Missouri

I started the Missouri Bikepacking Facebook Group in May 2022, shortly after my first multi-day bikepacking trip on the Katy Trail.

I am a US Army Reserve Veteran. I deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

I met my wife in the Army, and we have two sons that are 7 and 9.

I raced BMX when I was younger, and I sent my BMX bike to Iraq and Afghanistan to get around base.

I feel more comfortable on a mountain bike, but will often hop on my gravel bike when our local trail conditions are poor.

I love creating new routes, exploring new areas, and I am anxious to get more local group rides and events together.

I have been riding and documenting backroad routes in Northern Nevada for the past 9+ years. Over the last 3 years I have been hosting overnights open to all interested, first timers to highly experienced. These events have been year-round, one or more a month. The last two years I have hosted Rides with Friends, a collaboration with Friends of Black Rock High Rock, to inspire stewardship of Black Rock Country through non-motorized recreation. All of these routes are curated by me.

Kirsten (she/her, Colorado) grew up in Washington state, riding bikes around her neighborhood and camping in the rainy old growth forests near Mt. St. Helens. After several years of residing in Colorado, she eventually put the two – biking and camping – together. Her first bikepacking trip was from Durango, CO to Moab, UT via the San Juan huts, a life-changing experience that developed her deep love for challenge and adventure. Fully unsupported trips followed, solo and with friends. She now spends most of her time exploring the roads and trails of northwest Colorado and the vast deserts of Utah, while also dreaming of exploring far off places. She currently works at a small bike outfitter and shop in Steamboat Springs, CO where she leads guided rides, hosts clinics, and assists bikepackers with routes and equipment. She is excited to work with Bikepacking Roots to develop community and camaraderie, as well as educate others how to enjoy and respect the outdoors.

Pennsylvania

Kayla Layng (she/her, Lancaster, PA) is an anti-elitist cyclist who believes that cycling must be accessible to everyone, and that means cultivating a community with the same values. This is also what she chants under her breath when she’s fighting for her life, trying to catch up with people on climbs. She co-leads a gender-diverse adventure cycling collective called “Hellbenders Adventure Collective” with her friend Maggie Livelsberger. Kayla has worked as an engineering manager, a bike mechanic, a part-time TV scriptwriter, and a rock climbing guide. Currently, she is a Programs Manager for a non-profit bicycle shop, The Common Wheel, in Lancaster, PA. Her favorite bike-packing trip she has done was a route called “The Pictish Trail,” which follows the eastern coast of Scotland, featuring rolling hills of sheep, seclusion, ice cream called lollies, abandoned whiskey towns, and many-a pubs. Despite that being her favorite trip so far, her love for Pennsylvania riding cannot be compared.

John (he/him, Phoenix, AZ) is originally from Allentown, PA and developed his love for bikes riding BMX Freestyle Flatland. He moved west to Arizona to attend college and never looked back. He took up mountain biking in 1994 as a way to stay in shape for alpine skiing, now it’s his passion. His bikepacking adventures began about 5 years ago, and he loved the freedom it brought to explore new places I otherwise would not be able to get to. He also organizes multi-day rides to introduce newcomers to the realm of bikepacking. He also has a reputation for loving good hike-a-bike!

John (he/him, Butte, MT) started bike travel with a few simple road and gravel tours in his 20s, but picked up bike travel again in his 40s. Though John works full-time, he is still able to manage several tours per year ranging from overnight to several weeks, mainly in the western US (MT, ID, AZ) and Mexico (Oaxaca, Yucatán, Huasteca). John is also a Warmshowers host along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in Butte, MT, and has hosted over 450 guests throughout the years. 

Joe (he/him, Missoula, MT) was raised in Minnesota and followed his call to the mountains in his early 20s. The endless trails and forest roads in western Montana is where he found love and obsession for mountain biking and bikepacking. Joe is the founder of Spotted Dog Cycles, a dirt-minded, Missoula-based bicycle touring and outfitting company. By offering backcountry cycling tours Joe hopes to help others learn to appreciate and respect our wild lands and the opportunities they provide. When he is not on two wheels he is usually in the woods with his dogs or trying not to crash at the skatepark.

Colorado

Jody (she/her) is a long-time resident of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She moved there after college with the intent to play and ski for a winter season, but she couldn’t resist the lure of the Yampa Valley. She stayed for that next summer, bought a mountain bike, and decades passed. She grew up in a family of cyclists, and riding has always been a part of her life. After her first trip in 2016, bikepacking quickly became one of her passions. When she’s not on a bikepacking trip, she’s probably planning the next one or helping friends plan theirs. Jody has a strong focus on backcountry safety and volunteers with her local search and rescue team.

California

Jason (he/him, Pasadena, CA) is a recent bikepacker, starting in 2020. He has multiple finishes in the top 10 of Stagecoach 400, and before that, an ultra endurance athlete in Ironman & marathon.

West Virginia

Jacob (he/him, Morgantown, WV) is a native Appalachian, hailing from the Great Smokey Mountains. Bikes began shaping Jacob in college, starting as a means of cheap transportation before eventually becoming the inspiration for his philosophy in everyday life today. Jacob has worked as a professional backcountry guide, bike mechanic, and is currently an outdoor educator and instructor based in the heart of Appalachia, passionate about bringing bikes and their philosophy to the region. While relatively new to bikepacking, Jacob is the founder of West Virginia’s only bikepacking group, Hellbender Bikepacking, and hopes to bring attention to the sport in the Mountain State.