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DIY Waxed Canvas Frame Bag
21 Oct 8 Logan Watts / bikepacking-bagsNever having operated a sewing machine, I have always been fascinated and intimidated by the fabric arts. I decided that a trial-by-fire is the best way to learn and made a canvas frame bag one afternoon…
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The Surly Troll: Gin’s ‘Steve’
7 Oct 3 Logan Watts / bikesSteve has been a trustworthy and tough steed that has now been on two international tours. He has a few scratches and dings, but still looks sharp.
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Bunyan Velo Issue No. 03 and an Interview with Its Maker
1 Oct 2 Logan Watts / cultureThe third edition of Bunyan Velo—A quarterly collection of photographs, essays, and stories celebrating the simple pleasures of traveling by bicycle—is now available! Within its pages you will find memoirs from 15 riders traveling everywhere from the Kenai Peninsula to the West Australian desert. I was honored to have my own article, An Impromptu Journey, and photography included in this issue.
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Post-test-ride Beer
1 Sep 27 Logan Watts / plogI finally finished transforming an old lugged steel Craiglist turd into a sweet light-touring/randonuerring bike. On the maiden voyage she rode like a dream and here’s how I celebrated…
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The Misery Index: Push mine to eleven please.
7 Sep 25 Logan Watts / plogRidiculously difficult climbs… Long and hot stretches between anything… Smog-belching busses missing you by mere inches… Incessant hunger…Leg cramps… Undying headwinds… What’s not to love about all that?
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FFF: 4 bikepacking videos that might make you head for the woods
8 Sep 20 Logan Watts / videoOn this second installment of FilmFestFriday, I decided to pull together several videos that capture two things that bikepacking great… wilderness and camaraderie. Here are four bikepacking videos that may inspire you to strap some bags to your trusty steed and head out into the forest.
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Sleeping Pads for Bike Touring: A Superlight Option for Side Sleepers
10 Sep 17 Logan Watts / gearI’m a die-hard side sleeper, and no spring chicken, so a wafer thin Thermarest mat isn’t an option. After a long ride, fully loaded, having a fairly thick and plush pad is a must, no matter the weight penalty. And now you don’t have to have carry a 2 pound gigantic bundle in order to be comfortable…
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Bikes and Beer: The Crank Arm Brewing Co.
0 Sep 13 Logan Watts / plogBeer and bikes, you can have one without the other… but its just not as much fun! That was the headline on the fledgling brewery’s Kickstarter page when it launched in January 2013. The three founders of Crank Arm Rickshaw Company are just as passionate about beer as they are about turning cranks, which led them to spin-off this bike and beer destination.
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6k Schwalbe Mondial review: The ultimate bike touring tires, except…
30 Sep 10 Logan Watts / gearFinding the ideal tire is something that two-wheeled nomads seem to spend a lot of time thinking about prior to, and during a trip. I have talked with folks who have blown out a couple of sidewalls, been plagued with flats or just went through several inferior sets of rubber. They all come full circle to the Mondial after a while. Or at the very least, they want a pair.
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Selle Anatomica Titanico: The best bike touring saddle?
53 Sep 5 Logan Watts / gearI had read somewhere that Selle Anatomica’s Titanico is the cadillac of long-distance saddles…The king of comfort. So before going on our Central American bumpy road odyssey I thought I’d give it a shot, for my ass’s sake. Here is my 6,000 kilometer review.
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Bikes in NYC: Are we becoming European?
0 Aug 27 Logan Watts / plogWherever my travels take me, I always enjoy observing, if not directly experiencing, the myriad ways in which the locals get around town. The family of 6 on one scooter in Thailand, the shepherd with his flock riding on top of an Indian bus, and the over-flowing psychedelically painted Jesus-themed Guatemalan chicken bus are just a few examples. But nothing is more inspiring than seeing the ways people use bicycles.
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FilmFestFriday: 4 vids to make you want to quit your job & go by bike
7 Aug 23 Logan Watts / videoHere are four great videos that may make you want to hand over a resignation letter, pack up a bicycle and just go. Or, they may just give you something to grin about as you while away your Friday afternoon.