitely sense that the steering is very quick and responsive. And I can appreciate the simplicity of having one chain ring and only one shifter and rear derailleur.
Visually the bike has an aggressive, powerful, dare I say- surly appearance. The “Rhymes With Orange” color is a home run IMHO- very striking. The frame tubes are sized and manipulated in order to provide the best strength to weight to performance ratios and the complete frame sort of flows together. These bikes just make me want to take a break and go for a ride, and I think that is one good metric by which to judge any bike.
Complete component list and geometries can be found at the Surly website.
Author’s Note: This post was updated on Dec. 29, 2016. It was originally published on Feb. 20, 2015.
As interest in bikepacking and off-road bicycle travel continues to grow, many bike makers are offering machines that claim to be optimized for the task. We should know, as Surly’s line is full of bikes like the ECR, Ogre, Troll and Karate Monkey that are ideal vehicles for pedal-powered exploration. This level of specialization in bicycles can be a good thing but it also leaves many would-be bikepackers on the sidelines because they think they need a whole new bicycle to participate. While a shiny new bike can certainly make things easier and provide good motivation to get out and ride, you may discover that the best bikepacking bike is the one you already own.
With a few simple modifications or additions, any good-quality mountain bike can carry you and your gear into the backcountry. In this series of blog posts, we’ll guide you through the process and detail a few key points to consider when evaluating, upgrading and modifying your bike into a two-wheeled adventure steed that will take you places you never thought you could go.Especially since many key pieces of equipment (bags, lights, etc.) won’t come with any new bike, modifying the bike you already own can be a much more cost-effective path of entry.
In this post, we’ll take a look at the key qualities that good bikepacking bikes share and see if your bike fits the bill. A comfortable, durable, mechanically-sound bicycle is critical. The consequences of an ill-timed breakdown or failure can be quite serious when venturing far from home, so these are very important considerations. Assuming you own a mountain bike of some kind, wheel that thing in here and let’s have a look.
Evaluating your Bike for Trail-Worthiness
Before heading into the backcountry or sinking lots of money into expensive upgrades, you would be well advised to be sure your bike is up for the task. There is a certain standard of trail-worthiness that not all mountain bikes meet. This is mainly a question of reliability. Off-road riding is hard on equipment and many inexpensive, “entry-level” mountain bikes are built with more casual riding in mind.
Two trail-worthy mountain bikes, ripe for a bikepacking conversion. Photo by the author.
So, how do you know if your bike is trail worthy? If you purchased your bike at a bike shop and are already riding it regularly on singletrack with few mechanical issues you’re probably in good shape. If you bought your bike somewhere other than a specialty bicycle retailer your chances aren’t so hot. Bikes sold in many sporting goods and department stores are cheap for a reason and don’t typically hold up well when ridden often, especially off-road.
Department store mountain bikes are not a good option.
However, even many top-quality mountain bikes don’t make great bikepacking bikes. So, let’s dig into some of the nuances that set a potential bikepacking rig apart from the rest. Your bike doesn’t have to meet all of these criteria to work well but you’ll be more likely to enjoy the experience if you have most of these boxes checked.
What Makes a Good Bikepacking Bike?
Comfortable Riding Position
Two riders pedaling comfortably on the Idaho Hot Springs MTB Route. Photo by the author.
This is perhaps the most important consideration that we’ll discuss but also the most potentially challenging to get right. When you’re on the bike for hours at a time for days in a row, any potential source of discomfort can lead to frustrating pain or a debilitating injury. Other than employing the help of a skilled bicycle fit professional, the only way to know if you’ll encounter comfort issues is to put in the hours riding your bike. If you’re preparing for bikepacking you’ll want to do plenty of preparatory rides anyway, so listen carefully to your body for signs of problems as you ramp up the miles. A comfortable saddle and handlebar in the proper position are key elements in this equation. We’ll get deeper into fit issues in future posts. Assuming that you have a properly sized frame that you can ride comfortably, let’s take a look at some of the nuts and bolts of your bike.
