Inspiration & Blog

Riders of the 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race are over six days into the 1,938-kilometer route, and the fastest riders should be finishing any time now. Event photographer Stephen Shelesky has been working tirelessly to capture all the action and put together a mid-race update complete with a stunning selection of photos from the race so far…

The latest video from Berlin’s Schindelhauer Bikes follows engineer Kryštof Kořán on a three-week, 2,500-kilometer bikepacking trip across Norway. As he rides through the spectacular landscapes, Kryštof eloquently shares some of what riding means to him and how it helps shake up his perspective. Find the video with photos and a written introduction here…

In their latest video, Jordan Ross rides the Sea to Sky Trail between Squamish and Pemberton, British Columbia, linking rugged gravel roads inland to Harrison Lake and back to Vancouver, where the trip began. Watch the video, check out the route, and read a reflection from Jordan here…

Following his first bikepacking trip abroad, a three-week ride across Japan from Tokyo to Kyoto, Riaz Moola reflects on the bike’s ability to help overcome the fears of the anxious mind and offers some insights on how he learned to embrace the freewheeling joy of traveling by bike despite being a nervous person. Find his illuminating story with a gallery of film and digital photos here…

The Silk Road Mountain Race is arguably one of the most extreme off-road bikepacking races in the world, taking riders from 20º to 110ºF, from the high desert to snowy, high-elevation mountain passes in Kyrgyzstan. For 2024, Erin Poland and Jono Freeman are racing in the pairs category. Conan Thai tagged along on one of their training days in Beacon, New York, a short train ride away from New York City, and he made this lovely short video about them…

After living and route building in the north of Thailand for the better part of a year, Sam Rice ventures south to Bangkok to meet three of the city’s most prominent bikepacking brands. Read on for his impressions of Buffalo Bags, Bicycle Boy Clubhouse, and Conquer Bags, featuring immersive photo galleries and a look at what each brand brings to the Thai bikepacking scene…

To kick off the new Mega Mid South bikepacking route in Oklahoma, a 300-mile loop culminating over 10 years of Mid South course building, the Mid South team created a five-part video series to document their first recon trip on the new route. Watch it in full here…

Released earlier this summer, “The Bike Listening Tour” is a 15-minute video from Nate Mitka and Otso Cycles that follows Otso ambassador Andrew Mohama on a 2,500-mile solo tour from San Fransisco to Chicago, during which he investigates loneliness and isolation. Watch it here…

In their latest video, Chris Wilson and his riding buddy Rob set out on their first grand depart, tackling the Cross-Washington Mountain Bike Route (XWA) for the second time. Watch the 40-minute video documenting their ride and find a few photos from the route here…

David Lamb recently pedaled our 80-mile St. Helens Epic bikepacking route in Washington, where he shot a 12-minute video highlighting the region’s history and documenting his time on the route. Watch his video and find a brief trail report with photos here…

Seizing an extended window of time off this spring, Max Coleman and his partner Shannon left their home in Adelaide for an 11-day getaway to beautiful Tasmania. With hardly a plan, they spontaneously pieced together a bikepacking route that took them along a lively mix of questionable and unforgettably scenic roads and trails. Read their story of unsolved mysteries, steep climbs, colorful locals, and more here…

The second episode of Morris and Felix Winby’s creative and entertaining “Sounds from London to Lyon” series finds the young brothers around 500 kilometers into their journey in search of audio inspiration. They ride gravel into Paris, record more music using local sounds, and put on an impromptu performance. See it all here…