Plan & Prepare

Ok, so Nancy is 5’5”. So not so little. But the bike, shod as it is with 29+ tires, is certainly big. So how did the two get on? Read on to find out… and glean a few tips for bikepacking with a similar setup.

After some awe inspiring twists and turns in the final days leading up to the end, Lael Wilcox finished the Trans Am Race in 18 days and 10 minutes becoming the first American to win the race. We talked with Lael about her gear list, health, and the route itself. Here’s what she had to say…

It’s not uncommon to hear about a cyclist being sidelined by a knee injury. A crash is often the benefactor of such turmoil. However, riding long hours with a heavy load can also wear on your knees — if not immediately, over time.

Thanks to the wealth of online information, applications and digital maps that are now at our disposal, we’ve entered a golden age of backcountry bike route inception. Here’s our methodology, recommended tools, and a guide to resources…

Right about now, Will Meyer (1/2 of London-based Brother Cycles) is packed up to attempt his first Tour Divide. Here are Will’s thoughts leading up to the event as well as his detailed bike build and gear list …

Last year, Josh Kato hauled 48 pounds (21.8kg) worth of kit on his record breaking Tour Divide. This year, he dropped the total gear weight by 11 pounds (5kg). Will it help him break last year’s record? We’ll have to wait until Friday to follow along. Here’s Josh’s full kit, down to the sawed off toothbrush.

Did you know your smartphone is a powerful navigational tool, whether you have cell service or not? Download an app and the world is literally at your fingertips. Read our guide for more info on using your iPhone or Android as a GPS, which apps to use, and how best to keep it charged up.

A heartwarming recipe variation for Sweet-Spicy Peanut Noodles … built specifically for bikepacking overnighters by Chef de la Camp, Tara Alan.

Thanks to a fantastic trail network carved by the hard work of volunteers, along with acres of National Forest and BLM land prime for camping, the American Southwest possesses some of the best long distance bikepacking routes in the world. And for the very same reasons, it’s also peppered with the finest long weekend escapes you could wish for, each one a compressed, time-friendly adventure just waiting to be savored.

Feeling the itch to head south? Make the most of the American Southwest desert season with our guide to fine tuning your bikepacking rig for a winter adventure. Glean techniques on repairing tubeless tires, helpful tips to get you started, a suggested packlist to get you going, and ideas on where to ride.

We all know the importance of a full belly at the end of the day to ride-weary bikepackers. And while pretty much everything tastes great after hours in the saddle, in this series of bikepacking recipes, we’ll be suggesting simple, nutritious and easy-to-cook camping cuisine that will help ‘up’ your culinary game.

For better or for worse, the holiday festivities are almost upon us. As bikepacking obsessives, there’s probably a ton of gear we’d all love to receive… so we’ve compiled a list to be surreptitiously slipped in the direction of your partner, family or friends…