Josh Meissner

Not every journey ends when you get back home, as Joshua Meissner discovered upon his return from a solitary tour around Scandinavia in 2021. Settle in for a thoughtful reflection on the twists and turns that followed his journey and a set of photos from the vast north here…

Building on years of experience crafting custom bags and racks, Berlin-based Gramm Tourpacking teamed up with framebuilder-owned Allygn Components to create the innovative Diamond Bag and Rack system. Inspired by classic rando bags, it’s ready for bikepacking. Find a thorough examination of the state-of-the-art bag featuring photos from six months of riding with it all across Europe here…

Apidura from the UK just launched a modular Cargo Cage and matching Cargo Cage Pack that’s designed to fit all types of bikes and mounting needs. Get a look at all the different configurations the combo can handle here…

If all black is too boring for you, Berlin-based Gramm Tourpacking and Allygn Components just dropped a funky rainbow edition of their Diamond and Grill Racks, as well as matching Diamond Bags. Scroll down for an up-close look at all the neon and gloss and glitter here…

Originally a road standard, flat-mount disc brakes have become the norm for hydraulic drop-bar groupsets. This comes with a common limit of 160mm for the brake rotors, which can be inadequate for bikepacking. Find some background on the topic and details on two aftermarket adapters designed to allow larger 180mm discs on many framesets here…

Few things are as transformational to a bicycle’s character as always-on, dynamo-powered lighting. Josh Meissner recently rode down to visit the engineers at Schmidt Maschinenbau in Tübingen, Germany, who created the legendary SON dynamo hub that kickstarted the bike lighting revolution. Find a deep dive into the past, present, and future of the small company and learn what makes SON hubs a cut above the rest here…

Germany’s YT Industries just released the all-new Szepter gravel bike, which inherits many shreddy characteristics from their mountain bike line-up. Get a first look at the brand’s first progressive drop-bar design here…

Apidura’s new dropper-friendly Backcountry Saddle Pack comes in with a greater 10L volume and a proprietary PFA-free fabric. Find photos and details of their latest waterproof saddle bag below….

Felt is a new easy-to-use mapping tool that shows great potential for sketching out bikepacking routes and planning trips with others. Find a number of bikepacking use cases we’ve found and some example maps below…

Made for fast gravel riding, bikepacking, and long-distance randonneuring, the updated Pelago Stavanger promises the world of versatility with none of the compromises. Josh took it across all types of roads and trails throughout Europe this summer, testing its worth as a go-anywhere, do-anything drop-bar bikepacking rig. Find his detailed review here…

Long in the making, the EuroVelo project has now added the option to directly download the GPX files of their continent-spanning cycle routes from their website. Find details of this European milestone and a handy planning guide by our friends at RWGPS here…

The Breezer Squall joins the exclusive ranks of coupler-equipped frames that fit into a suitcase for easy air and train travel. Get a first peek at the unique new design here…