Gravel Cycling, Bikepacking, and Cycle touring can be quite the grind in New England but sometimes you get thrown the most beautiful, delicious bone. This was one such occasion. The Ashwilticook Rail Trail meanders through some of the most gorgeous scenery in the Western Massachusetts Berkshire Mountain Region. If you love riding through gorgeous lake, mountain, and wilderness scenery, which, who the heck doesn't? Then this rail trail needs to be on your list of places to ride a bike. Somehow though, this trail, tucked away in an idyllic little corner of the Bay State, unassumingly fly's under the radar to all but the locals. How could this be? Perhaps that's what makes western mass such an unassumingly special place in itself. The locals are humble, reserved, stoic and they know what they have here and wish to quietly preserve it. That's not to say they don't welcome respectful visitors with open arms, quite the contrary actually, but I think they believe that if you find yourself here then it was meant to be, if not, they don't force issue with a plethora of cheesy marketing and begging for our tourist dollars. Much like many of the verdant farms in the area, it's an organic approach. Maybe the world could learn a thing or two from the stoics of western mass. As we pedaled our bikes through, what felt like a time portal into American history, we passed old mill towns, train depots, and other nostalgic relics. We stopped to take a breather from our cycling adventure and talk to the camera along a gorgeous sounding stream. We paused in front of a fly fisherman, rhythmically casting upstream, unaware of our presence patiently awaiting his fly to drift in the gentle, returning ripples of the current, at one with the moment and the nature he was in. There was no force in what he was doing. He was working with the flow of the water and of all things surrounding him for that matter. He was supposed to be there. It all looked so natural, so perfect. This quiet soul was embodying everything my long winded description is trying to articulate. A living, breathing, metaphor for the Berkshires and it's inhabitants...without ever saying a word, without consciously acknowledging it. He was "IT", without any force at all. If he got one on the hook, great, but It seemed to matter not, that he even caught anything at all. He was simply, "just there" and that was enough. The Berkshires Region mirrors this simple notion. If they catch your attention, great. You'll be hooked. If you never bite and just swim on by, they'll simply still "just be there", indifferent and humble...and to them that's enough.
MUCH LOVE & ADVENTURE
-Caleb and Nikki
We'd like to thank WOHO BIKE for supplying us with some really cool gear to test on this trip and we'll have some reviews on it later this year.
ROUTE LINK: [ Ссылка ]

NIKKIS GEAR:
BIKE👇
SALSA Journeyman #salsacycles @Salsa Cycles

BAGS👇
@REI Link Handlebar Roll Bag
@WOHOBIKE XT Touring Ultralight Frame Bag\ Ultralight Almighty Cup\ Ultralight Top Tube Bag (Available as a bundle package that saves you 💸)
@Revelate Designs Terrapin 14L Seat Pack
BOTTLE CAGES👉 WOHO Anti Sway Monkii Cages.
@REI Junction Cages (best cage for under 10$)
PEDALS👉 @Kona Bikes Wah Wah Flats.

TIRES👉 @teravail Sparwood 650B x 2.1"

CALEB'S GEAR:
@Salsa Cycles Journeyman Sora

GPS UNIT👉 @Wahoo Fitness Element Roam

BAGS👇
@Revelate Designs Egress Pocket Handlebar Bag\ Sweetroll Drybag 11L
@WOHOBIKE Ultralight Almighty Cup (this thing is a reservoir for my snacks, extra drink, and holds my camera with mini tripod. It's huge!)
@Restrap Half Frame Bag and Top Tube Bag. (you can feel the quality of these rugged canvas bags. Nice fit/useful inner pockets to keep things organized.
@Revelate Designs Spinelock Seat Pack It could be a monsoon and your stuff is going to stay dry. Minimal sway and I dig the closure system for sinching down tightly. I upgraded to this pack this year and couldn't be happier

HANDLEBARS👉 @Curve Cycling WalmerBar 55cm wide! This thing was game changing for control on rough terrain and space to shift with a large roll pack on the front. Very ergo and made the bike so fun to ride.

TIRES👉@WTB Nano 650b x 2.2"

PEDALS👉@raceface Chesters

WATER FILTER👉 @Katadyn Group Hiker Pro. Filters absolutely everything. In seconds a bottle is full!

CAMP GEAR👇
@nemoequipment Dagger 2P. Sets up super quick, light, packable for bikes, vents well, great waterproofing
@Sea to Summit Ultralight Pillows
@REI Flash 3 season sleepingpads

FUEL\SNACKS\DRINKS👇
@Laird Superfood Instant Coffee. Our Morning Rocket Fuel!
@Clif Bar & Company

#bikepacking #gravelbike #cycletouring #gravelgrinder #bikeride #vermontcycling #vermont #newengland #berkshiremountains #bikepackinglife #bikepacker #getoutthere #bikerace #gravelcyclist #adventure #adventuretravel #pedalfurther #railtrail #mtb

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