Last weekend, thanks to a lovely spate of weather in mid-January, a bunch of us decided to go on a winter bike tour to Antelope Island and back. Winter touring is a challenge because of weather unpredictability, the need to take cold-weather solutions for riding and camping, the chance of inversion-created air pollution, and the general snow-season inaccessibility of the mountain destinations that surround us in Utah. However we found that it was an ideal trip for beginner and experienced bike tourists alike!
It blew us away how many great fire roads and trails there were out there to be discovered on Antelope Island, and how fun they were to ride on every type of bike! Here's a little photoshoot of the folks that came with us and their touring rigs, we wanted to share all the different ways to make it work. Long story short, you don't need a fancy bike to go touring, just a bike, a little ingenuity, and a can-do spirit.
Laron got his GT for next to nothing and rides it on all terrain. Roads, trails, commuting, touring, it was an excellent machine for the fire roads and XC trails.
Mike Holden showing off his Soma Saga and tough guy look. This is a pretty classic touring build, but can hack it off road just fine thanks to the upright position and big tires. Probably the most stable bike with a full load.
Tegan brought an 80's MTB, the Hercules, some improvised panniers, and a small backpack.
Julie's on an 80's MTB with a fancy rear rack and panniers, set up with road gearing and slicks
Davey's got an overkill Salsa Fargo. He bought it a size too large so he could have a comfortable and upright riding position with H-Bars, a dorky and great handlebar setup that affords you multiple hand postions depending on your preferred riding style of the moment. Laron and Davey were commenting on how their setups were equally applicable for this type of touring, where Laron's GT did 95% of the things the Fargo did at a fraction of the cost.
Stew's got the hardstyle look and the gem of the bunch, a 1985 Fuji Blvd XC he scored for $20 from the DI. We're all jealous of this bike!
Andrew proves that you can dirt tour on a road bike just fine. His Soma Stanyan is his classy do-it-all bike, with a handlebar bag, oversize seat bag, and two panniers, he routinely turns his daily commuter into a tourer. Andrew's organizational skills are without equal, he was able to bring winter camping gear, all the essentails, and a gourmet dinner selection on this setup.
It was a great time, we'll see you on the next one! Or make your own touring plans, any bike'll do!
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