Inspiration & Blog

Riding companions who are up for last-minute bikepacking trips are often few and far between. Thankfully, the online bikepacking community is quite active, and it’s growing every day. Turning to platforms like Instagram and Facebook is becoming a viable option when seeking romantic partners, high school friends, or in our case, bikepacking companionship. Read on for three of Miles’ latest meet ups, unofficially dubbed “bikepacking with strangers…”

Fourteen bikepackers head into the mountains near Stanley, Idaho, in search of rolling dirt roads, hot springs, and trout streams. Things fall apart almost immediately upon hitting the trail, and they find themselves pushing up snowy slopes, taking shelter from a hail storm, and getting split up. Still, they manage to make the best of it, forging new friendships and creating this beautifully shot film…

Where were you this June 23rd? We rounded up a dozen of the thousands of groups of bicycle travelers who were out riding and camping under the stars in celebration of the 2018 Swift Solstice Campout weekend. Here’s a peek at what they were up to…

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 this new short film sponsored by Salsa Cycles, two riders set out on an ambitious five-day traverse of New Zealand’s rugged and beautiful South Island. Check out the full film below, and read on for an exclusive behind the scenes story from the trip…

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…

In today’s edition of Rider’s Lens, we take a peek at Mara Menahan’s beautifully detailed botanical illustrations. She recently returned from pedaling the length of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, where she methodically documented the regions rare flora with watercolors…

Ever consider what it would take to travel by bike and live off the land? In this new short film by Anthill Films, Matt Hunter and crew go on a weeklong bikepacking trip without food to find out. Follow along as they hunt, fish, and forage their way around Haida Gwaii…

The 2018 Tour Divide Grand Depart will launch shortly, and weeks of following racers will commence for those of us who aren’t taking part. Again this year, Mike Hall’s dot will trace along the digital route map, encouraging riders to try to beat his course record of 13 days, 22 hours, and 51 minutes, set in 2016. In memory of Mike, longtime fan Thomas Hassler put together this tribute…

The IFHT Films crew set out on their first multi-day bike trip following our Lower Sunshine Coast bikepacking route. Along the way they made this excellent film about their journey. We had a chance to feature the video and ask them a few questions about the trip…

Last summer, Canadian photographer Pat Valade headed out on his first extended bikepacking trip, a 10-day stint along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Here, he shares images from the ride and recaps some of the lessons he learned while forgetting about his day-to-day worries and settling into life along the trail…

With the concurrent rise in popularity of bikepacking and gravel events, the two are becoming increasingly intertwined. Here’s a double feature with two videos from Bombtrack and Ortlieb featuring several bikepackers taking on their first gravel race. Plus, thoughts on the ride by Marc Maurer, Jona Riechmann, Matty Waudby, and Franzi Wernsing…