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Messages - BikeliciousBabe

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1
General Discussion / Re: Missoula bike shop
« on: July 10, 2025, 10:04:54 am »
Picked the bike up from a UPS store two days ago.  It was expertly packed.  The packing charge was fair and less than I expected.  Will use agin if I ever get out that way again.

2
General Discussion / Re: Fears for the Future of Adventure Cycling
« on: July 10, 2025, 10:02:13 am »
There were WAY more people on the Divide route, or so it appeared, and they were self supported for the most part. 
What time of year?  It's quite possible that you ran into people participating in the race.  I've detoured off the TA east of Big Hole Pass in Montana and taken the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway twice.  Both times I saw a lot of riders heading south from Wise River who were participating in the yearly race.  Both times were around the beginning of the third week of June.

And because you didn't get to visit the office you didn't get to see how it was a place where people touring could, among other things, relax, use a computer, enjoy an ice cream, leave their bike in a secure parking area and run errands, and perhaps most importantly, share information with fellow cyclists.  I stopped by several times, including after finishing tours.  I provided route assistance and recon to more than one cyclist over the years.  It was more than just a place were employees performed work-related duties.

3
General Discussion / Re: Fears for the Future of Adventure Cycling
« on: July 06, 2025, 10:22:43 am »
Hmmm?  Maybe sell naming rights, like college bowl games and stadiums.

The "Cheetos Trans America Route" has a nice ring to it.  Or maybe the "State Farm Southerns Tier".

4
Routes / Dillon-Twin Bridges Alternative
« on: July 05, 2025, 01:32:07 pm »
Sorry if this is on the maps already, but I recently rode an alternative to the hairy section of MT 41 between Dillon and Twin Bridges that is mostly gravel (tame gravel) and really nice.

RWGPS won't let me map what I actually rode, but this is some of it:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51572063

Note that, when heading east, there are two street signs fro East Bench Rd. The first one is right after you cross a little creek and the shoulder disappears.  The route posted above uses the second East Bench Rd., which is another 5 miles of shoulderless riding with semis east.

I turned off the the first East Bench Rd.  For some reason, RWGPS won't let me map the way I went, but you can see the roads on Goggle Maps.

R onto East Bench
L@T onto Trout Creek
R@T to stay on Trout Creek
Becomes Christiansen
L@T onto Walsh
R onto E. Bench
Follow remainder of above map to Twin Bridges

IIRC, all of the roads had signs except where Trout Creek Becomes Christiansen.  I think I saw one or two moving vehicles on the extra mileage I did, and the farms and ranches back there are stunning.  IMO, it's worht the extra effort.  It sure beats the beavy traffic on MT 41.  You will miss a close view of Beaverhead Rock, but you can actually see it when you get back onto E. Bench after Walsh.

5
General Discussion / Re: Fears for the Future of Adventure Cycling
« on: July 05, 2025, 12:45:45 pm »
I do think that there are fewer people out there touring.
And that e-bikes and van support have taken a big chunk out of self-contained.
Which is unfortunate, because self-contained gives you such a sense of freedom.

As for German and British and French people touring in the U.S. -
Given a few high profile detentions that have occurred, many people may be hesitant to ride in the U.S.
+1.  I neglected to mention that the German fellow must have some connection to the states because he stayed with a friend in Darby.  I forst met him on the trail heading towards Hamilton.  He passed me the next day after Connor Cutoff Rd.

6
General Discussion / Re: Fears for the Future of Adventure Cycling
« on: July 04, 2025, 11:18:22 am »
I think much of what is happening is that the activity of bicycle travel has evolved and is not at all what is was in past decades.

A lot of the routes and places popular for long-distance road touring are much more crowded, which makes the riding less pleasant and also means you probably have fewer options, especially low-cost options, for how to make a trip happen.  And that trip is probably considerably less safe than it was in the 1980s.  For a lot of reasons I think dirtbag travel of any kind is on its way out in the United States.

If you look at the bikepacking crowd, you'll notice that they are (on average) much younger and doing very different kinds of trips than trad bicycle touring people are doing.  Also some great organizations (like bikepacking roots) have stepped up and are doing a lot of the advocacy needed to keep the activity alive.
+1.

Just finished a loop tour from/to Missoula using the Trans Am to Twin Bridges.  I have ridden many of the roads several times.  Far more traffic than ever.  Even Rock Creek Road was relatively busy.

One notable thing is that I encountered few other riders compared to previous years.  In 2014 I camped at Jackson Hot Springs with at least 10 others, mostly heading west.  Met others as well, including people on the TA and the L&C at the Bike Camp in Twin Bridges.  In 2016 I stayed with others at the bunkhouse in Jackson and a several others again at Twin Bridges.  All of these trips were at the same time of year.

This year, on Day 1, I met a German guy and a separate couple heading east. In Wisdom I stayed with two Dutch guys heading west.  Stayed at Twin Bridges with two companions heading east, partly on the TA.  Othen than two others who appeared to be on the GDMBR (possibly racing), I saw one other person touring.

What I did encounter as Jackson Hot Springs was a group of maybe 10 or so people who had organized their own "tour".  They had a vehicle and would ride various road segements than shuttle to overnight locations.  Two of them on eBikes had passed me near the top of Lost Trail a couple of days before.

I also saw a group of cyclists who had apparently been dropped off by a van along the west slope of Badger Pass.  The van had labeling on it, bit it was too far away for me to idenitfy.  The riders were heading west.  My guess is that they were going to ride some of the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway and either get picked up or turn around and ride back to the van.

