Bikepacking Routes: Ultimate Guide for New Riders

Updated for 2026 — Accurate as of February 2026.

Bikepacking is what happens when backpacking and cycling have an adventure together. Instead of carrying camping gear in panniers and following roads, bikepacking uses lightweight frame-mounted bags to carry minimal gear on trails, gravel roads, and backcountry tracks inaccessible to panniers and rigid rack systems. It is the fastest-growing segment of adventure cycling, attracting riders who want to cover ground quickly but sleep under their own shelter — no hotels, no huts, just a tent and whatever the landscape offers.

The distinction from traditional cycle touring is important: cycle touring follows roads with panniers and tends toward comfort; bikepacking follows any surface with integrated frame bags and tends toward adventure. The best bikepacking routes combine trail riding, gravel, and dirt roads into itineraries that cross mountain ranges and wilderness areas in ways impossible by any other means.

This guide covers the world’s most compelling bikepacking routes for beginners and intermediate riders, a complete gear system guide, and the fitness and planning advice you need to complete your first multi-day route.

Key Takeaway: The single most common bikepacking beginner mistake is overpacking. The correct target is a total loaded weight (bike + all gear) of under 25 kg (55 lbs). Every kilogram above this makes climbing harder and descending more dangerous.

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Understanding Bikepacking: Key Concepts for Beginners

What Bike Do You Need?

Almost any bike can be bikepacked, but the ideal is a purpose-built gravel or adventure bike with:

• Tire clearance for at least 2.0” (50mm) tires
• Multiple mounting points for water bottles and accessories
• Disc brakes for reliable stopping in wet conditions
• A relatively relaxed geometry for all-day comfort

Popular bikepacking bikes include the Specialized Diverge Expert (carbon gravel), Trek Checkpoint SL (aluminum gravel), Surly Midnight Special (steel adventure), and the Kona Sutra (steel tourer/bikepacker hybrid). Full-suspension mountain bikes are increasingly popular for technical trails but carry a weight penalty.

Bikepacking Bag Systems

The bikepacking bag system replaces traditional panniers with bags that mount directly to the frame’s tubes, maximizing clearance for technical terrain:

• Frame bag: The main storage unit, sits between the top tube and down tube. Carries the densest, heaviest items (tools, food, fuel). 5–10L capacity.
• Handlebar bag: The largest-volume bag, hangs from the handlebar. Carries the sleeping bag, bivouac/tent, and lightweight bulky items. 10–20L capacity.
• Saddle bag: Hangs beneath the saddle. Best for the sleeping pad, clothing, and soft items that can compress. 10–16L capacity.
• Top tube bag: Small bag on the top tube for snacks, phone, and frequently accessed items. 0.5–2L capacity.
• Feed pouches: Small additions to the fork legs for water bottles or tools.

Bag brands: Revelate Designs (Alaska-made, expedition-grade), Apidura (UK, excellent for competitive and adventure riders), Restrap (UK, strong mid-range), and Blackburn (budget-friendly entry-level).

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Route 1: The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (USA/Canada)

The Great Divide is the most famous bikepacking route in the world — 4,418 km (2,745 miles) from Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico on the US-Mexico border. It follows the Continental Divide through the Rocky Mountains almost entirely on unpaved roads (gravel, dirt, and doubletrack), with only 20% of the route on paved road. It crosses five US states plus Alberta and British Columbia, reaching a maximum elevation of 3,474m at Hoosier Pass, Colorado.

The experience: The Great Divide is not a technical mountain bike route — most of it is navigable by any rider on an appropriate bike. The challenge is distance, self-sufficiency, and the accumulation of effort over 30–70 days of riding. Most riders complete the route in 40–60 days riding south from Banff; the southbound direction avoids prevailing headwinds and means you finish in increasingly warm weather.

Logistics:

• Documentation: The Adventure Cycling Association publishes 15 waterproof map panels covering the entire route — the standard navigation resource
• Water: Desert sections in New Mexico require 80+ km water carrying capacity; plan carefully
• Services: Towns are frequent enough that full resupply is possible every 2–5 days, though some sections require carrying 3–5 days of food
• Season: Mid-June to mid-September for a complete northbound attempt; April–June for southbound

Best for: Experienced cyclists with multi-day camping experience who want the benchmark North American bikepacking experience.

