After two years of planning, Joe Nation and Rufus Wenlock finally found time to ride across New Zealand’s South Island, following a historic trade route that proved to be even more difficult than expected. Watch Joe’s 35-minute video from their ride here…

Our Reader’s Rig of the week comes from Riley in Colorado, who shares the Specialized Chisel HT he’ll soon be riding in the 2026 Tour Divide, which starts next week. Get to know Riley, take a detailed look at his loaded hardtail, and learn about his longtime connection to the event here…

In this short piece, Tristan Bogaard explores the relationship between a landscape, its inhabitants, and its visitors. Set in Spain’s province of Jaén, in Andalucia, it’s a tribute to the world of conservation and an exercise in finding the “right” way to enjoy natural beauty. Read it below…

German brand Rose Bikes’ questionably named gravel bike now comes with a Shimano Cues build kit and a questionable color scheme to match. Find details on their latest integrated-rack, flat-bar bike here…

Mica Cycles, the creator of the minimal Rat Tail Rack, just released some nifty custom cam lock straps made by ARNO in Sweden. The Mica Mini Cam Straps look like an ideal option for any rack or cargo cage setup. Check them out here…

Restrap has two fresh racing-oriented products: the Lightweight Race Hydration Vest and an Aero Top Tube bag. Made in Leeds, England, both are small and focused on packability in situations where speed is paramount. Dive in below for more on these new pieces of gear…

Accomplished ultra-endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox’s latest challenge is a second pedal-powered circumnavigation of the globe, this time attempting to be the fastest person ever to do so. Read on to learn more about her inspiring ride, which begins in just a few days…

There’s always more great used gear being added to the Bike Camp Co-op. In our fifth Co-op Finds roundup of the year, we dig through almost 2,400 listings and highlight some bikes from Surly, Tumbleweed, and Oddity, as well as bags from Revelate, Outer Shell, Porcelain Rocket, and many more…

Our friend Darwin from the “Darwin onthetrail” YouTube channel recently released a video sharing his thoughts on why bikepacking is better than backpacking. Watch it here…

The Cateran Dirt Dash is a two-day bikepacking ride through the stunning surroundings of the Cairngorms National Park, offering dramatic scenery in the Cateran Ecomuseum, Scotland’s only museum without walls. Find a recap of this year’s event paired with a stunning collection of photos by Markus Stitz here…

After years of trial and error, becoming a competent home mechanic has added another dimension and a greater sense of freedom to Nic’s cycling experience. But following some recent incidents with contemporary bikes, he began to wonder whether the crucial sense of agency he’d found through tinkering was fading in the face of modern designs. In this piece, he tries to answer one simple question: Do bikes still make us free? Find out below…