Idaho's Hot Taco Bikepacking Race
The second annual Hot Taco will begin Thursday July 24th, 2025. Read more about this first ever women's bikepacking race, and learn how to get involved.
Background 🌮
Race director Connie Hendricks is an experienced bikepacker who has been an integral part of IWBP since its inception. She saw a need for a women-only (and those identifying as women) bikepacking race, and designed this event to feel less intimidating by taking away the male competition and by choosing a length that is very doable for a first time race. Not to mention someone who just wants to do something different or less time consuming than other much longer races in the region.
The Hot Taco’s inaugural run was in 2024. 18 racers entered and 15 finished — an amazing success rate for any bikepacking race! The goal again this year will be to get all women across the finish line. For some this will be a 2 day ride, for others it could be 4+ days. It doesn’t matter — the women who cross the finish line are all winners!
When: Thursday July 24th 2025 at 5:00 AM
Where: Start and finish is at the corner of 13th and Eastman in Boise’s Hyde Park
The Course 🔥
The route covers about 200 miles and 22,000 feet of climbing. While shorter than other bikepacking races in the region, the Hot Taco will definitely not be easy! Expect spicy climbs, delicious descents, high mountain valleys, charming small towns, and dozens of rivers and creeks. Terrain is about 75% gravel and dirt road, 20% singletrack, 5% pavement.
Oh and did we mention it will be hot?
Here is a rough course outline (* = resupply options):
Begin in Boise’s Hyde Park
Rocky Canyon
Grimes Creek
Placerville *
Alder Creek and Wash Creek
Garden Valley *
Scriver Creek
Round Valley
Smith’s Ferry *
High Valley
Horseshoe Bend *
Harris Creek
Bogus Basin *
Enjoy a fun singletrack descent to the finish!
Course Links
Basic bikepacking race rules apply. You are on your own, 100% self-sufficient, self-supported, no outside help, no sharing tents or gear or food, no gear or water stashing. Services that are commercially available to all can be used (e.g. gas station, restaurant).
More Info and Signing Up 🌶️
Thinking about entering, ready to commit, or need more information?
Read more about the race, or follow for photos and news:
All racers will be tracked on Trackleaders. Details on this will be sent out to all those who email Connie about their plans to race.
Reviews and Tips from Last Year’s Racers 🚵♀️
Connie put together a gorgeous course with the perfect mix of terrain. Even the hard parts were fun! All of the women were cheering each other on, it was a really special race environment. Don’t miss it!
— Jennifer Lucey
Hot Taco is approachable given its short-ish distance and proximity to civilization and also super challenging! The camaraderie was amazing and so supportive with lots of finishers and friends and family leaving trail magic and cheering on riders at the end. Bring your comfiest biking shorts, some good audiobooks and music, and get excited to do the hardest thing you’ll ever do - that you’ll probably sign up for again and again.
— Tanessa MacKenzie
The course was spectacularly pretty but HOT. Take hydration and cooling seriously. Because there are opportunities for resupply and the nighttime temps are warm, you can pack lightly for this one!
— Kristen Bonkoski of Femme Cyclist
It can be very intimidating to sign up for a race that’s going to be over 100 degrees during the day, but it’s a different kind of challenge that you can still plan for and turn into success. I found myself resting more during the hot afternoon sun and waking up at 3 am to beat the heat. The course felt safe and has plenty of stops for resupply.
— Megan Campbell
This was my first ever bike packing race and I found it to be approachable yet still challenging. Lots of solid climbs and plenty of fun downhill runs, too!
Options that worked well with my kit: with overnight temps in the low 50s, I ditched my sleeping bag and opted to sleep in my down jacket and down pants inside a bivy. It was super lightweight, easy to pack and I kept plenty warm. Also, during the hottest parts of the day, I found some shade and laid down for a 2-3 hour nap. Overall, I focused my riding on early morning and later afternoon and evening.
There’s also plenty of resupply, so you can pack light on food too! I did not bring a cook stove and instead brought snacks (beef jerky, nuts, bars, etc.) and purchased my larger meals at restaurants and stores along the route
— Jennifer Isenhart
Hot Taco was my first bikepacking race. As a race, it’s different than the trips I had done with IWBP. For starters, you are responsible for EVERYTHING!!
Tip 1: Study the Route. I especially recommend satellite views on your computer. Make sure you download the route for offline use. Talk to other women that are doing or have done the race. Ask questions now so that you are mentally prepared. In doing so, you can focus your efforts on riding. Also, it’s always a good idea to print out the map and Cue Sheet as a navigational backup.
Tip 2: Pack with a Purpose. Only bring what you need to complete the race. Ask yourself, do I need sandals, an extra jersey, shorts and socks? It’s far more important to have all the right layers. Since clean socks make me happy and they are light weight, I would pack an extra pair again, but not the rest.
Tip 3: Know where everything is stored on your bike. When you re-pack during the race, avoid rushing and putting things in a different place. It will be tempting, but don’t do it. When you grab for your headlamp and it’s not where you normally pack it, you will remember this tip in the future.
Doing the Hot Taco was completely out of my comfort zone. There were so many unknowns — the biggest being, can I pedal that many miles and climb that much vertical in the heat? The answer ended up being YES!
Hot Taco will test you, but when you finish (and it doesn’t matter how many days), you will discover how strong, resilient, and brave you really are.
— Jennifer Biondi of Biondi Brand
The more I read about it, the more I want to ride it :)
OK this is SO COOL! I've been dreaming of running a women's only route out of Nelson. I can't make it this year, but the hot taco is in my calendar fo next year. You folks are so inspiring!