Tracy Berman is the kind of person who decides to compete in a triathlon without knowing how to swim. She likes biking on sand and through snow. After just a handful of bikecamping overnights, she figured, “why not spend seven days biking home from Traverse City?”

Tracy first bikepacked in 2018 using not much more than her usual commuting rig, and after seven years of throwing herself into challenges just to see how she overcomes them, she’s looking to ride almost 6,000 miles along the Eastern Divide Trail from Newfoundland to Key West. She owes this progress to understanding that the best opportunities to learn are when you try something new and are very bad at it.

Below you’ll find a ton of information she shared with seminar attendees about what to pack, how to pack it, and where to find some great resources for planning routes and finding campsites. We figure that, during Neighborhood Week, one of the best ways to cultivate better relationships with your neighbors is to spend a few days on the road away from them every so often.

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We also talk about the best gas station garbage, biking up Mt. Everest to fetch used oxygen tanks, and how not to get eaten by bears.

Other links:

* Follow Tracy on Instagram

* Planet Bike’s Super Commuter for Spring 2023

* The Colorado Trail Race, 540 miles from Durango to Denver

* The Caldera 500 bikepacking race

* The Crusher EX in Marquette

* The Rivalry Ride, a fundraiser for Active Against ALS

* Barry-Roubaix (which has a fall fundraiser on October 12)

* Cyclocross by the Ann Arbor Velo Club

* Tour Divide (2,745 miles of ultra-endurance bikepacking from Banff to New Mexico)

* Sic Transit overnight on October 4-5

* Leaf Pile Pedal on October 9-12

* The “vicious world” of competitive yoga

* Other episodes referenced:

Bikepacking Resources

* Local trip suggestions

* Blind Lake Rustic Campground (gravel/dirt outbound route)

* Route starts from the Park & Ride lot at Meijer on Jackson & Zeeb

* You may leave a vehicle overnight; well-stocked gas station at mile 18

* Vault toilets, hand pump for water, posts for hanging hammocks at some sites

* Green Lake Rustic Campground (paved outbound route)

* Several stop options in Dexter and Chelsea

* Vault toilets, hand pump for water

* What do you need?

* A well functioning bike (ABC quick check — air, brakes, and chain)

* A GPS navigation system is handy

* At least one spare tube and/or patch kit (or designated driver for rescue)

* Tracy’s example multi-day packing list

* Check out this gear packing list by the Radical Adventure Riders

* Camp stove (or pre-made food if you don’t like cooking)

* Fire-building supplies (optional)

* Where to borrow gear:

* Friends!

* Common Cycle Femme/trans/women/nonbinary group (contact tracy@commoncycle.org)

* Rec Sports Adventure center (availability/hours look limited this semester)

* Where to find lower-cost gear:

* ShareHouse or other local thrift shops

* Sierra Trading Co

* REI resupply

* How to carry stuff on your bike

* Planning Destination trips:

* bikepacking.com/bikepacking-routes/

* bikepackingroots.org/ride/

* adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/

* ridewithgps.com

* Additional resources/references:

* https://bikepacking.com/bikepacking-101/

* https://blog.otsocycles.com/2023/05/introduction-to-bikepacking-tips-tricks-and-pack-list/ (written by Sarah Swallow, who has a lot of excellent resources)

* Tips and notes:

* Give yourself ample time to set up your bike and gear; it will take longer than you expect

* Go on a “shakedown” ride to make sure everything is secure and that you feel comfortable handling the bike

* The extra weight slows you down quite a bit; expect to go slower and plan to cover less distance than you normally do

* “Make it so easy you want to do it again.” - Dave Cotner

* Have a bail-out plan

* Commutes can be a great opportunity to test inclement weather gear

* Might want to protect frame paint from bag straps with helicopter or silicone tape

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bicycleallianceofwashtenaw.substack.com