Bikepacking doesn’t just start at the trailhead. Options also abound for lightweight bike trips planned around forest roads, shale roads, crushed rock, piste, and the pavement that connects them.
Originally published Jan 2nd, 2019 / Major update: May 21, 2020 Bikepacking bikes come in all shapes and sizes—everything from plus-tire hardtails to svelte gravel race rigs, and from full-squish to fully rigid steeds. One of the most prevalent configurations combines drop-bars with big tires. The term monstercross came about to define such bikes that […]
Years after its initial release, we finally got our mitts on the newly updated MOOTS Baxter for an eight-month test ride on trails, gravel, and everything in between. Logan put nearly 1,000 miles on it for this in-depth review, complete with a highlight reel video, comparison to other Tour DIvide-specific bikes, and loads of photos.
Released this morning, the updated 2020 Ritchey Outback has more mounts, revised geometry, and clearance for 650b x 2.0” tires. We were lucky enough to get one a few weeks ago and have put together a full review to coincide with today’s launch. Miles spent that time cruising Vancouver Island’s dreamy gravel and dirt for this exclusive first look. Find Miles’ thoughts and lots of photos here…
Breaking away from their road bike heritage, Ritte released a pair of interesting gravel/all-road bikes over the winter, including the Satyr, which sports a T47 bottom bracket, triple bottle mounts, larger tire clearance, and more. After a few weeks of riding one around the Sonoran Desert, Lucas shares his initial impressions in this first look…
Released last week, the Otso Warakin Titanium is the newest addition to the young brand’s growing lineup of innovative all-road rigs. Lucas spent a month riding one around Arizona’s mountains and desert for this full review. Find details, his impressions, and tons of photos here. Plus, a look at the more affordable Otso Warakin Stainless…
Belle Cycles and The Service Course collaborated on this one-of-a-kind, Mad Max-inspired All Terrain Exploration Rig for Christian Meier in the upcoming Atlas Mountain Race in Morocco. Find a gallery of photos and more details about the A.T.E.R. here…
The stock Trek 520, the quintessential steel touring bike in the brand’s lineup, wasn’t quite doing it for Miles. Here is his take on a classic, complete with a flat bar conversion, 1×11 drivetrain, and the absolute biggest tires he could fit. Find details, lots of photos, and a complete build kit here…
Even as modern gravel bikes continue to fit ever-larger tires, some bikes still exist within a niche of their own. As a titanium drop-bar gravel bike with clearance for plus-sized mountain bike tires, Bearclaw Bicycle Co.’s Beaux Jaxon is one of those bikes. Miles spent a few months on a top-end SRAM AXS build tackling a wide assortment of terrain around his hometown in Ontario, and as far south as Big Bend, Texas. Check out the full review here…
After attending Bombtracks’ yearly Groundwork event, Cass purloins a Bombtrack Hook EXT and takes it bikepacking in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, England, and Wales. With a number of trips under his belt, as well as fast gravel days rides and even a few road outings in the bag, here are his thoughts on this steel and carbon adventure bike…
Salsa Cycles just announced the fully redesigned, next-level Cutthroat V2. We had a chance to put well over 1,000 miles on one prior to today’s launch for this full review. Find all the details, our ride impressions, and loads of photos here…
Located on the eastern edge of the Adirondacks in upstate New York, Solace Cycles designs bikes that are purpose built for the geography and terrain of the region. We stopped by their testing grounds at Otis Mountain for a quick look at their entire lineup, including the OM-1, OM-2P, and their most recent OM-3 prototype…
Continuing our coverage from Bombtrack’s Groundwork launch event: If you’re in the market for a bike primed for bikepacking and gravel riding, you’d be forgiven for thinking Bombtrack’s Audax range doesn’t tick the relevant boxes. But don’t be misled by the name, which suggests long distance, road-based randonneuring… because these bikes can do a whole lot more than that.
