What is bikepacking: how to get started in cycle touring

Few new features as the geographical characteristics, the diversity of scenery and the flora and fauna that Chile offers throughout its territory constitute a tourist attraction. The question becomes more curious when we do Zoom in the “type” of tourist it attracts. And the one who attracts attention is the so-called “cyclist”. That is to say the one who travels the country by bike.

In 2020, the specialized site CyclingAbout placed Chile among the 10 best countries to visit by bike. A list which took into account the opinions of 150 experienced cyclists who have crossed continents in the saddle. “Wide open skies”, “mountain corridors”, “surreal landscapes” are among the descriptions they give of the country.

Cycle touring and adventure cycling are activities that are growing in popularity across much of the world. Also in Chile, the use of bicycles has become widespread among the population and not only as a means of transport to go from home to work and vice versa, but also as a means of transport linked to leisure.

Alberto Lobos (36 years old) is an industrial designer from Concepción. He has been commercially dedicated to the bicycle sector for 12 years and founded Travel by bike a physical and virtual store, where you can find various items for cycling or gravel touring, in addition to offering mechanical service and advice in person and online.

Viaja en Bici was born, on the one hand, when we could not find specialized stores in the country where we could buy the appropriate equipment. And, on the other hand, a vision: “Concepción is part of the maritime route and we receive many foreigners – Europeans, North Americans, Asians – who are looking to do cycle tourism, so we found a good opportunity to develop the niche in the area.”

“Chile brings together a series of scenarios and climates that occur in very few places,” says Lobos. “In one day, you can cross the longest mountain range in the world to the largest ocean and that, for foreigners, attracts attention,” adds the CEO of Viaja en Bici.

Patagonia, the Carretera Austral, the Andean and Lake Araucania are some of the favorite places for cycle tourists, who at this point are not only made up of foreign visitors, but also of Chileans who have found in this activity a good way to Sign out. from the daily routine and discover the country.

“The bicycle allows you to know and connect with places in a more sustainable, dynamic and, in some cases, more economical way,” explains Fabián Rojas (30), a publicist from Santiago, who has lived in Temuco for five years. . In February this year, he embarked on a solo cycling adventure that took him over 255 kilometers of the Andean Araucania, in four days.

“I crossed Lonquimay, Melipeuco, Reigolil, Curarrehue and ended up in Pucón, a route mainly made of gravel and paths to which cars do not have access,” says Rojas, who recorded the trip for his channel Youtube. Kletaves “.

“What struck me most about this trip was spending a lot of time in solitude, surrounded by nature,” recalls Rojas. “One night I camped in an araucaria forest. I had a lot of trouble, but it was without a doubt an experience that changed me for the better. “Almost like a mystical journey.”

“Cycle touring can be done however you want, but if you have the right equipment, the experience improves,” explains Alberto Lobos. Among the most common and basic items for this type of activity are grills and panniers.

Panniers are a type of bag made up of three parts, one open and the other closed, which generally allow equal distribution of weight to provide greater comfort when transporting from the bike. It is an essential tool for cycle touring or cycle touring adventure, because with it you can carry the equipment and supplies necessary to face the different scenarios that may arise on the route.

But if it involves transporting equipment and supplies, the ride a bike has developed a much more efficient way of doing this: with small bags strategically distributed across the body of the bike, so that it remains as light as possible and does not lose its aerodynamics.

“It’s adventure cycling in a minimalist format. This allows you to cover more distance, with more comfort, less weight and on different paths,” explains Fabián Rojas. “There is special, ultra-light material to make ride a bike», adds Lobos.

Some of the most common elements in ride a bike they are:

• The handlebar bag.
• The saddle bag.
• The bag for the painting.

Added to this is the possibility of carrying backpacks and fanny packs on the body. The idea is to travel as light as possible. “Every extra gram is a gram you have to carry,” warns Lobos, who is also ensuring that more and more routes have refreshment and camping points.suitable for bicycles“.

And the bike? Almost any type – router, fixie, Mountain bikegravel – is used to start in the ride a bikeprovided that “it adapts to your body and the route you plan to travel,” as Rojas says.

The strategic weight distribution proposed by the ride a bike It paved the way for new competitive disciplines within adventure cycling. One of them is gravel cycling, a modality that is gaining followers all over the world. Consider long distances on mixed terrain, from the consistency offered by asphalt to the uncertainty of gravel, from the city to the mountains.

Timothy Rudlinger He is a national cyclist – a modality in which routes exceeding 200 kilometers are covered – and his record includes triumphs in national and international competitions. In addition, he is an organizer and guide of outings for those who are new to this format, in cyclocross and, also, in gravel cycling.

Ruedlinger explains that, while in the ride a bike “we do more cycle touring, we take our time, we can spend the night”, in gravel competitions, “shorter experiences” predominate and we travel even lighter.

However, gravel cycling can also be done recreationally. Although the most appropriate is to have a bike designed specifically for the activity. These, Lobos explains, “meet the requirements of a road bike, like its geometry, with the drivetrains, wheels and other components of a road bike. Mountain bike. This gives you the lightness of one with the performance of the other.

“The national market is gradually having a fairly wide range of gravel bikes,” explains Rojas. The variety includes tires for different terrains, handlebars with different types of hand positioning, depending on whether you want to ride long distances or other conditions.

If you want to get into cycle touring, adventure biking or gravel, whether in ride a bike or in a more traditional format, it is important that you take certain considerations.

• You must plan your trip: Know the route and take the necessary steps to ensure your safety and that of your bike. You may need to do this. A very effective way to do this is to inform yourself through other cyclists who share their experiences on blogs or social networks, their own or the community. Gravel Chile , Chile Profundo Cycle tourism , Pedal and gravel —aimed at women and sexual diversity—are some examples of communities that share their experiences and invite you to participate in their activities.
• Equip your bike: Whether with grill and bag, with tools ride a bike or adapting it to gravel, if you don’t buy one specifically for that. Puncture-proof tires are also recommended.
• Prepare your bike: To the previous point, it is essential to add a visit to the mechanical workshop to adjust the brakes, transmissions and, why not, do general maintenance.
• Don’t forget the equipment: tools, bike parts and a first aid kit.
• It is advisable to have basic mechanical knowledge or at least have a manual or technical guide.
• The last advice is given by Fabián Rojas: “Do what you can, start with what you have and on routes that are safe and close to you. Little by little, get to know yourself, know the needs and goals that will emerge from the experience.

*Product prices in this article are current as of December 12, 2023. Values ​​and availability are subject to change.