#bikepacking
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It took about four months to design this route in my spare time. I used a combination of Google Maps, Caltopo, USGS topo scans, Satellite Imagery, Open Street Maps, Strava Heat Maps, and pieces of routes from bikepacking.com(Stagecoach 400 and Plateau Passage). I starting riding from San Diego but that section was a disaster... anything south of Hwy 94 was only for border patrol, anything north of Hwy 94 was private property. I hit three different dead ends, got interrogated by the border patrol, and then decided to just ride on Hwy 94 which was super busy. I'd recommend taking the bus to Cameron Corners and start there. I encountered snow a few times as well, usually above 9,000 feet elevation... bring proper footwear and gaiters if you plan on crossing these. My shoes leaked and it was almost like being barefoot. I marked out the water sources which seemed dependable, but it's always better to bring a little more than you need. I brought a 3 litre Platypus Big Zip and a 10 litre MSR Dromedary. The Dromedary works great as a pillow too ;) The most difficult section for food is from Yucca Valley to Lone Pine. It wasn't ideal stocking up at the i15 Gas Station on $110 worth of trail mix, dried fruit, jerky, and energy bars. The Ballarat store doesn't actually sell groceries, the owner gave me food from his own kitchen. The amount of climbing on this section is also brutal!

Fat bike? Plus bike? MTB? Road Bike??? There are sandy sections dispersed across the entire route. The Mojave Desert has the highest concentration of sandy roads and Utah not quite as much. Nevada was 95% MTB rideable. Conditions can change depending on when the last rain storm hit. I've heard a minimum of 3" tire width for the desert, but I've only tried 4.8". There were sections that I was riding at 3 psi to stay afloat. Most of the route is isolated, some places might only be visited a few times a year... being stranded would be stressful. I went tubeless with Maxxis Minions, FattyStrippers and Stan's Sealant which worked flawlessly. I carried two spare tubes but never needed them.

What brand are those panniers and frame bag? I made them! They are lightweight, durable, and designed to mount snug on the bike. The fabric is water resistant Cordura. I wouldn't say they're waterproof, but perfect for dry conditions in the desert.

Recorded with an LG V20 smartphone.

2018