Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Cass Gilbert
Contributing Editor
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Announcing the Surly Dunoon Dirt Dash gravel event
4 Aug 29 Cass Gilbert / DispatchWhy not head to Scotland this autumn? Held on Scotland’s Adventure Coast, the Surly Dunoon Dirt Dash promises fine gravel riding, camaraderie, and camping the shadow of a castle!
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First Look: 2020 Bombtrack Beyond+ ADV
37 Aug 23 Cass Gilbert / Bikepacking Bikes2020 sees a few tweaks to Bombtrack’s big-wheeled Beyond+ ADV, including three-pack cage mounts on each seatstay. Here are all the details, the full build kit, and a few thoughts on how it rides.
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2020 Bombtrack Audax and Audax AL: First Impressions
37 Aug 19 Cass Gilbert / Bikepacking BikesContinuing our coverage from Bombtrack’s Groundwork launch event: If you’re in the market for a bike primed for bikepacking and gravel riding, you’d be forgiven for thinking Bombtrack’s Audax range doesn’t tick the relevant boxes. But don’t be misled by the name, which suggests long distance, road-based randonneuring… because these bikes can do a whole lot more than that.
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First impressions on the 2020 Bombtrack Hook EXT, EXT-C, and ADV
53 Aug 16 Cass Gilbert / Bikepacking BikesCass Gilbert heads out to rooty, doubletrack-laced Bergisches Land to try out some of Bombtrack’s 2020 range of bikes. Here are his thoughts on the burly, gravel-chomping, bikepacking-friendly Hook EXT and EXT-C, as well as the (slightly oddball) Hook ADV…
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Amanda and her Salsa Fargo Plus Bike
20 Aug 7 Cass Gilbert / Bikepacking BikesWe chat to Amanda Andros about the European bikepacking tour she’s currently sharing with her partner Chris, and find out which routes they’ve ridden so far, where they’re headed to next, and what motivates her to bikepack rather than tour more traditionally. Plus, Amanda shares some one-pot recipe ideas to help stay happy and healthy on the road…
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61 mi. / 98 km 2 daysPurbeck Bimble, Dorset UK
34 Aug 1 Cass Gilbert EuropeAs the name suggests, the Purbeck Bimble isn’t a mile-crunching sufferfest. Rather, it's an exploratory ramble that uncovers almost every nook and cranny of Dorset's beguiling Isle of Purbeck. Because despite its modest proportions, this petite parcel of Dorset land is filled with many treasures, be it roller-coasting bridleways, a crumbling castle, quirky place names, spectacular ridge riding, gorgeous swimming coves, or fine local fare. -
A First Multi Generational Bikepack
23 Jul 31 Cass Gilbert / InspirationCass Gilbert reminds us that it’s never too late to start bikepacking. In his first multi-generational tour, he, his six-year-old son, and his seventy-three-year-old mum enjoy three days bike riding and camping around the gravel paths of the New Forest. Plus, hints and tips for planning something similar, and a map of the route.
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70 mi. / 113 km 2.5 daysThe Brecons Bash, South Wales
25 Jul 25 Cass Gilbert EuropeEasily reached by train from Bristol and Cardiff, the Brecons Bash is a route that connects two of the Brecon Beacons National Park’s classic ‘Killer Loops’, with some honest-to-goodness, Roughstuff-style bike pushing in between. Expect 17th Century drovers’ roads, ribbons of grassy, ridgetop singletrack, and during the summer, bountiful harvests of wild winberries... -
63 mi. / 101 km 2 daysNew Forest Gravel Taster, UK
78 Jul 18 Cass Gilbert EuropeThe UK's (not so) New Forest makes a great locale for those dipping their toes in gravel riding, or anyone wishing to escape the Big Smoke for the night, and enjoy some forest bathing... bikepacking style. Of course, slow food is a big part of slow travel, so we've woven in local favourite eateries to this beautiful, mellow route too. -
Solo Stove Lite Review: twig powered cooking
72 Jul 12 Cass Gilbert / Bikepacking GearCass tries his hand at cooking with the Solo Stove Lite, an ultralight cooking system that uses twigs, leaves, and other forms of biomass to generate heat. Read on to find out how it fares in both perfectly dry Spanish conditions, and less than ideal UK drizzle…
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A Mini Vuelta de Vasco; Sierra de Urbasa with a child
54 Jul 9 Cass Gilbert / Bikepacking Gear ListsInspired by the Vuelta de Vasco bikepacking route, Cass and his family head off to the Basque Country to bite off a chunk of the ride, crossing Spain’s Sierra de Urbasa in western Navarre by way of high plateaux, lush forest, Vías Verdes, and druid stones. Here’s some insights into the nuts and bolts of the trip, along with six-year-old Sage’s full packlist, details of his rig, and their core family camping gear…
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Announcing the Jones Plus LWB Complete
7 Jun 27 Cass Gilbert / DispatchIntroducing the new Jones Plus LWB Complete, a ready to roll version of the 29+ fully rigid all rounder, now ringing in at $2050…
