Bikepacking The Colorado Trail Episode 1

[@pathalderman7051]

I like that there no music and minimal talking. Great job! Beautiful scenery!

[@jaesongreer]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.

[@michaelbroyer3918]

agreed

[@duraath]

i love the clicking sound of your shifters and also how calm your voice is. also love how minimal your bikepacking setup. to more adventures mate!

[@whatsnext8696]

Man that was a amazing ride. Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

[@rodspov1915]

loved it. Thanks for sharing, it was very entertaining. Beautiful ride!

[@jaesongreer]

Thanks! Glad you liked the video. Hard to top the scenery in Colorado!

[@JRmntain]

Just came across this video. Thanks so much for sharing and appreciate the style of documenting and riding 👍👍

[@jaesongreer]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your comments!

[@micca221]

Fantastic video and thanks for the effort of making it! Watched the whole thing. For some reason I cannot get enough of people riding their bikes through beautiful scenery. Greetings from Germany!

[@jaesongreer]

Thanks! Nice to hear from someone in Germany. I'm glad you liked the video. Kudos for watching the entire thing.

[@michaelbroyer3918]

I am really enjoying this video. Your single track videography is excellent, but I would prefer a tad more of you setting up camp, fixing your bike, crashes and other non riding video. Your bike skills and following a track are superb.

[@michaelbroyer3918]

Just watched Day 1. What fine singletrack videography! Looking forward to watching the rest of the trip.

[@outbackwack368]

Really enjoyed your documentary! You had some really great weather! I'll bet thos hikers grabbed your glasses as part of "leave no trace"... hope your wife heals fast!

[@ogcycling507]

Thanks so much for sharing! I’m planning on riding it this summer and then the TNGA. Gotta get my tail ready! Awesome video!

[@ebhkkc1]

hope to see you out there. Wheels down August 14

[@Tastewithnewdrinks]

Great video, keep going.

[@garyketcham679]

Good to watch again and again.

[@cyberbri6899]

Great ride!!! So sorry about your wife getting injured. It was a good decision to go back home to be with her. LOL!! I can't believe you saw a naked dude running LOL!! I've lived in Colorado for my whole life, more than 50 years and I've never seen a naked person running in the woods LOL!!! hoping you get back out here to finish the trail!!

[@wout123100]

welldone, a great trip, and this vid gives an awesome impression of what to expect on that trail, thanks.

[@bricelutz4692]

Great video. Vary well done. Was vary enjoyable watch.

[@jaesongreer]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@MrHoopster11]

Thank you for sharing! This a great video! Colorado is beautiful!

[@jasonwills6694]

Really Nice video. Thanks

[@karlstine2065]

I’m looking forward to hearing from you again. Hope you are well.

[@r_a_]

3:10This was scary to watch. I was imagining myself in your place to feel the rush and believe me I got scared in certain sections of these few minutes.

[@MathTeacherMrK]

Great video! I hope you wife has recovered nicely. Maybe you’ll get the chance to revisit and either do the whole thing over again, or finish what you have left. I know the disappointment of not being able to finish. When I rode the CT, I had to quit at Silverton because of injury. Can’t wait to try it again.

[@jaesongreer]

Thanks! I'm planning to finish the second half this summer. I hope you get back out there soon as well!

[@TalesofAdventure]

Very cool, bikepacking is our newest favourite sport!

[@1luckyleppy]

Love the trip. Good on you for taking it on. 👍🏻

[@TravelingThru222]

Great video, Man. I feel like segment 7 was the toughest climb on the whole trail. Awesome Journey, just subbed.

[@MathTeacherMrK]

By far! Every climb after that was always compared back to the climb in segment 7.

[@mswarrior932]

Great video!!! Gotta love the Trail magic!!!👍

[@MrTanmancool]

Awesome video! You've inspired me to start planning my own bikepacking adventure.

[@jaesongreer]

Thank you! I'm so stoked to hear that and hope you have some awesome bikepacking adventures!