Pro Tip: Most GDMBR riders do not attempt the full route on a first bikepacking trip. Consider completing the Colorado section (approximately 1,200 km through the most spectacular terrain) as a standalone 18–25 day ride before committing to the full route.

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Route 2: The Torino-Nice Rally (Europe)

The Torino-Nice Rally (TNR) is a bikepacking route and optional annual non-competitive event crossing the Alps from Turin, Italy to Nice, France — approximately 600 km in 7–10 stages depending on pace. It combines singletrack, high mountain passes, and remote valley tracks at elevations up to 2,900m. Crucially, it ends with a descent to the Mediterranean Sea, making for one of cycling’s most rewarding final scenes: rolling down to the beach after crossing the Alps.

The experience: The TNR is technically more demanding than the GDMBR — significant singletrack sections require mountain biking skill, and the passes are high enough to require hike-a-bike sections when snow remains (typically June in high sections). However, the route is compact enough to complete in 7–10 days, making it accessible to riders with limited time who want an intense alpine experience.

The annual rally: The organized TNR event runs each year in early July and attracts 200–300 riders from across Europe. It is non-competitive — there are no timing chips or prizes — but the collective experience of riding through the Alps with a community of like-minded riders is unique. Registration opens in January at tornicenice.com.

Logistics:

• Fly into Turin (TRN) or Milan (MXP) to start; return from Nice (NCE)
• Accommodation: Mix of wild camping and mountain refuges (rifugios and refuges) — reserve in advance for the annual rally weekend
• Bike: Full-suspension mountain bike is the preferred choice for technical singletrack sections; a capable hardtail is adequate

Best for: Intermediate bikepacking riders with mountain biking experience who want an intense week-long alpine challenge in spectacular scenery.

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Route 3: The Silk Road Mountain Race Region, Kyrgyzstan

The Silk Road Mountain Race is an annual ultra-distance bikepacking race through the Tian Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan — 1,700 km, self-supported, with no outside assistance permitted. It is one of the world’s hardest athletic events and decidedly not a beginner route. However, the surrounding landscape — the Kyrgyz highlands, yurt communities, Song-Kol Lake, and Ala-Archa — is accessible to independent bikepacking travelers who design their own routes through the same terrain.

Independent bikepacking in Kyrgyzstan: The Kyrgyz road network includes hundreds of kilometers of dirt tracks, mountain passes above 3,500m, and the extraordinary Son-Kul plateau at 3,016m — a high-altitude grassland lake surrounded by summer jailoos (nomadic pastures). A two-week self-designed route from Bishkek through the Chuy Valley, up to Song-Kol, across to Naryn, and back via the Kochkor Valley covers 700–900 km of some of the world’s most remote and beautiful cycling terrain.

Practical considerations: Kyrgyzstan is visa-free for citizens of most Western nations (check evisa.e-gov.kg for current requirements). The main risks are vehicle traffic on narrow mountain roads and the physical demands of high altitude (acclimatize for 2–3 days in Bishkek before heading up). Water is generally abundant in the mountains.

For a full destination guide to Kyrgyzstan, read our Kyrgyzstan adventure travel guide.

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Route 4: The Arizona Trail (Bikepackable Sections)

The Arizona Trail runs 1,300 km from the US-Mexico border at the Coronado National Memorial to the Utah border at Stateline Campground, crossing the Sonoran Desert, the Mogollon Rim, and the Colorado Plateau. Not all of it is legally bikeable — substantial wilderness sections are closed to bikes — but the non-wilderness sections total approximately 800 km of legal bikepackable trail and gravel.

The biking sections: The Kaibab Plateau above the Grand Canyon’s North Rim is the standout bikeable section — 160 km of high-altitude ponderosa pine forest on wide, rideable trail. The Oracle Ridge and Mount Lemmon sections near Tucson are world-class singletrack. The route’s desert sections are best in March–April (spring wildflower season) and October–November.

