After my ride this afternoon I slept early until about 1am and was woken by a very vivid thought that appeared in my mind almost like words.
“You can start bikepacking right now—even work from the road—you have everything you need already.”
I was flooded with insights and realizations about how I can make a living and even work from the road on my bike a reality, right now, even in Winter. All the difficulties and annoyances would no longer be distractions, but important lessons that would be essential learning if I am to successfully complete the Tour Divide in a few years.
Lael Wilcox originally got her start living from her bike and traveling the world with her (then) boyfriend (she’s married now). That’s why she always seems like she’s at home living out of her sparsly rigged bike. She’s already been doing it a lot. She knows exactly what she needs when. I need to do the same.
I’m starting to think I can begin to learn those lessons now. It’s the same thing I started in 2017 when I got all the stuff for “touring” and started taking my Marrakesh all over the place fully loaded. This time I have the Tour Divide in mind as a goal for preparation and would be much more minimal in my packing. Some of the gear I aquire and decide on over the next few years would be the same that I would use on TD. I could ride with my rear rack and huge Ortlieb panniers for now, but only put things in them that would not be things I would ever take on the TD. I plan on running a Tailfin rack (like the 2023 record holder) so I can just get used to things being in the right place.
Lots more to think about. But now I’m thinking I could cross the country very slowly this Spring after the Assault on Mt. Mitchell and work the entire time. So long as I’m careful in my planning should be completely doable, and a ton cheaper than it would be in the car living in hotels the entire time. I could dial in my diet as well eating the same stuff I already do now since I would have slightly more room to carry food than on TD where I would be willing to pay more money for the convenience of food at whatever is closest.