2020
We're now accepting letters of intent for the 2020 Super 8 Grand Depart.
The Super 8 Grand Depart is a self-supported bikepacking adventure scheduled to take place on Friday, September 25, 2020. You can find out more about the Super 8 bikepacking route on the routes page. Grand Depart riders will have 3 mileage options: North Lobe (260 mi.), South Lobe (380 mi.), or Full 8 (640 mi). Any direction is welcome, but by convention the South Lobe is ridden clockwise, the North Lobe counter-clockwise, and the Full 8 is south lobe first. All riders will start together in Montpelier, VT, time and exact location TBD.
If you intend to ride, please send a letter of intent to dan@vermontbikepackers.org. The letter must include acknowledgement that you understand that the ride is fully self-supported, and that you as a rider will be solely responsible for your own food, lodging, gear, and medical services should you need them.
In your letter, please also state your intended mileage option. You are welcome to change your choice up until a few weeks before the event. There is no registration fee, but riders will be encouraged (not required) to register with trackleaders.com for live event tracking.
Feel free to reach out to with any questions. More details and updated .gpx files will be released this summer.
2019
In 2019 we hosted a Grand Depart of the Super 8. Riders had 3 mileage options. The event was registered on Trackleaders.com and can be replayed here. Results are posted below in dd:hh:mm format.
2018
In 2018, the Super 8 was undergoing major developments. Payton MacDonald took on an ITT of the perimeter route as part of his "Sonic 8" project.
Trip Reports
2017
In 2017, we hosted a "choose your own adventure" Grand Depart. The Super 8 was more of a network than a definitive loop. All 4 riders camped together for the first two nights, then continued on their separate ways.
Brian Oley rode a plus-tire drop bar mtb and explored a lot of singletrack in Central VT. He stayed out for ~10 days.
Daniel Jordan rode most of the Super 8 perimeter on a drop bar mtb. 8 days.
Eric Azriel rode a fat tire mtb and stayed out for 3-4 days.
Kris Dennan rode a gravel bike and joined for 3 days.
previous results
In 2015, Calvin Decker rode the XVT in 38 hours. You can read about his ride here: