Rider & Rig

Just south of the geological attraction of Monument Valley, you’ll find the town of Kayenta, Arizona, in the Navajo Nation. We catch up with local Jon Yazzie of Dzil Ta’ah Adventures for a quick ride and to learn about his plans to put the Navajo region on the map. Find more about Jon and his collection of beautiful bikes here…

The 5th annual Adirondack Trail Ride (TATR) took off this morning from Northville, New York, following a challenging mix of trail and service road through the 6-million acre Adirondack Park. We stopped by the grand depart, and with the help from the riders, we’ve put together rider portraits and details on their rigs. Check them all out here…

Lael Wilcox set off on the rugged and beautiful Silk Road Mountain Race early this morning. Following our race rigs coverage from earlier this week, here’s an in depth look at the bike Lael’s riding, her complete gear list, and answers to a few questions we had about what she packed and the choices she made…

This second annual Silk Road Mountain Race kicks off this weekend. Riders will face a long and arduous course through the remote mountain landscapes of the Tian Shan mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan. Over 40 participants sent in photos of their rigs along with details about their kit. See them all here…

We chat to Amanda Andros about the European bikepacking tour she’s currently sharing with her partner Chris, and find out which routes they’ve ridden so far, where they’re headed to next, and what motivates her to bikepack rather than tour more traditionally. Plus, Amanda shares some one-pot recipe ideas to help stay happy and healthy on the road…

This year’s Colorado Trail Race kicks off this weekend with over 80 riders registered to ride from Durango to Denver along Colorado’s highest and toughest singletrack. Over 40 participants sent in photos of their rigs along with details about their kit. See them all here…

Named after Benedict’s Instagram alter-ego, the Crust Romanceur fits him like a glove. We had a chance to catch up with Ultraromance in Tucson to find out what makes this bike special. Read on for details…

Continuing our annual tradition, here are the Rigs of the 2019 Tour Divide, featuring nearly 80 riders, their bikes, and gear kit details about what they’re bringing along for the 2,750+ mile journey…

Tim Fairbrother’s custom Brother Cycles Big Bro features a fantastic group of high quality components and bags sourced out from a variety of manufacturers. Tim, a bicycle mechanic by trade, left the UK over 10 years ago for British Columbia. We meet up for a quick overnighter to learn more about his Big Bro and to get some tips on spring bike maintenance…

This salmon color Nor’ Easter belongs to Crust Bikes founder Matt Whitehead. Find out more about this curious, thru-axle-equipped all-roader with a threaded steerer and the yet-to-be-released Peck Deck minimal saddlebag support. Plus, a Q&A with Matt about Crust Bikes…

In 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…

We head out for a night bivying under the skies of southern Arizona with Hubert d’Autremont, framebuilder and tortilla maker, and find out about his custom bikepacking rig…