Cass Gilbert

Is coffee outside an excuse to get out on a morning ride, or the gateway drug to a local overnighter? Cass ponders how small rituals encourage us to slow down and linger, as the Oaxaca Café Afuera Crew heads out to the newly opened Café Cruz de la Peña, lured into a 6,000-foot climb by the promise of the best sunrise coffee and conversation in town…

In this cross between a Rider and Rig and Route Report, Cass heads off to ride the epic and wild Vuelta de Citlaltépetl, a loop he’s shared on the site and written about for The Bikepacking Journal, as a yearly bike touring pilgrimage of sorts. This time, he does it in style. Or, at least, in Corey-style, complete with a chimney-equipped hot tent pulled in a trailer by a pink Bike Friday…

In their final mountain missive from Colombia, Cass and Emma trace their ride to El Cocuy National Natural Park. They roll along dirt roads with colourful Lada Nivas, strike up chats with poncho-clad Boyacenses, and race milk lorries through the folds of the Andes. Ultimately, they choose to follow their hearts rather than the map, heading off route for a few last nights in páramo country. Read all about it here…

As a follow-up to their last Colombian journal entry, Cass and Emma head north of Bogotá to ride two of the site’s popular routes, Páramos Conexión and Oh Boyacá! After fabulous encounters and 35,000 meters of climbing, they wonder to themselves, “Can anywhere be as good as Colombia for dirt road, mountain touring?” Find out here…

In this report from Colombia, Cass and Emma share a journal entry from riding a trimmed-down version of the Ruta Chingaza, a multi-day loop that takes them from a balmy, jungly 1,500 meters to a 3,400-meter expanse of páramo and its otherworldly frailejón, just a day’s ride on dirt roads from the capital, Bogotá. At 290 kilometers and with a hearty 10,000 metres of climbing, it’s quite the welcome to the Andes…

There are shakedown rides, and then there are shakedown rides. For their Good Night 2025 campout, Cass and Emma take on a local overnighter to test their bikes, bodies, and gear before heading off to the Colombian Andes. In doing so, Cass remembers all the times he’s ridden up and down the Oaxacan classic known as La Reina, and those he’s shared the experience with, be they on vintage mountain bikes, enduro bikes, or titanium dream machines…

For his Editor’s Dozen, an impending bikepacking trip to Colombia has Cass running through his gear with a fine-tooth comb, seeing what makes the cut. Find a tent, a GPS unit, a nut butter knife, and even a three gram bidet, plus personal highlights, favourite tours, bike mods, and more in his wide-ranging list of top picks for 2025…

Updating our original Surly Bridge Club review six years after it was first published, we’re revisiting the enduring budget-friendly platform to see how its promise of versatility has withstood the test of time. Find Cass and Neil’s two-in-one video and written review of the Bridge club as it takes on commuting, camping, dirt touring, and everything in between…

Following a year of sharing adventures with his son and friends, Cass Gilbert reflects on some of his standout items and ideas in his 2024 Editor’s Dozen. He also offers an update on how his picks from last year have fared up to today. Find new favorites from rides around Mexico, England, France, Colorado, and beyond here…

Seeking a two wheeled spring break adventure, Cass and his son Sage return to New Mexico after a number of years away, to reacquaint themselves with the city’s bike paths and spend a night under enchanting skies. Read on for a story about a family campout on the Caja del Rio, and a visit to an emporium of preloved outdoor gear that is sure to delight both parents and children alike…

In our latest Rider and Rig feature, we catch up with geologist, educator, and route builder Seth Kruckenberg, creator of several fabulous desert rides published on this site. As well as dissecting his all-terrain, Rohloff-powered Tumbleweed Prospector—a stunning build that includes an unusual but elegant set of handlebars—Seth shares insightful tips on understanding geological terrain and using topography for route creation so you can plan spectacular trips of your own. Find it all here…

Filling a gap in their ever-expanding lineup, Tailfin’s latest Mini Pannier offers 16L of rattle-free storage, aiming to provide a Goldilocks size that suits everything from bikepacking trips to grocery runs to laptop-loaded commutes. After spending several months with a pre-production version in the run-up to their launch, Cass reports in with some long-term findings…