Plan & Prepare

Hot on the heels – or should we, the tire tracks – of posting our Grande Traversée L’Alpes-Provence route guide, Cass Gilbert and amigo Mike Howarth head out to the south of France, before the season comes to an end. Check out the gallery, and if you’re planning on riding the route, read on for extra hints and tips on deciphering the logistics of the ride…

The Sky Islands Odyssey is a journey through the vast borderlands of the Wild West, featuring a diverse network of dirt, rocky, and sandy roads that traverse the ever-changing landscapes characteristic of the Sky Islands bioregion in the Sonoran Desert.

Back in August, the inaugural WTF Bikexplorers Summit brought together around 100 women, trans, femme, and non-binary cyclists for an incredible long weekend of learning and riding. We asked five attendees to share their top takeaways from the event in the latest installment of One Question, Five Voices…

Neil Beltchenko just rode the Colorado portion of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in less than two and a half days. In this reflection, he shares a few things that worked well during the ride, and others that didn’t…

Last month, 100 cyclists from all over the country identifying as women, transgender, femme, and non-binary gathered in Whitefish, MT, for the first WTF Bikexplorers Summit. Leading up to it, they also organized the WTF Ride Series, and we’re happy to share this excellent summary of those rides, featuring photos and route maps. Plus, an introduction to the WTF Bikexplorers Grassroots Ride Program…

Firepot dehydrated meals promise tasty, wholesome, locally sourced, and ultralight meals to bookend your days in the saddle. We try out a couple of their meals in the woodlands of Dorset…

We just completed the forthcoming Armenian leg of the Caucasus Crossing, aka the Trans-Armenia. Here’s Logan’s full backpackless kit he brought along—capable of carrying five days’ worth of food and a full frame camera kit. Plus, six new favorite pieces of gear that he may never go bikepacking without again…

After completing a trip through Bolivia and Northern Chile, Cass Gilbert talks us through his setup choices for touring on the South American Altiplano, including thoughts on weight versus practicality, the benefits of running a modular setup over a long trip, a core packlist, what survived and what didn’t, and a couple of nutritious, high plain recipes.

In this Route Report, Yuto Watanabe checks in after a hot and dusty ride around Utah’s Grand Staircase Loop, bringing back a wealth of great photos from the area’s meandering dirt roads and rugged canyons. Plus, he offers some thoughts on when to go, where to start, and what to look out for…

In our first-ever video route guide, filmmaker Jay Ritchey and Cass Gilbert offer a stunning and informative look at the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route. If you aren’t familiar with the TEMBR, this is a must-watch feature. And if you’re considering riding the route, this film will surely have you packing your bags…

For our fourth installment of One Question, Five Voices, we round up a group of experienced bikepackers and bicycle tourists to find out how traveling by bicycle has informed their understanding of the world today. Find out what important lessons they’ve learned while pedaling through places unknown…

Justin Barnes reports in after solo riding a sizable portion of the Ruta de las Tres Cordilleras, a challenging traverse from the high mountains of Bolivia to Peru. He shares a useful detour that allows for easier visa logistics, uncomfortable news on the mining situation in the area, and a poignant, personal tale of what he learned from the route’s many challenges…