[@andrewliszak1072]

Very cool video!

[@jaesongreer]

Thanks! Glad you liked it :)

[@kb29ss39]

Clearest video ever. Can I ask what you used and if a GoPro what settings?? Are you going back to finish one day?? Hope the wife healed up!

[@ebhkkc1]

Great video. I had to abandon after seg 9 due to a broken rib. It will not win....August is redemption. Great job and loved the video. Hoping wife gets me the Hero 10 for Christmas to help document like you did. love the simplicity of your video.

[@jaesongreer]

Thanks Earl! Hope Santa drops off that Hero 10 for you and good luck next August!

[@ebhkkc1]

@@jaesongreer Just watched again and loved it. YES Santa dropped off a Hero 10 and I will be using it in August. Hope you get to go back and complete it this year or next

[@joshfondon1115]

Hey Jaeson! I stumbled across this video and your bike looked familiar. I am pretty sure we crossed paths at the start of segment 17 Sargents mesa, september 2022. I was on the olive green Marin. You seemed pretty gassed at the time and not sure if you wanted to comtinue. I often think about you and how the rest of your trip played out. That trail is an absolute beast and will test you in every way! I enjoyed watching this video and im glad you made it out alive!

[@jaesongreer]

Hey Josh! Yes, that was me for sure! It's good to hear from you! I remember you were encouraging me to keep going, and thanks for that! I was definitely pretty gassed physically, but more so mentally. I let doubt/fear get the better of me, and I ended up bailing. Coming from sea level out here in Santa Barbara and pushing up over 12k feet the first day on section 15 was pretty rough. I'd lost my appetite and was not eating nearly enough, so I bonked pretty hard the day we met. I ended up camping back down at Tank 7 creek that night and riding down to Sargents the next day where my wife picked me up after driving out 16 hours straight from SB. If that's not love, I don't know what is! I'm heading back out to Salida for round 3 on September 10th. I've been training a lot this summer and feeling stoked, so hopefully I'll send it this year. I replaced my 34t chainring with a 30t and added some water bottle mounts to my front fork. Hopefully that will make grinding up those grades a little easier and I won't stress so much about running out of water. This time there is no backwards, only forwards!

[@joshfondon1115]

Wife of the year!! Good luck for round 3! 15 was the hardest segment for me mentally and physically. Sargents wasn't too bad just really technical. Just keep moving and enjoy that journey.

[@zackrodenbough6903]

good video .

[@ancientopiccolo6234]

Hello, are there any parts of the trail where there are drop offs that scared you with either riding the bike or pushing it? I would like to do this but am afraid of steep drop offs.

[@jaesongreer]

Good question. No, I don't recall any "no-fall zones" were you must ride dangerously close to a big drop off. There are still plenty of places though where the trail traverses steep slopes and a fall onto the downslope side of the trail could be bad. Worse case, just dismount and walk for a bit. I hope you give it a go!

[@phineas44]

I thoroughly enjoyed your video. It captures what each day is like better than any of the other videos I've watched. It's too bad you didn't do the second half,, however you made the right decision. My son and I are planning to ride the CT July 2024. I have many questions but I'll just ask one - When you were training did you ride with a fully loaded bike?

[@jaesongreer]

Thanks! Finishing the CT has turned into an unintended multi-year project for me, but the best kind! I was back out there at the beginning of September this year and made it to Silverton before the weather turned terrible, so stay tuned for another video in a week or so. Getting to your question, aside from one overnight trip to test my gear and packing method, I have not done training rides with my bike loaded. It sounds like a reasonable idea though. For training, I went for long rides with maybe twice as much distance and climbing as I thought I might do in a day on the CT. Good luck on your trip next year and feel free to send more questions if you want. I’m happy to answer them.