Front Suspension or None at All
While full-suspension mountain bikes are becoming more common across all categories, they are often less than ideal for bikepacking on anything other than the roughest and most technical of routes. Suspension pivots and shock mounts take up valuable space in the front triangle, making frame bags difficult if not impossible to mount. All those moving parts also require regular maintenance and are often impossible to service in the field. You’d rather not be a hundred miles from the nearest bike shop when your rear shock blows a seal and stops holding air.
A suspension fork takes the edge off the rugged singletrack on the Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route. Photo by the author.
A suspension fork can be valuable if your route includes a good deal of rough terrain but can be overkill for routes consisting mainly of dirt roads or smoother trails. Much like rear suspension, a suspension fork adds weight and complexity, requires regular maintenance and can be a major problem if it fails. While rigid mountain bikes have become a relative rarity the simplicity they offer is appealing. If your bike is already equipped with a rigid fork you may be in luck!
The choice to ride front and/or rear suspension will be dictated by your bike, route, personal preference and budget. If your bike does have suspension, be sure it is in top condition before heading out on a long trip.
Big Wheels, Wide Tires
There are many good reasons that 29ers have taken over the mountain bike market in recent years. The bigger footprint, increased air volume and shallower angle of attack offered by wide 29″ tires deliver excellent traction and improve the bike’s ability to roll easily over larger obstacles. These attributes are especially helpful when the bike is loaded down, less maneuverable and harder to unweight over bumps. However, don’t despair if your bike has 26″ wheels or is one of the newer crop sporting 650b/27.5″ hoops. Wheel size won’t make or break your experience out on the trail but larger wheels certainly offer appealing comfort and performance benefits.
Regardless of wheel size, you can do yourself a big favor by using the widest, highest volume tires your frame can safely accommodate. Wide tires will provide a smoother ride, cushion your bike, load and body from bumps and provide improved traction. We’ll talk more about tires in a future post, so stay tuned for that.
Quality Components
For better or worse, the price of an “entry level” mountain bike is incredibly low these days. This is certainly a good thing for many riders as the cost of getting into cycling is lower than perhaps ever before. However, those “entry level” bikes reach their low price points by cutting corners somewhere. One common place for this cost-trimming is in the bike’s wheels.
Bicycle wheels endure tremendous forces, especially when carrying heavy loads over rough terrain. Low-quality wheels that break spokes, bend axles, dent easily and won’t stay true are a serious liability. You’ll want to be certain that your wheels are built on sturdy, double-wall rims with quality hubs and spokes to avoid problems. As shown in the cross-section diagrams below, double-wall rims feature a box section design that adds significant strength over the less-expensive single-wall design.
Double-wall rims – like Velocity’s Blunt 35 – provide much stronger wheels. (Diagram from Velocity USA)Single-wall rims are not typically strong and durable enough for trail riding or bikepacking. (Diagram from Velocity USA)
On the subject of hubs, most newer bikes are equipped with a “freehub” drive system rather than the older “freewheel” style. Bent or broken axles were common with “freewheel” rear hubs on mountain bikes because of the long section of axle protruding past the drive-side bearing. If you have a rear wheel using a threaded-on freewheel you’d be wise to consider an upgraded wheelset before loading the bike down. We build a significant number of bikepacking-worthy wheelsets here at Bike Touring News, so we’ll talk more about wheels in an upcoming post.
Hub comparison from the late, great Sheldon Brown. sheldonbrown.com
Other than wheels, you don’t really have too much to worry about. Even inexpensive brakes, shifters and drivetrain parts are surprisingly reliable and rarely fail when properly maintained. Higher-end parts will be lighter, more precise, offer performance benefits and are sometimes more durable but are not required. However, it is vital that all of your components are well maintained, not excessively worn and in good working order. It is wise to check and replace (if needed) your chain, cables/hydraulic fluid, brake pads, etc before heading for the hills to avoid problems on the trail. We have a series of blog posts on roadside repair and maintenance, so brush up there if you need a primer. Many trip-ending mechanicals are a result of poor maintenance and should be easily avoidable.
