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A Group Finish on the Cairngorms Loop ITT
11 Jun 14 Guest / newsAround 40 riders took on the Cairngorms Loop ITT through the spectacular Scottish Highlands this year. Instead of a grand depart, new organizer Huw Oliver put together a group finish that saw rides of varying paces converge at the end of their journeys for a celebration. Find some thoughts on this year’s event and handful of photos from the group gathering here…
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San Util Design Whirlpool Hip Pack Review
3 Jun 12 Guest / accessoriesHandmade in Colorado and designed to balance stability, comfort, and simplicity, the new roll-top San Util Design Whirlpool Hip Pack is now available in four versions intended to suit everything from day riding to expedition bikepacking. Our friend Josh Hicks has been wearing the top-end Bikepacker version for a few weeks, and you can find his review here…
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Friends in Cow-Pie Places: Field Notes from the WeedSac 140
14 Jun 12 Guest / plogOrganized by Matt Mason, the founder of the Monumental Loop, the WeedSac 140 is a non-competitive 140-mile bikepacking ride in the Sacramento Mountains that starts and ends in the village of Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Find a personal reflection and photos by Johnny Sullivan from the inaugural group ride last month here…
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Marketa Marvanova Wins Women’s 2023 Trans Balkan Race
2 Jun 8 Guest / newsMarkéta (Peggy) Marvanová just took first place in the women’s category and fourth place overall at the 2023 Trans Balkan Race, finishing with a time of 5 days, 11 hours, and 37 minutes. Learn more about her impressive ride here…
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Kids Bike Camp (Video)
4 Jun 2 Guest / videoJeanne Lepoix’s latest video, “Kids Bike Camp,” captures a joyful weekend spent bikepacking in France with a group of 11 families. Using all manner of kid-hauling contraptions, the group slowly pedals a beautiful loop along quiet roads and trails, soaking in a weekend of building connections and appreciating natural wonders. Watch the three-minute video and find a gallery of images here…
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Rider’s Lens: Patrick Astilla’s Illustrations
11 Jun 1 Guest / plogIn today’s edition of Rider’s Lens, we share a kaleidoscopic mix of illustrations by Patrick Astilla from the Philippines. Flip through his sketchbooks, browse a selection of his mixed-media creations, and read his thoughts on how riding and sketching can remind us to slow down and soak in the present moment here…
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A Date with the Pines: Tales from the 2023 Pinyons and Pines
8 May 31 Guest / plogEarlier this month, heavy rain and long stretches of bike-destroying mud made for harsh conditions at the 2023 Pinyons and Pines event in Arizona. With help from our friend Wyatt Spalding and some of the other riders, we put together a pair of post-ride stories from the 300 and 500-mile routes and a reflection from organizer Dana Ernst. Find a look at the event here…
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Storms, Ferries, and Gravel: Racing Seven Serpents
10 May 30 Guest / plogThe 2023 edition of Seven Serpents surprised riders with heavy rain and harsh conditions as they pedaled 850 kilometers from Ljubljana to Trieste through the Croatian islands. In this recap, Marcus Nicolson shares his perspective of racing between ferries, cranking up long climbs, and encountering bike-stopping mud…
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Confessions from the Baja Divide (Video)
3 May 29 Guest / videoIn her latest video, Belén Castelló asks each of her riding partners to share a secret confession of a concern they brought into the group’s recent bikepacking journey along the Baja Divide. Her 30-minute “Confessions from the Baja Divide” shares those and a video recap of each segment of their two-month ride. Watch it here…
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Not Even Half a Badger: Failure on the Badger Divide
28 May 27 Guest / plogHaving photographed many races and rides over the years and eager to build up more bikepacking experience of his own, photographer Dan Monaghan took on the 210-mile Badger Divide route between Inverness and Glasgow last month. He learned first-hand that things don’t always go to plan, but it’s possible to find beauty in failure with the right perspective. Find his story and a moody gallery of images from Scotland here…
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Destination Mantova: Taking the Long Way to BAM!
7 May 19 Guest / plogLast summer, Aimee Gilchrist and Jeremy Collins traveled to Italy to attend the 2022 Bicycle Adventure Meeting (BAM!). To maximize their time away, they mapped out a meandering route that took in some of the highlights of the Dolomites. Find their story of making the most of their miles en route to BAM! and a vivid selection of Jeremy’s illustrated journal excerpts here…
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Magic at the 2023 Sisters in the Wild Lanzarote Gravel Camp
5 May 15 Guest / plogEarlier this year, 40 bikepackers met up on the sunny island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands for a five-day, mixed-terrain group ride as part of the 2023 Sisters in the Wild Lanzarote Gravel Camp. Find a colorful selection of photos, a recap from the event organizer, and a reflection from one of the attendees here…