Impromptu bikepacking/touring dilemma..

[GirishH]

I love bikepacking—especially on my fatbike. I left it in Nepal last year hoping to eventually ride it across Western Nepal into the Indian Himalayas, right where I find myself today.

​Ladakh is incredible, nestled between China, Pakistan, and towering Himalayan ranges. I arrived a couple of days ago and quickly realized I need my own bicycle. Everyone here rides chopper motorcycles, Royal Enfields, and while a friend kindly offered to lend me his, I’d much rather explore this landscape on foot and/or bicycle..

​Since I plan to stay for around two months, renting isn't practical. A local shop that rents Treks and Giants suggested buying an entry-level MTB instead.

​Alongside the bike, I’ve to pick up: a helmet, bottle cage, gel seat cover (left my padded shorts in Nepal), and a rear-view mirror. I'll have a spare tube and patch kit, but portable mini-pumps are nowhere to be found—my backup plan will be flagging down passing military convoys.

   

This is a photo of a few downhill cyclists i found yesterday as I sent there to acclimatize..this is at around 13,000 feet

​I’ll be carrying everything in a 50lt backpack and climbing passes up to 17,800+ feet where snow is common, so balancing weight and cold-weather gear is essential.

​Here’s the bike I might end up getting:
https://firefoxlife.com/products/dominator-1

​I did a month-long tour across Southern India carrying just two changes of clothes, but the Himalayas are different —extreme altitude, dry heat, punishing winds, sparse settlements, and patchy cell coverage.

​For those who’ve done high-altitude touring out here: what are your best tips or hard-learned lessons for packing light, staying self-sufficient and safe?

[GirishH]

As I keep pondering how to pack/carry everything on my back for this trip, I did a Google search for bikepacking hacks and found the following..

https://bikepacking.com/gear/bikepacking-hacks/

I will definitely try the # 4, Drybag Seatbag..

I did tie stuff to my handbar on the last trip so that's definitely another way to reduce weight on my back...

[Flowrider]

@GirishH. All good? Were you involved with the glacier floods?

[GirishH]

@Flowrider, unfortunately, I am now in the Indian Himalayas.

​I spent two months (May and June'26) traveling, learning, working, and getting to know the affected regions of Nepal intimately. Syabrubesi—the village I returned to three or four times to rest and recharge before heading back into the wilderness again and again—is completely gone.

   

My host and her home, the 3-4 year little girl who taught me a bit of Nepali, and all the kind-hearted locals who took care of me and fed me, are gone too.

   

​It is hard to process.

​I plan to return and pay my respects as soon as I can.

Until then, I feel a responsibility to make the most of every day in their honor.

​Here in Ladakh, I often visit Buddhist monasteries to offer prayers; my hosts in Nepal were all Tibetan Buddhists.

2 days ago, I bought a mountain bike to explore this side of the Himalayas simply because I still can and I feel obliged. During these long days, my mind constantly wanders back to Nepal—to the family, friends, and strangers who showed me such overwhelming kindness and love.

(08-27-2026, 03:32 AM)Flowrider Wrote:  @GirishH. All good? Were you involved with the glacier floods?

[Flowrider]

That's so sad. At times like this, I'm grateful for how blessed I am for where I live 🤞🏻🙏

Take care and keep spreading your amazing, inspirational attitude! 🌄

[GirishH]

@Flowrider, we truly are blessed, and I am grateful every day for our roots, where we live, and everything we have.

Inspirational attitude? When a German cyclist lent me his Ortlieb bikepacking bags without a second thought, I realized cyclists transcend borders, race, and every kind of barrier. I have no excuse not to continue my Ladakh adventures!

(08-31-2026, 04:46 AM)Flowrider Wrote:  That's so sad. At times like this, I'm grateful for how blessed I am for where I live 🤞🏻🙏

Take care and keep spreading your amazing, inspirational attitude! 🌄

[Flowrider]

You wrote..."Inspirational attitude? "

Yup, definitely! How many amongst the billions who live in this world would have been able to accomplish what you've done on your bike and will be doing in the future?

You have an amazing, inspirational attitude to life that I'm sure has inspired others in their own lives

[GirishH]

Thanks, @Flowrider for your kind words.

To be honest, my inspiration was my college advisor in the US, who used to send me postcards from his long-distance bike tours across Europe and South America. Soon after, local riding buddies introduced me to cycling clubs organizing metric and imperial centuries. That eventually led me to the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA), which connected me with riders in South America. Through the cycling grapevine, epic routes in Nepal and Ladakh also landed on my radar.