[@robertbotta6536]

Great video. Thanks and congratulations. Hey QQ: how did you get the bear lines so far up the tree? (At 34:45)

[@jaesongreer]

Ha! It was just a couple lucky throws I guess. In this case, I found two trees about 20' apart with good branches, tied each end of the cord around a small rock and tossed them up over a high branch on each tree. The accessory cord I use is pretty light, so it's easy to throw: www.bluewaterropes.com/product/3mm-niteline-reflective-cord/

[@rjtyler4333]

Try posting your rides on kamoot or all trails. You give no info on the routes you take , if you post them we can download and pick and choose what we would be interested in going on! I really enjoy your videos, and we are planning a big trip this summer. Thanks

[@jaesongreer]

Hi Rj, good suggestion! I've added links to each days route in the description. Hope that helps. Good luck with your trip this summer!

[@raymarks7430]

Nice video, haven’t watched it all but will. If you were to do only a few sections..days/nights.. to get your feet wet as a newbie bikepacker which would you suggest?

[@humourcourt]

very nice, very immersif !!! could you list your gears ? camera, tents etc ...

[@PeterEggenberger]

Great video - very helpful for my planning. Thanks for creating it 🙂. What time of year was it? How were temperatures overnight and in the early mornings? Thanks again!

[@jaesongreer]

Thanks! I'm glad to hear it was helpful. My trip was in the second half of August. I only had one night when I woke up to light frost, but it warmed up quickly at sunrise. Obviously the overnight lows are highly elevation dependent, so definitely be prepared for the possibility of below freezing temps.

[@PeterEggenberger]

@@jaesongreer Thanks ! 🙂

[@dabber1]

I'd be interested to know what bike/setup/tyres you rode. Also whether you had any (many?) mechanical problems to resolve. I really enjoyed your video and your style of filming/presentingit. Nice job 👍

[@jaesongreer]

Hi Dabber, Thanks for your comments. I was riding a 2021 Canyon Exceed CF 8 with Maxxis Ikon 29"x2.35" tubeless tires on the front and rear. Fortunately, I didn't have any mechanical issues or even a flat.

[@dabber1]

@@jaesongreer Thanks Jaeson. Nice bike, I realised it was a Canyon but wasn't sure on the model. You did exceptionally well to have no punctures or mechanicals given the challenges (and length) of the trail. Take care, ride safe.

[@lburyjr0]

Hey Jason.....Doing the trail in early July. I have two pot brakes...I bought ice tech rotors and finned pads (resin) would you recommend switching out to four pot? Or metal pads? Or both?

[@lburyjr0]

Also...what time of year was your ride...what temp extremes did you encounter...and what gear do you wish you brought/didn't bring. Thanks ..Larry. Great video!! Really enjoyed it 👍

[@jaesongreer]

Hi Larry, my bike had Shimano XT 2-piston brakes with organic (resin) pads. There were some pretty long downhill sections where I was using my brakes frequently, and I didn't experience any bake fade. That said, the total weight of my bike, gear and rider was around 210-220 lbs. Perhaps upgrading to 4-piston brakes would be worthwhile if your total weight will be significantly more. My understanding is that sintered metal pads, although noisier, are more resistant to fading, so could you also just run those instead of buying new brakes if you're worried about brake fade.

[@fabiofv]

Great vídeo!! How many miles did you ride at 2nd day?

[@jaesongreer]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video! I rode 56 miles on day 2. They were relatively easy miles as I was on the mandatory bike detour (gravel road) for most of the day and the grade never got too steep.

[@allisonsouza4665]

Your footage is very good! Can I ask what you filmed the riding with?

[@mikemorris4592]

Great job! From the airport how did you get to train station? Any plans for a gear video?

[@jaesongreer]

Hi Mike, Thanks. There's a light rail train called the A-Line that runs every 30 minutes from the airport to Denver Union Station: www.rtd-denver.com/services/airport Once you get to Union Station you can take either the C or D line south to the end of the line at Littleton-Mineral, and then it's an easy ride down to the Waterton Canyon TH. I might post a gear video later this winter. Cheers!

