The following is an account of a damned fine weekend involving family, friends, and bikes down in the Mark Twain National Forest outside of Steelville, MO. Read on for some serious inspiration!
Words by Sam Botts. Photos by Petey Botts.
"Picked up Petey Friday night. Saturday morning, met Nate at the gas station, headed for Bass River Resort for a weekend of friends and bikes and friends on bikes. Had my dad's Westy (he's very generous, it has been on many bike adventures) packed with two mountain bikes, two cyclocross bikes, two guys and all our stuff. Got to Bass River around 11am. Petey DJ'd, playing some old Memphis rap, eventually winding up with traditional music of India. We got a camp site and set up, anxious to get on the single-track. It was a little cooler than we expected so there was much consideration in regards to gear selection. Fortunately, the gravel climb out of Bass River warmed us up within a mile. The trail awaits!
Let's talk about bicycle camping. Camping by bike is one of the purest ways to experience the great outdoors. We'd love to share our knowledge with you and get more people exploring off the beaten path.
Stop by the shop between August 25 and 28 to check out our back to school sale! All cycling, outdoor, and fitness accessories will be marked down all weekend. We'll have closeout models from Trek, Felt, Salsa, and more. Receive a gift card with the purchase of select current model year bikes.
The Mark Twain National Forest, a staple of adventure riding in Missouri. Its swatches of green mottle maps of Missouri topography like spots on a cow. In those spots, the savvy adventure cyclist finds tumbling miles of gravel roads connected by sketchy stretches of single track. Burbling brooks and sheer bluffs cut throughout the national forest land, slicing through engineer's attempts to conquer these landscapes with asphalt.
