Dispatch

Into the Dark is a new film from Focus Bikes that follows a group of five riders as they attempt a challenging three-day crossing of Germany’s beautiful Black Forest with no fixed route and only paper maps for navigation. Find the full 20-minute film and some photos from behind the scenes here…

West Coast, a film by Adventure Ultra Cycling, documents Christian Orry’s ride from the German-Danish border to the northernmost city in Denmark. Watch the full 25-minute film here…

Let’s be honest, road 1x drivetrains just don’t cut it. The ideal 1x for gravel bikes and drop-bar bikepacking rigs comes in the form of a road shift lever paired with a mountain bike rear derailleur and/or cassette. For the past year and a half, we’ve been experimenting with various hacks and drivetrain modifications to achieve the best of both worlds: a wide gear range and an appreciable granny gear. We’ve fully tested nine solid “mullet” drivetrains for this in depth guide…

In our latest YouTube video, a few of our editors share their 2021 predictions for interesting new gear, adventures, and the bikepacking community at large. Watch it here, plus find out a few things we hope will come to fruition during the upcoming year…

Grenzerfahrungen (Borderline Experiences), a new film from Edinburgh-based filmmaker and adventurer Markus Stitz, documents his journey along the European Green Belt while scouting the Iron Curtain Gravel Trail route. Watch it here…

In his latest video, our friend Iohan Gueorguiev attempted to ride the Kettle Valley Rail Trail (or as much of it as possible) in late December. Watch it here…

Interested in starting a training regimen for an upcoming bikepacking ride or ultra-endurance race? In our latest video, Colorado Trail Race and HT550 record holder Neil Beltchenko shares 11 training tips for bikepacking. Watch them here and find a few links to other training resources on this site…

The Primus Firestick is a canister stove with a unique streamlined packable design. It caught our attention as an ideal stove to cram into a bikepacking bag without any prodding metal edges or rattling bits. We’ve been testing out the stainless steel and titanium versions this fall to see if it lived up to our expectations. Find the full review here…

In effort to check off a few bucket list aspirations, 64-year-old retiree Dave Baumann set out on his mountain bike to bikepack along the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. 540 Miles, A Colorado Trail Documentary, follows Dave’s journey. Watch it here…

Back in 2017, Lael Wilcox cycled Alaska’s complete 4,500-mile road network, solo and self-supported. This past summer, she did it again, but her partner and filmmaker Rugile Kaladyte came along to document the experience. Watch the full 17-minute film here alongside a map of her route, and details about the 2021 Femme-Trans- Women’s Scholarship…

This new video offers a glimpse of the incredible scenery and what riders can expect from the Freedom Challenge’s Race Across South Africa, a yearly ultra-distance race that gives racers 26 days to traverse the country using only paper maps. Watch it here…

In our latest video, Neil dives into the world of satellite messengers, explaining their features, the differences between one-way and two-way devices, and the pros and cons of carrying one while cycling. He also reviews the Garmin InReach Mini and touches on a few other devices that are available on the market today…