With bikepacking becoming increasingly popular all over the world people are wanting to push the limits of the sport more and more. For those who aren’t satisfied with weekend camping adventures or week long exploring then there are hundreds of ultra bikepacking races around the globe.
These bikepacking events cover some of the most amazing landscapes in the most incredible countries. They go to corners of the globe you just can’t reach by vehicle and cover distances not possible by hiking.
And the great thing is, you don’t have to race, at least in the competitive sense. It is the perfect way to make new bikepacking mates. To go on bikepacking trips together in the future. There is also something great about the camaraderie in such events.
They can be anything from an intense overnight mountain bike race through the Central American mountains, to a week long city hop through Europe, or a month long snow slog through the backcountry of Alaska.
I’ve been researching the 10 best bikepacking races in the world. These are not for the faint hearted, these are serious multi-day epic cycling challenges in some of the worlds toughest terrains.
I’ve handpicked mostly ‘unsupported’ events, meaning you have to be completely self-sufficient throughout. That’s what I love about bikepacking and I think that keeps true to the sport.
I also love the wilderness and remoteness bikepacking can bring you, so I’ve picked routes that will take you off the beaten track and leave you exposed to the elements.
There are some old legends in the line up and some less well known ones. For my last entry on the list I’ve found an Australian newbie that I hadn’t even heard of!
I hope you’re as excited as me to discover this ‘competitive’ world of bikepacking. I just love seeing the sport I’m passionate about in Australia being loved and expanded by so many people in all the corners and up all the mountains of the world.
I’m even keen to get up to Scotland in the wind and rain for one of the races!
In this article I’m going to be looking at the race length, cumulative ascent, set up, climate, terrain and points of interest for each one. I’ll be touching briefly on the types of terrain to expect and what bike it favours.
Remember, I’ve picked the most mental ones so they all require training and are not something you should just fly out and try without preparation! That being said, let’s dive straight in…
Here’s my Top 10 Bikepacking Races around the world. (In no particular order)
- The Tour Divide (USA)
- Arizona Trail Race (USA)
- Colorado Trail Race (USA)
- Transcontinental Race (Europe)
- Iditarod Trail Invitational (Alaska)
- RASA Freedom Challenge (South Africa)
- La Ruta de los Conquistadores (Costa Rica)
- Silk Mountain Road Race (Kyrgistan)
- Highland Trail 550 (Scotland)
- Tassie Gift, La Velocita (Australia)
The Tour Divide (USA)
I’ve kicked the list off with my all time favourite, top of my bucket list ride. This event is probably the most famous in the world and rightly so.
It’s definitely the world’s longest off-road cycling event and it encompasses a whole lot of different terrains. The race follows the trails of the Great Divide route from Canada through the Rockies to Mexico.
I’ve talked about this route in my articles on Colorado and Single Speed bikepacking.
- Where: Banff (Canada) to New Mexico (Mexico)
- Length: 4420km
- Cumulative ascent: 60,960m
- Terrain: Off road, mountains,
- Support: Self supported
- Bike: MTB
- Price: free
The route is set to ensure consistency in the timing, but it is not always marked. This means you need to have good navigation skills alongside expert endurance and planning.
There are water stops and checkpoints but some are over 100km apart. This is the Godfather of all bikepacking events. Check out more information here.
Arizona Trail Race 800 (AZTR) (USA)
An unofficial race but popular and epic nonetheless! There are two length options currently, AZT300 and AZT800. I’m focussing on the 800.
- Where: Mexico-Utah
- Length: 1287km
- Cumulative ascent: –
- Terrain: Off road, single track
- Support: Unsupported
- Bike: MTB
- Price: Free ($15 permit needed)
The Arizona Trail is rocky, dusty and technical. Often without frequent water stops so this race needs to be prepared for and requires experience and skills.
The main reason for including this epic ride is that there is a mandatory hike across the Grand Canyon. Yes that’s right, put your bike on your back and walk across the most famous canyon in the world.
How much more epic does it get? You will be hot, sweaty, dusty and muddy on this one. Find out more here.
Colorado Trail Race (USA)
We all know my love for the bikepacking trails in Colorado. So I had to include this race. I dream of moving there for a year and just riding as many trails as I possibly can!
In the Spring and Summer you’ll see the wonderful wildflowers and views for days, but you might also get stuck in crazy wind and hail storms. No one can predict it so, come prepared!
- Where: Denver to Durango
- Length: 869km
- Cumulative ascent: 21336m
- Terrain: single track, mountains
- Support: Unsupported
- Bike: MTB
- Price: Free
This route takes your right through the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains so you need to be very physically fit and prepared for extreme ascents and some technical single track riding.
According to BIKEPACKING.com only 25% of starters actually finished the race in 2017! It’s a self supported, self timed time trial. You’re on your own.
About half the race is single track (woohoo) which makes this a tougher ride but the views of everlasting mountain passes, lakes and forests makes the pain worth it. Read more here.
Transcontinental Race (Europe)
This has been coined one of the world’s toughest endurance cycle races, with some people saying it may take over the Tour de France. While this is more of a road riding race I had to include it because of its epic-ness.
- Where: variable each year (across Europe)
- Length: 4000km
- Cumulative ascent: 40,000m
- Terrain: Mixed road and off road. (Route variable)
- Support: Unsupported
- Bike: Road
- Price: £350
This race is different from the rest as it is road focussed. I’ve included it because I like the multi-day self guided route aspect. The riders clock never stops so they have to navigate their own way between checkpoints across countries and choose how long to spend sleeping, refuelling or riding.