Metal Frame
Carbon fiber is everywhere in the bicycle industry. Carbon frames and components are showing up at surprisingly low price points and have (mostly) shaken off their reputation for fragility and premature failure. Modern carbon bikes and parts from reputable manufacturers are of very high quality and have proven reliable in demanding conditions. Many also offer extra protection in the form of tough, durable finishes, rock guards and the like. However, you’d still be wise to take extra care when bikepacking with a carbon frame. The combination of additional weight, frame bag straps, accumulated dirt, abrasion and vibration – in addition to normal hazards such as sharp rocks, severe crashes, etc – can cause serious damage to frame tubes of any kind but the problem can develop faster and have more severe consequences with carbon tubes. A good carbon bike can be a potent off-road weapon – especially for those looking to travel fast and light – but metal bikes will be more worry-free and probably longer-lived.
Four riders – all on metal frames – head into the Owyhee Desert. Photo by the author.
On the other hand, steel or aluminum bikes may suffer damage to their finish from the conditions presented by bikepacking but will rarely sustain serious damage to the tubes themselves. Regular cleaning and inspection is still important but is not as serious a concern as with carbon tubes. Though expensive, titanium may be an ideal material for bikepacking bikes due to its exceptional hardness and resistance to scratching or abrasion.
Summary
So, is your bike up for the challenge? You may already have your new bikepacking bike hanging in your garage, waiting to hit the trail! If your ride doesn’t cut the mustard, Bike Touring News offers a range of models from Surly that will do the job admirably without breaking the bank, like the ECR, Troll, Ogre or Long Haul Trucker. There comes a point where a new bike becomes a simpler, more cost-effective option. Feel free to give us a call, shoot us an email or stop by the shop if you want to talk about the pros and cons of your current bike!
Throughout this series of posts, we’ll dig deeper into some of the considerations outlined above and a few more in order to help you build the best possible bikepacking setup for your application and budget. In the next post we’ll explore various methods of carrying the supplies for your ride, so stay tuned for that! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @BikeTouringNews for the most up-to-date news and information.
What questions do you have about setting up a bike you already own for bikepacking? Sound off in the comments, give us a call or email and I’ll do my best to cover those topics of interest in a future post. Hey, thanks for reading!
In our overpopulated world, there are few places where humans rarely venture. For better or worse, our species has learned how to make a living in just about every environment on Earth and has left only a precious handful of habitats unmolested. Even in the most remote corner of Idaho – a state with more protected Wilderness than any in the lower 48 – evidence of human history is everywhere. However, just because humans have been everywhere on our planet doesn’t mean they’re still around. Some environments are not welcoming to our fragile and demanding bodies. Despite the challenges of survival in hostile and difficult conditions, wild and unpopulated places call out to us. The allure of traveling where few people have ever gone – places where evidence of human activity is nearly invisible – is a powerful draw. This allure makes Wilderness travel undeniably attractive to a certain breed of people who are capable of cutting the cord and tuning in to a more basic way of living. Five such adventurous souls recently struck out into the vast Wilderness surrounding the South Fork of the Owyhee River for three days of pedal-powered reconnaissance. This is the story of that journey.
The Crew: (L to R) Bike Hermit, Ryan, Wendell, Sky, Bryan
The group convened at the BLM headquarters in Boise to finalize a route and load gear for the 3-hour drive to our drop-off point east of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, just north of the Nevada border. After the long drive riding three-abreast in the pickup, we were happy to stretch our legs and breathe the sage-perfumed air while we unloaded bikes.
We set off to the west just after 11am, pedaling through Horse Basin toward the Wilderness Boundary. The miles passed with relative ease on the well packed two-track under sunny skies and with scarcely a hint of wind. We ground our way up a gradual climb to the plateau and turned to the south in order to survey a longer section of wilderness boundary.
This section of doubletrack was among the smoothest any of our group had ridden in the entire region and a slight tailwind began to push us northward. The sea of sage was interrupted by two water tanks and windmills; aging remnants of ranch infrastructure. Each one sat in a grassy circle cleared of sage and featured abandoned eagle nests tucked into the ladder handles of the water tank. A draft of cool air blew up from the dry well near one of the tanks. A rock dropped down the tube never found water.
As we turned to the west along the boundary line, we came to a rock outcropping and saw the land fall away ahead of us. From here, we descended into Wilderness along the Coyote Hole Cherrystem to the bank of the South Fork where we would make our first camp. The road dropped gradually at first but became steeper as we neared the canyon rim.