7
General Discussion / Bike Camp in Dillon, MT
« on: July 04, 2025, 10:52:37 am »
Spent some times on the TA east of Missoula.  Stayed at the American Legion park in Wisdom with two Dutch gents rising west.  They told me of the Bike Camp in Dillon and how excellent it was for them.  Then I noticed the flyer on the wall and decided to check it out once it became clear I wasn't getting over the Pioneer Mountains due to snow. (I had to hole up in Jackson for two days.)

The Dillon facility is phenomenal.  It's set in a very nice park along a pretty quiet road.  If you are heading east, you pass near a large grocery store on your way there.  The building is really nice.  Bathroom with shower and even a kitchen area with a fridge and microwave.  Lot's of comfy furniture inside.  I spoke over the phone with one of the people who runs it.  Really nice guy.  He invited me to take advantage of the indoor cot because I would be the only one staying there that night.

I give it three thumbs up.  Please leave a donation if you stay there so facilities like this can continue to exist.  When I stayed at the Bike Camp in Twin Bridges the next day, the trash had not been emptied for some time and the power was not working.  Also note that despite what the map inside tells you about where to camp, keep your tent fly closed at all times.  I am glad I did because the sprinklers came on in the camping area when I went into town in the evening.

8
General Discussion / Re: Missoula bike shop
« on: July 04, 2025, 10:37:39 am »
Actually, I think the way I phrased it was correct, or at least more correct.

https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/another-word-for/at_great_cost.html

But to be clear:  It was not expensive at all.  Dropped off the bike Monday.  Hopefully it went out Tuesday or Wednesday.  One employee even recommended a great place to grab a salad around the corner.  I'd definitely use them again.

9
Routes / Re: Missoula Bound in June
« on: June 23, 2025, 12:28:16 am »
Had to camp in Jackson last night.  Woke up to sleet and snow.  Have a cabin tonight.  Forecast low is 29.  On to the bike camp at Dillon tomorrow after it warms up some.  Pioneer Mountains are out due to the snow.  Saw cars coming down from Big Hole Pass this morning with a couple of inches of the white stuff on their roofs.

10
General Discussion / Re: Missoula bike shop
« on: June 23, 2025, 12:23:43 am »
Hellgate did a bang up job getting my bike ready for my trip at a great cost.  They even offered to arrange for the Bikeflights shipping when I return next week.  I would definitely contact them to see if they can have a box ready for you.

11
General Discussion / Re: Costs per day?
« on: June 11, 2025, 04:12:09 pm »
Another thing I've noticed is that some public campgrounds and some RV parks often have a "camp store".  These are often overpriced and vary enormously in quality but they also might be the only store of any kind for many miles.  So I tend to note them when I am planning routes.
I'll carry camp food all day (or eat dinner out) if I have to rather than rely on a "camp store."  One of the worst, if not the worst, meals we hand during my group tour of the Northern Tier was when we had to rely on camp store food at a place in MT.  It was pasta with jarred sauce and a variety of watery canned vegetables like green beans and corn.  Even the store at the Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier N.P. is mostly junk snack food and canned goods.  I stop in W. Glacier before entering the park.

12
Routes / Re: Missoula Bound in June
« on: June 11, 2025, 04:03:58 pm »
Way to bounce back from your health challenges.   Have a fantastic trip!
Thanks.  We'll see how much I have bounced back.  :)

Good news is that the bike arrived at Hellgate Cyclery this morning, two days ahead of Bikefight's stated schedule.  And I found a place in town that will fill my fuel bottle so I won't have to ride out to REI hoping to find a quart.  (The REI near my home town stopped selling the quarts, and the product is no longer listed on REI's website.  But you can get plenty of Yeti products.  *rolls eyes*)

13
General Discussion / Re: Missoula bike shop
« on: June 10, 2025, 01:57:16 pm »
Looking to fly out of Missoula airport with bike on Allegiant mid August. Does anyone have recommendation for LBS there that could cardboard box my tour bike for air travel?  Think I’ll try to buy cheap bag for all the gear as checked luggage. Walmart?
My bike is currently on its way to Hellgate Cyclery in downtown Missoula.  They are going to assemble it and hold my box for my two-week tour then re-pack it.  Have never used them before, but they seems like competent folks.

Note that you cannot simply flag down a cab to take you to MSO, which is at the far west end of town.  Not sure how prevalent Uber, etc., is out there.

Have you looked into Bikeflights for shipping?  If you were to go that route, you could take the bus out to the airport if departing on a weekday during bus operating hours.

I have started/ended several tours in Missoula.  In those instances, I used the local REI store, which is about 3 miles from the airport.  Give them a call and see if they still offer the service.

Whatever you choose, make sure you schedule an appointment well in advance.  I would make it at least two weeks ahead just to be safe.

14

I spent long periods of time on Google maps planning, fine-tuning and perfecting for my best routes, and did not follow the directions on the road. What looks good from satellite pics may be a bust in the real world. It is like they say--The map is not the terrain. It is not the woods. It is not the road.
Try using the Street View function when available.

15
Routes / Re: Vermont 2025
« on: June 04, 2025, 08:53:37 pm »
Anyone have some good self-guided routes for Vermont?  Solo senior looking for suggestions.
What do you mean by self-guided.  It typically refers to a trip arranged through a tour company that makes accommodations and transports your luggage.

If you mean self-contained/supported, I did this a few years ago:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39894553


I parked at the long-term facility (convenient and inexpensive) in Brattleboro and rode north to St. Albans.  Got a motel at the end and in the morning took Amtrak's Vermonter back to my car in Brattleboro.  I can tell you where I camped.  They were all state parks except for the last night on the road, which was spent at a nice municipal campground on the lake in Newport.  Vermont state parks are nice in that many of them have lean-tos for not much more than the cost of a regular site.  Very handy in the event of wet weather.  I only used my rain fly in Newport because I hard lean-tos eleswhere.

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