Last Fall – Albany to St. Johnsburg & back

On the eve, well week before the 2014 GAP trip, bikepacking.us posted this video from last fall’s trip. Watch closely and you’ll see a bit of me in it.

I’ve cancelled out on the spring GAP trip due to a dire lack of preparation. I’ve ridden a total of 10 miles this season and am really unprepared for this trip. I’m playing it safe and not risking hurting myself far from home by overdoing it on the trail.

So, I’ll just have to enjoy this video and plan on the next one, maybe later this summer.

Bikepacking 2014

Well, it’s Spring 2014, even if the weather has been reluctant to let go of winter, and it’s time to start planning the cycle touring for the season.

It’s been on my mind a lot, but the weather hasn’t been cooperating. The Bikepacking.us group held an alumni tour on the C&O Trail recently, and I could have gone, but didn’t get in on it. In retrospect, I should have, the weather turned out fine for it, with just a light rain the first night after they had made camp.

But they scared me away with talk of 50 mile days and single-track bikes. From the looks of the photos I saw, it was no worse than the GAP trail and better than the Greenbriar, plus they scaled back their mileage a bit as well. I probably should have done it. Continue Reading…

Bikepacking the Erie Canal


Bikepackers

Along the way, we stopped at an old canal site.

Okay, I got carried away and put a bunch of photos here. I suppose some words would be nice too.

Our group set out to ride a section of the Erie Canalway Trail and decided to begin in Albany and ride west for two days, turn around and ride back. Three nights camping on the trail at two campgrounds. The first night, we met at a hotel in Rensselear. Continue Reading…

Greenbriar trail

Al, Jeff, Paul, Bob

Al, Jeff, Paul, Bob

Just a quick message from the Greenbriar Trail in WV. Four days of biking and camping start now! 

…and finished after two.

I enjoyed the night camping and it was great to meet my friends again, but by noon on Friday, it was apparent that I had grossly misjudged the trail.

The majority of the Greenbriar Trail is a gravel double-track with grass in the middle and sides. Think of a set of tire tracks left by a truck. No matter what I did, I was always riding with at a minimum of two, and often four, wheels in the grass. Gravel is enough of a handicap, but that was too much. Continue Reading…

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