Vermont rider profile #6

Well, March is behind us. I ran a small series profiling some of our local riders that enjoy bikepacking. We are now in to April but I have one more profile to share here.

I give to you, Jay Thomas. I have ridden with Jay a couple of times. I find that he is very personable and has great little stories to share. If you get a chance to ride with him, I'd recommend you taking the opportunity.

What bikepacking have you done? 
I've done a lot of local overnighters both solo and with friends, a handful of multi-day trips and a couple of races.

What were some of your biggest trips?
Well I haven't gone as big as some of the studs that have been featured here previously! My longest route was 250 miles but that was spread over four days. Other than that, I've done a couple one-nighters that included two 100-mile days.

What routes have you ridden? 
Mostly Vermont based stuff, most of which has been exploring and linking up various trail networks and class 4 roads. I've also had the opportunity to ride in Arizona and Alaska; both of which were amazing.

What races have you been a part of? 
Technically I've done 1 & 1/3 races. I completed the Coconino 250 in Arizona and did 85 miles of the Kenai 250 in Alaska in a 40 degree downpour before deciding that was all the fun I could handle.

What (future) plans do you have? 
Right now I don't have anything imminent on the horizon. I'll likely do the XVT route if a group decides to get together this summer and the Colorado Trail is still high on my bucket list. Whether that be the CTR or a tour, I'm not sure. This summer my son is now old enough and has progressed in his riding enough that I'm looking forward to some short trips with him. We both love to ride and camp so that'll be a great way to spend some time together.

Whom with? 
Anyone who's up for an adventure.

What/how do you pack? 
I've invested in some quality gear because it makes life so much easier but really when it comes down to it, I'm not a weight weenie. Comfort is the most important to me and I'd rather add a pound to my kit if it means a good night's sleep. I use Revelate seat and frame bags and have been happy with both. Usually it's clothing in the seat bag, food/tools/spare parts/water in the frame bag and my sleeping kit gets strapped to the bars. On longer trips I may add a backpack for additional water capacity but I really hate wearing one.

How do you eat? 
On most trips you're at the mercy of whatever is along the route but I'm lucky that my stomach can handle pretty much anything found in your average gas station. The higher the calorie content the better. I've also found that I'm largely carnivorous on long rides so I eat a lot of pepperoni and dinner is usually a big hunk of summer sausage and a block of cheese. I don't carry a stove.

Special gear/style of packing? 
Nothing out of the ordinary but again, comfort is king. I'd rather carry something and not need it than be stranded/cold/miserable because I was trying to go minimalist.

Do you have a race strategy?
Yes, finish. So far that strategy has a 50% success rate.

How do you train? 
I was originally going to do the CTR in 2012 but that fell through at the last minute. In preparing for that though, I used LW Coaching's CTR Training Plan. Lynda is a great coach and honestly, the program kicked my ass. Basically it was like another full time job for 12 weeks. Without a carrot on a stick like the CTR though, my "training" is pretty informal. I try to ride whenever I can and mix in a fair share of intervals and hill repeats.

Any off season considerations? 
Just stay active and try not to get fat. Like everyone, I have a love/hate relationship with my trainer and The Sufferfest series but I love to get out on my fatbike and bc skis whenever possible.

How much riding/how much work/family time, etc.? 
How much riding - not enough. How much work - too much. Family time - hanging out with my cool kid whenever possible. If anyone's found a way to strike the perfect balance of the three, PLEASE let me know!

What do you like about it (bikepacking) ..... Why do you do it? 
Oh man, it includes pretty much all of my favorite things! Riding, camping, exploring, nature, pushing your limits and spending time with friends and family.

Anything strange ..... Seen, done, or happened while out there's? 
During the Coconino I was 12 hours into the day and three hours into the most ridiculous hike a bike you could imagine. Really hating life at that particular moment. My headlamp focused on a glowing set of eyes and while I dug my camera out to get a picture, it let out a very un-friendly growl. Normally I would have been terrified, but knowing that if it ate me at that particular moment the miserable H-A-B would be over, I snapped my picture, yelled at it to STFU and continued on my way while it crashed off through the bushes.