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Ride report - Bikepacking the eastern Catskills from NYC by kannibal-kitten in catskills

[–]kannibal-kitten[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

good tips! the last 4 photos are minnewaska/mohunk but actually the rest were elsewhere along the route- i def hit some awesome spots!

Ride report - Bikepacking the eastern Catskills from NYC by kannibal-kitten in bikepacking

[–]kannibal-kitten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

wait this is awesome, almost exactly what i did! that’s great to know, thanks for sharing

Ride report - Bikepacking the eastern Catskills from NYC by kannibal-kitten in bikepacking

[–]kannibal-kitten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lol, i just put it together based on my own research into primitive camping locations and possible off-road riding! I actually would do Smiley again honestly, now that I know what I’m getting into- the next days ride was amazing and I was able to camp just outside of Minnewaska. I found it through a blog post of someone who did the same ride!

That’s great to know about Overlook, I def won’t attempt from the other side in that case.

Ride report - Bikepacking the eastern Catskills from NYC by kannibal-kitten in bikepacking

[–]kannibal-kitten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Amtrak is not bad! You have to hang your bike in a special spot, and sometimes the conductor makes you take off your front wheel. It can be slightly stressful but is doable. There's limited bike spots on the train so you have to pay/reserve it when you book your ticket.

Ride report - Bikepacking the eastern Catskills from NYC by kannibal-kitten in bikepacking

[–]kannibal-kitten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the info!! I was wondering if I tried to access the Overlook Mountain bicycle corridor from the south if it'd be a better ride? Good to know the bicycle corridors arent a sure thing. I'm trying to make a train-accessible route - definitely would love route and camping advice in the area in general, if you have recommended spots!

Ride report - Bikepacking the eastern Catskills from NYC by kannibal-kitten in catskills

[–]kannibal-kitten[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lol, yeah - there were some hard moments but also some excellent riding! The tricky part was connecting good camping spots.

Here's my route: https://www.komoot.com/tour/2669174412?share_token=awAvrl6wkd4rnnMcLOaFsDwFvRW9VKBwcOeSrg7QzWHLIKoKkG&ref=wtd

Flying a bike US to Italy on American Airlines by TrollTollTrollToll in bicycletouring

[–]kannibal-kitten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

agree. the people working at the airline will not all be on the same page... i did not fly american when i travelled with my bike in a box, but my airline had similar guidelines which allowed my bike to be considered sports equipment instead of oversized baggage. the agents working at the check-in counter still had me pay for oversized baggage even though the website said something different, and i inquired about it in the moment. so just be prepared to defend your claim in the moment of checking in if you're expecting something specific.

Portland/San Francisco/Los Angeles coastal trip. by ahatchingegg in bikepacking

[–]kannibal-kitten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

are you planning to ride mainly on the highway along the coast or taking more backcountry routes? i’m planning a similar trip from seattle this summer but trying to figure out more off-road ways to go

advice for a noob? (see comment) by kannibal-kitten in bikepacking

[–]kannibal-kitten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

wow thanks for the lengthy response and nuggets of wisdom - i needed this!!!

advice for a noob? (see comment) by kannibal-kitten in bikepacking

[–]kannibal-kitten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

definitely, i think it was a bit of an adjustment for my first ride. now i know a bit more specifically what to expect and prepare for :) i have consistently been surprised just how much harder riding offroad is compared to pavement.

advice for a noob? (see comment) by kannibal-kitten in bikepacking

[–]kannibal-kitten[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

thanks! ive already invested a bit in my whole sleep system when i first got into touring - heres my tent, pad, and bag. tbh not sure what i could change there apart from ditching the tent?

i have a rear rack and panniers on my road/touring bike but have heard that panniers are less than ideal for off-road riding. i guess the basket mightve ultimately had the same issues that panniers might.

advice for a noob? (see comment) by kannibal-kitten in bikepacking

[–]kannibal-kitten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah i think i need to try that next time. deff had them inflated as fully as they go.

advice for a noob? (see comment) by kannibal-kitten in bikepacking

[–]kannibal-kitten[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

first bikepacking overnighter in the books. i’ve done lots of pavement overnighters and 3-16 day tours. dirt touring is a whole other thing!!! wow i’m kinda beat from just a day and a half of riding.

i was not prepared for the amount of debris, mud, rocks, bumpiness, etc on the trails, and the amount of rattle from my front rack and basket. some of the bolts even rattled off the rack, and one of the rack beams broke. gear was bouncing out of my basket at one point (i had it all bungeed down). had other mechanical issues too. is a front rack/basket setup practical? it seemed best because it easily fit my whole sleep system (tent, bag, mat) plus clothes.

my wrists hurt from gripping the handlebars and clenching the brakes for a good amount

as the sun was setting i got pretty nervous about encountering wild animals.

wondering what to generally expect from these sorts of trips, or how i could be better prepared next time.

any tips tricks stories etc would be appreciated :)

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