A badger scuttled off the road as we approached, making off into the underbrush. With sheer rock walls on both sides, we followed the loose, rutted track down its final plunge to river level, finding the ruins of a stone house, livestock pen and even some rusting farming implements.
The prospect of scratching a living out of the side of this remote stream seemed pretty daunting, but compared with the barren plains above this was a paradise of plenty. Springs bubbled out of the rocks above, delivering sweet water to wet our whistles.
A brief exploration also revealed a river teeming with fish, which turned out to be Northern Pikeminnows. This provided an ideal opportunity to test the borrowed Tenkara outfit the Bike Hermit packed along. Thanks for the loan, Don! This was the first time fishing with Tenkara for me and the Bike Hermit, so look forward to more about that experience in a future post.
We awoke to temperatures barely above freezing and crawled from the warmth of our shelters to make our breakfast and coffee. I noticed the tracks of what appeared to be a mountain lion just on the edge of our camp, along a path we had trod the evening before to access the river. Did we have a visitor in the night? I can’t say for sure, but it certainly appeared that the big cat had stalked through the bush less than 15 yards from where we slept.
It seemed nobody was in a big hurry to tackle the climb back out of the river canyon. The first pitches were definitely unrideable on our loaded bikes and even the more forgiving sections tested our legs and determination. However, the exertions allowed us to quickly shake off the morning’s chill and we found ourselves back on the high plateau. We made good time northbound along the boundary line, headed for the river ford near the 45 Ranch.
Once atop a small rise, we were greeted with a stunning panorama of the massive gash in the earth containing the South Fork. It was clear that the descent to the 45 Ranch was going to be a wild ride, so we strapped our gear down tight and dropped in. The well-traveled road was delightfully smooth in some spots and terrifyingly rough in others. The switchbacking grade led us down to the homestead of the 45 Ranch, a privately-owned ranch in partnership with the BLM and the Nature Conservancy. We passed by the ranch on the way to the boat launch where we would ford the South Fork.
We paused at the river ford to partake of some victuals and prepare ourselves for the uneven footing and swift water. Group members crossed the river using varying tactics. Some – like Wendell – carried their bikes above the knee deep water…
Some – like Sky – pushed their bike along the bottom. I wonder who does her maintenance…
After crossing the river, we left ranch property and returned to the Wilderness along the Little Owyhee Cherrystem. We started out on a flat, rocky double-track between steep rock walls. However, when traveling through the Canyonlands, what comes down must always go up.
Our mild and scenic road soon turned steep and nasty. This climb out of the river canyon would be the most trying of the trip. The combination of intense midday sun, steep grades, deep ruts, off-camber tread, loose dirt and rolling rocks made this climb mentally and physically challenging. The left-hand track was reasonably smooth and appeared rideable but the loose soil and steep camber caused wheels to slip into the rut at the slightest shift of weight. Most of us were forced to push our bikes nearly all the way up from the valley floor.
The climb ground upward and topped out just uphill from a wide-open barbed wire gate. One downside to riding in the Canyonlands is that climbs are rarely rewarded with descents as they would be in the mountains. Instead, we were taunted by steep rollers and an increasing headwind as we headed south, keeping the Wilderness boundary on our left.
This section is among the least-visited in the entire Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness. Our track showed little evidence of human travel within the past several months, if not longer. Animal scat, burrows, anthills and sagebrush abounded. Jackrabbits, coyotes and birds of prey appeared the be the only main road users. We investigated the heads of the Walcot and South Fork Cherrystems, neither of which had seen traffic in quite some time.
After 14 “desert miles” riding through the wide open ocean of dust and sage along the boundary line, we crossed through a gate. Somewhere past the gate we crossed the unmarked state boundary and into Nevada. South of the fence, evidence of heavy horse use was everywhere. Hoofprint potholes and heaping piles of “road apples” littered the double track and made for rough going. The stiff headwind made life even more difficult. We were feeling the effects of the tough climbs and long miles as we sought shelter and water for our evening’s camp. Shadows were already growing long in the road, obscuring rocks and holes in the right-hand track. Evidence of the fragility of life in the desert was all around.
