Ambassador, Bikepacking Features

Sarah Swallow’s Ride Across the West on the Golden Gravel Trail

UPDATE: Sarah has started the ride. Track her progress here.

On August 27, 2025, Otso Cycles Ambassador, Sarah Swallow, will set out from Port Orford, Oregon, to ride Adventure Cycling Association’s new cross-country dirt route, The Golden Gravel Trail. The route spans 3,700 miles, with 234,500 feet of elevation gain, from the Oregon coast to the Mississippi River. The route is inspired by the TransAmerica Trail (TAT), a 5,000-mile dirt road dual-sport motorcycle route, on which Sarah and her partner were the first cyclists to complete in 2015. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of her groundbreaking and life-changing ride on the TAT, Sarah will scout, promote, and validate the new Golden Gravel Trail ahead of its official launch in early 2026 by riding as much of the route as she can in 40-50 days. You can track her progress and learn more about the route via Adventure Cycling Association. Sarah will also be posting updates from the trail, which you can follow via her Instagram account, @sarahjswallow.

In August 2015, I closed the doors to my bike shop, Swallow Bicycles Works, and set out to ride 5,000 miles across the U.S. on dirt roads, following a dual sport motorcycle route called the Trans-America Trail (TAT). My partner and I became the first known cyclists to complete the route.

I first learned about the TAT in 2014 while using dual sport motorcycle maps to find dirt roads throughout the Midwest and Southeast. At the age of 27, a cross-country tour felt like a rite of passage. After 15 years of serving southwest Ohio’s cycling community and preparing others for their adventures, I was finally ready to embark on my own and see where it might lead.

We completed the 4,970-mile crossing in 87 days. It was only my fifth bike tour, and it remains the hardest, yet the most transformative thing I’ve ever done. That ride opened my eyes to the sense of freedom and independence a bicycle could offer and shifted my trajectory from working in bike shops to building a life as a professional adventure cyclist.

I’ve been hesitant to return to the TAT since riding it in 2015. Originally designed for dual-sport motorcycles, it proved especially challenging to navigate by bicycle, with long distances between resupply points, hazardous stretches of pavement, and numerous ATV trails. After finishing, I made an effort to share my adjustments and recommendations for the route in case other cyclists followed. To my surprise, they did. First came the American Trail Race (2018–2021), which traversed the complete TAT from North Carolina to Oregon. Then, in 2021, Salida to the Sea launched as a 2,000-mile bikepacking race from Salida, Colorado, to Port Orford, Oregon.

In the decade since my TAT ride, I’ve built a life and career around adventure cycling and bikepacking across the U.S. and abroad. Most of my big trips last 5 to 6 weeks, and are focused less on covering massive distances and more on immersing myself in a place.

Occasionally, I’ve tested myself in ultra-endurance events. In 2021, I rode the Great Divide Classic, a pandemic-era variation of the Tour Divide. I covered 2,500 miles in 21 days and had an incredible experience finding my rhythm while pushing my limits. That ride became a pinnacle experience for me—one that I’ve been chasing ever since.

However, my attempts to recreate it haven’t been successful. In 2022, I started the inaugural New Colo bikepacking race, a 1,000-mile ride through southwest Colorado and northern New Mexico, and quit on the second day. In 2023, I set out to race the Tour Divide with a group of friends, but I stopped after 800 miles. While the reasons for ending those rides were nuanced, what I ultimately came to understand is that competition strips away the aspects of bikepacking I love most: curiosity, connection, and the freedom from urgency.

Still, I’ve felt the pull to take on another long-distance challenge for some time. Earlier this year, I even considered signing up for Salida to the Sea, but ultimately hesitated because it was a race—and I’ve learned that isn’t what I want. So when Adventure Cycling Association reached out this spring to say they were using my feedback to design a bicycle-forward version of the TAT, and wanted me to scout, validate, and promote the new route ahead of its 2026 launch, I felt an immediate spark of intuition to say yes.

