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Yesterday, Julia Vallera shared her artwork and illustrated photography from her bikepacking trip along Mexico’s Baja Divide. Today we find out more about Big Gurl, the mud-dodging Surly Pugsley she modified for the ride, her favourite Nairo Quintana baseball cap, and how she ended up with those trippy sunglasses…

In this edition of Rider’s Lens, we talk with Vermont-based artist and media studies teacher Julia Vallera about illustrating and animating her recent experiences on the Baja Divide. We also share a collection of her one-a-day disposable camera photos taken during the ride and later sketched over to create an intriguing blend of reality and fantasy…

Having called it quits on the Three Sisters, Three Rivers route for medical reasons a year earlier, Andrew Chapman returned to Oregon with a group of friends for a shot at redemption. Find his reflection on slowing down to appreciate good health and good company here, plus a selection of photos that show off the region’s serene beauty…

Ali Jones and a group of friends pedaled onto the Victoria Divide route just as bushfires began ripping across Australia. What was intended to be a leisurely ride turned into a sobering, head-on confrontation with the climate crisis. Find their story here, plus some resources to help those affected by the fires…

In this edition of Rider’s Lens, we look at the work of Mexican photographer Antonio Gallardo, who shares a vibrant selection of images from a yearlong ride through Iran, Central Asia, India, Southeast Asia, South Korea, and Japan. Learn more about Antonio and his work here…

Ultra endurance riders Jonas Deichmann and Axel Carion recently returned from setting a record time on the Jordan Bike Trail, traversing the spectacular 730km route from Umm Qais to Aqaba in just 120 hours. Find their story and an expansive gallery of photos here…

Inspired by the cyclists of the late 1880s who found adventure by combining train and bike travel to explore the small towns and back roads throughout California’s Central Coast, Lindsey Hagen and Chris Naum boarded an Amtrak and spent a long weekend riding back home, retracing generations of tire tracks to uncover past and present along the way. Find their story here…

BikingMan Oman, the first of its ultra-distance bikepacking race in the Middle East, challenged riders with big climbs, high temperatures, and scattered resupply options. We reached out to the first female finisher, Elizabeth Dunne, for a reflection on her experience. Find that, plus an excellent gallery of photos here…

For their first bike trip, Hannah Barkan and Anna Jackson spent two weeks riding across Europe—from Sweden to Italy—right in the middle of a heatwave. Read on for their story of not letting a lack of a plan or prior experience hold them back from hitting the road…

Seeking a fresh perspective on a place he’d been many times before, Abhirup Bose mounted a cheap rack and a few bags on his hardtail and pedaled into the Indian Himalayas for his first extended trip by bike. Find his reflection on everything that experience gave him here…

In this feature story from the third issue of The Bikepacking Journal, Ben Page offers a reminder of the value of getting out on shorter, simpler trips, instead of always being wrapped up in planning something big and ambitious…

Lian van Leeuwen was one of the 2020 PEdALED Atlas Mountain Race’s official photographers, and she spent a week chasing riders across Morocco. In this report, she shares some of her experiences from the field as the race was underway, plus a massive gallery of photos. See it all here…