Your Stories

Summit Road is a stunning 20-mile stretch of gravel that snakes its way through California’s Santa Cruz Mountains, but almost half of it is illegally guarded by metal gates and misleading “no trespassing” signs. In this essay, Aaron Rickel writes about the fight to keep Summit Road public, and the lessons it offers to all public lands users…

Intrigued by Tasmania since childhood, Mateo Arango Guerrero finally traveled there with a group of friends to experience it firsthand. Their six-day bikepacking route delivered an unforgettable ride across the island, packed with tough climbs, nights under the stars, and interactions with hospitable locals. Read all about it here…

Seeking a quieter alternative to the busy roads she encountered on previous bike tours, Alissa Bell took to the byways of Idaho and Oregon for her first bikepacking trip. In this piece, she shares her first impressions and lessons learned as a new bikepacker…

Ever wonder what it’d be like to ride through Norway in the dead of winter? Tim Wiggins and his riding partners did, and headed there last January to find out. Discover their story of pedaling up icy switchbacks, across frozen lakes, and along deserted fjords here…

Having recently moved to Finland, Allan Knabe set out to explore the northern reaches of his new home by bike. During a rare black supermoon he set out though Kaldoaivi National Park, a magical land where reindeer (and possibly goblins) run free. Find his story here…

No strangers to ultra-distance riding, Axel Carion and Jonas Deichmann set out to tackle the full length of the Peru Great Divide, riding over 1,100 miles in just 16 days. Find Axel’s reflection on their ride here, including details on their route and a beautiful set of photos…

Greg Fisher left his comfort zone and headed to South Africa to take part in the Freedom Challenge: Race to Rhodes, a 480-kilometer race across a wild and wonderful stretch of the country. Along the way, he learned to turn moments of suffering into opportunities to reflect on how lucky he was to be out there. Read his story of here…

Despite putting in the training and doing his homework, RJ Sauer had to contend with an unexpected challenge when he took on Scotland’s infamous Highland Trail 550: He only managed to sleep a few hours in five days, and not for lack of trying. Here’s his story of trying to keep it together while battling insomnia and delirium along the trail…

What’s your excuse for getting a group of friends together and enjoying a couple of nights out bikepacking? A birthday? The longest day of the year? Or a friend leaving town? Back in the Land of Enchantment, Cass heads out with his New Mexican compadres for a farewell ride amongst the piñons, junipers, red dirt… and sunset dust.

Just weeks after first hearing of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, Rajiv Dhaliwal purchased a $250 mountain bike, cobbled together a basic set of bikepacking bags, and headed to Banff to begin riding south. Here’s his story of not letting a lack of gear or experience hold you back from taking the leap and attempting something remarkable…

Markagram, perhaps one of the most intriguing events we’ve seen, follows a 264km route in Norway that traces the shape of a pentagram. For 2019, there were only a couple of finishers, a sheep’s head was eaten, and black metal music was enjoyed by all. Read on for a recap from Andrew Schaper…

This past summer Evan Christenson took a blind leap and cycled the Trans-Uganda alone. Along the way he found much more than he expected and the experience was beyond life-changing. Read on for his passionate reflection on the trip and see a collection of photos from the route…