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In 2017 I raced the Bikepacking Triple Crown consisting of the Arizona Trail Race , Tour Divide, and Colorado Trail Race. I learned many bikepacking lessons during those 4000+ miles. Some were simple lessons that were easy to apply, while others tore me down and recovering from them was extremely hard. As hard as they were I pushed on so I could bring you this list of things I learned.
Most noteworthy is that some of the bikepacking lessons are good for long races or short ones or in life in general.
To see some lessons others learned while on various trails checkout our post, the Most Common Mistakes Bikepackers Make.
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Bikepacking Lessons Learned
Arizona Trail
- The first 3oo miles of the AZT are a beast.
- Arizona can be just as hot in October as it is in April.
- Be able to carry more water than you think you should be able to.
- Hiking the Grand Canyon in cycling shoes is a terrible idea.
- Drink more water than you think you should be.
- You can hike the Mogollon Rim faster than you can bike it.
- Most natural water sources are dry in October.
- Even Rick James couldn’t keep rhythm in the Happy Jack section.
- Electrolytes and salt pills are important on the AZT.
- Most resupply options are off route, plan accordingly.
Tour Divide
- Knowledge is power, be sure to do your research ahead of time.
- Your mind will give out before your body.
- Don’t listen to your ego.
- Towns will kill your finishing time. Have a plan and stick to it when in town.
- It is possible to fall asleep on your bike.
- Ziplocks don’t work, use dry sacks to keep things dry.
- Making it through week #1 doesn’t mean you’ll make it all the way.
- Make sure to clean your chain regularly or it will wear out before the finish.
- Know how to deal with common cycling injuries and how to avoid them.
Colorado Trail
- You will walk even more than you thought you would.
- Don’t over do it, listen to your body.
- Know as much about the trail and your options as you can.
- The weather will be one of your toughest competitors.
- Test your set up multiple times with shakedown rides before hitting the trail.
- Storms move incredibly fast on the CTR, don’t under estimate Mother Nature, she can be a real bitch.
- Mileage between towns is relatively short at times but it still takes a long time to actually get there.
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MORE RESOURCES
Read these next or checkout the main resource page.
Gear lists from the AZT, TD and CTR; Pros & Cons; Things I’d do different; and Tips.
In depth look at what I would bring for gear and why, if I rode the Tour Divide, CTR, and AZTR again.
Checkout our bikepacking resource page for more planning help.
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