Prepped and ready for the unremitting ascents and knuckle-bleaching descents that make up an epic trail network in the western North Carolina Appalachians…

“Hops are a wicked and pernicious weed.”
– King Henry VIII, 1519

A preview of a few new items I’ve assembled for an upcoming bikepacking trip through the Appalachians…

The Surly OD Crank is a pretty piece of metal, not to mention one of the only options for setting up a 2x system on a 29+ bike… and one of the few options for yielding a granny gear for bikepacking. Also, a comparison by the numbers…

This post isn’t really about a beer, it’s about the occasion that called for a very strong beer.

Most gear takes a absolute beating while on a long tour. None more than what’s beneath your feet…

FilmFestFriday, back in action… here are 4 videos that all do a nice job of melting time away. A couple of these I have watched on multiple occasions. Enjoy.

My favorite thing to do after a good ride is enjoy a cold beer; my second favorite is to jump in a body of water.

During my 6 months in Africa, I went through about 7 levels of hop withdrawal…

The accumulation in both my storage unit and in-laws’ garage has reached a tipping point. It’s time to thin out the stable. Here are a few good deals on frames, racks, tires, wheels, etc…

We had one more route to bite off before we made the jump back to the land of bills and responsibilities. To keep it interesting, we picked a nice section of the GR 48 footpath from north of Seville east to Cordoba.

I am always up for a burly and rugged challenge, but there is certainly nothing wrong with a smooth and mellow ride, sometimes…