Now, Emily, an Aussie friend of mine is pedaling across Kyrgyzstan after tackling China and—believe it or not—Pakistan.

If I can convince even one skeptic to start riding, I’ll consider it a win. Cycling breaks down mental barriers for me. That is why I keep heading out, even on mornings when I dread the brutal climbs, bad traffic, or the sheer exhaustion ahead.

Case in point: I was back in the saddle today after a short break, and a group of guys on chopper motorcycles passed by, giving me enthusiastic thumbs-ups. I might be a little crazy, but moments like that make it feel completely worth it..

(09-01-2026, 05:01 PM)Flowrider Wrote:  You wrote..."Inspirational attitude? "

Yup, definitely! How many amongst the billions who live in this world would have been able to accomplish what you've done on your bike and will be doing in the future?

You have an amazing, inspirational attitude to life that I'm sure has inspired others in their own lives

[GirishH]

A sad but fun update on this impromptu bikepacking tour:
I ended up buying a "new" bicycle here in Ladakh, but from day one, the gears were not shifting right. It's a 3x8 Shimano, yet the gears kept slipping and jumping. The mechanic claimed it was because the bike or cable was still new—or some such excuse.

I tried it for a day, but it didn't feel right. I brought it back, asked him to take a thorough look, and left it for two days. Afterward, he assured me it was all good.

I tested it and it felt fine, so I started with small rides—especially since it was a new bike, a new setup, and I had all the load on my back.

Day one: about 16 miles with roughly 2,000 feet of elevation gain. Everything went fine, except the seat kept slipping down, so I jerry-rigged a fix using a discarded soda can.
   
   
The next trip was about 22 miles with 3,500 feet of climbing, all in the 10,000 to 12,000-foot range.
   


Then came the real challenge: crossing a 17,400-foot mountain pass within the first 16 to 18 miles. I started at 7:20 AM and finally hit the summit around 3:40 PM.    

After that grueling climb, I had a steep 30-kilometer descent. It went smoothly, except for one moment when I lost all brakes because they got too hot, I guess.

The next day, riding on flat roads, the gears started acting up again—one lever press would trigger three or four shifts. Then, after an hour or so, something snapped and flew off.
   
I coasted to a halt and saw the rear derailleur hanging off the road, the chain hopelessly wound around the wheel, and a broken spoke.
   

And just like that, I knew it was the end of my bicycle adventure.

In a way, I was almost glad; I could finally just walk on my own two feet and stop worrying about mechanical breakdowns. I know my limits and what spares to carry...

Alas...

[Jesper]

I do not know what to say @GirishH .

Those who know me also know that I am rarely speechless; especially in the written word.

[Flowrider]

Wow! Tough man! When you say the end of your biking adventure, do you mean just for this trip, or for good?

And what's happened to Mr Gordo?

[ElizarovAndrey]

That looks like an amazing place to ride. Two months around Ladakh sounds like a proper adventure. Hopefully you manage to find a decent bike and a mini-pump before you have to start flagging down military convoys

[GirishH]

@Jesper, maybe this is how MisterGordo is taking its revenge for cheating on it... :-)

​Actually, after riding this bike for a day or two, I had already accepted that I might be forced to walk...

​All is good, though. This "walking/trekking" of the distances is giving me great training for the next trail race I'm running..

---

@Flowrider , MisterGordo is still in Nepal and is probably pretty pissed off as it will be nearly a year since we last met or had some "fun"..

I hope to get him soon..because Ladakh is MisterGordo's playground and so are the rest of the Himalayas..:-)

​
​

(09-15-2026, 04:37 PM)Flowrider Wrote:  Wow! Tough man! When you say the end of your biking adventure, do you mean just for this trip, or for good?

And what's happened to Mr Gordo?

---

@ElizarovAndrey , for this trip in Ladakh, I ended up buying a portable pump, a spare tube, a multi-tool, and other basics because I knew I’d be in a place where finding another soul would be tough. Instead of the popular Khardung La pass, I took Wari La, which sees less traffic (motorcycles and military convoys), so I had a lot more wildlife encounters and quiet time with nature...

Have you cycled in Ladakh? Where all did you visit while here?

