Editor’s note: This 2019 field note has been consolidated into the updated guide, Why Ride 25 Miles to Work?
The original story followed a 25-mile ride to work and home again: a route that could double as training, a way to spend more time on the bike, and a practical shakedown for bags, layers, lights, and repair gear.
Its 2019 gas, toll, and bike-cost calculations are intentionally not repeated here; those numbers age quickly. The useful part has been kept and expanded in the current guide: choose a route you can repeat, use the commute to build confidence, and let ordinary miles teach you what your bikepacking setup needs.