Cass Gilbert

Reducing the weight and bulk of core gear and adopting a minimal bikepacking setup can require significant investment. So, it’s always good to try ultralight gear that’s aimed towards the more affordable end of the market. Here are our thoughts on a summer pairing from Alpkit: the PipeDream 200 down sleeping bag and the Cloud Base air mattress…

The US-made Tarptent Double Rainbow is the brand’s most popular model. Weighing in at just 1.2 kilograms (2.65 pounds), it offers a surprising amount of living space for two riders, combined with a very minimal pack size, making it ideal for bikepackers… especially tall ones. We take a look at the newly updated 2019 model, testing it out camping in the US, the UK, and France.

We’d wager that every bicycle at a handmade bike show deserves attention and praise, be it a practical and transformative commuter, a long distance audax machine, or a lithe road racer. But we’re all about bikes created with travelling and multi-day adventures in mind, so here are five more wildly different options that caught our bikepacking-obsessed eyes at the recent Bespoked UK…

Basking in some well-deserved limelight at the 2019 Bespoked UK show, this sumptuous dirt drop mountain bike from London-based Stayer was quite the looker. Complete with custom porteur rack and a laser cut yoke for three-inch tires, its US-inspired aesthetic is complemented by a smattering of North American boutique parts. We find out more about the bike and the business behind it…

As part of our Bespoked UK coverage, here’s a look the latest incarnation of Sven Cycles’ Pathfinder. Built to a semi-custom spec from stainless steel, it’s designed with a spritely ride in mind and features generous 650B tyre clearances, making it a great option for both on- and off-road bikepacking in the UK and beyond. And for those in search of chunkier terrain, there’s its big-tyred sibling, the Pathfinder Plus…

As part of our ongoing Bespoked UK coverage, we’re taking a look at Ted James Design’s plus-tyred titanium bikepacking steed, just back from an off road tour through the Scottish Highlands, complete with quad fork, mud splatter, Crocs, and a handmade leather front bag…

For the first of our reports from the Bespoked UK Handmade Bicycle Show, we zone in on a few makers and their bikes. To begin, we’ve dedicated a post to the all-in-one Clandestine Carrier from Bristol-based frame builder Pi Manson…

Do you bikepack on the bike you ride every day? Or perhaps you worry about parts when you leave your steed locked up on tour? We try out the Hexlox system, designed to secure saddles, wheels, handlebars, and even thru axle wheels against theft…

Do you consider California the spiritual home of off-road riding? Half a century earlier, cyclists were pitting themselves against rough and rutted drovers’ tracks on skinny tyred bikes. We head to North Wales to commemorate a particularly noteworthy off-road tour that took place on a snowy weekend in 1919, with the oldest off-road bike touring club in the world…

For $1,200, Surly’s Bridge Club claims inclusivity as well as versatility. Cass spends a winter with one, taking it camping, dirt road touring, trail riding, commuting, grocery shopping, and everything else in between…