(09-15-2026, 10:07 PM)ElizarovAndrey Wrote:  That looks like an amazing place to ride. Two months around Ladakh sounds like a proper adventure. Hopefully you manage to find a decent bike and a mini-pump before you have to start flagging down military convoys

[meamoantonio]

(08-24-2026, 03:11 AM)GirishH Wrote:  I love bikepacking—especially on my fatbike. I left it in Nepal last year hoping to eventually ride it across Western Nepal into the Indian Himalayas, right where I find myself today.

​Ladakh is incredible, nestled between China, Pakistan, and towering Himalayan ranges. I arrived a couple of days ago and quickly realized I need my own bicycle. Everyone here rides chopper motorcycles, Royal Enfields, and while a friend kindly offered to lend me his, I’d much rather explore this landscape on foot and/or bicycle..

​Since I plan to stay for around two months, renting isn't practical. A local shop that rents Treks and Giants suggested buying an entry-level MTB instead.

​Alongside the bike, I’ve to pick up: a helmet, bottle cage, gel seat cover (left my padded shorts in Nepal), and a rear-view mirror. I'll have a spare tube and patch kit, but portable mini-pumps are nowhere to be found—my backup plan will be flagging down passing military convoys.



This is a photo of a few downhill cyclists i found yesterday as I sent there to acclimatize..this is at around 13,000 feet

​I’ll be carrying everything in a 50lt backpack and climbing passes up to 17,800+ feet where snow is common, so balancing weight and cold-weather gear is essential.

​Here’s the bike I might end up getting:
https://firefoxlife.com/products/dominator-1

​I did a month-long tour across Southern India carrying just two changes of clothes, but the Himalayas are different —extreme altitude, dry heat, punishing winds, sparse settlements, and patchy cell coverage.

​For those who’ve done high-altitude touring out here: what are your best tips or hard-learned lessons for packing light, staying self-sufficient and safe?

I'd stay away from buying this bike my friend, it's only a single speed, I know you're very strong but I think you'll have a much more relaxed time if you at least had 36T or maybe even 42T at the back? a lot of climbs will be in front of you and I think you're so much better off with your usual rig right?

[Flowrider]

Totally agree. I'm not sure if that's the right link. Tough to be riding 18,000+ feet of terrain on a single-speed!

[GirishH]

@Flowrider and @meamoantonio, my bad for posting the wrong link earlier! The bike I got was supposed to have 24 gears, but from day one, maybe 14 or fewer actually worked.

​And then it broke down completely within three days—I guess it just wasn't meant to last or it didn't know the manufactures tagline, "Stop Nowhere."

Still, I pushed through albeit at a slower pace, and yesterday I crossed the pass, whether with a bicycle or without one!

   

​I guess MisterGordo got its revenge. :-)

(09-19-2026, 12:45 AM)Flowrider Wrote:  Totally agree. I'm not sure if that's the right link. Tough to be riding 18,000+ feet of terrain on a single-speed!

[Flowrider]

When will you get MisterGordo back?

[ReapThaWhirlwind]

(09-28-2026, 03:15 AM)GirishH Wrote:  The bike I got was supposed to have 24 gears, but from day one, maybe 14 or fewer actually worked.

Oh God, that must have been a militant experience.

I just picked up a bike the other day, a Mongoose Pro Super Elite Tyax, that was likely someone's "ride into the ground and never maintenance" childhood bike.

The derailleur was snapped off and I had to sever the chain and link it up into a single speed to ride it home.

It was 32:12 the whole way of 8 miles. So much fun ^^;

[GirishH]

@ReapThaWhirlwind, I will start a separate discussion thread but just curious how can such "catastrophic" failure happen...

It's the first time for me..and it was a nightmare scenario..not that I had ever seen it happen...and to a "brand" new bicycle

Frankly, I was in a safe, flat, warm part of the Himalayas and it was around afternoon. So, lots of time to process and figure a "bailout" option...which in my case was, walk...:-) that's after securing the bicycle in a store place..

(09-30-2026, 12:35 PM)ReapThaWhirlwind Wrote:  

(09-28-2026, 03:15 AM)GirishH Wrote:  The bike I got was supposed to have 24 gears, but from day one, maybe 14 or fewer actually worked.

Oh God, that must have been a militant experience.

I just picked up a bike the other day, a Mongoose Pro Super Elite Tyax, that was likely someone's "ride into the ground and never maintenance" childhood bike.

The derailleur was snapped off and I had to sever the chain and link it up into a single speed to ride it home.

It was 32:12 the whole way of 8 miles. So much fun ^^;