Joe Cruz
Pedaling in Place
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Trek Checkpoint Review (SL6): Dirt Road Rocketry
15 Nov 21 Joe Cruz / bikesJoe spent a few weeks with Trek’s Checkpoint SL6 to run it through challenges ranging from the weekly fast roadie coffee shop ride to a ten-hour dirt randonee to local gravel and singletrack explorations. Is this go-fast bike the bridge between a svelte carbon road machine and a lumbering gravel tourer?
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Shimano XC5 Review: Do All Terrain
20 Sep 24 Joe Cruz / apparelFor the past six months, Joe has worn Shimano’s XC5s on everything from fast group road rides to gravel explorations to extended bikepacking trips. Can a single pair of shoes—especially one at such an attractive price point—rise to all of these challenges? Read on to find out…
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571 mi. / 919 km7-9 daysThree Ranges in Cowboy Country
18 Aug 29 Joe Cruz USAA gravel/all-road route through Montana and Wyoming featuring heroic climbs, long stretches of glassy high speed asphalt, rolling gravel, days on rugged jeep thoroughfares, and a dash of singletrack— an opportunity to test "all-road" bikes against their promise of versatility. Three Ranges in Cowboy Country has all of what one might expect riding in the Rocky Mountains, but in less familiar territory. -
Search Brigade Tasmania
3 Aug 24 Joe Cruz / videoThe Search Brigade took on Tasmania during a 1,100-kilometer dirt road zig-zag from Hobart to Devonport. Here’s Joe’s short film from the trip as well as a nice collection of his photos…
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Curve GMX Review: Undauntable
23 Apr 18 Joe Cruz / bikesThere are only a handful of bikes that suitably blend drop handlebars with 29er mountain bike tires. And just a couple that do it well. Joe Cruz tested the Curve GMX while on a 10-day bikepacking trip through Tasmania to see if it was one of them…
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Bontrager OMW Review: Old Man Winter Shoes
11 Dec 20 Joe Cruz / apparelAt the end of last season and now into the early weeks of this winter’s snow, we tested Bontrager’s vaunted OMW boots in New England’s cold and wet conditions.
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Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Max SV Sleeping Pad Review + Corus HD Quilt
0 Nov 14 Joe Cruz / gearThermarest’s Corus HD Quilt and NeoAir Xlite Max SV mattress promise lightweight, packable, luxurious comfort. For six months, we put them to the test…
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Given By Mountains
22 Nov 3 Joe Cruz / videoIn the summer of 2016, four of us pedaled across Kyrgyzstan from Lake Issyk Kul to Bishkek. Our several weeks in the Tian Shan —the celestial mountains — gave us much. This movie is about inspiration and the hope of returning the sustenance we receive from a place by putting beauty back into the world. Watch and find Joe’s thoughts on the film here, plus a new photo gallery and more on the route…
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Search and State: High Tech from NYC’s Garment District
15 Oct 3 Joe Cruz / apparelSearch and State makes all of their cycling apparel in New York City’s Garment District. Their early focus was racewear, but adventurous off-the-grid cycling was always in their DNA. They’ve just introduced a jacket conceived specifically for expedition style bikepacking, designed with Joe Cruz as a consultant. Read on to see how he got involved and his eye-opening introduction to made-in-the-USA small batch technical wear.
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380 mi. / 612 km8 daysAdriatic Crest, Croatia
55 Aug 2 Joe Cruz EuropeThe Adriatic Crest visits the rugged side of coastal and island Croatia. The sea is a constant companion glinting temptingly in the distance while the ride traverses challenging contrasts of dry rocky backcountry double and single track, intimate tunnels of trees, long spans of steeply up and down gravel roads, and traffic-free forgotten radiant hot tarmac. Yes, there are opportunities to swim, but this ride is mostly about adventure. -
Why Cycles S7 Review: Rodeo Bikepacking
12 Apr 25 Joe Cruz / bikesJoe took the 27.5+ titanium Why Cycles S7 to southeastern Utah for a bikepacking trip and trail rides on several Moab classics. Read the review to find out what this beautiful beast is all about, down to the engraved Ed Abbey quote and the torx-head bottle mount bolts…
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613 mi. / 987 km20 daysTian Shan Traverse, Kyrgyzstan
120 Nov 29 Joe Cruz AsiaKyrgyzstan soars to every superlative and defies you to invent new ones. It’s beautiful, culturally compelling, and physically challenging: Grass carpet single and double track for days through rolling river valleys between 5,000 meter snow covered peaks, delirious mountain passes with the clack and rattle of scree under tires, and friendly and outgoing nomadic horsemen herding sheep and cattle. This central asian country will race your heart and is a dreamscape for adventurous cyclists.
