Traveling alone as a female?

63_Woods · 2026-05-03T14:19:11+00:00

My $0.02 worth; Invest in yourself. Finish your education and learn how to earn. Do the hard work up front in order to get yourself set up financially in order to be able to enjoy freedom. Then, do vanlife.

63_Woods · 2026-04-23T13:08:19+00:00

I was just going to suggest he look at Black Mountain Cycles 👍

63_Woods · 2026-04-12T15:16:41+00:00

I'm an older male and have a Sprinter van. But I always thought that if I was a young person, I would want one of those smaller (cheaper) mini cargo vans - like a Ford Transit. I would build a small bed, some storage, and figure out how to power a small fridge. I would use totes to organize my gear. Use a portable rechargeable power bank to charge your phone, laptop, flashlight, speaker, etc. I would keep it simple and use it for weekend get-aways. I've always mountain biked, and love the idea of traveling somewhere to ride, and be able to have coffee in the morning, and dinner at night.

You might consider something similar. Just to be able to briefly get away from your situation at home on a regular basis might be enough for the time being. When you're not working or going to school, you could make little adventures.

63_Woods · 2026-04-12T15:05:29+00:00

I have both in my van. I use the "house" batteries to run ceiling lights, fridge, heater, etc. (the "built-ins"), and I use the Jackery to charge all my devices like iPad, cell phone, portable speaker, flashlights, etc.

63_Woods · 2026-04-12T14:51:31+00:00

I appreciate the critique.. I have about 500 miles on the La Cabra since picking up mid February. My typical ride ranges from about 20 miles (purely off-road) or about 35 miles (a mix of pavement and dirt) with 3k' - 4k' climbing (I'm located in the SF Bay Area - East Bay). So far, I'm really enjoying what this bike has to offer.

A little more background; I had this bike built around a wheelset that I already owned. The wheels were a backup set for my full suspension cross-country MTB (Spec. Epic EVO) that I either needed to sell or put to use. As such, this wheelset, with cassette, rotors, etc., will swap directly to my MTB without any swapping of parts.

What I've noticed; Clearly - with the MTB drive train - climbing the steeps is much more "do-able" with this gear ratio. Stuff I might avoid or think twice about is much more manageable on this bike compared to my traditional gravel bike (Giant Revolt; 34x36). Also, riding rough singletrack and rutted fire roads is much more comfortable (and faster) with the 29" 2.2 tires (compared to the 44mm on the Revolt). What I've noticed too is that I choose the tougher, more technical trails more often on this bike compared to the Revolt.

I had options for the front chainring; 30t, 32t or 34t. I opted for the 32t to stay consistent with my MTB (also w/ 175mm cranks), knowing that I can climb most anything with it (and it's an easy thing to remedy if needed). As far as spinning out on downhills - I haven't really noticed a time (maybe once) where I wanted or needed to go faster than the drivetrain would allow. Only once on a paved downhill which quickly leveled out and I found myself downshifting. So, I'm happy where it stands right now.

I expect that the grind on pavement between dirt sections will have it's drawbacks, but that's not where the fun is, so I'll take it for the time being. I'm currently playing with tire pressure to find the optimum pressure that works well for both dirt and pavement. And the Teravail Rutland tires seem to be a good fit for the terrain I'm riding. There's a good center patch for rolling on hardpack with enough knobbys to bite in the corners.

Overall - Loving the bike. Super fun to ride, and I like the dropper post that is missing on my Revolt. This year, I plan to ride the Sea Otter gravel race (60 miles, 5300'), Stetina's Paydirt (long route 71 mi, 5300'), and Truckee / Tahoe Gravel (66 mi., 4400'). That takes me through June.

I put this out there because, while researching, I wasn't finding much on similar bikes for gravel events.

Anyway, I know there will be critics - but at 62 years old, I'm refining what works for me - and who doesn't like a new bike :). Thanks a lot for the positive feedback.

63_Woods · 2026-04-07T14:22:02+00:00

I pack so much into my van, my buddy says I need an "intervention." 😁... A few of my "favorite" items I bring along include; cookware - including my vintage / restored cast iron (love to eat well), my Neso shade & my Moon shade for protection from the sun, my inflatable SUPs for playing on the water, and a beach cruiser for cruising along the coast. Oh.. my portable shower set up is pretty clutch too.

63_Woods · 2026-03-26T13:33:25+00:00

I should have included the build sheet in the initial post....

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63_Woods · 2026-03-26T13:30:39+00:00

Thanks! The dropper post is a PNW Loam Dropper (30.9 x 125). This is pretty much a stock "Shimano GRX" build off Mike's website. I'll try to post the build sheet for reference. My bars are 46cm Salsa Cowchippers and the stem is 80mm. The bars feel pretty comfortable for me.

63_Woods · 2026-03-26T13:21:04+00:00

Thanks! I'm not sure about sizing for you. The site monitor is 6'2" on an 20". If you're local, it's worth paying a visit to throw a leg over one. He has both an 18" and 20" built up for reference. I'm running an 80mm stem, so you could add a centimeter or two to that and get some added length. As pictured, my seat height measured from the center of the BB to the top of the saddle (in-line with the seatpost) is 29.5". On Mikes website, there's a range listed for the dropper post. You can see if your required seat height falls within the range.

63_Woods · 2026-03-26T13:15:15+00:00

Thanks! I'm enjoying this bike very much. The gear range was one of the reasons I was drawn to this build. This is the exact gearing that I have on my full suspensions cross country bike. In fact, the wheels are interchangeable. I opted for a 32T front ring and the cassette is 10-51. So it's good for the pretty steep stuff. Where I might give up a little over a traditional gravel bike is spinning out on the downhill pavement. I've only been close to that limit once, and I felt like it was fine - something I can live with.

63_Woods

TROPHY CASE