One Of A Kind - The Jones LWB for Bikepacking

One of a kind love affair is

The kind of love that read about in a fairy tale

Like the sun that shines on a rainy day, it's a cloud of love

One of a kind love affair is

While your down is up when your up is down

But love stays around

And when you know you're right, but you got to make a little sacrifice

You make it love

Whoa-oh, yeah

One Of A Kind (Love Affair), William Jefferson (1973). 

Jones 29+, fresh off my 2026 solo 24 Hours In The Old Pueblo, ready to outfit for bikepacking.

Yes, I love my Jones 29+, which Jeff Jones now calls the Jones LWB (for Long Wheel Base). Since 2018, I've grabbed this bike for all my mountain bike rides, practically all my around-town rides, and most all my bikepacking rides, at least on anything rougher than domesticated gravel. 

If I had but one bike, it would be the Jones 29+. And for me, it's the perfect bikepacking bike.

My first ride on the Jones 29+ in 2018.
(image by Chani Tretbar)

To call the Jones 29+ unconventional is an understatement. It is so long, so tall, so wide, and challenges a host of conventional dogmas on bicycle geometry. For a peek behind the curtain of the mad machinations of bicycle design deconstructed by Jeff Jones, go to his website, JonesBikes.com. The library of videos and articles of his musings is altogether fascinating, especially to this retired patent attorney who for years worked with inventors and other imaginative kooks. I love his child-like creativity, innovative experimentation, and unwavering conviction. And the result is a bike that is pure joy to ride.

Admittedly, it took a leap of faith to order a Jones bike, not knowing anyone who owned one, or ridden one, or even heard of anyone who had owed one or ridden one. Zero chance for a test ride, as he only sells direct from his small shop in Ashland, Oregon. But I studied his material and connected with his analytical process, counter-intuitive challenges to conventional thought, fearless experimentation, and passion to pursue his convictions. Eventually, in the Spring of 2018, I ordered a frameset and asked Jeff to build up my idea of a primo bikepacking bike. See, Jones 29+ - The Build; Jones 29+ - What It Is.

Not catalogue copy. Jeff Jones sent me this picture of my bike after he built it up in 2018.

Oh, my. On first impression, that was one big bike. No, not just big. Mammoth.

And mammothly different. For me, the biggest adjustment to riding the Jones 29+ was adapting to the radically upright, hands back body positioning, somewhat like riding a beach cruiser. It felt so odd after many years of aggressive, low handlebar, forward positioning on competitive road, cyclocross, and mountain bikes.

But somehow it all works together to produce a controlled, superbly comfortable ride. The Jones 29+ is so balanced and centered, on such a long wheelbase, on such wide tires, that I simply do not spin out a rear tire and do not wash out a front, even on those loose steeps that typically wreck havoc. I am also amazed that not once in 8 years and tens of thousands of miles have I felt that unnerving sensation that I was about to launch over the handlebars, which happened on virtually every ride on my racing hardtails. Maybe most telling is that I did not crash once in 7 weeks of riding practically every day on the crazy combination of conditions on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Not once. Not even close.

More specifically, I feel much more control and far less fatigue than a conventional bike, particularly when negotiating obstacles and braking hard during long, difficult descents. I believe that the radically swept back Jones H-bar handlebar, with Ergon GP2 grips, contribute significantly to the effortless control and long distance comfort, most clearly felt when riding loaded over rough terrain.

A rare side shot of me riding my loaded Jones 29+ in 2021,
here standing to peruse the nasty descent of Fleecer Ridge on the Great Divide.
(image by Paul Brasby)

For good and bad, the aggressively upright body position dramatically changes relative pressure on the body contact points. With practically no weight on the hands, I feel much more in control of the bike, even when heavily loaded for multi-week touring. Perhaps just as important, I do not experience typical hand, wrist, forearm, shoulder, or neck fatigue. Not at all. The forward, downward pressure on everything is gone. On the other hand, that upright position puts significantly more weight on the saddle, so I recommend greater attention to saddle fit and bottom care.