That route is the Golden Gravel Trail (GGT), named in honor of ACA’s 50th anniversary. Stretching 3,700 miles with 234,500 feet of climbing, the GGT runs from Oregon’s Pacific Coast to the Mississippi River, following mostly dirt roads across Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.

I couldn’t be more honored to continue shaping the history of the TAT and now the Golden Gravel Trail. With ACA’s legacy of route research, design, and stewardship, I believe the GGT has the potential to rival their Great Divide Mountain Bike Route and emerge as one of America’s most iconic long-distance bikepacking routes.

Preparation

Since committing to this journey in May, I’ve been preparing my mind, body, and spirit for the reality of what’s ahead. With over a decade of bikepacking experience—including trips lasting one to three months and spanning anywhere from 600 to nearly 5,000 miles—my motivation to train was more mental than physical. Physically, I focused on reducing the risk of injury by building a solid base of fitness and ensuring my bike setup felt dialed. Mentally, I needed to define a realistic goal that balanced enjoyment, challenge, and my professional vision for the route. I also needed to process lingering emotions from my 2015 ride on the TAT and confront fears around loneliness and the possibility of “failing.”

Because I’ve struggled with burnout in the past, I knew it was essential that training and preparation not become all-consuming. I wanted to enjoy my summer and stay present for the everyday adventures, work trips, and a big family reunion already on the calendar.

Whenever the training started to feel overwhelming, I would pull back and return to the simple goal of moving my body for an hour a day, whether through a short mountain bike ride, swimming, hiking, or a strength class. Woven into that rhythm have been a few bigger efforts: a bike tour in Sweden, a pair of challenging tours in Colorado, a 100-mile gravel race on my mountain bike, some big days in the mountains, a three-day backpacking trip, a five-day tour in Iceland’s Westfjords, and a week long 50-person family reunion filled with daily swims, bike rides, a pickleball tournament, and even family Olympics. It’s been a fulfilling and fun summer, and doing many of these efforts back to back, it has been a good test of endurance.

The Goal 

The best thing about this ride is that it isn’t a race, and I’m not trying to set a record. That means it’s entirely up to me to decide how I cover the miles, how fast or slow I go, and where I start and end each day. I can accept generosity from strangers without guilt and even welcome friends and family to join me for parts of the ride.

On paper, this sounds perfect. But through my preparation, I’ve learned that this kind of flexibility also makes things less black and white. As unraced as I am, I’m still prone to slipping into a racing mindset. At first, I set my goals based on the numbers I achieved during the Great Divide Classic. To hit those numbers again would require an ultra-minimal setup, sacrificing quality-of-life items like a tent and a cooking kit. After years of living on the bike, I’ve come to realize that those comforts are essential for sustainability, so they’ve become non-negotiables.

A simulation tour on the Colorado segment of the GGT in early July drove this home. I had set out aiming for 100 miles per day. When I couldn’t meet that target, I beat myself up for falling short, and nearly quit the project outright. The goal was too ambitious, and I was putting too much pressure on myself. So, midway through the tour, I stopped, went home, swapped my drop-bar Fenrir (the bike I raced the Divide on) for my flat-bar Fenrir (the one I use on nearly every tour), and reset my goal to 60 miles per day. When I returned to the route with that shift a few days later, everything felt right, and I enjoyed myself again.

At 60 miles per day, the 3,700-mile route would take about 62 days—time I don’t have. My original commitment was 40–50 days, which would put me back home by mid-October at the latest. My goal now is simple: to cover as much of the route as possible within that window, starting with an average of 60 miles per day. That might mean I make it to Colorado and ride home to Durango. Or, if I ride myself into better fitness, I’m having fun and feel good, I may finish it out.

What matters most is that I enjoy my time on the road and stay healthy. Everything after that is secondary.

Still, refining my goal didn’t erase the mental hurdles ahead. In many ways, clarifying the “what” of the ride naturally led me to confront the “how”—how I would navigate the uncertainty, the solitude, doubt, and risks. Setting a realistic daily mileage helped me recover the joy in my ride, but it also surfaced the underlying fears I needed to face before I could find my true “why”.

