I contacted Patagonia Bike Trips of Bariloche, Argentina with plans to do an overnight bikepacking trip while I visited the town with family, who were going to stay back while I camped. This shop rents everything from the bikes to all of the camping gear. When I arrived, I was told that it was the off-season and still too cold to camp with their rental gear. They were opening their doors up a week early to rent me a bike but suggested I try glamping instead. For a small fee I was able to rent a little cabin at the end of my destination that gave me the cycling experience I was looking for while staying safe and comfortable overnight.
The trip went really well and I was never without a beautiful view. The headwinds were some of the hardest I have ever faced and I crawled to a slow on my way home but it was worth it. There is a great mix of forests, deserts, rivers and of course the views of the snowcapped mountains for a majority of the trip. All of the riding was pretty smooth, done along gravel roads going through natural lands. The midway point was a small town, Dina Huapi that has a restaurant and grocery store, a great stop for lunch. The ending destination was in Villa Llanquin which had a small store, but in the off-season there was not much. Try and bring dinner from Dina Huapi if visiting in their off-season. If you follow in my wheel tracks you will have to do fence hops, river crossings and a small scramble over a landslide but that’s all part of the adventure right? I took gravel next to the pavement for a large chunk of my ride back to save time.
Everything at the bike shop went well and they were always on time and professional. My bike was sufficient for the task at hand and it came with all the necessary repair gear. Can’t speak to the bikepacking gear but I can imagine it will do in a pinch if you didn’t bring your own. They also offer longer and guided trips. This shop is creating a great culture around bikepacking and a business model that I hope takes off in other locations around the world.
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I contacted Patagonia Bike Trips of Bariloche, Argentina with plans to do an overnight bikepacking trip while I visited the town with family, who were going to stay back while I camped. This shop rents everything from the bikes to all of the camping gear. When I arrived, I was told that it was the off-season and still too cold to camp with their rental gear. They were opening their doors up a week early to rent me a bike but suggested I try glamping instead. For a small fee I was able to rent a little cabin at the end of my destination that gave me the cycling experience I was looking for while staying safe and comfortable overnight.
The trip went really well and I was never without a beautiful view. The headwinds were some of the hardest I have ever faced and I crawled to a slow on my way home but it was worth it. There is a great mix of forests, deserts, rivers and of course the views of the snowcapped mountains for a majority of the trip. All of the riding was pretty smooth, done along gravel roads going through natural lands. The midway point was a small town, Dina Huapi that has a restaurant and grocery store, a great stop for lunch. The ending destination was in Villa Llanquin which had a small store, but in the off-season there was not much. Try and bring dinner from Dina Huapi if visiting in their off-season. If you follow in my wheel tracks you will have to do fence hops, river crossings and a small scramble over a landslide but that’s all part of the adventure right? I took gravel next to the pavement for a large chunk of my ride back to save time.
Everything at the bike shop went well and they were always on time and professional. My bike was sufficient for the task at hand and it came with all the necessary repair gear. Can’t speak to the bikepacking gear but I can imagine it will do in a pinch if you didn’t bring your own. They also offer longer and guided trips. This shop is creating a great culture around bikepacking and a business model that I hope takes off in other locations around the world.