Kentucky Backways Adventure Trail
The Kentucky Backways Adventure Trail (KYBAT) is a 1,000 mile loop (not counting the hard sections) around the hills and mountains of southeastern Kentucky. It is about 40% rural narrow twisty paved roads with the rest being gravel, dirt roads and trails. It will take 6 days of riding to complete the main loop. Some of these areas are very remote. You can enjoy this ride on an adventure bike or a dual sport bike. We recommend spending each evening in a motel along the route and eating in restaurants.
The ride will include an optional riding day in the Hatfield-McCoy trail system
Ride Details
I know many of you also enjoy dreaming about the ride and making your plans, so here is the detail, enjoy!
This BAT ride targets riders who really want to take their adventure bikes off road. At times it can be a tough guys ride. This ride is for skilled, experienced riders only. The ride is put together as a lodging style ride meaning each evening we will spend the night in a different motel. The ride includes easy and hard options for riders wanting choices or having a tough day.
Self Guided Adventure: The Kentucky Backways Adventure Trail (KYBAT) is designed to be a self-guided adventure. As GPS units have become both more powerful and easier to use, it has enabled anyone to be able to easily find their way along the trail. For many, this allows them to just experience the trail without the burden of getting lost.
Buy the GPS Card and Rider Maps:
You can order a microSD Card for your Garmin GPS and a complete set of big picture overview maps as well as tank bag reference maps designed in combination with the microSD card to fit the pocket in your "Tank Bag" (as in the photo at the top of the page).
See the choices below:
KYBAT Choice (Scroll Down Menu)
Free Shipping to Lower 48 States
Checkout View Cart
Notes: I suggest you plan and order early. Normally I ship within a week. But sometimes I run out and it can take me several weeks to get new cards and maps. And sometimes I am out riding and building new adventures so that can be hard too. I list the Option for 2 SD cards because many riders like to carry a backup card or a cheap backup GPS in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
View the ride maps
OK since many of you like to study more detail about the ride, below are the ride maps.
I put these ride maps on the web page because I know a few of you love looking at the ride detail and dreaming about the ride. At first glance these maps do not look so impressive, but they are way cool. If you start zooming in, you can see the ride in incredible detail. I have spent a ton of hours sorting through the details of the ride for each day, so for those of you that enjoy this sort of thing, well enjoy!
Legend:
The Blue lines are MAIN routes
The Red lines are Harder routes
The Green lines are Easy options
The Black lines are the out and back viewpoints
How does the ride navigation work?
This is a self-led GPS ride; all riding is on your own. You are responsible for your own riding. You will be given a GPS map file and instructions on how to use your Garmin GPS unit. People will hook up in small groups of less than 6 riders and tend to ride together. You are not encouraged to ride alone. You are responsible for your own riding and yourself.
(see my ride Navigation Video)
Are you right for this ride?
When something goes wrong on a ride, would your riding friends say that you are more likely to need help or more likely to give help? You should be in the more likely to offer help camp. This ride is filled with riders that are more likely to give help, so most of the time the riders never need help. Additionally there is all the normal stuff, come prepared to maintain your bike, fix your bike on the trail, repair flat tires, deal with bad weather and rain and make a joke or two.
How do I make the GPS stuff so easy?
I develop very high quality ride maps custom for our ride. They come from much of what I and others have ridden. I take the best from all my rides and make new ones.
(See my Custom Ride Maps Video)
Note from me, gpsKevin
My goal for this ride is simple: great riding. So you can count on great routes and places to ride.
But in addition, the ride is about discovering new places, meeting new friends, seeing new parts of the country.
Thanks
gpsKevin
FAQ's
Q; What do I do if I don't have a Garmin GPS?
A: Buy one, you need it, we will show you how to use it. You can get a great one for under $200 bucks. ( See gpsKevin's gps recommendations)
Q: Is the riding really on my own?
A: Yes, but almost everyone hooks up and rides with a friend, or a new friend or me.