One of my concerns is safety, particularly when riding a route solo that isn’t yet established. That means I won’t encounter other cyclists very frequently, and some of the communities I pass through may not be accustomed to seeing cyclists. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that traveling solo as a woman adds an extra layer of concern. To address this, I’m making myself as visible as possible on the road, inviting friends and family to join me for sections whenever they can, and planning to camp out of sight. I’m also practicing awareness and staying alert at all times.

Another fear is forest fire smoke. It’s entirely out of my control, and because I have asthma, heavy smoke could be a ride-ending factor. To prepare, I’ll carry an inhaler, an N95 mask, and stay flexible, willing to skip ahead on the route if it means finding better air quality.

Lastly, there’s the deeper fear that I’ll discover this long-distance solo challenge isn’t actually for me. Yet I want it to be. Ever since my Great Divide Classic ride in 2021, there’s been a pull in my gut drawing me toward it. The worry is that if I don’t enjoy myself and stop early, what does that say about that inner magnetism? Do I abandon it—or stop trusting it?

Ultimately, those questions can only be answered through trial and error, by stepping up to the start line and committing to try in the face of the unknown. Whatever the outcome—painful or joyful—I know I’ll learn something about myself, and I’ll be a better person for it.

This is a daunting endeavor, but I’m undertaking it to tune in, meet myself where I am, find my rhythm, and learn through the bicycle and America’s Western landscapes.

On a professional level, my goal is to document the journey, connect with people along the way, and share knowledge that encourages others to experience the route—whether for a single section or the whole crossing. As the first to ride the Golden Gravel Trail, my mission is to be a thoughtful steward and to showcase what this trail, its communities, and its riders have to offer.

Equipment

When I rode the TAT in 2015, I was on a steel Specialized AWOL with 700c x 43mm Bruce Gordon Rock N Roll tires. At the time, it was one of the first mainstream bikepacking gravel bikes on the market, and coming from a background in road, cyclocross, and early gravel, it felt like a massive upgrade. In reality, though, I have traumatic memories: the back pain from pushing a loaded bike with a 40t chainring and an 11–42t cassette over steep, rocky mountain passes in Colorado and Utah, and the dread I felt pedaling through deep sand and ATV trails. But then again, that was only my fifth bike tour, I was young, and I didn’t know what I didn’t have.

Since then, bikepacking has experienced significant growth. More brands are producing dedicated rigs and bags, driven by increased accessibility through shared routes and resources, as well as the growing popularity of the Tour Divide and the rise of ultra-endurance events like the Silk Road and Atlas Mountain Races. 

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to ride and test a wide variety of bikes and setups across various routes worldwide, but the one that consistently proves the most versatile and the one I feel most at home on is my Otso Fenrir Ti hardtail mountain bike.

Traditionally, I’ve used drop bars for my ultra-distance attempts, so that’s what I assumed I would ride for this project. But after my Colorado simulation tour, where I started on a drop-bar Fenrir and ended on a flat-bar Fenrir, I knew the flat bar was the better choice. That decision was reinforced by watching riders in this year’s Tour Divide: not only did many favor flat bars with aero setups and bar ends, but some even went all-in with full-suspension rigs.

Heading into this ride, my rig might be slightly overkill, or it might be just right: 110mm of front suspension, 2.4-inch tires, and a 28t front chainring (what can I say, I like to spin). One thing I know is that I’ll be comfortable, and I’ll be able to ride whatever comes my way. Having experienced the TAT and knowing how much of the Golden Gravel Trail still overlaps with it, I’m certain there will be plenty of chunky, sandy, and steep sections where I’ll be grateful for this setup. And since I’m not racing, I can treat under-geared spinning as active recovery.

When it comes to my packing philosophy, living well on tour is a top priority. I want to sleep and eat well, stay comfortable on and off the bike, feel clean, and generally feel good. At the same time, I want my bike to still feel like a bike—able to maneuver, climb, and descend with stability, without being weighed down by excess baggage. Riding a size small frame also means I have less carrying capacity, so every choice matters. 

