Bikepacking Apparel

In celebration of another great year for the bikepacking community, we’re happy to announce our 2018 Bikepacking Awards. Part one of three recognizes gear that’s made a lasting impression in categories including Best New Component, Best Tools, and Top Five Bikepacking Bikes. Plus, some thoughts on the bikes that have captured our interest for 2019…

We had a chance to put several hundred miles on a pair of the new 45NRTH Ragnarök shoulder season shoes during the wet and cold of fall in the Appalachian Mountains. Here’s our detailed review…

Shimano’s new MT7 shoe is clipless-ready, offers increased flexibility for hiking, and is purpose-built for those looking to get out there and explore off the beaten path. So, how did the BOA-equipped mountain bike shoe stand up to the rigours of the Oregon Timber Trail and beyond? Read on to find out…

$305 dollars for a pair of non-clipless riding shoes? After spending a European summer in a pair of PEdALED’s Mido Boots – subjecting them to a prolonged soaking on the Trans Alp bikepacking route in the process – Cass Gilbert wonders whether it’s a price worth paying for such undeniably handsome riding shoes…

For the past six months, Joe has worn Shimano’s XC5s on everything from fast group road rides to gravel explorations to extended bikepacking trips. Can a single pair of shoes—especially one at such an attractive price point—rise to all of these challenges? Read on to find out…

The best clothes are those you can ride in, wear to your local coffee shop, and maybe even use as a pillow, reckons Cass Gilbert. Adding a sense of style to his bikepacking wardrobe, he comes to the conclusion that the technically cut, Kitsbow Icon V2 flannel shirt is here to stay, patches and all…

This pair of Five Ten Guide Tennies has seen almost 4,000 miles of walking, pedaling, and hike-a-biking. They’ve been through muddy, rocky, wet, and bone-dry conditions in Cuba, Uganda, Rwanda, and the southeastern US… and they’re still going. Are Guide Tennies the best bike travel shoes available? Find out in this ultra-long-term review…

Virginia “The Destroyer” puts a pair of Specialized 2FO ClipLite shoes to the test for almost three years and reports back on how they held up.

Bikepacking in sandals? And non-clipless ones, at that? Cass Gilbert rides 800 Baja Californian miles in a pair of Bedrock Cairn Adventure Sandals to see what all the Instagram fuss is about… and reports back on how they felt for long distance bikepacking and whether he stubbed his toes…

Designed to handle the unpredictable nature of shoulder season riding, we put the 45NRTH Sturmfist 5 gloves to the test during the past few months in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. Cold, wind, and water… beware.

A sneak peek at the all new QUOC Gran Tourer, a high-end gravel and all-road cycling shoe with a waterproof mid, ‘Tiger Camo’ microfiber upper, and a burly lugged outsole built for tough terrain…

Looking for some new riding clothes to keep you from going into hibernation mode? Keeping cozy in cold conditions doesn’t require the latest and greatest, of course, but here are several new pieces that have impressed us this shoulder season… and will keep us warm out on the trail this winter and early spring.