Rider & Rig

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…

In this installment of Rider(s) and Rig, we talk with full-time adventurers Frankie and Adam Foss to get some details on their trusty 90s tandem, its mishmash of bags and components, and their recent bikepacking trip to Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. Read on to learn more…

In our latest Rider and Rig, we chat with singlespeed Tour Divide crusher Bailey Newbrey, and get the lowdown on his recent headfirst dive into ultra racing, how he packs his 35lb race setup, and his plans to set up a new bike shop in Santa Fe, New Mexico…

In this Rider and Rig, we catch up with Tucson’s Monique Laraway, bike mechanic, artist, and bikepacking enthusiast, to talk local desert campouts, getting more WTF on bikes, and why she loves her jet black Soma Wolverine. Plus, Mo gives us the lowdown on her Sonoran Desert overnight packlist…

Up in the rolling landscapes of France’s magnificent Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, we chat with Yorkshireman Mike Howarth about all things bikepacking: big trips, small trips, fat bikes, thin bikes, n+1, his take on the Great British Bivvy, and his Singular Rooster…

We caught up with Joe Tonsager, founder and proprietor of JPaks, to check out his bedecked All-City Gorilla Monsoon. We also asked Joe some questions about how he started JPaks and where it’s headed. Learn more about his bike and his business here…

Mortimer (Mo) just wrapped up an 11-country, 9,500 kilometer trip from Berlin to Tokyo, all on a fixed gear bike. Here’s a little about Mo and his trip, including details about the bike and gear he brought along, and some photos from the 22 rolls of film he shot along the way…