Inspiration & Blog

Our friends Mark Watson and Hana Black just finished this video about their challenging side trip in Peru. The two cycled a series of roads originally traveled by foot to access the great, iconic citadels of the Incan empire…

In this edition of Rider’s Lens, we’re showcasing the clever and colorful illustrations of Chris McNally, whose work you might recognize from The Bikepacking Journal and around the web. Read on for some thoughts on how illustration has changed his perspective on cycling, along with a diverse selection of his watercolors…

The Chilcotin Hogyssey follows a crew of four on a next-level, nine-day bikepacking route through the Chilcotin Mountains in British Columbia. This rather insane trip led them up the wrong ridge and required a log raft to ford a river. Watch it here, along with a few photos…

During Neil Beltchenko’s rookie Tour Divide run in 2015, about 1,400 miles in, pain set in. Read the full story of Neil’s 36 Hours of Pain on the Tour Divide here…

Seeking a quick and easy getaway, Yuto Watanabe and his wife Shirley escaped the hustle of Los Angeles for the quiet roads of Catalina Island, just a short ferry ride off the coast. He shares some thoughts about the rewards of a simple, care-free trip here, along with a selection of vibrant images from their weekend away…

Rugile Kaladyte’s latest video follows endurance athlete Lael Wilcox during her time in Anchorage and ride from Boulder to Emporia to prepare for the 2,750 mile Tour Divide race, set to commence this Friday.

Rick Hunter has been making bikes for over two decades. All the while he’s been tinkering, hacking, and fabricating interesting ways to carry gear on his “Condor Tours,” railbike debacles, and other such far-flung bad ideas. We had a chance to catch up with Rick at his workshop in Bonny Doon, California…

Despite never having been on a bike trip and confronting feelings of self-doubt, Samantha Saskia Dugon couldn’t shake the idea of riding from the UK to Belgium to photograph a concert by one of her favorite bands. She hit the road after seeking advice from other solo female travelers and borrowing an assortment gear, and an immensely rewarding experience followed. Find her story here…

Sarah Swallow just released a new film about Ruta del Jefe as a platform to raise awareness of environmental and political threats affecting the US/Mexico borderlands of Southern Arizona…

Bike shops and small bikepacking bag companies are what make this community thrive. That truth hit Neil and Lindsay as soon as they walked through the door at Spokengear and Cedaero Bags in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Here’s the full scoop from their visit…

This Is Bikerafting is a new short video from Deane Parker that showcases some beautiful stretches of flowy singletrack and rolling rivers in New Zealand’s backcountry, along with some advice for a successful first bikerafting trip of your own. Watch it below…

In this new video from Alpkit, Pete McNeil shares a detailed overview of his bike and gear choices for last year’s inaugural Silk Road Mountain Race, as well as some of his experiences on the route. Watch it here, along with a packing list and a short essay from Pete on his motivations for pedaling across Kyrgyzstan…