[@jonsnider3084]

@@jaesongreer would enjoy seeing a gear guide. Thx

[@FollowThomas]

Is that's the hiking trail or different one. It's not easy.

[@TheAyotteMan]

I’m curious what type of protection is suggested for potential predator encounters. Did you encounter large animals?

[@jaesongreer]

I didn't bring any protection such as bear spray since the CT doesn't pass through grizzly habitat. I think the fact that my bike made a fair amount of noise probably also prevented me from surprising any large animals. I was fortunate to encounter a moose with a calf from a safe distance. They were feeding in a pond. A beautiful sight!

[@Snowymtn-nc4yy]

Hey! How did you train for the trip?? I would love to do some day, and would love some tips!

[@jaesongreer]

Starting in January I just tried to ramp up both my weekly mileage and climbing as much as possible. For me that meant riding 3 times a week, getting two 20 mile / 2500' rides in before work and one longer 40 mile / 4000-6000' ride on the weekend. I tried to get in one 80-100 mile / 5000' ride in per month to get used to spending longer hours in the saddle. I wasn't sure how much my training would help since I live at sea level (Santa Barbara, CA) and the average altitude of the trail is over 10k feet. Even with the training, I found that I just didn't have the power to ride up sustained grades over about 5% when I was up over 10k feet, so I did a lot of hike-a-bike. Even with the hike-a-bike, it was hands down some of the most scenic and perfect singletrack I've ever ridden. You will not be disappointed, and I hope you get to ride it someday!

[@honkytonk4465]

How many people did you encounter on the trail?

[@jaesongreer]

Most days I probably only encountered about 6-8 people. On a few of the sections closer to Denver I probably met twice that many.

[@photorockbar471]

What do you do if there is a medical emergency?

[@jaesongreer]

Good question! First, and probably most importantly, I ride really conservatively when I'm bike packing, especially if I'm alone. If the terrain gets too technical, I just get off and push. It sucks pushing my bike downhill, especially if I've just had to push up the hill, but going over the bars in the middle nowhere and potentially wrecking my bike or myself is just not worth the thrill to me. Other than that, I carry a Garmin InReach 2-way satellite communicator. It has an SOS button to let search and rescue know I need help. That said, it may take 12+ hours for them to reach me, so it may still be game over if I'm having a serious medical emergency.

[@hmstjohn6236]

Wow, what a great trip you had. Thanks for sharing. What navigation device and app did you use?

[@ebhkkc1]

The CT databook is a must and really all you need. any GPS will work but bring a battery bank

[@jaesongreer]

Hi, my phone was my main navigation device (I had a set of paper route maps as backup), and I started off using an app called Gaia GPS: www.gaiagps.com BUT, then I met some guys on the trail who recommended an app called FarOut. I downloaded it when I got to Breckenridge, spent a day bouncing back and forth between Gaia and FarOut, then ditched Gaia and used FarOut for the rest of the trip. faroutguides.com Gaia GPS has good maps, and I use it all the time biking and backpacking, but I've gotta say that FarOut is superior for the CT because you can download the map for the entire CT bike packing route instead of having to load it into Gaia GPS manually. The best feature of FarOut though is that it shows most of the places where you can find water, how far they are from your current location, and it lets other users comment on whether or not there is still water there. I found that single feature invaluable, as I could fine tune how much water I carried. Another great feature of FarOut is that it shows you the trail elevation profile, so it's really easy to quickly see what the upcoming terrain is like. The trail is pretty well marked, so I just used the apps a few times a day to verify distance to upcoming water sources and at the occasional confusing trail junction.

[@ebhkkc1]

This has it all as well

[@winstonian88]

Hooo

[@RobespierreRobRoy]

That is enough to scare me away.

[@sw5245]

Helmet mount camera

[@victord5548]

Jaeson hi. Got ton of questions for you , even followed on kamoot but cant send you message. getting ready for Co. Trail

[@jaesongreer]

Hi, if you post your questions in the video comments, I'd be happy to respond.