Many moons ago (2010?), at a trail work weekend in Lake Tahoe, we watched the documentary Ride the Divide projected onto a screen set up in the forest. I’d always loved camping and backpacking, and that film gave me the slightly scary feeling that this kind of adventure might be right up my alley.
At the time, though, I was more of a mountain biker, and 2,700 miles of roads sounded mind-numbingly boring—even if I were physically prepared and had the time off work. Bikepack racing stayed bookmarked in my head for years. During that time, I did a few 100-mile mountain bike races and got fitter.
Then a female riding buddy completed the Stagecoach 400, and her accomplishment finally inspired me to give bikepack racing a go. In 2018, at age 45, I finished the Stagecoach 400 in a pretty average 3.5 days in an attempt that was filled with mistakes. Finishing was not a given, so it still felt like an incredible achievement for me at the time. The experience spawned a desire to improve, and try more fun, singletrack-oriented routes.
I am endlessly grateful to have a decent job that allows me to live, pay a mortgage, and acquire good-quality gear, though it does limit time for training, preparation, keeping up with this blog, and events. I am also lucky to have a partner who loves riding and bikepacking. He has endured vacations spent watching my dot, listened to the annoying whir of my indoor trainer, and come along on ridiculous long touring death marches.
Along the way, I’ve met inspiring and funny people, ridden in incredible places, persisted through unsafe conditions, and pushed myself through some truly ridiculous efforts. I’ve also navigated a barrage of menopausal symptoms, suffered big crashes that required entire seasons of healing, and poured a lot of energy into a demanding career as a software engineer. Through all of this, I’ve learned that I am resilient and strong — but also very much an ordinary human.
I can occasionally set an FKT when the pointy end of the women’s field doesn’t show up, but if obtaining FKTs were all that mattered, I would have quit long ago. The greatest satisfaction comes from the constant learning in training and preparation, the camaraderie with others, the mystical experience within the moments of the race itself and the confidence boost of accomplishing big scary goals.
I am writing this as a 53-year old, and my ultra-racing future is a big question mark. But this all began because I yearn for long rides in wild places, and that will never change. All I know is that when I see people like me doing incredible things, they feel more attainable. I hope this blog will help nudge folks to listen to that little spark within them.
~ Julie
Hello! We have been following you on the Colorado Bike race via your GPS. We were the 4 people cheering you on about a mile out of Buena Vista. You are kicking ass and taking names. Don’t give up you are truly an inspiration! We all enjoy gravel and mountain biking. Can’t wait to see how you finish.
Oh! Thank you Joanne! You guys were so awesome! I got a little teary after you cheered me on! 🙂 Sadly my gear wasn’t up for the pounding of rain I got up on Marshall Pass and the just beyond it. I bailed to Salida. But I will be back.
What happened after Marshall pass on the CTR? You were doing great! Spring Creek to Durango is the best part. You’ll have to return!
Hi Thomas!
It got really wet up on Marshall Pass and just past it. My rain jacket wetted out and I didn’t feel safe anymore, especially with the section up ahead between 12 and 13k with nothing but rain and t-storms in the forecast for days. Sadly I had to bail to Salida. I definitely need to write up a blog post! I haven’t been on my blog in a while!
Cheers,
Julie
This is so incredible….. I love seeing all of your posts – such beautiful scenery and of course, it all shows that you are a total inspiration !!! From that shy little cousin of mine to this beast of a woman – you ROCK!!! keep being the beautiful, amazing YOU that YOU are!! Love ya!
Thank you Kay!! <3 <3 <3 Back atcha!
Good morning Julie. I recently saw your post on Bikepack Baggregator.. I want to set up my Chumba Yaupon for 3 to 5 day trips and would like a system similar to yours. I haven’t done any bikepacking but would generally stay away from any technical single track. At 73 I’d want an adventure more appropriate for my age. So, a few questions. It looks like you haven’t gotten on board with the rear/front rack, pannier setups that have evolved in the last few years. Is there a specific reason why? I’d like to know how you pack, what goes where and if there are custom choices for the frame bag that Rockgeist offers (for example). My Yaupon is a hardtail with a carbon fork and mountain bars. I have backpacking gear but would like to know what extras to consider like a repair kit and tools. You have enough experience to have refined your setup and appreciate sharing any advice. Thank you.
Hi John!
Sorry it took me so long to reply, but thanks for your question! I hope by now you have made some choices and embarked on some fun adventures. But, to answer your question belatedly – my particular goals with that setup was to pack as light as possible to go as fast as possible over rocky singletrack and routes that have a lot of downed trees. A rack and panniers would add a lot of weight, be heavier to lift over the trees, be less nimble, and would add a lot of space and the temptation to carry more stuff than I actually need.
Where I put stuff: The front roll is my entire sleep kit (if I use a bivy), plus nighttime clothes and a jacket or puffy, the frame bag is where I try to put heavier items if I can, like my cache battery and electronics, repair kit, extra food, water filter, toiletries, spoon, zip ties, permits, wallet, and sometimes a small Toaks 600mL titanium pot containing a tiny BRS stove and a gas can. I put feed bags on the bars – one for bottle with carb mix, and the other for food. Top tube bags have food, daily maintenance items like a tiny chain lube, multi-tool, spare AXS battery, sunscreen, etc. For the AZTR, the rear seatpost bag was mostly just food! I carry a lot of food because I want to stay vegan, which limits my resupply choices. On my downtube is 1L of water, and the running vest pack carries 2L of water and a rain jacket.
For someone riding more open terrain (more gravel roads) or touring, a rear rack and lightweight panniers can be a solid choice! I am actually considering outfitting my rig with the Mica Rattail rack paired with a Revelate Pronghorn 11L bag on top – no panniers – for longer events, or events with less resupply. I found out this option only adds ~100g to my current setup, and even for shorter rides might take some load off of my front roll, which would be a better weight distribution. It would also put less strain on my seat post.
When choosing bags and racks for your bike, keep in mind they can add a significant amount of weight, and all those items that you think might need should be evaluated against whether it is worth carrying them over long distances and up every hill! Lighter weight means more comfort during the better part of the day while you are riding. I find that with cycling often there is pressure to blindly do what everyone else is doing and to buy stuff you may not need. 🙂 My advice is think through your particular goals, the trade-offs you are willing to make and that should give you a good idea about how much carrying capacity you actually need.
Happy adventuring, and I’d be curious to know what you settled on!