Inspiration & Blog

In this edition of Rider’s Lens, we meet young illustrator Kan Kobayashi from Tokyo, Japan, who shares a selection of his distinctive bicycle-themed illustrations. Get to know Kan and the story of how bicycles became the central theme of his art and how he found an online community during the height of the pandemic here…

As a way to escape a wet Pacific Northwest winter, Chris Wilson packed his things for the Queen’s Ransom route outside of Phoenix, Arizona, his first bikepacking trip of 2023. Watch a video he filmed along the way here…

Just released on YouTube in full, Three Peaks and In Between is a film by Stephan Wieser that documents Jana Kesenheimer’s experience participating in the Three Peaks Bike Race, a self-supported 2,000km race across the Dolomites and the Alps, from Vienna to Nice.

The newest installment of Hans de Neve’s “Bikepacking the Americas” series captures vignettes from a four-month ride around Peru following our Cajamarca to Caraz and Peru Great Divide bikepacking routes. Watch the short video and find a striking photo gallery from his 1,100-kilometer journey here…

“Possible” is a new short film from Catherine Dunn that seeks to help break down the barriers around discussing mental health. It explores the topic by introducing cyclist Jenni Myers, who has long struggled with agoraphobia and took on the uniquely challenging 2,200-kilometer GBDuro race across Great Britain last year. Watch the 17-minute film here…

With loose plans and a week at their disposal, Allen Boardman and Barry Godin traveled from the UK to Iceland last year, where they shot more than 20 hours of bikepacking footage and condensed it into a single video. Watch “Bikepacking Iceland” with a brief recap and photos from Allen here…

Not every journey ends when you get back home, as Joshua Meissner discovered upon his return from a solitary tour around Scandinavia in 2021. Settle in for a thoughtful reflection on the twists and turns that followed his journey and a set of photos from the vast north here…

Following the inaugural Komoot Women’s Rally on the GranGuanche route earlier this month, Mia Altieri reports in with her impressions from the week-long ride around Spain’s spectacular Canary Islands with a group of 40 other women. Find her story with a warm and airy gallery of images here…

“Don’t Scratch” is a new self-shot film from Jakob Carlsen that takes an up close and personal look at his time riding in the 2021 edition of the 1,805-kilometer Silk Road Mountain Race (SRMR) in Kyrgyzstan. You can watch the entire 44-minute film here, alongside some words from Jakob…

“Bikepacking Georgia” is an entrancing 40-minute video from Henry and Mona Merk that delights viewers with an in-depth look at their ride of our Caucasus Crossing route in the Republic of Georgia. Filmed with a gentle approach that lets the sights and sounds of the dynamic route shine through, this one is well worth a watch…

Last fall, Miles set off on a last-minute overnighter between three islands off the coast of British Columbia. With nothing more than ferry schedules as his guide, he savored the trip’s slow pace and took time to engage with friendly locals. Find photos, route details, and a reflection from his ride here…

“Tunnels of Gold” is a 10-minute video documenting the time Cameron Sanders and his partner Leialoha spent bikepacking our Appalachian Gravel Growler. Despite logistical hurdles delaying their start, they were treated to a stunning display of fall colors and plenty of local flavors. Watch the video here…