Field Trips

White Industries is a precision bicycle component manufacturer based in Sonoma County, California. Best known for its iconic polished cranks, White Industries is just a couple of years away from its 50th anniversary, an impressive milestone few companies of its size have reached. Miles spent a few days exploring the shop, getting to know the people, and learning about their strategies to keep relevant and productive. Find a massive gallery from his visit and learn all about White Industries here…

On his way to the 2026 Sea Otter Classic, Miles swung by The Farm open house in San Francisco to catch up with Outer Shell, Sklar Bikes, Tunitas Creative, Calling in Sick Magazine, and Chris McNally. Find a brief history of “The Farm,” photos from his visit, and a quick update on each maker here…

Nick Neuhaus and Daniel Yang of California’s Neuhaus Metalworks have been steadily making moves in the bike industry since 2021, achieving impressive success in a short time. Ahead of this year’s Sea Otter Classic, we stopped by their workshop to learn more about their approach and take an early look at their new Hummingbird Ti32, the 130mm travel Solstice, and other interesting bikes that will be on display at the show…

With Wit Slingers in Leipzig, Germany, closing, bikepackers in Europe lost a beloved custom bag maker. While crafting a final frame bag with designer Tijmen Kervers, Josh Meissner learns all about his path to success and why he quit while on top. Settle in for a candid reflection on what small-scale manufacturing needs to truly thrive, along with photos of the now-shuttered shop…

Paper Roads Aotearoa is a one-person bikepacking bag studio based in Auckland, New Zealand. On a recent visit to the country, Tom Powell stopped by to meet founder Amy Kwong and learn about her colorful, efficient, purpose-built bags. Find a short video, an interview with Amy, photos of her work, and more here…

With nearly eight years of products, improvements, and iterations, Wizard Works has come a long way. Started as a means to provide bags for themselves, founders Harry and Ve have long since had a dream of making their fun and fabulous bags waterproof. Now, after years of exploring the realities of what it takes to do so, they’re here. In Nic’s Wizard Works shop visit, he dives into the story behind their long, strange journey to aquatic impermeability…

After meeting Jesse Turner at MADE in 2024, Nic caught up with the young framebuilder on a recent trip through Arkansas. Though their time together was limited, Nic got an inside look at the life of an up-and-coming builder amid the choppy seas that make up today’s bike industry. Pushing well beyond geometry and tubing choices, dive into Nic’s Field Trip to Slow Southern Steel here…

From its origins of ripping old seatbelts out of demolished cars to make pedal straps, Restrap has grown into a force in the bikepacking bag space. During a recent trip to the UK, editor Nic Morales learned of the company’s humble origins, dedication to manufacturing in the UK, and how they’ve stayed true to their DIY ethos as they’ve grown into a global player. Look inside Restrap here…

During Nic’s recent Stayer Cycles shop visit in East London, he caught up with Sam Taylor and dove deep into all manner of candid conversations. From chats about the brink of financial ruin to what makes the bespoke bike industry special, dig into this unique view of a small corner of a big industry below…

Fabricating bikes under the name Medusa Cycles, Pete Skelton is a sign painter and mechanic turned custom framebuilder in England’s Greater Manchester area. In the lead-up to this year’s Bespoked show, Dan Monaghan visited the Medusa workshop in Pete’s backyard shed to watch him bring an award-winning show bike to life. Find a short video visit with photos and a written profile here…

In his latest profile of cycling manufacturers in Germany, Josh Meissner takes us on a tour of Tout Terrain, which has been designing and assembling expedition-ready bicycles for world travelers since 2005. Despite no sparks flying on their lean shop floor, the extensive engineering that goes into these singularly rugged touring bikes turns out to be well worth a closer look…

What’s a sleeping bag beyond goose down in a nylon shell? A whole lot more, as Josh Meissner found out on a ride to Gdynia, Poland, where he connected with the passionate folks behind established ultralight manufacturer Cumulus Outdoor. Settle in for an exclusive tour of their factory and go-to overnighter spot, thoughts on the nuanced ethics of down, and a relational take on local production and repairability, all set against a lovely backdrop of summer on the Baltic Sea…