Adventure Cycling Overnight — A Tour of Epic Proportions

October 4, 2011

Okay, maybe I can't really call our staff overnight epic (it was only 30 miles each way), but it was epic-ly fun! It was a great chance for everyone to get to ride together, have a look at Paul's hand-made bikepacking setup, and enjoy a lazy afternoon at a time of year when the evenings are still fairly long. Our pace was approximately 6 miles an hour. More than anything, it reminded me that touring bikes don't have to be expensive jobs that come with rack mounts! I saw people touring on mountain bikes, old road bikes, and everything in between. And whatever they were aboard, everyone was having a fabulous time.

I always find that touring is a lot about stopping and enjoying what's along the way. Note the puffy blouses that Rachel and I found at a thrift store (top photo). So breezy and cool. We also stopped for juice and fruit at an "aid station" (we were just working so hard!) set up by our kind co-worker, Ted. On the way home, Alison and I stopped for pastries at a small farmers' market, and I found some deer antlers that could be perfect to use as a rack for hanging my cycling hat collection. The vendor seemed a little worried that I was on a bike, but I explained that this kind of riding was made for collecting oddities. Alison helped me strap the antlers on over my Therma-A-Rest, and off we pedaled back to Missoula ... but not before riding our two-wheeled steeds through a drive-through coffee stand for our lattes.

Photos by superstar Josh Tack.

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