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Bikepacking the Camino de Santiago. My own way…
10 Jan 30 Logan Watts / plogMarco King recently completed his first bikepacking trip, a 900km impromptu version of the Camino de Santiago through northern Portugal and Spain. With a DIY kit in tow, sticking as often as possible to dirt roads, goat paths and the infamous GR hiking trails that crisscross the countryside, his pilgrimage was a steep learning curve… but one that was most rewarding.
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3T Exploro Review: Hyper-engineering.
29 Jan 17 Logan Watts / bikesThe new 3T Exploro has a dozen built-in, proprietary technologies. Nameplates like ‘GravelPlus’, ‘Sqaero’, and ‘RealFast’ permeate its marketing. Such labels generally make our eyes gloss over. But considering the implications behind the bike’s name, as well as its tagline – Going Nowhere Fast – Logan just had to try it. Read on to find out if the Exploro lives up to both its aspirations and its tech cred…
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MSR PocketRocket 2 Review: Trail Tested.
8 Jan 10 Logan Watts / gearMSR claims to have rolled in the best features from both the much-loved PocketRocket and the ultralight MicroRocket to offer a lighter, more versatile sequel. Here’s our thoughts after using the Pocket Rocket 2 ultra-compact canister stove for a couple months as well as a comparison to the Snow Peak LiteMax Ti.
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Industry Nine: Local Metal.
4 Jan 4 Logan Watts / field-tripsConceived in the rhododendron tunnels of Pisgah, Industry Nine’s Torch hubs are touted as having the fastest pawl engagement and the best strength to weight ratio in the business, while their wheelbuilds are second to none. Given that they’re just around the corner, we paid them a visit to find out what makes them tick …
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R.I.P. The Bicycle Story
0 Dec 27 Logan Watts / cultureAfter six years of written interviews and one year of podcasting, The Bicycle Story is no more. We are sad to see it go, but here is a compilation great bikepacking podcasts and interviews that will live on…
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James Knowles: A Mountain Journal Short
2 Dec 26 Logan Watts / videoA wonderful video tribute that shares the story of James Knowles, a Scottish mountain biker who suffered a great tragedy and made the best of the situation…
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Not Far From Home
9 Dec 5 Logan Watts / videoErkki loaded his bikepacking rig onto an old fishing boat named Sitikka and set off on an adventure “not far from home”. He came back with this truly amazing film, some night riding tips, steps for a quick getaway, and thoughts on the new bikepacking-centric Kona Unit.
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Wolf Tooth CAMO Review: Gear Swap.
14 Dec 1 Logan Watts / gearIn the bike industry’s ever-evolving world of standards — if there is such a thing as a standard nowadays — it appears that 1x drivetrains are here to stay. But, chainring mounting standards are all over the place. So Wolf Tooth went and created another one. After we had a chance to put some miles on their promising new CAMO chainring system, hear why it might be of particular interest to bikepackers…
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Bikepacking Gear Gift Guide: Shiny and New
9 Nov 28 Logan Watts / gearIn the spirit of the holiday season, here’s our list of outstanding bikepacking gifts, each handpicked from a horde of new — or shiny — products that came out in 2016. Find gifts in six categories ranging from stocking stuffers under $25 to ‘money no object’ investments, and stealthily share them with your partner or family.
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Out There: Laura & Katie in The Great Basin
1 Nov 17 Logan Watts / videoWyoming’s Great Basin is a lonely and flat, yet formidable obstacle on the Tour Divide. Here’s a nice little video featuring Blackburn Rangers Laura and Katie as they tackle this 134 mile section of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route…
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The New Revelate Mountain Feedbag: Ride, refine, repeat.
25 Nov 8 Logan Watts / bikepacking-bagsRedesigned and released this week, the new Mountain Feedbag sports a new closure system, more volume, and a few other nice tweaks. Our thoughts on the new model after testing it in Kyrgyzstan and beyond…
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Blackburn Switch Multi-tool Review: More than its parts.
4 Nov 7 Logan Watts / accessoriesWith just four bits and a wrench, the Blackburn Switch Multi-tool might seem a little over simplified on first glance. But there’s a lot of practical utility built into this little gadget…