National Interscholastic Cycling Association to Start Bikepacking Curriculum

With summer just around the corner, or rather, around this weekend, bikepacking season is finally upon us. However, for those looking to dabble in a first overnight adventure or multi-day two-wheeled expedition, things can be a little overwhelming at first. The gear list for a proper bikepacking setup is not a short one, and that’s not to mention making sure you have the right gear that fits your bike. But, the night spent way out in the mountains is certainly an experience worth the effort.

For many National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) athletes, the bikepacking experience might become a reality this summer, and without having to purchase all the expensive gear or suffering through most of the rookie mistakes. Blackburn and Bikepacking Roots have partnered with NICA to create both a bikepacking curriculum and gear library for NICA riders in order to make the adventures on two-wheels both more accessible and safer.

Blackburn is providing 20 full bikepacking setups that will travel between riders and trips in hopes of providing as many bikepacking opportunities as possible. The effort is led by Kurt Refsnider, author of our “Fully Loaded” series and founder of Bikepacking Roots, a nonprofit that supports and advocates for the bikepacking community. It also spearheads a curriculum that is taught by NICA coaches, aimed at exposing young riders to the ins and outs of bikepacking.

“I’ve watched the remarkable transformation new bikepackers go through in just a handful of short bikepacking trips, and I couldn’t be more excited to partner with NICA and Blackburn to create such an opportunity for kids across the United States,” Refsnider says.

“We’ve been looking to get more involved with the future of bikepacking for the past few years,” said Blackburn Marketing Manager Dan Powell. “This partnership with NICA came up after the release of a video project ‘Wild Virtue’ we sponsored, and we felt like this was the opportunity we’d been waiting for. We’re very proud to be working with these two organizations.”

For more information on the new program, go to nationalmtb.org or follow @nationalmtb on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Bikemag.com and was republished with permission.