The Statewide Route option: Rather than the AZT proper, many bikepacking riders design loops in Arizona combining segments of the AZT with adjacent forest roads and gravel — creating a legal and logistically coherent route through the same extraordinary landscape.

Best for: Riders who want classic American desert and canyon terrain on a technically varied route accessible from Phoenix or Tucson.

Key Takeaway: The Arizona Trail’s bikeable sections are at their best in spring. The Superstition Mountains section (outside Phoenix) and the Kaibab Plateau are two of the finest bikepacking days in the American Southwest — absolutely worth the trip even as standalone segments.

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Complete Bikepacking Gear Guide

The Shelter System

The shelter decision is the most consequential equipment choice in bikepacking. Options from lightest to heaviest:

1. Bivouac bag only (e.g., Rab Superlite Bivi): Ultra-light but no protection from insects or rain. Only viable in dry, mild conditions. Weight: 200–400g.
2. Tarp + bivouac: A 150g silnylon tarp provides rain and dew protection. The classic ultralight system. Weight: 400–600g total.
3. Solo backpacking tent (e.g., Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL1): Best balance of weight and comfort. A 1-person tent weighing under 1 kg is the standard recommendation. Weight: 700g–1.1 kg.
4. Bikerafting-friendly shelter: Some riders use a packraft-compatible tent for routes that include river sections. See our packrafting guide for the bikerafting trend.

The Sleeping System

Target total weight (bag + pad) under 1.2 kg for three-season conditions:

• Sleeping bag: Down rated to 5°C for summer routes, 0°C for alpine routes. Western Mountaineering UltraLite ($550) or Enlightened Equipment Revelation ($300) are the benchmark options.
• Sleeping pad: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT (small size, 350g) is the best balance of warmth, comfort, and packability.

Tools and Repair

A bikepacking tool kit must be comprehensive but minimal:

• Multi-tool with chain breaker
• Tire levers x3
• Patches and vulcanizing cement
• Tubeless plugs and sealant (1 oz refill)
• Spare tube x1
• Chain quick links x2
• Spoke wrench
• Derailleur hanger (specific to your bike model)

Insider Tip: The most commonly needed repair item that beginners forget is the derailleur hanger. If yours bends on a rock strike (extremely common on singletrack), a spare hanger is the difference between riding out and a 30-mile hike. Carry two.

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Building Bikepacking Fitness

Unlike racing, successful bikepacking is about sustainable output over many consecutive days. The training priority is not peak power but aerobic base — the ability to ride at moderate intensity for 5–8 hours daily for 7–30 days consecutively.

12-week preparation program (from gravel cycling base):

• Weeks 1–4: Introduce one overnight bikepacking trip with 10 kg loaded pack
• Weeks 5–8: Two back-to-back long days (6+ hours each) every other weekend
• Weeks 9–12: Three-day loaded bikepacking shakedown trip on a local network

The shakedown trip is non-negotiable. Every new bikepacking rider has gear issues, physical problems, or equipment failures on their first loaded night — the shakedown trip identifies these before you are 200 km from the nearest bike shop.

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Bikepacking Budget: What Does It Cost?

Category	Budget Build	Mid-Range	Premium
Bike	Used Trek Checkpoint ($1,200)	Specialized Diverge Sport ($4,000)	Salsa Cutthroat ($6,500)
Bag system	Blackburn full kit ($250)	Revelate Designs complete ($500)	Apidura Expedition ($700)
Shelter	Big Agnes Fly Creek HV1 ($450)	Tarptent Notch Li ($550)	Nemo Dragonfly 1P ($450)
Sleeping system	REI Magma 30 + NeoAir Xlite ($500)	WM UltraLite + NeoAir XLite NXT ($700)	Enlightened EQ Revelation ($300) + NeoAir ($220)
Navigation	Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt ($280)	Garmin Edge 840 ($450)	Garmin Edge 1040 Solar ($650)

For more adventure cycling options in Europe, our mountain biking destinations guide covers the best trail networks for riders who prefer singletrack over gravel.

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