I am anticipating many stretches of 100–115 miles, as well as one stretch of nearly 200 miles, without food resupply. Since groundwater access in many places is uncertain, I am prepared to carry enough water to cover 100–120 miles (the 200-mile stretch has groundwater). 

My luxury mental well-being items include a Kindle, a small notebook and pen, and a few skincare essentials in my dopp kit.

By sharing a breakdown of my equipment, I’m not claiming this is the best or the lightest setup. Instead, my goal is to show the balance I’ve found for myself, one that prioritizes comfort, ride quality, and long-term sustainability. 

Before water and food, my bike weighs around 51 lbs.

Lastly, before I sign off on the equipment list below, I would like to take a moment to thank all my brand partners—Fjällräven, Otso Cycles, Ride with GPS, and Ombraz—who have provided me with the funding, equipment, and support to undertake this challenge. Without them, I honestly wouldn’t be able to do this trip, or nearly as many of the others I’ve taken on in the past. I’m deeply grateful to work with such admirable, high-quality brands that not only support me but also share my passion for the type of non-competitive adventure cycling I do. In addition, for this trip specifically, I’ve also received support from Adventure Cycling Association and Teravail, whose support is essential for covering the big grocery bills and occasional rooms I get during my ride. 

Beyond that, I want to thank Durango Cyclery for entertaining all my crazy ideas and accommodating me with last-minute adjustments, always without judgment.

Finally, a huge thank you to the community that continues to stand behind me—through the highs and lows of training and preparation, and soon, as my “mission control” back home: my partner, Adam Gaubert; my parents, Pete and Lennice Lytle; and my sister, Mary. I also want to thank my friend, Jorja Creighton (also known as Jambi Jambi), for editing my video content into something engaging for you to follow, allowing me to focus on riding and capturing. 

Bike

  • Frame: Otso Cycles Fenrir Ti Flat Bar 
  • Fork: Rockshox Sid SL Ultimate 3-position 
  • Wheels: 29” Zipp 1Zero HiTop 
  • Tires: Teravail Camrock 29” x 2.4”
  • Components: SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS with eTap AXS Blipbox and a 10-52T Cassette, Wolf Tooth 28t front chainring, and Level Ultimate Brakes.
  • Cockpit: Truvativ Descent Handlebar, S-Works Overendz Bar Ends, Zipp Vuka Clip Aero bars with 50mm rise, Zipp Service Course SL Seatpost, Fizik Argo Adaptive Saddle.

Bags

Sleep System

The following items are stored in my rear seat bag.

  • Tent: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Mid 1 with a single pole and six MSR tent stakes 
  • Sleeping Bag: Enlightenment Designs 20-degree quilt
  • Sleeping Pad: Exped Ultra 5 R Mummy
  • Pillow: Enlightenment Designs Pillow
  • Sit Pad: ½ a Thermorest Z-Rest

Eyewear

Clothing

The following items are stored in my front bag.

  • Bib Shorts: Fjällräven Hoja Bib Shorts (2026 product)
  • Liner Shorts: Assos Trail Tactica Liner Short
  • Overshorts: Fjällräven Hoja Hybrid Shorts W
  • Leggings: Australian Merino Leggings
  • Short Sleeve Shirt: Arterex Merino Shirt 
  • Long Sleeve Shirt: Fjällräven Abisk Wool Hoodie 
  • Cargo Vest: Albion Hi Vis Cargo Vest
  • Insulated Jacket: Fjällräven Ultra Light Down Jacket (prototype)
  • Insulated Pants: Western Mountaineering Down Pants
  • Rain Jacket: Fjällräven Hoja Prototype
  • Rain Pants: Fjällräven Hoja Prototype
  • Socks: Defeet Wooleator and Woolie Boolie 
  • Gloves: Defeet Dura Wool Gloves and Outdoor Research Rain Mitts
  • Hats: Dangle Supply SPORTS hat and Fjällräven Byron Hat
  • Misc: Cotton Bandana
  • Helmet: Smith Optics Network Mips
  • Shoes: Fizik Terra Clima X2
  • Sandals: Bedrock Classic LT Sandals 

Cooking System

The following items are stored in one of my fork bags, which has additional capacity for storing food.

