Bikepacking Culture

In part two of our 2017 Bikepacking Awards triptych, we recognize gear that’s made a lasting impression in categories, including ‘Best New Component’, ‘Best Tools’, and ‘Top 5 Bikepacking Bikes’, plus thoughts on the bikes that capture our interest most for 2018..

In celebration of another great year for the bikepacking community, we’re happy to announce our 2017 bikepacking awards. Part One of three honors the creative arts, showcasing talented bikepackers with 24 awards in 6 categories, including ‘Best Short Film’, ‘Best Trip Photography’, and best art…

There are countless sound arguments against this article’s title: Consumerism begets waste. Materialism amplifies economic inequality. Supporting corporations is unsustainable. Better to use what you have. Etc. But given the outdoor gear industry’s position and reach, as evidenced in the aftermath of last Monday, consider this…

After riding the Colorado Trail over the summer, we stopped by and said hi to Andrew Wracher and Joey Ernst at Bedrock Bags, Durango. Read on to learn about their obsession with geology, discover where they like to bikepack most, and glean just what makes the business tick…

“Isn’t bikepacking getting too commercialized? Why do you publicize routes? Don’t we want fewer people on trails? And what exactly is bikepacking? Isn’t that just a new word for touring?” Those are just a few of the questions we’re asked regularly. To answer such queries into our motives, here’s our mission statement, and why we think the growth of bikepacking is one of the best things to happen to both riders and the bike industry…

Just a few weeks ago, Justin Simoni (AKA “The Long Ranger”) finished bikepacking and climbing 105 of Colorado’s highest peaks. The self-supported, non-stop trip required 380,000+ feet of elevation gain and was completed in just over 60 days. We interviewed Justin to try and wrap our heads around this insane accomplishment…

Search and State makes all of their cycling apparel in New York City’s Garment District. Their early focus was racewear, but adventurous off-the-grid cycling was always in their DNA. They’ve just introduced a jacket conceived specifically for expedition style bikepacking, designed with Joe Cruz as a consultant. Read on to see how he got involved and his eye-opening introduction to made-in-the-USA small batch technical wear.

Ever heard of The Race to The Rock? Also dubbed “The race so difficult no man has ever finished.” Well, it just kicked off a few hours ago with seven bikepackers attempting 3,031 kilometers of remote, off-road, Australian outback from Albany to Uluru (the rock). See a couple of the bikes in the race, learn about the route, link to the great documentary from last year’s event, and follow the 2017 race tracker here…

The 2017 Japanese Odyssey kicks off this weekend. To commemorate, our latest Rider’s Lens features Eigo Shimojo and his collection of 21 rider portraits from last years Japanese Odyssey. Enjoy…

The 2017 Trans Am Bike Race came to an historic end as Evan Deutsch broke Mike Hall’s course record with a finish in 17 days, 8 hours, 58 minutes. The top female, Janie Hayes, conducted this in depth interview with Evan about his record-setting performance and gear list…

Early yesterday morning 13 valiant bikepackers set out on the first annual American Trail Race, a 5,000 mile self-supported bikepacking race crossing the USA along the off-road Trans-America Trail (TAT). Here are details about the route and photos of the riders from the grand depart… plus, we revisit the Swallow’s TAT scout coverage.

We’re incredibly sad to announce that Mike Hall, a hero, inspiration and legend in the bikepacking community passed early this morning in Australia. Here are few words by several people who knew and loved Mike ….