Staying Dry on a Bike Trip

Plus, a New Zealand bikepacking documentary, a Utah route, and Stats for the Nerds

Author

Sam Westby
April 17, 2025

Welcome to the Bike Bulletin. May your ride be long and your chain squeak-free.

Thanks for the positive replies and encouragement each week! I’ve had such a great time writing this newsletter. There’s nothing better than sharing the joy of riding a bike.

If you know someone who would get a lot out of the Bike Bulletin, you can just forward this email or send them this link [bikebulletin.com].

—Sam Westby @samcwestby

This is a weekly newsletter about bike trips, urban cycling, and a love for two-wheeled transit. The more time you spend on a bike, the better. I share new editions every Thursday, gearing you up for the ride ahead.

Here’s what we have today.

  • 🌍 RIDE: Stone House Lands Loop (Utah)

  • 💡 TIP: Keeping Your Gear Waterproof

  • 🎥 WATCH: Bikepacking New Zealand (2025)

  • 🚲 ARCHIVES: Oregon professors on a bike trip (1896)

  • 📰 NEWS: New funding, record ridership, and more

ROUTE ON MY RADAR

Stone House Lands Loop (Utah)

Here’s what you’d be getting yourself into.

Loop through the San Rafael Swell in Central Utah. You’ll encounter ancient Native American petroglyphs, ruins of abandoned mining towns, and native wildlife.

BIKE TRIP TIP

Staying Dry on a Bike Trip

Every raincoat seems amazing for the first few months after I buy it. Unfortunately, nothing stays waterproof forever (unless you want to wear inflexible and unbreathable plastic). Here’s what I do to re-up my waterproofing.

First, if you wash your raincoat, check out the manufacturer’s drying recommendations. More often than not, they recommend tumble dry on low. This surprised me, but somehow it reignites the waterproofing.

Second, you can use Spray-On or Wash-In durable water repellent (DWR) treatments.

Spray-On DWR

  • Spray on a coat to your rain jacket, tent rain fly, etc.

  • They make clothing- and tent-specific products

  • Brands: Nikwax, GEAR AID, Grangers, Scotchgard

  • About $15

Wash-In DWR

  • Put your gear in the washer and run a cycle to clean the items

  • Run a second cycle with the Wash-In treatment

  • Dry according to the manufacturer’s recommendations

  • Brands: Nikwax, Grangers

  • About $20

Finally, reseal your seams. A couple of years ago, the seam sealer on my tent’s rainfly was disintegrating (because I used it for 100+ nights in 2023). I went and painted a seam sealer on every seam and was pleasantly surprised when water was constantly dripping on me on rainy nights.

Some brands that make seam sealers are GEAR AID and 3M. They’re all mostly the same.

WHAT I’M WATCHING

Bikepacking New Zealand (2025)

Last summer, I met a few Kiwis on the Tour Divide. They all seemed a little less phased by the insanity of the route. Why? Bikepacking in New Zealand can get wild.

This 51-minute documentary chronicles the rugged and mountainous 1100 km Great Southern Brevet bikepacking event.

Watch on YouTube.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Oregon Professors (1896)

Oregon Agricultural College professors at the end of a bicycle trip from San Francisco to Corvallis in 1896. Photo taken by W.S. Gardner, Corvallis, Oregon.

Credit to @coolbikeart1 on Bluesky.

  • 50%. The reduction in air pollution in Paris, France, since 2005. Why? Active transportation. (Momentum)

  • 112 million. The number of people in the U.S. (35%!) who rode a bike at least once in 2024. This is the highest rate recorded since PeopleForBikes started their survey in 2014. (People For Bikes)

  • 6.3 million. The number of bikeshare and scootershare rides in Seattle in 2024. A new record. (The Urbanist)

  • $4.5 million. The money awarded to Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s bikeshare program for new bikes and more docks. (OnMilwaukee)

  • Atlamsterdam. The new nickname for Atlanta, Georgia. Is the cycling there as great as in Amsterdam? Not yet. But they’re headed in the right direction. (Urbanize)

  • Bike Lane Uprising. A Chicago app that reports bike lane obstructions claims that as of March, delivery trucks, landscaping vehicles, etc., are the worst offenders. (CBS News)

  • Los Angeles. This city is getting sued over violations of its 2015 mobility plan. They did not install protected bike lanes on Vermont Avenue in 2024. (LA Times)

A Note From Sam

Let me know what sections you liked / topics you’d like me to write about. Your feedback helps me shape future editions of the Bike Bulletin!

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