Cass Gilbert
While Out Riding
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Tarptent Double Rainbow Li Review: 765g + Space to Stretch
26 Apr 16 Cass Gilbert / gearTarptent’s Double Rainbow has been a longstanding, affordable favourite amongst the hiking and bikepacking communities. We tested out the new, ultralight Dyneema version – the Double Rainbow Lithium – in a bid to find out if a tent that’s over twice the price is worth all those extra dollars…
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498 mi. / 801 km9 daysNew Mexico Off-Road Runner
147 Apr 12 Cass Gilbert USARunning parallel to the Rio Grande, the New Mexico Off-Road Runner connects Santa Fe and Las Cruces via 500 miles of dirt, gravel, desert, and paved roads. En route, it strikes a satisfying blend of historical intrigue and raw beauty, both of which abound in the Land of Enchantment. Expect ponderosa forests, high desert flora, sun-bleached trucks, and forlorn ghost towns, all set beneath the region's dramatic, starry skies... -
Alone in the Empty Mountains: An Ode to Route Building
27 Apr 9 Cass Gilbert / plogWhilst looking back on a solo trip through Spain’s Serranía Celtibérica, Cass considers the transformative power of route creation, from its ability to inspire others in the bikepacking community, to the way it can help us use bicycles as tools for connection, education, and change…
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Big Agnes Fussell Quilt Review: Jack Frost and Snap Pops
14 Mar 31 Cass Gilbert / gearHave you ever been confounded by all the straps and bungee cords on ultralight quilts? We took Big Agnes’ Fussel UL quilt bikepacking from sea level to 3200m in elevation to test its novel snap button and patch system. Find out how it fared over four months of use.
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It’s a Dog’s Life
52 Mar 26 Cass Gilbert / plogCass examines the relationship between local dogs and visiting bikepackers, and ponders the mixed feelings of fear, love, and pity that man’s best friend can incite. With street dogs on his mind, he returns from a short bikepacking trip to Guatemala with an unusual collection of portraits…
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113 mi. / 182 km3 daysMeandros de Montebello, Chiapas
17 Mar 22 Cass Gilbert Latin AmericaMeandros de Montebello is a meandering loop through Mexico’s Parque Nacional Lagunas de Montebello. Beginning and ending in the laid-back city of Comitán, Chiapas, it’s an ideal introduction to bikepacking. Distance-wise, it can be completed in two full days. But why rush? This is a route best savoured over a long weekend or more, allowing time to visit caves, hike to secluded cenotes, and swim in some of the region's 59 azure and turquoise lakes...
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Tailfin Announces Universal Thru Axle, New Mount, Triple Bosses, and More
23 Mar 12 Cass Gilbert / newsTailfin just announced several updates and new products, including the AP Mount, triple eyelets across the range of alloy arch models, matching black Voilé straps, and a new, universal thru axle that promises to future proof your AeroPack. Find details here…
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Andrea and Jake’s Surly Disc Truckers: A Story of Migration
29 Mar 11 Cass Gilbert / bikesLast year, Andrea and Jake, a couple from El Salvador and the US, prepared to embark on a long-planned bike tour across Latin America just as a pandemic began taking hold. Discover what drove them south nonetheless and read about the issues facing those migrating north here, along with the story of their metamorphosis from bike tourers to bikepackers…
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Sage, Cenotes, and an Ek Balam Jungle Adventure
29 Mar 3 Cass Gilbert / plogPicture a pancake-flat world where $250 cargo trikes and BMX bikes with child seats rule the land. A place where a watery maze of underground rivers course below an extensive network of bike paths. Cass and Sage head out on a jungle adventure across Mexico’s version of the Netherlands, complete with Mayan ruins and magical sinkholes…
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58 mi. / 93 km2.5 daysHebras de Ixtepeji, Oaxaca
12 Feb 25 Cass Gilbert Latin AmericaHebras de Ixtepeji is a short, testing, and very satisfying weekend loop into the mountains behind the city of Oaxaca. It packs in as many low-traffic dirt roads and backcountry singletrack trails as it can, almost all of which is rideable with a lightweight bikepacking setup. Designed with mountain bikers in mind, it also includes an introduction to some of the Sierra Norte's enduro and cross-country trails, an impressive network that draws riders from across Mexico... -
Five Ten Trailcross Mid Pro Review: Bikepacking Meets Space Trooping
57 Feb 19 Cass Gilbert / apparelCass slips his dusty traveler’s feet into a pair of Five Ten’s spacetrooper-style Trailcross Mid Pros. After a few months riding trails, bikepacking, hiking, and kicking around town, find out how this aesthetically divisive footwear fared…
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Santa Fe Green Chile Gravel Growler
34 Feb 11 Cass Gilbert / plogDespite his ever-deepening crow’s feet, Cass ponders the subtle yet persuasive appeal of New Mexico’s magical light and sacred earth. Hypnotised by its empty dirt roads, he shares photos of the as-yet-unfinished Santa Fe Green Chile Gravel Growler route…
