Bikepacking Gear

To complement a rather eclectic gravel bikepacking rig build—and try out a curious new component—we installed the Cane Creek ViscoSet, a unique headset that was originally designed for e-bikes. Here’s a look at how it works, plus our full review after giving it a go for a couple months…

Last summer, Western Mountaineering finally introduced two quilts into their vast line of sleeping bags, both made in the USA using some of highest quality materials available. We were one of the first to get our hands on the 11oz. NanoLite quilt for some summer and fall bikepacking. Here’s a first look, thoughts on this impressively lightweight quilt, and a comparison of other lightweight quilts on the market…

In bikepacking utopia, we all tear around beautiful singletrack on minimal, softbag setups carefully packed with the latest in ultralight gear. In the real world, howoever, many of us need aren’t always riding trails and our gear is bulky; sometimes we just need a little extra capacity. Perhaps it’s a tour on dirt roads and […]

The BXB Goldback is a modern take on the classic saddlebag. With a simple, well-conceived design, and sturdy waxed canvas construction, it’s built for the long haul. We tested the Goldback in Ethiopia and used it on a couple trips around Pisgah National Forest. Here’s the full review…

It’s not uncommon to see bikepackers and mountain bikers using a stem bag for water bottle carrying duties. Rogue Panda spotted this phonomenon and created the Bismarck Bottle Bucket specifically for the task. We tested a pair, and here’s our full review…

Consider this as part three in a Gear Index subset all about bottle cages, cargo carriers, and boss-mounted bags for carrying extra gear and water. If you’re looking for solutions for attaching cages or adding mounts to your frame, check out Ways to Attach Bottle Cages and Add Cage Mounts to Your Bike. And if […]

Harking back to the good ol’ days of long bar ends and loud colours, the Onza Canis 27.5 x 2.85” Skinwall tires not only look great, but offer low rolling resistance and enough tread to tackle a wide range of trail conditions. Read on for our full review after riding dirt, sand, roots, and rocks across British Columbia, Colorado, and beyond…

Back in 2010, Salsa Cycles released the original Anything Cage, an oversized, open-sided cage made from lightweight aluminum tubing. The idea of an oversized cage wasn’t completely new, but Salsa’s concept was pretty groundbreaking. With the intention of stowing items that are significantly larger than a standard water bottle—almost anything—the Anything Cage gave birth to […]

After a long and bumpy ride with earlier versions of the Selle Anatomica saddle, we were happy to see the release a stronger and lighter Series 2 saddle frame. For this long-term review, we put a few thousand miles on the X2 leather skin and then swapped it out for the new heavier duty H2.

Apidura’s new Expedition Fork Pack provides extra storage for any fork mounted cargo cage, weighs just 120 grams, and is 100% waterproof. Here are our initial impressions after some wet winter riding on British Columbia’s west coast…

Just announced, the Revelate Designs Polecat is an ultralight, waterproof bag designed for fork-mounted Anything-style cargo cages. We tested the Polecat on a week-long trip in Ethiopia for this first look review…

With the growing popularity of eyelet-mounted bags and cargo cages, bike tourers and bikepackers are increasingly looking for ways to add mounts to their fork or downtube to attach such accessories. In addition, many desert routes and trips through warmer climates require extra hydration, so mounting extra bottle cages or oversized cages under the downtube, […]