The bike I rode across NH←

Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail

on bikes, life

In October 2025, my friend Asher and I biked 86 miles across New Hampshire along the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail (XNHAT).

We drove to Bethel, Maine and hired a shuttle to take us and our bikes to Wells River, Vermont where we set off and did the ride in two 40-ish mile days. We were about as late in the season as we could comfortably do the trip, and even then, the evening light dwindled faster than we were ready for, and we couldn’t make it to the place we had originally planned to camp. After getting turned away from another campground on the way that had closed for the season, we rode to what was effectively a little trainyard and pulled our bikes down the hill and into the brush to set up camp by headlight and heat up some water for noodles. Asher admitted to me that it was his birthday(!!), and later said the stealth-camping was a standout highlight from the trip.

We took the next day a little more leisurely, and after biking through a chilly start to the day, found a scenic spot to brew some tea—a Juice Journo raw pu-erh dragonball from Mei Leaf that I brewed grandad-style in a thermos.

With my bike by the train at the start of day 2Point-of-view of a scenic lookout from behind the Jones Bars handlebars
Asher and me with our bikes in the parking lot before rolling out Selfie by a covered bridge Me and my bike in front of a covered bridge Point of view on a wooden pedestrian bridge Tents set up in the brush Asher on the trail Sharing tea with a view Selfie on the trail
Me in front of my bike on the trailA clever signature on the side of a train in the yard
Otso Fenrir with Jones Bars on the XNHAT Otso Fenrir near a covered bridge on the XNHAT Bikes against the train Bikes against the train Otso Fenrir with Jones H-Bars on the XNHAT Asher and me after the ride

I rode an Otso Fenrir rigid mountain bike modified with Jones H-Bars, which I had put together through Maine Bike Works in Scarborough. Jason and Theron went well above and beyond for me and my myriad questions, and I couldn’t even imagine going anywhere else for adventure-themed bikes, gear, or questions.