Cass Gilbert

In this edition of Rider and Rig, we check out Nancy’s Surly ECR and her five-year-old son Sage’s Tout Terrain Streamliner, used on a two-week tour around the Baja Divide’s Cape Loop. Find out the differences between the previous 29+ model and the new 27.5+ version, and check out Sage’s awesome suspended trailer bike, complete with its own seatpack.

Are 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…

In 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…

With 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…

On 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…

After 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.

Every 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…

Although 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…

Have 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.

We 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…

Outer 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…