News — bikepacking

"Cycling is my passion". This phrase is delivered with deadpan perfection in the insurance company commercial and just thinking about it makes me laugh. But when I want to take a vacation in my mind, the imagery of riding off into the sunset on my bike is easy to access. I am openly trying to recapture my 13-year-old self on a 10-day YMCA  Adventure Camp bike trip from Portland, ME to Acadia National Park, a trip that truly informed my identity as a non-car-owning, casual-clothes-wearing, groceries-taste-better-when-you-carry-them-home-on-your-bike bike rider. Biking is my passion! Montclair is a bike community! Bike & Walk...

Since last year I’ve been planning a bikepacking trip, a week of riding and camping, a late spring road trip. I have a list of necessary gear with a few items checked off, a touring bike on layaway, and good intentions for a “midlife” adventure that gets me outdoors, facing all the inevitable challenges head on and starting the summer off feeling strong and balanced. Though I still have a lot of miles to ride for practice and gear to acquire to be well prepared for a long distance bikepacking trip, I booked a campsite for my shakedown ride in...