I believe that the upright body position also changed my pedaling movement, as I clearly have reduced power on steep climbs and long climbs. Even on short power bursts, it feels more like I'm pushing the pedals forward and backwards, rather than up and down. Sliding forward to the nose of the saddle, or even standing, doesn't seem to make much of a difference. I just can't get on top of it in the same way as a conventional bike, perhaps also because the wheelbase is so long (about 47", compared to 43" for a medium Salsa CutThroat).

I felt the difference immediately on my first ride in 2018 and thought I had adapted to it with regular 3-5 hour rides throughout 2019 and 2020. Then in August 2020 I rode my first week long bikepacking ride, the Cloud Peak 500, and struggled on the long, steep climbs and felt bottom soreness. Also, for the first time ever, I experienced some real hip discomfort, which went away after the first two days and never has returned.  So, I think my body just had to adapt to a body position and pedaling motion significantly different from all those years on conventional bikes.

By the way, that upright body position brings along another side effect that is less easy to address. You get to enjoy every puff of wind! Fill the fork bags and a large handlebar bag for a veritable snowplow into the wind. It's a very real thing.

Jones 29+ loaded for bikepacking in 2019.

The truss fork is another unique aspect of the Jones 29+. Many people ask about it, assuming that it is some kind of springy suspension fork. Not hardly. It is rigid and it is stiff. As Jeff Jones explains, the truss design results in a lighter, stiffer fork that eliminates fore/aft movement of the fork under hard breaking pressures, resulting in greater control. No shimmies, ever. No need for an expanded diameter or tapered headset. Jeff Jones Talks Truss Fork. Even on long, technical descents when loaded, I have always been able to comfortably control the bike, and stop if necessary, with basic Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes. An engineering masterpiece.

As a bonus, the Jones truss fork provides a platform to strap two big bikepacking bags directly onto the fork legs. Recognizing this early on, Jeff Jones teamed with Revelate Designs to craft semi-custom bags, each holding about as much as a medium seat post bag. I love mine, but will have to baby them a bit, now that they no longer make them.

Part of the bike's BarcaLounger ride comes from the steel frame, which is relatively heavy in large part because it is so big. Despite the weight, I did not see a positive cost/benefit weight savings with a titanium frame/fork for a bikepacking bike that still would approach 70 pounds loaded. Instead, I slashed weight from the wheels and tires. 

In 2018, Jeff Jones built a wheel set for me with 45 mm rims to seat 3.0-3.25 inch tires. I liked that set up for one day single track rides and loaded bikepacking on really rough dirt roads. However, they were very sluggish on better roads, like many miles on the Great Divide and the Black Hills Grande.

So, after three years of experimenting, I built a second wheel set on much lighter 30 mm rims to seat 2.2-2.8 inch tires. Now with 2.4" Vittoria Mezcal XC Trail tires on that second wheel set, my Jones 29+ drops over 3.5 pounds (to just under 30 pounds) and rolls much, much better. 

On the left, Vee BullDozer 700 x 3.25 inch tire mounted on WTB Scraper i45 rims.
On the right, Bontrager XR2 700 x 2.35 inch tire mounted on RaceFace ARC Offset 30 rims.
Same diameter rims, but different rim widths and tire widths! (2020)

For drivetrain components, I specified Shimano XT everything, for durability and field service. Because I wanted both a wide range of gears and relative close spacing, I insisted on a 2X drivetrain. So, I landed on a 24/36 crankset coupled to an 11 speed 11-46 cassette. That results in a low gear of about 15-16 gear inches, depending on the size of the tires, which gives me a fighting chance of riding up that last pass at the end of a long day. Admittedly, with that grandpa gear, I'd probably be just as fast walking, but I like the option.

The Jones 29+ presents a versatile platform for a variety of bikepacking bags, with and without racks. I've tried many combinations, depending on the nature of the ride and the time of year. The bike is capable of comfortably carrying so much gear in so many combinations of bags that the biggest challenge is fighting the temptation to over-pack. On many rides, I start with most every bag about 3/4 full, which allows great flexibility to changing circumstances on the road. For a recent example, here's a link to a post of how I packed for the 2025 Black Hills Bounty ride. 2025 Bounty - Packing Redux.

