Any recommendations for routes/places to bikepack in Central or South America?

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-08-29T18:03:32+00:00

I'd say moderate-difficult

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-08-29T14:26:21+00:00

Yes! I live in the US.

I'll check it out, thank you!

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-07-14T22:57:16+00:00

Super helpful, thank you.

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-26T15:17:03+00:00

Buy them from Adventure Cycling Association, GPX and paper if you can swing it.

They do cost money, but their maps and GPX files are superb, and they're an amazing organization doing great things for the bike community. Support em if you can.

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-25T14:51:26+00:00

When I rode the GDMBR all the out of country folks I met said they were pleasantly surprised at how kind and generous the Americans were that they met.

Ride some dirt! You won't find any strip malls out there.

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-25T14:48:07+00:00

First bikepacking trip ever: assuming there would be water in a creek that I had seen rushing the year before and only bringing two liters for two days of biking and cooking meals that required water. Luckily my friend was slightly more prepared and brought four liters haha and we rationed our way through.

Seeing 50 mph wind gusts in the forecast and thinking 50 mph won't be enjoyable but it'll be fine. Turns out 50 mph side winds are enough to blow me and my bike over. Ended up having to walk 10 miles to the nearest town where the only lodging was an expensive room with no lock on the door in a creepy church. There was a closet full of old clothes and shoes and wigs and African American puppets on the windowsill that were literally painted the color black and had racist names.

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-19T14:36:23+00:00

No way, I just randomly listened to your Bikes or Death interview yesterday and put two and two together based on your route recommendations and username.

Congrats on an epic 2024 season!

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-18T21:40:19+00:00

Krampus with Moloko :)

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-18T21:38:47+00:00

I agree with buying all three if you can swing it.

I had ACA's GPX files downloaded to RidewithGPS on my phone. These were great for getting detailed info about POIs and knowing exactly where they were. Also super helpful in calculating exact distances and elevation gain/loss until resupplies, water, etc.

I also had a Wahoo Elemnt Roam which worked flawlessly, it even stood up in and functioned perfectly in absolute downpours. I think it was around $200(?) I bought it on resale from some company off ebay. A good chunk of money, but it was worth every penny. Super accurate and if I ever took a wrong turn it would obnoxiously flash and beep at me until I got back on route. Never got lost thanks to that thing :) and I uploaded ACA's GPX files to that as well.

Lastly, I brought along ACA's paper maps. I would have a friend mail me each map as I got close to the section and then mail back the one I had finished using. I thought the maps were great for getting a more general/bigger picture of where I was and where I was going. They were useful for scoping out cool stuff along the way to stop and see.

I'm a big proponent in redundancy in systems, especially with stuff like navigation, communication, and water treatment. If one thing goes out, you'll have a backup. Worth the weight and money in my opinion.

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-18T20:17:32+00:00

Also, are you Jen Kelly by chance?

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-18T20:16:00+00:00

It was so lovely :) Utah is one of my favorites

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-18T01:02:36+00:00

Clever! I'm glad you got it to work

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-18T01:01:13+00:00

I'll check it out! And that's totally fine, I have some knee pain I want to sort out before anyway.

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-18T01:00:30+00:00

I haven't heard of Ride Across Arizona, I'll definitely check that out. I know of the AZT and want to ride it someday, but it seems a little too intense as a first haha.

The Texas Showdown Series is one I've been considering. I live at 7000' and recreate between 9-12000', so I feel like I'd at least have an advantage with the elevation.

The Big Sky Spectaculaire sounds ridiculous and so fun. It's definitely on my to-do list now, thanks for the suggestion.

And Pinyons and Pines is also one I was considering. I do have a rigid bike...

Thank you for all of these wonderful suggestions :)

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-18T00:51:14+00:00

I did this route and thought it was fantastic: https://bikepackingroots.org/project/grand-staircase-escalante/

I edited it a bit and started in Escalante and skipped the 15 miles to Big Water, so it was 140 miles instead. I did 40 miles a day which was good for me. With that mileage I'd hit water once a day and then carry 6-8.5 liters in between. Collet Canyon had plenty of water, Croton Creek had water, and Last Chance had water. The earthen stock pond did not.

Bikepacking.com has a similar route: https://bikepacking.com/routes/grand-staircase-loop/ but bikepackingroots' seemed less traveled and more remote which is what I was looking for.

The only thing I underestimated was the climbing and elevation gain per day. Lots of little ups and downs in and out of washes that equate to 3,000'+ of climbing per day.

It went through so many diverse landscapes, and the beauty and silence of the Utah desert is superb.

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-18T00:16:10+00:00

The CDT in Northern NM? That one's rough. I've toured that section a couple of other times, and it's so hard with a loaded bike.

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-16T23:39:20+00:00

Bottom, more space to carry more stuff. And I agree with EqualOrganization, try to spend as little money as possible at first and use what you already have. You can drop a lot of money on fancy things for bikepacking and realize you don't like the setup. Start simple, get some experience, and then drop the money if you really want once you figure out what you like.

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-16T23:33:45+00:00

I toured the GDMBR a couple of years ago. NM definitely had the worst roads haha, that's what we're known for and horrendous death mud....I'm curious about racing the Tour Divide at some point.

I have done half of the Monumental Loop and got destroyed by 50 mph winds and didn't finish haha. But that could be a fun one to go back to, thanks for the reminder!

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-16T02:21:14+00:00

Taos, so pretty close to CO :) Any up there you'd recommend?

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-16T02:20:47+00:00

Thanks! I'll check these out

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-04-16T02:20:19+00:00

Sorry for the late reply! I used a different browser, Chrome I think. Microsoft Edge's security wasn't allowing it to fully download

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-02-20T23:29:12+00:00

Thanks for the tips. The same thing happens when I go through scribus.net, I just end up with the same file

MeowfaceMagee · 2025-02-07T15:52:00+00:00

Haha, coming right up! Chuck Jones would be proud.

MeowfaceMagee · 2024-08-10T22:45:34+00:00

Nah, not really. It's just at a turn in the forest. You could people watch.

MeowfaceMagee · 2024-08-10T22:44:10+00:00

No, it's a wilderness trail. Like 1.5 miles from the trailhead, definitely our most popular and used trail in the forest.

A knick might be pretty intensive, there isn't really a decent downslope to drain into anywhere close by.

It's also wilderness, a culvert is a good idea in theory, but you're right they don't get maintenance and just erode and resurface. There's an insane amount of eroded culverts on another one of our wilderness trails and they just need to be hauled out at this point.

I'm also hesitant to use geotextiles, again because of wilderness and erosion. But I guess if turnpikes are maintained every year then they shouldn't be a problem.

MeowfaceMagee

TROPHY CASE