Sunday, June 22, 2025 (8:30am to 11:30am)

This is a “shakedown” bikepacking ride. We’ll load up our bikes for a mock overnight trip and go for a test ride in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. The objective is to find any hidden issues with your bike, load, gear, etc. before you head out to more remote terrain. A secondary objective, particularly for those new to bikepacking, is to gain experience and build confidence riding your bike when it’s loaded with gear.

The plan is to meet in the parking lot of the Watershed Centre. After we introduce ourselves we’ll follow Homestead Trail to Fisherman’s Trail and Spur 4. We’ll continue until we reach Seymour Falls Dam and then turn around to return the way we came. Back at the parking lot, we’ll briefly chat about what worked well and what didn’t so that we leave with a clear sense of how to best prepare for bikepacking trips.

Everyone is welcome. No experience necessary.

Trip Difficulty

The route follows multi-use trails (dirt and gravel) and is non technical in nature, though there are a few short, steep sections.

Equipment and Gear

- A rigid/hardtail mountain bike or a gravel bike would work well for the trip

- All the gear you would take bikepacking (including all equipment necessary to fix a flat tire)

Resources:

** Bikepacking.com has a primer on bikepacking if you're just discovering the activity: https://bikepacking.com/bikepacking-101/