After cresting a small rise, we sighted a group of the horses responsible for the hoofprints and manure piles. They became aware of our presence and pricked their ears in our direction. However, they weren’t about to let us get very close.
They turned tail and headed east, raising a mighty cloud of dust as they went.
We encountered another group as we picked up the Paiute Pipeline road. They’re just visible on the horizon in the photo below. Despite their skittishness, we were in their territory and this wouldn’t be the last we’d hear of the horses. We pedaled on, feeling battered by the rough road, headwind and long miles. We were quite ready to reach our riverside camp and put our bikes to bed.
Yet again, we braved a steep, rocky and loose descent into the river plain. From our high point on the plateau, we looked out across the valley to see the Pipeline road continue across the basin and climb straight up the opposite wall far in the distance. Evidence of horse mortality presented an ominous sign as we focused on making camp and put the next morning’s challenges out of our minds.
With a sigh of relief we reached the second river ford of our trip. Again, group members took varying approaches. Wendell opted to stay on the south bank and make his camp above river level. The rest of the crew elected to make the river crossing now rather than brave the chilly water in the morning. In our depleted and mentally deficient state, pitching our camp in the middle of the road didn’t sound like such a bad idea. We prepared our respective meals and turned into our shelters under a clear, starry sky. The crystalline starscape is one of the biggest rewards for traveling in this tough and forbidding landscape. Situated in the middle of one of the largest unpopulated areas anywhere in the United States, light pollution is practically non-existent. I lay in my bivy sack for quite some time, watching shooting stars and soaking in the view of the Milky Way as I dozed off.
On the morning of the third day, the discussion centered around the question, “did you hear those horses last night?!” At least one of the bands had descended from the plain above to river level for their evening drink, coming nearly right through our camp. The thunder of their hooves pounding down the rocky slope shook the ground and woke us from our slumber. The horses retreated when Wendell poked his headlamp out of his tent but continued to snort and stomp along the canyon rim. Despite our fascination with the equine residents, it was time for us to leave this place. We were due at the rally point at 11am to meet Evan and head back to civilization. That meant another grind up from river level, which started right off the bat.
This short but brutally steep stretch of Pipeline Road was littered with loose, round rocks that rolled like billiard balls at the slightest touch. Even on an unloaded fatbike, I’m not sure if it could be climbed. We had a difficult enough time walking up the cruel grade but were pleased that it didn’t last long. As we headed northeast toward Idaho, evidence of horses faded and the track grew smoother. A few rollers in the basin even delivered enough of a speed boost to get us into our big chainrings, perhaps for the first time on this odyssey.
The climb out of the basin loomed large in the distance and we prepared ourselves for the final grunt of the trip. The grade grew steeper the farther up the pitch we climbed and we were all forced to push our bikes to the rim. Wendell and I waited at the top, watching the rest of the group approach and eyeing the route we had taken yesterday and this morning across the wide-open bowl of grass.
Now back in Idaho, we continued to follow the Pipeline Road until we came across a dilapidated ranch outpost, complete with a two-story cabin, outhouse, workshop and corrals. Despite the run-down appearance, it was clear that the property still got some occasional use but was no longer suitable as living quarters. The cabin’s frame and foundation were solid but the roof and windows were long gone and the interior had fallen into deep disrepair. We struggled to imagine the difficulty of survival through the bitterly cold and windy winters out here on this exposed, isolated plain.
Just as we completed our explorations of the cabin and prepared to continue toward our meetup point, we saw the government pickup rumbling down the road toward us. Our Wilderness adventure was finished. With mixed emotions, we loaded our bikes and piled back into the truck for the drive back to the modern world.
Despite – or perhaps because of – the challenges and difficulty, trips to remote corners of our planet leave us with a better sense of our place in the world. We are reminded of the fragility of life, especially our own. We are forced to return to a more basic way of thinking that places priority on simple survival. When we return to the relative luxury and security of our normal lives, we do well to retain the perspective gained from journeys such as this. However, regular doses of wildness are essential to the maintenance of that perspective. That’s why places like this deserve to be protected. That’s also why we’ll keep going back.
