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Kona Wah Wah II Pedal Review: Plastic Fantastic
25 Apr 13 Cass Gilbert / gearAre you thinking of giving flat pedal bikepacking and mountain biking a go? At $50, Kona’s composite Wah Wah IIs may be the excuse you’re after. We took a set to Baja California to see if they’re as tough as they are affordable…
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Nate Shearer’s 27.5+ Trek Sawyer and Spliced Films
17 Apr 4 Cass Gilbert / bikesIn our latest Rider and Rig, we caught up with Nate Shearer as he rode the New Mexico Off Road Runner and the Monumental Loop. Along the way, we talked front loading on his B+ Trek Sawyer, racing in the BMX Nationals, using bikes as a form of escape and identity, and abstract storytelling…
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Revelate Terrapin System 8L: First Look
5 Mar 28 Cass Gilbert / bikepacking-bagsWith independent saddle rail straps, new buckles, and a revamped harness structure, the all new Revelate Terrapin System 8L is much more than just a compact version of its bigger brother. We had a chance to get ahold of one for this first look…
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Rider and Rig: Musician Ben Weaver’s Salsa Blackborow
4 Mar 27 Cass Gilbert / bikesOn the eve of a weeklong winter bikepack, we catch up with musician and poet Ben Weaver as he preps his Salsa Blackborow. Ben’s no stranger to long, music-themed bike tours. We ask him how he uses his bicycle as a way of connecting with his audience and find out about his summer tour, celebrating 20 years of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route through riding and music…
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Rogue Panda Designs: AZT inspired
9 Mar 22 Cass Gilbert / cultureAfter spending a week bikepacking among the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, we stopped in at Rogue Panda Designs, tucked away in the backstreets of nearby Flagstaff. Find out what makes this bikepacking bag business tick, learn about its distinctive flag-themed framebags, discover the story behind its quirky name… and enjoy an ultralight recipe from owner Nick Smolinske.
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The Arrowhead 135: An unracer’s perspective
15 Mar 15 Cass Gilbert / plogEvery year, a hundred-strong tribe of winter-hardened fat bikers, skiers, and hikers gather in Northern Minnesota to race across a land known as the Icebox of the Nation. This year, I was one of them. Kind of…
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Red Rock and a Dusty Child: Family Bikepacking in Sedona
10 Mar 7 Cass Gilbert / plogAlthough renowned for its chunky, world class singletrack, Sedona and its red rock buttes also make a fantastic backdrop for a family bikepacking adventure. Cass and Nancy head off with their five-year-old in tow – literally – to explore its trails, jeep tracks, and gravel roads…
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Saddle Up Posse! Bikepacking As a Group
15 Mar 1 Cass Gilbert / plogHave you bikepacked as a posse? The experience is very distinct from both meditative solo rides and the close camaraderie of a shared experience with a single friend. Factor in half a dozen riders and the dynamic completely transforms, with the journey taking on a different life. Cass heads out for a few days in the sun patinaed New Mexican desert… and returns with the feel good vibes from the very best of group rides.
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Pepper’s basketpacking Tumbleweed Prospector
45 Feb 20 Cass Gilbert / bikesWe catch up with Australia-based Pepper Cook and her basketpacking Tumbleweed Prospector. Whilst cresting the mountain passes of Peru, we ask her about solo tours, what she’s been doing to get women cycling, bikepacking verses road touring, and braids…
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Outer Shell 137 Basket Bag Review
19 Feb 15 Cass Gilbert / bikepacking-bagsOuter Shell’s 137 Basket Bag is built to fit the sturdy cage of a Wald 137 wire basket. Although not designed specifically for toting a camera, various accessories make this a very appealing option for bikepacking shutterbugs, as well as anyone looking for a bag that’s both practical for camping trips and around town…
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488 mi. / 785 km15 days
Cones and Canyons: Peru Divide (P3A)
48 Feb 13 Cass Gilbert Latin AmericaCones and Canyons is a high elevation route that connects Arequipa, one of the country's most appealing cities, with the rest of the Peru Divide. En route, it winds its way past the world's deepest canyon, before hurdling a medley of 5000m passes to a backdrop of white-capped volcanoes. With sufficient time to acclimatise, it can be seen as a wonderful standalone ride, or a highlight within the longer Andean Traverse. -
2018 Surly Pugsley 2.0: First Ride
63 Jan 29 Cass Gilbert / bikesSurly’s all new 2018 Pugsley sees a return to it expedition roots – the interchangeable front and rear wheels are back, for true back-of-beyond ‘exploratouring’. But that’s not all: unlike its predecessor, it can now easily swallow 4.3in tires, effectively offering a sweet spot between the monstrous-tired Moonlander and the Pugsley of old. Here’s our first ride report…