A little off-topic, but that rock looks amazing! Is there any climbing or bouldering on that beach in Iceland? Looks rad!

From Iceland two weeks ago.

2015 Salsa Bucksaw.

Great trip, nice write-up: thanks for sharing! And, congrats on completing your first solo trip- well done!

"Maybe Jeff won't bail at the last minute like he did this year!"

Caught red-handed... My lame excuse of a brand-new job notwithstanding, I wish I'd been able to ride the inaugural TDLP- it was, by all accounts, a badass event. Serious props to Erin for putting a huge amount of time and effort into laying out the course, organizing the event, taking care of logistics, etc.- well played, my good man, well played!

I'm super stoke to take receipt of my new Oveja Negra bag in a week, and to start ticking off boxes on the "to-be-explored" list- can't wait for slightly cooler weather!

Should anyone be up for joining us for some backcountry goodness in and around Santa Barbara, shoot either of us an email- we'd love to ride with you!

Regards,

jeff

Hey, guys-

I live in Santa Ynez, which is a little north of Santa Barbara, and (more or less) equidistant (3 or 3 1/2 hours) between the two of you. I'm about a 10 minute drive to the western boundary of Los Padres National Forest, which contains a vast amount of bikepacking potential, from 30 minute spins to secluded backcountry campsites with picnic tables and springs, to multi-day epics through some remarkably wild and remote terrain.

I'm not sure why there isn't more of a bikepacking community here- literally this morning, I found a complex of apparently unridden singletrack that I'd never seen before- but I get out as much as possible, and I'm always up for some like-minded company.

By all means, let me know if you're up for an overnight (or longer) adventure sometime- there's a heap of good riding to explore, and I'm super keen to get out!

Be well and enjoy your rides,

Jeff

Super stoked about this! The route looks amazing, and I want to offer my sincere thanks to Erin for putting in all the time, energy, effort, gas, etc. involved in developing a route such as this- well done! Now, I just need to go train for the Tour!

Regards,

jb

Dude-

Rad trip, rad report! I've climbed down there a bunch, and have long fantasized about doing a bikepacking adventure in the area. Good on you for making t happen- and thanks for sharing the great write-up and photos!

Regards,

Jeff
 

Not entirely clear on the prohibition against home-made gear; my self-made Tyvek bivy sack weighs 4 ounces, cost $5.50, and is a critical part of my bikepacking equipment arsenal...

jb

Beautiful shots, and a great trip, Pat! Had grand plans to do that exact ride last weekend, and last-minute cancellations sent me to a few one-day alternatives, instead. Good on you for getting out, man!

Be well and regards,

Jeff Butler
Solvang

Jeff,

What exactly is the difference between the GS2 and the GR2? What's the weight of the GS2?

Thanks much,

jb

Hey, Marshal-

Looks like a superb route! I'd be real keen on joining you for this one, pending finalization of dates. (I'm very familiar with the snowpack/snowfall dynamic, and don't need or expect firm dates until we're much closer to the trip...)

Keep me posted, if you would.

Thanks and regards,

Jeff

"Once the weather cools a bit I would be up for riding from town, either up the 33, and over sulphur mtn to Sisar."

I'd be very, very keen on joining you on this one, if you'd be up for some company.

"Has anybody here ever ridden from Nordhoff to the 33?"

No insight here, but every time I'm up there, it feels like there's got to be singletrack heading to the 33 somewhere... Worth exploring, for sure.

Regards,

jb

Howdy, Pat-

Glad to see your post! We ran into each other out at the VV trails, and I lost your email. We need to talk, man. And ride. And explore. I've ridden the corridor a bunch, and was super stoked to see your post- and I have a question:  Which route did you take from Lompoc- up Harris Grade, and then east along the ridge, or did you follow a route closer to the coast? If you're up for some company some time, the Grand Tour of the Sierra Madre is something I've been eyeing for a long time, and I have a fit, motivated, psyched buddy who I'm pretty sure would be real interested, as well.

As an aside, did a super cool ride from Davy Brown CG this spring, up Davy Brown Trail, out the Catway, down some very poorly maintained singletrack to Manzana Schoolhouse, where I forded the Sisquoc, and explored the area north of the river and west of the schoolhouse: some super intriguing potential out there...  Could easily connect with Sierra Madre Rd for a big, big ride.

It's really too bad that McKinley Mountain Trail is in such horrible shape since the fire, because otherwise you could ride over the hill from SB, up Santa Cruz Trail or Camuesa Rd, up McKinley Mountain Trail, drop down to Cachuma Saddle, spin out to the schoolhouse, then join Sierra Madre. Lots of possibilities...

Be well, enjoy your rides, and let's get together.

Regards,

Jeff

Superb trip! I ride many of the roads that you toured, and you caught the season perfectly. Great photos, too!


Regards,

jb

Having just read Vik's thread on the Pugsley bikepacking setup sans panniers, I am ready to ask a question that will no doubt reveal me to be a real dork: what's wrong with panniers? Or rather, why do most bikepackers seem to feel so strongly about not using panniers? Is it simply a weight issue, or are there other considerations I'm unaware of? (I've used both panniers and frame bags, and see value in each approach, for whatever it's worth...)

Thanks and regards,

jb

From the write-up on Gleb;

"The heroes Gleb adored were Faust, Odyssey and Don Quixote"

Are you sure the whole thing isn't/wasn't an elaborate hoax? I mean, c'mon: it's almost too perfect- triangulate between those three characters, and you're likely to get someone who'd ride his bike around Russia, solo, in 1930- and cut off his own toes...

Wild story. Badass dude. Thanks for the link.

Orbea Alma (26"). Magical bike. It's a truly magical bicycle...

No offense but anyone who actually needs a 22/36 combo to climb using a 22.5 lb bike with 26in wheels should eat their Wheaties and train more.   

No offense, but you've clearly never ridden in places where rocky singletrack climbs can average 800 feet/mile. (Santa Barbara area, Estes Park, CO, etc...)

Better to do your homework before casting aspersions.

jb

Howdy-

Does anyone have any stories or experience with building a seatpost rack at home? Seems like it'd be pretty straightforward, and given that I only want to carry my sleeping bag and pad on it, carrying capacity won't be too much of an issue...

Thanks for any input.

Regards,

jb