Jones 29+ at the end of the Great Divide in 2021.

Overall, the Jones 29+ is one superbly comfortable bike, which is perfect for me for all day rides on rough roads repeated over many days or weeks, while carrying all my bikepacking gear. 

So, yes, I love my Jones 29+ and grab it for all single track rides, practically all rides around town, and most all of my bikepacking rides. I also have ridden it the past three years as a self-supported, solo racer at the 24 Hours In The Old Pueblo mountain bike race in Arizona. 

If I had just one bike, it would be the Jones 29+.

Jones 29+, loaded for the 2025 Black Hills Bounty.

Addendum. Notwithstanding my glowing endorsements of the Jones over the years, none of my bikepacking friends ride one. Instead, a high percentage of them ride a Salsa CutThroat, a nice, popular, conventional bike for bikepacking. I might prefer a CutThroat if I rode more domesticated roads, or maybe a full suspension mountain bike if I rode more technical single track. For my preferred rough road riding, I'm all in on the Jones.

One Of A Kind (Love Affair), Spinners (1972).

One Of A Kind (Love Affair), Spinners live (1976).

Single Speed On The Great Plains Gravel Route - Andy Phillips

Shout out to Andy Phillips, endurance cyclist extraordinaire and good cheer ambassador from Topeka, Kansas.

Andy is powering his single speed bikepacking bike across the country from the Texas/Mexico border to the North Dakota/Canada border on the new Great Plains Gravel Route ("GPGR"). That's about 3,500 miles with about 130,000 feet of elevation gain straight through the heart of the great plains, primarily on gravel roads. Self-supported, of course, re-supplying as he can along the way.

This route is new. Unlike the long established Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (1998) or the TransAmerica Trail (1976), the GPGR does not yet feature bike specific hostels or well-known campsites, recognized water/food re-supply spots, established alternative routes, or even locals familiar with scraggly bikepackers wandering along their backroads.

Andy is a pioneer blazing the trail for others to follow.

Andy Phillips rides into the sunset on Day 23 of his ride of the Great Plains Gravel Route.

I caught up with Andy earlier this week as he climbed out of the prairie and into the Black Hills on Pilger Mountain Road (USFS 317), a bit north of Edgemont, South Dakota. Although he had started riding that day at 5:00 am, he planned to keep pedaling for several more hours, even as the sun was setting and more storm clouds gathered.

That's how he's rolling over 125 miles/day for his first 23 days. Long days, often before sunrise and well after sunset. Short nights. Quick meals. Occasional showers. With thunderstorms and rain softening the gravel roads. And incessant winds, with little relief on the open prairie.

Always with a big smile. As in a "I-can't-believe-I get-to-do-this" smile. 

He's quite a sight to behold.

Andy Phillips climbing into the southern Black Hills on Pleasant Valley Road (USFS 715).

Just look at these images. 

By the time I caught up with him that evening, he'd already been on the road for about fifteen hours, weathering a series of fronts pounding the prairie with wind and rain. Some sections of gravel roads became too muddy to ride and even difficult to push, with clogging mud preventing the tires from rotating.  The rapidly moving fronts also brought stiff winds, sometimes tailwinds, but often not.

You'd never know any of that, from his beaming smile and infectious enthusiasm. The conditions do not detract from his joy. It's all just part of it, and he's just out doing what he loves to do.

Andy Phillips is all smiles topping off the climb up Pilger Mountain Road (USFS 317).

I hope to catch up with Andy sometime after he completes this journey and share more of his story. In the meantime, here's a link to follow his GPS tracker as he makes his way toward Canada. Andy Phillips - 2026 GPGR.

The Family of BackBone Bikepacking Routes

Ooh, you're simply the best

Better than all the rest

Better than anyone

Anyone I've ever met

Simply The Best, Michael Donald Chapman & Holly Knight (1988) 

Black Hills BackBone roads - simply the best.