The starting points have been in the UK, France, Germany and Belgium. The end points have been in Turkey, Greece, France and Bulgaria. Then you make your own route between the checkpoints. Find out more here.
Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI 1000) (Alaska)
I’ve always been fascinated by Alaska and I am in awe of how they don’t let their extreme weather get in the way of a good adventure. If it’s raining too much here in Australia we think twice about going out!
It actually enhances their outdoor sporting world. This race has to be one of the craziest I’ve come across. Not only is this bikepacking in the snow on fat bikes, this is potentially skiing and hiking too!
Expect frozen beards and eyelashes and making use of your pogies.
- Where: Trans Alaska: Knik to Nome
- Length: 1600km
- Cumulative ascent: N/A
- Terrain: extreme snow, high force winds and -45degC
- Support: minimal
- Bike: Fat Bike (or skis)
- Price: $650-1600 USD
This event is as extreme as it gets, it’s camping and riding in snow, wind and sub zero temperatures. You take heavy duty kit with you and are alone in the severe unforgiving wilderness.
You can only take on the ITI 1000, if you have successfully completed the ITI 350 and been selected. See more about them both here. That’s how extreme and dangerous it is. I might stick to the sunny trails of Australia for now!
RASA Freedom Challenge (South Africa)
RASA stands for: Race Across South Africa. That is exactly what this race offers you, a tour across the whole country through it’s wilderness, it’s villages and it’s built up areas.
The trail has been designed so there are accommodation and refuel stops regularly, so you can pack light and enjoy the ride.
- Where: Pietermaritzburg – Wellington
- Length: 2150km
- Cumulative ascent: 33,000m
- Terrain: mixed, mountain, villages, forests
- Support: 19 support stations
- Bike: MTB, Gravel bike
- Price: $2463 USD
Though this event is expensive to enter, the price covers all accommodation and food for up to 26 days, transport of non essential items to the finishing point, all downloadable maps and basic spares at the support stations!
Riders need to be experienced in map and compass skills as the use of GPS is not permitted. The event website is here.
La Ruta de los Conquistadores (Costa Rica)
This is a shorter multi-day race spanning the width of Costa Rica. You race for 3 days from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean in a staged MTB event.
This race may be short but it’s tough. You pass through 20 microclimates including extreme steep elevation, down to beaches, villages and treacherous jungle.
You don’t need to carry much kit with you and expect to get downright dirty along the way. The race scales some serious ascents in a very short space of time, so pack your best climbing legs!
- Where: Puntarenas – Limón
- Length: 226km
- Cumulative ascent: 8840m
- Terrain: extremely varied, mountains, jungle
- Support: support stationed event
- Bike: MTB
- Price: –
This is known to be the world’s “original mountain bike stage race” and the one who claims to have “given birth to an entire industry”. So I couldn’t leave it out! Read more about this lung popping race here.
Silk Road Mountain Race (Kyrgistan)
Many of you into your cycle touring will have heard of the Silk Road route, but I wasn’t aware there was a race associated with it. This is a fixed route race with no support.
The clock never stops so you need to choose your riding and resting times wisely. You have 2 weeks to complete the event and check into the final checkpoint.
- Where: Bishkek – Cholpon Ata
- Length: 1800km
- Cumulative ascent: 30,500m
- Terrain: fixed route, mountains, single and double track
- Support: unsupported
- Bike: MTB, Gravel
- Price: £300 – £360
This region is famous for its insane mountain passes and this race is not short of them. It takes the best of them about 8 days to complete and requires confidence on gravel, single and double track.
In parts the roads are in disrepair and you will need to be prepared to hike-a-bike. If you’re heading out this way this racing route is worth a look. See their official website here.
Highland Trail 550 (Scotland)
Here’s the Scottish entry that’s got my pedals tingling. I love the UK and I love the hidden gems that many tourists miss out on and this Highland Trail 550 is certainly a gem.
Read my article on bikepacking routes through the UK to find some more hidden spots. This is a tough ride with BIKEPACKING.com saying it’s only 80% rideable with a difficulty rating of 9/10!
It has been used as a training route for the Colorado Trail and has some gnarly single track and hike-a-bike sections. There is a 10 mile section of epic single track and some white knuckle descents on this route which are worth writing home about!
- Where: Tyndrum loop
- Length: 885km
- Cumulative ascent: 16,000m
- Terrain: mixed, gravel, single track, mountains
- Support: unsupported
- Bike: MTB
- Price: free
It’s self supported and self timed through some of Scotland’s highest and wildest wilderness. Be prepared for wind, rain, hail and annoying midges even during the peak time May-June. Find out more here.
Tassie Gift, La Velocita (Australia)
Described by its creator as ‘a scenic route to hell’ this newbie to the scene is a bikepacking race at the edge of the Earth. Expect some snow and then maybe some swimming, then some sweaty climbs and some heart wrenching descents. This is a completely unsupported route, the creators aren’t even calling it a race, just a suggested start time!
- Where: Hobart loop
- Length: 1778km
- Cumulative ascent: 31,370m
- Terrain: mountain, trail, track,
- Support: unsupported
- Bike: MTB
- Price: free
Often forgotten about, Tasmania is an Australian outdoor lovers best kept secret. This route heads straight up the dark side of Mt Wellington and takes you to the ‘cleanest air in the world’. You’ll have to hike-a-bike certain bits and will be without mobile signal for many parts. This is remote riding at its best. I can’t wait to get over and try this! Have more of a read from the creators here.
So there we have it, a list of epic bikepacking races from across the globe. Some of them are only for the most extreme riders amongst us but a few can definitely be trained for and tried by the mere mortals amongst us! I’ll be starting in Tasmania and getting over to the Tour Divide as soon as I can!
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