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Joel Caldwell and his Surly ECR in Ethiopia
20 Apr 2 Logan Watts / bikesIn this edition of Rider and Rig, we check in on our old friend Joel Caldwell. Joel is a professional conservation photographer whose work has taken him to some amazing places. Less than two years ago, after a serious motorcycle accident, Joel lost his left leg. Nonetheless, a positive outlook, perseverance, and training got him back on the bike for our recent ride through Ethiopia…
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Cane Creek ViscoSet Review: “That Quality Feel”
41 Mar 27 Logan Watts / gearTo complement a rather eclectic gravel bikepacking rig build—and try out a curious new component—we installed the Cane Creek ViscoSet, a unique headset that was originally designed for e-bikes. Here’s a look at how it works, plus our full review after giving it a go for a couple months…
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Six Bespoke Bikepacking Rigs from NAHBS 2019
16 Mar 26 Logan Watts / newsAfter wading through photos of the many incredible bikes on display at this year’s North American Handmade Bike Show (NAHBS), here are six bikes that caught our eye, each built with bikepacking in mind…
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Wolf Tooth Releases B-RAD Strap Base
13 Mar 25 Logan Watts / newsAlongside their new Mini Roll-Top Bag, Wolf Tooth Components just announced their own bottle cage mount accessory. Introducing the Wolf Tooth B-RAD Strap Base…
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PAUL Component Releases Brand New Bar Ends?!
8 Mar 14 Logan Watts / newsPAUL Component has released its new Chim-Chim bar-ends with an ergonomic grip and a secret stash compartment…
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WOHO Launches Shovelfender
4 Mar 14 Logan Watts / newsWith Leave No Trace backcountry bikepacking in mind, WOHO BIKE just launched the new Shovelfender, a bolt-on trowel that doubles as a fender/mud guard. #leavenotrace
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90 mi. / 145 km2-3 days
Anza-Hapaha Loop
61 Mar 14 Logan Watts USAThe Anza-Hapaha Loop is a 2-3 day bikepacking route that connects several of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park’s magnificent dirt and sand roads, explores its wildflower, ocotillo, and cactus-rich desert, and snakes its way through the badlands of two geologically mesmerizing canyons. -
Tumbleweed Prospector Review: Wolf in Mule’s Clothing
57 Mar 12 Logan Watts / bikesThe second version of the expedition-ready Tumbleweed Prospector was released just a couple months ago, and is available now. We got ahold of a V2 sample frame and fork, built it up with 29+ tires, took it for a test ride on Ethiopia’s rugged dirt tracks, then brought it back to the rough and tumble singletrack trails and forest roads of Pisgah to see what else it can do. Here’s the full review…
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Four 27.5+ Hardtails (and more) From Sedona MTB Fest
20 Mar 6 Logan Watts / bikesWe had a chance to demo several new hardtails at the Sedona Mountain Bike Festival this past weekend. Here are thoughts on each, photos, a numbers comparison, and a few other miscellaneous photos from around the festival…
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2019 Salsa Rustler: First Look
1 Mar 1 Logan Watts / bikesIs the new 2019 Salsa Rustler a bikepacking bike? Not really. Could it be? Absolutely. With 27.5 x 2.6″ tires, added clearance, and a Flip Chip to tune the suspension, it’s certainly interesting. Here are loads of photos, a comparison to its predecessor, specs, and some thoughts from our first ride…
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2019 Salsa Horsethief and Spearfish: First Look
20 Mar 1 Logan Watts / bikesSalsa just announced its reengineered lineup of full-suspension mountain bikes. With revamped suspension dynamics, modernized geometry, added tire clearance, and a new look, all three are heavily positioned tp trail mountain bikers. The two 29ers also get Super BOOST rear end, larger frame bag space, threaded BBs, more mounts, and a few new tricks that should make them equally attractive to bikepackers…
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Why Cycles Founder Launches Revel Bikes
0 Feb 28 Logan Watts / newsThe founder of Why Cycles—makers of the Wayward, S7, and R+—just launched another brand, this time with full-suspension trail riding in mind…