This time of year I regularly field questions from folks planning to explore the Black Hills by bicycle.

For bikepackers, here's the progression of my family of Black Hills BackBone bikepacking routes (90, 205, 424 and 902 miles), with links to posts with descriptions, images, and RideWithGPS files. For these rough road bikepacking loops, I would start and finish in Hill City, which is an easy half hour drive from Rapid City.

1. BackBone BreakOut (90 miles)

For a 2-3 day ride (at 30-45 miles/day), I suggest the BackBone Breakout, a 90 mile loop out of Hill City. A 2 day/45 mile per day rider can camp at USFS Black Fox Campground. A 3 day/30 mile per day rider can camp at USFS Castle Peak Campground and then USFS WhiteTail Campground at Deerfield Lake. Of course, the BreakOut is also a great one day, 90 mile ride on an unloaded bike. BackBone Breakout; BackBone Breakout - RideWithGPS file. 

2. BackBone Buffet (205 miles)

For a 4-5 day ride (at 40-50 miles/day), I suggest the BackBone Buffet, a 205 mile loop out of Hill City that follows the first 50 miles or so of the BackBone Breakout before venturing deeper into the Hills. Introducing The BackBone Buffet; BackBone Buffet Update - It Gets Better; BackBone Buffet Update v.2 - New Single Track; BackBone Buffet - RideWithGPS file.

3. BackBone Bonanza (a work in progress, currently 424 miles)

For an 8-10 day ride (at 40-50 miles/day) or a 6-7 day ride (at 60-75 miles/day), I am finalizing a new route to be called the BackBone Bonanza, a 424 loop out of Hill City that combines parts of the BreakOut, Buffet, Grande, and Double Grande with new connectors. The Bonanza follows the first bit of the Breakout and Buffet, bursts out of the Northern Black Hills on the Grande, sling-shots around and back into the Black Hills on the Double Grande, stretches further into the Southern Black Hills, and eventually climbs back to Hill City on the Grande and Buffet.  I'll post detailed information and maps as I confirm this route over the Summer.

4. BackBone Grande & Double Grande (902 miles)

For an 18-22 day ride (at 40-50 miles/day) or a 12-15 day ride (at 60-75 miles/day), I suggest the BackBone Grande/Double Grande, a 902 mile loop that combines the Grande (NE border to ND border) with the Double Grande (ND border to NE border). To make the start/finish of this loop more accessible than those remote border spots, I suggest starting from Hill City, ride northbound on the Grande to the ND border, connect to the Double Grande to ride southbound to the NE border, and then re-connect with the Grande to climb northbound back to Hill City. Of course, one could start from Custer or Spearfish, or even Edgemont or Buffalo, or anywhere else on the loop, for that matter.

The BackBone Grande/Double Grande is the granddaddy of them all. 

It's what I consider to be the best of the best of Black Hills rough road bikepacking. 

BackBone Grande & Double Grande Page; BackBone Grande & Double Grande + Alternative - RideWithGPS files.

The Black Hills BackBone family of bikepacking routes.
BackBone BreakOut, BackBone Buffet, BackBone Grande & Double Grande, and all their alternatives.
The BackBone Bonanza will be added later this year.

Simply The Best, Tina Turner (1989)

Simply The Best, Jimmy Barnes & Tina Turner (2013).

Resolute Memorial - Gettysburg Address 1863

If tomorrow all the things were gone, I'd worked for all my life

And I had to start again, with just my children and my wife

I'd thank my lucky stars, to be living here today

Cause the flag still stands for freedom, and they can't take that away

And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free

And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me

And I'd gladly stand up next to you, and defend her still today

Cause there aint no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA

God Bless The USA, Lee Greenwood (1984) 

On Memorial Day, the exceptional nation that is America gratefully honors the men and women who have died protecting it. 

