Bikepacking Gear

After a combined 500+ miles of riding, Miles and Lucas report back on Bontrager’s GR2 Gravel Bike Shoe, which was released earlier this spring. The lace-up closure and no-frills design are likely to appeal to bikepackers and gravel enthusiasts alike. Learn more here…

With a small ratcheting wrench, a good selection of interchangeable bits, and several preset torque attachments, Topeak’s Ratchet Rocket LITE NTX offers a lot of functions in a very small and unique package. Find Miles’ thoughts after nearly two years of use, including a motel room bike build and two weeks on the Oregon Timber Trail…

In this Make Your Own Bikepacking Gear (MYOBG) tutorial, Miles walks through a simple guide to make your own bikepacking-friendly fire starters. Best of all, most of the necessary materials are sitting in your laundry room garbage right now…

The high-end Cane Creek eeSilk suspension seatpost offers 20mm of vertical compliance in an unobtrusive, sub-300-gram package. We’ve been testing one for well over 2,000 miles for this long-term review.

The Ortlieb Commuter-Daypack Urban is a fully waterproof, technical backpack with a ton of clever features, all packed into a casual, understated design. Lucas has been using one almost daily over the past year for this comprehensive review. Find his thoughts below…

Revelate Designs just released the new Spinelock System, creating two incredibly stable, waterproof seat bags with a quick-release pin mounting plate that attaches to an innovative saddle rail clamp. We had the chance to put one through some rigorous testing over a month on Colombia’s ultra-bumpy dirt roads. Here’s the full review…

As bikepackers, we often seek ways of keeping our setups light, minimal, and rattle-free, whilst still increasing capacity when we need to. For those running a truss fork instead of suspension or a more conventional unicrown, Jones’ Truss Fork Pack is a clever way of making it all work, and one that will likely suit smaller riders too. Cass spent a few months testing a pair for this review…

There are plenty of SRAM AXS reviews already out there, but how about ultra-long term testing? We’ve put in over eight months on ours. Moreover, we asked three bikepackers who’ve ridden with AXS drivetrains over thousands of miles for their feedback and whether they’ve had any issues in the backcountry. Plus, everything you need to know about the SRAM AXS “Mullet” — one of only a few ways to get an ultra-wide range 1x drivetrain on a drop-bar bike…

In this double header review, we take a look at the ultralight and super packable Primus Micron Trail canister stove, plus the slightly larger, but more versatile OmniLite Ti Stove. Whether you’re happy with just oatmeal and coffee, or more sophisticated camp meals in mind, one of these stoves will surely fit the bill. Check out Miles’ impressions here…

The PNW Coast Suspension Dropper seatpost is a unique cable-actuated dropper post with 40mm of built-in, bump-smoothing suspension. We’ve been testing one over several months for this review.

Rapha’s Explore Down Jacket is a lightweight, packable layer that’s designed to work equally well on and off the bike. After a few months of use in a variety of environments—from sunny Arizona, to rainy California, to cold and windy London—Lucas shares his impressions on what’s worked and what hasn’t. Find his full review here…

Granite Design’s Stash Chain Tool, Multi Tool, and Tire Plug are designed to stow away in your bike’s steerer tube and in both ends of your bars, ready at a moment’s notice. Here’s a closer look and our thoughts on each after a month of use…