Cass Gilbert

In the world of family cycling, there are tagalongs… and there are tagalongs. A far cry from the cheap lookalikes unearthed on Craigslist, Tout Terrain’s Streamliner is a super high end, suspended trailer bike complete with a 160mm air shock, a 1×9 SRAM drivetrain, a light tubeset, and a whole list of quality components. Cass Gilbert takes one bikepacking with his family and finds out if it’s money well spent…

El Silencio: Cycling the Peru Divide tells the story of a group of riders and their journey across the mountainous heart of Peru’s Central Cordillera, a region noted for its remoteness… and its quietness. We chat to filmmaker Jay Ritchey about the challenges of making the film and the gear he used, and take a look at the Tumbleweed expedition bikes built up for the trip.

Up in the rolling landscapes of France’s magnificent Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, we chat with Yorkshireman Mike Howarth about all things bikepacking: big trips, small trips, fat bikes, thin bikes, n+1, his take on the Great British Bivvy, and his Singular Rooster…

Even in a world of long and slack full-suspension rigs, the humble, fully rigid MTB still has a place, especially when it comes in a plus-tyred flavour. We took the Brother Cycles Big Bro up and down the steep inclines of Dorset’s Isle of Purbeck. Here’s how it fared…

Have you always wanted a Big Bro? Brother Cycles’ do-it-all, 27+ complete bikes and framesets are currently being offered with a very generous 30% discount…

Have you bikepacked with a sibling? There are few finer ways to share experiences and create new memories with your family. After some last-minute purchases – including both a brand new bike and an Opinel pocket knife – Cass is joined by his brother Nick in the south of France for a bikepacking initiation, in the form of a perfect segment of the GR4…

Hot on the heels – or should we say, the tire tracks – of posting our Grande Traversée L’Alpes-Provence route guide, Cass Gilbert and amigo Mike Howarth head out to the south of France, before the season comes to an end. Check out the gallery, and if you’re planning on riding the route, read on for extra hints and tips on deciphering the logistics of the ride…

With just six years of business under its belt, Germany-based Bombtrack Bikes has grown quickly. It now offers a wide and exciting range of adventure-ready bikes, many of them designed with bikepackers in mind. Cass Gilbert takes a Bombtrack Beyond+ 2 up and over the European Alps, and reports back on the ride…

$305 dollars for a pair of non-clipless riding shoes? After spending a European summer in a pair of PEdALED’s Mido Boots – subjecting them to a prolonged soaking on the Trans Alp bikepacking route in the process – Cass Gilbert wonders whether it’s a price worth paying for such undeniably handsome riding shoes…

As the writer and photographer behind Tales on Tyres, Franzi Wernsing has spent the last few years wandering the world on two wheels. After following her popular Instagram feed, Cass Gilbert finally got the chance to catch up with her in person on the Trans Alp bikepacking route, to get the full lowdown on her Bombtrack Beyond+, dig deeper into her passion for photography, and find out how she and her partner Jona juggle life on the road…

For those seeking a brief escape from the city – a microadventure, as UK adventurer Al Humphries calls it – the humble bivy bag is one of the most simple, discreet, and affordable ways of spending a night in the wilds. We check out two budget camping offerings from British manufacturer Alpkit, and consider both the joys and tribulations of bivvying in Europe…

In this edition of Rider and Rig, we chat with Mike Hayes from Cornwall, UK. As a former road racer and seasoned long-distance bikepacker, Mike talks us through his distinct Brother Cycles Big Bro build, and shares some insight into his experiences with cycling as a form of therapy for depression…