Back in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln solemnly addressed a divided, weary nation on the grounds of the Battle of Gettysburg, paid homage to those who died there so that our nation might live, and encouraged Americans to continue to fight for the noble principles on which our nation was founded:

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met at a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far beyond our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died on vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln

November 19, 1863

God Bless The USA (Rock Version), Lee Greenwood & Drew Jacobs (2024)

BackBone Buffet - Dive In

I'm diving in, I'm going deep, in over my head I want to be

Caught in the rush, lost in the flow, in over my head I want to go

The river's deep, the river's wide, the river's water is alive

So, sink or swim, I'm diving in (I'm diving in, I'm diving in, I'm diving in)

Dive, Steven Curtis Chapman (2011)

USFS Secondary Road 376 through Red Bird Canyon

The Black Hills BackBone Buffet.

A 200 mile rough road bikepacking loop out of Hill City.

When it's time to dive a little deeper into the Black Hills.

Getting out there on Gillette Canyon Road (USFS Secondary Road 296).

The BackBone Buffet cherry-picks the best rough roads found on the original BackBone, DoubleBackBone, BackBone Grande, BackBone DoubleGrande, and even some Bounty routes to showcase the best of the Central Black Hills in a memorable 200 mile loop.

If you're looking to bikepack more than an Overnighter, but less than a week, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, here's a 200 mile loop that samples a sweet smattering of each of those BackBone routes. At 40-50 miles/3,200'-4,000' gain per day, that's a tantalizing 4-5 day tour. Great all on its own, or a shake-down for something bigger.

Of course, one could more aggressively tackle the BackBone Buffet as an Overnighter of back-to-back centuries or even a through-ride of a double century. It's just a route, after all, not an event. You do you.

For the RideWithGPS file, go to Black Hills BackBone Buffet.

Here's an overview.

Start at Hill City riding north on the Mickelson Trail. Follow the BackBone Grande route north to Black Fox Campground (Gold Mountain, tunnels, Castle Peak, Moonshine Gulch). See, BackBone Grande Page.

Continue on the original BackBone up Black Fox Camp Road, over Flag Mountain (taking the spur to the lookout), down to Deerfield Lake (with a short stretch of single track Trail 40L), and down Williams Gulch Road. See, BackBone & DoubleBackBone Page.

Jog a bit west on the DoubleBackBone and some Bounty roads (Jasper fire area) to pick up the BackBone DoubleGrande over to and down Red Bird Canyon. See, Bounty Page and Red Bird Canyon.

Continue south on the BackBone DoubleGrande, veer off on Bounty roads to McKenna Springs (abandoned road), and pass Jewel Cave National Monument. See, Connecting.

Take more Bounty roads up Hell Canyon on Double Grande roads and trails and onto another part of the BackBone (overlook view of Crazy Horse Memorial) to drop into Custer. 

Finally, Custer to Hill City on the BackBone Grande Mt. Rushmore Alternative (Sylvan Lake, Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, Mt. Rushmore). See, BackBone Grande - Mt. Rushmore Alternative.

Total = 202 miles/16,200' gain.

Here are a few approaches.

1. 4 day tour (average 50 miles/4,000' gain):  Day 1 = Hill City to USFS Whitetail Campground at Deerfield Lake (60 miles/5,300'); Day 2= Whitetail to McKenna Springs (62 miles/3,500'); Day 3 = McKenna Springs to Custer (38 miles/3,200'); Day 4 = Custer to Hill City via Mt. Rushmore (42 miles/4,600').

2. 5 day tour (average 40 miles/3,200' gain, for a Bounty-type experience): Day 1 = Hill City to USFS Black Fox Campground (40 miles/3,400'); Day 2 = Black Fox to disperse camp (40 miles/3,500'); Day 3 = disperse camp to McKenna Springs (42 miles/2,200'); Day 4 = McKenna Springs to Custer (38 miles/3,200'); Day 5 = Custer to Hill City via Mt. Rushmore (42 miles/4,600').

3. 2 day ride (100 miles/8,100' gain average, training for a Tour Divide-type racer): Day 1 = Hill City to McKenna Springs (122 miles/8,800'); Day 2 = McKenna Springs to Hill City (80 miles/7,800').

+. One also could add 50-60 miles by riding from Rapid City to Hill City to start the Buffet and then from Hill City back to Rapid City afterward.

