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The Swallows have logged more than 10,000 miles across the country.
The Swallows have logged more than 10,000 miles across the country. (Tom and Sarah Swallow)

The First Couple of Bikepacking

The biggest craze in cycling combines the popularity of distance hiking, gravel grinding, and vanlife. But for bikepacking disciples like Tom and Sarah Swallow, simplicity and solitude are the real rewards.

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The Swallows have logged more than 10,000 miles across the country.
(Photo: Tom and Sarah Swallow)

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For four years, Tom and Sarah Swallow lived the good life. , located just north of Cincinnati, Ohio, had enough loyal customers to turn a profit, and they still had time for the occasional weekend ride. But by 2015, the couple started to feel like they spent 鈥渁 lot of time helping other people achieve their 颅cycling dreams without focusing on our own,鈥 says Sarah, 28. So they shuttered the shop and set off to become the first two people to bikepack 鈥攖he cob-rough, dirt-and-gravel path across the U.S. adored by off-road motorcyclists.

Bikepacking, in which the bike serves as both steed and pack mule along dirt single- and doubletrack鈥攊s one of the hottest trends in cycling. Statistics are elusive, but the anecdotes of bikepacking鈥檚 exploding popularity are many. For example, the Tour Divide, the famed 2,745-mile, self-supported knobby-tire course through the Rocky Mountains from Banff, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, went from 17 riders in 2008 to 185 in 2016 (though not everyone goes the distance).聽

Bikepacking, in which the bike serves as both steed and pack mule along dirt single- and doubletrack鈥攊s one of the hottest trends in cycling.

Large gear manufacturers are stepping up, too, joining niche brands in making equipment that鈥檚 stout enough to outfit a multi-day trip, but light enough that riders won鈥檛 curse themselves for bringing so much. Giant and Ortlieb now make , and Cali颅fornia鈥檚 Blackburn Design can barely keep up with demand for its . 鈥淚t鈥檚 very redeeming,鈥 says Robin Sansom, Blackburn鈥檚 brand manager. 鈥淵ou know that these products are being used for something joyful and extraordinary.鈥 This summer, industry titan Specialized rolled out , the second bikepacking-ready model in its 国产吃瓜黑料 line, and unveiled a collection of packs, clothing, and accessories made specifically for the long haul.

When the Swallows finished their cross-continental ride at the Oregon Coast鈥5,000 miles in three months, departing from Morehead City, North Carolina鈥攖hey realized that they didn鈥檛 want to stop. So they scrapped their plans to start a shop in California and kept the wheels turning. As you read this, the couple should be well into their latest jaunt, this time through Cascadia: a 45-day, 1,500-mile ride from Whitefish, Montana, to Portland on the rough tracks of Alberta, Idaho, and Washington State.聽

Tom Swallow speeds down a hill in Whitefish, Montana.
Tom Swallow speeds down a hill in Whitefish, Montana. (Tom and Sarah Swallow)

Logan Watts, founder of,聽says the Swallows鈥 journeys have resonated with his site鈥檚 readers because, rather than pedaling abroad, they鈥檙e tackling places that seem within reach. After all, the allure of dropping out of mainstream existence spawned the entire vanlife movement鈥攁nd bikepacking is more approach颅able than coughing up twenty grand for a fully equipped vehicle. 鈥淓liminate the things you don鈥檛 need and you can focus on the adventure at hand,鈥 says Tom Swallow, 31.

Grab an old beach cruiser, throw some food and a tent in a knapsack, and head聽out with the kids on a rail-to-trail line.聽

鈥淵ou鈥檙e not doing yourself justice if you lust after this lifestyle and don鈥檛 do anything about it,鈥 Sarah says. 鈥淕et away for a few days. It doesn鈥檛 have to be hard.鈥

From 国产吃瓜黑料 Magazine, September 2016 Lead Photo: Tom and Sarah Swallow

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