  • Pot: MSR Ti Kettle 1 L
  • Cup: Snow Peak Ti Mug
  • Stove: MSR PocketRocket
  • Utensil: Seat to Summit Titanium Spork 
  • Knife: Opinel

Electronics

  • The following items are stored throughout my bike. My cameras, headphones, and headlight are stored in my top tube bag. My power bank and Kindle are on the side of my frame bag, and charging accessories are stored in my fork bag. 
  • Phone: Apple iPhone 11 Pro with a new battery and Peak Designs Mobile Case and Mount 
  • Navigation: Garmin Edge 1040 Solar mounted on a K-Edge Aero Mount
  • Satallite Devise (SOS): Garmin Inreach Mini 2
  • Headphones: Apple AirPods Pro
  • Cameras: Ricoh GR II and Insta360 X5 
  • Powerbank: Anker 20,000 mA
  • Wall Port: Anker PowerPort 4
  • Lights: Fenix BC05R V2.0 Rechargeable Bike Taillight and Fenix HM65R-T V2.0 Rechargeable Headlamp 
  • Misc: Amazon Kindle, SRAM AXS spare battery and charger, Apple iPhone SD card reader, 2 x USB 3C cables, 1 x micro USB cable, 1 x Ricoh cable, and 1 x iPhone cable.

Hydration

  • Waterbottles: 25 oz Bivo Stainless Waterbottle and 64 oz Kleen Kanteen
  • Additional Storage: 4 x 1 Liter Platypus Bags
  • Filter: Katadyn 3 L Gravity Filter
  • Purifying Tablets: Katadyn

Repair Kit

I keep my pump, multitools, and chain lube easily accessible on the bike and in the small compartment of my frame bag. The rest of the items are stored in the Wolf Tooth B RAD bag strapped to my frame.

  • Pump: Wolf Tooth EnCase Pump 40cc
  • Multi-Tool: Blackburn Wayside Multi-Tool and Topeak Ratchet Rocket Lite DX Tool Kit
  • Pliers: Leatherman Squirt
  • Chain Lube: Squirt 
  • Plugs: Stans Dart and Wolf Tooth Tire Plug Kit
  • Tire Levers: Pedros Tire Lever and Wolf Tooth Masterlink Cambo Pliers with 2 x 12 speed chain links
  • Derailleur Hanger: Spare Otso Fenrir Derailleur Hanger, Tuning Chip Tool, and Forager Cycles Derailleur Hanger Alignment Tool 
  • Sealant: 2oz of Stans No Tube Latex Sealant
  • Tube: Aerothan Tube 29’
  • Patch Kit: Glue, sandpaper, patches, and tire boot 
  • Misc: 2 x 2032 batteries, 2 x spare brake pads, 1 x spare cleat with bolts, misc. bolts, spare boa lace, and ratchet, variety of needles and thread, thimble, spare velcro, spare Voile nano strap, Rivendell Bicycle Works John’s Strap, and zip ties.

Dopp Kit

  • Toothbrush: Radius Foldable Travel Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste: WELdental Chew
  • Floss: Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss
  • Inhaler: Albuterol Sulfate
  • Earplugs: 3M Classic Earplugs
  • Hand Sanitizer: Dr. Bronners
  • Bug Spray: Repel Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus
  • Sun Screen: La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 60, Dematone Lip Balm SPF 30.
  • Menstrual: Flex Disc 
  • Wipes: Ursa Major Essential Face Wipe
  • Medications: An assortment of Advil, Tylenol, and Benadryl
  • Pee Rag: Kula Cloth
  • Misc: Nail trimmers and tweezers, Magic Molecule antimicrobial spray, Humble Travel Size Deodorant, Burts Bees Chapstick, CeraVe Acne Control Gel, Tea Tree Oil, Fur All Body Wash, Shampoo Bar, Preparation H cream, extra hair ties, Living Libations Moisturizer.
  • Eye drops
  • Neosporn 
  • Tegaderm 
  • Assortment of Band-Aids
  • Alcohol wipes
  • After Bite