With many miles of solid Black Hills National Forest Service roads, the BackBone Buffet route may seem pretty tame. While some miles roll fast, others do not. More than a few miles of Low Standard roads await, along with abandoned roads and some single track. Also, those 100 miles from Deerfield Lake (mile 60) to Custer (mile 160) offer no services and no resupply. Cell service is spotty or non-existent. On the other hand, there is some surface water, as well as a spring at McKenna Springs (mile 122) and Water Draw Springs (mile 134). So, it should be a nice bikepacking challenge, without being too much for most. When loaded for multi-day bikepacking, I prefer a mountain bike with 2.2 inch or wider tires for this route.

For introductions, ride reports, images, maps, and other details of the routes that contain most of the roads on this BackBone Buffet route, here are links to the Black Hills BackBone & DoubleBackBone Page, the Black Hills BackBone Grande Page, and the Black Hills Bounty Page.

Dive, Steven Curtis Chapman (2011)

BackBone Breakout - Get Out There

If you start me up

If you start me up, I'll never stop

If you start me up

If you start me up, I'll never stop

Start Me Up, Mick Jagger & Keith Richards (1981)

Castle Peak Road (USFS Low Standard 181).

The BackBone BreakOut.

A 90 mile rough road overnight bikepacking loop out of Hill City.

Nothing like an overnighter to get started.

Mickelson Trail tunnel.
(image by Paul Brasby)

From charming Hill City, the BackBone Overnighter explores about 80 miles of rough, remote USFS back roads and almost 10 miles of rails-to-trails Mickelson Trail for a two day tour showcasing the best of the Central Black Hills of South Dakota.

This forested, hilly loop passes a restored, abandoned gold mine, crosses over a trestle, eeks through old railroad tunnels, follows trout-filled streams, sidesteps to the iconic Moonshine Gulch Saloon, climbs along a beaver damned creek to an abandoned stone lookout, and meanders up and down back roads through prime elk country back to Hill City. An experiential Black Hills feast.

About 40 miles into the 90 mile loop awaits idyllic USFS Black Fox primitive campground, a sweet spot to spend the evening. Of course, one may choose to disperse camp throughout much of the Black Hills National Forest. In particular, one may wish to gradually climb another 12 miles past Black Fox to camp atop Flag Mountain by the lookout tower. 

Black Fox Camp Road (USFS Secondary 233).

This is a gravel and dirt road route, with about a mile of mellow single track, covering about 90 miles and 7,400 feet of elevation gain over 2 days. Several sections can be rocky, rutted, loose, and/or muddy, such as Horse Creek Road, Castle Peak Road, the spur up Flag Mountain, Williams Draw Road, and a few unnamed connectors. Stretches of this route have earned their way onto parts of the Black Hills BackBone, the Black Hills Bounty, the DED Dirt Ride, several Black Hills Gravel Series rides, and even the BackBone Grande. If you only have two days, here's a choice taste of bikepacking the Black Hills.

When loaded for an overnighter on this route, I prefer a bike with 2 inch or wider tires. When riding it on soft roads in late May a few years ago, I comfortably rode my loaded Jones 29+ with 2.35 inch Bontrager XR2 tires. If unloaded, narrower tires can be fun. I have ridden my single speed Black Mountain MonsterCross with 40 mm tires on an unloaded day ride of this route.

The out-of-service lookout atop Flag Mountain.

Potable water is available at the Mystic Trailhead of the Mickelson Trail (mile 16.5 of Day 1), at the Moonshine Gulch Saloon, the Rochford Small of America, and the Mickelson Trailhead in Rochford (mile 32.5 of Day 1), and at the USFS White Tail Campground (mile 19.2 of Day 2). The Moonshine Gulch Saloon also offers bar food and drinks, while the Rochford Mall sells light snacks.

Located an easy 26 miles from Rapid City, Hill City is a thriving tourist town of about 1,000 residents. It offers a variety of shops and art galleries, motels and campgrounds, and restaurants and bars. Hill City is also minutes away from Mt. Rushmore National Monument, Crazy Horse Memorial, and the granite towers of Cathedral Spires along Needles Highway.

Turning off Williams Draw Road (USFS Secondary 691) onto USFS Low Standard Road 301.1R.

For a longer experience with shorter riding days, one can make a 3 day/2 night trip by riding 26 miles to camp at USFS Castle Peak Campground on Day 1, ride 33 miles to camp at USFS White Tail Campground on Day 2, and ride 31 miles to finish on Day 3.

Of course, one could also go the other way, ditch the camping altogether, and ride the entire 90 miles loop in a single day. It's great fun on a stout gravel bike.

This route is publicly available on RideWithGPS at BackBone BreakOut - 2 day map and BackBone BreakOut - 1 day map. 

Start Me Up, Rolling Stones (1981)

Gumption & Grit - Take A Chance

You can tell your old man

You'll do some largemouth fishing another time

You just got too much on your plate to bait and cast a line

You can always put a rain check in his hand

'Til you can't

If you got a chance, take it

Take it while you got a chance

If you got a dream, chase it

'Cause a dream won't chase you back

If you're gonna love somebody

Hold 'em as long and as strong and as close as you can

'Til you can't

'Til You Can't, Cody Johnson (2021)

Bikepacking is not for everyone. More than anything, it requires gumption and grit. 

Gumption to get out there. Grit to see it through.

But that's really all it takes. Most cyclists probably have a bike and camping gear that would work for a night or two.

To get started, you just have to start. You probably won't be ready. Take a chance.

Five years ago, I wrote a short blog post about a mom who took her daughter and a friend on a three day bikepacking ride on the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills. It's worth posting again, with summer approaching and people thinking about trying this bikepacking thing for the first time.

Take a chance.

Gumption & Grit, Black Hills BackBone, June 24, 2021.

More and more people are expressing interest in bikepacking, but many say they don't know how to get started. I often suggest an Overnighter, where you ride on the first day to a fun place to camp and ride back the next day. Neither ride has to be far or hard. And it's only one night. Right now, you can probably piece together stuff to make it work. Just get out there.

At this point, many hesitate, not sure how to respond. Then they often say that they don't have the right bike, or the right gear, or the know-how, or a place to ride, or whatever else comes to mind to put off trying something that may be a bit outside their comfort zone. It sounds fun, but it also sounds like too much. Someday. Maybe next year.

Tell that to Jessica Reimer Tindall, a Girl Scout leader from Sioux Falls, South Dakota who took her daughter and a friend on a 3 day bikepacking ride of the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills.

Last week, cycling friends Lucas Haan and Chris Grady were racing the 210 mile Mother Lode gravel grinder, which allows support crews at designated check points along the way. While they crushed gravel, I relaxed in front of the Moonshine Gulch Saloon in Rochford, with drinks, snacks and bike bits at hand, waiting for them to arrive. A steady stream of tourists came and went.

Then a young woman and two girls soft pedaled heavily laden mountain bikes to the front of the saloon. They were utterly spent. Overheated, exhausted, and well beyond the time to stop. But all bore a steely resolve that must have carried them this far. They'd made it through their first day of bikepacking the Mickelson Trail.

Jessica said that her daughter and friend were Girl Scouts who decided to go for a few merit badges on a 3 day bikepacking ride of the Mickelson Trail. No, none of them had ever ridden a bike that far, or carried camping gear on a bike, or even been on the Mickelson Trail. But they researched the route, prepared their provisions, loaded up the bikes they had, with gear they had, and went for it.

At first, they quietly, almost reluctantly, talk of their ride and their plans. Gradually, however, their voices rise in pitch, tempo and volume, as they begin to express their day and feel the depth of their experience. 

I want to listen to more from each of them, but sunlight is waning. They have camp to set up, bikes to attend, and dinner to prepare. And tomorrow will be another big day. I wish them well, marveling at their gumption and grit.

Three adventuresome ladies on a three day bikepacking ride.

It's all out there.

'Till You Can't, Cody Johnson (2021)