#bicycle-touring

Reportage By: Nick McIntyre

Bike Touring Cork in Ireland: Hardtails, Hills, and Horses

Nick McIntyre takes us on a mosey through Ireland’s southernmost county on some choice cuts from the Golden Age of 26-inch MTBs. Sharing company with a small group of friends, Nick writes about rolling past stashed-off coves, winding back roads, and an unexpected day making petty bets at the Ballabuidhe Horse Fair after one of the wettest Irish summers on record. It was a given that there would be some downpours to deal with along the way, but these only made the odd break in the clouds all the sweeter. Read on for Nick’s retelling of bike touring in Cork and don’t miss his 35 mm gallery.

Reportage By: Sònia Colomo

A Bikepacking Traverse Connecting the Highest Peaks of the Iberian Peninsula

During a month-long tour, Sònia Colomo and Eloi Miquel trace singletrack and rough roads en route to summiting the highest peaks in the Iberian Peninsula. Come along for the ride through the backcountry of Spain!

Radar

VIDEO: Just to be With You – A Dad, a Daughter and the Divide

On August 4, 2022, Scarlet and her dad set out from Calgary, Canada to ride the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. 42 days and over 2,900 miles later, they arrived at the US and Mexico border with a deeper understanding of themselves and each other. Along the way a poem was written to help a dad come to terms with the inevitable growing up of his daughter.

Reportage By: John Watson

Rogue Panda Check-In and Tall Bike Check

Even as the custom and production bag maker community has continued burgeoning over the past few years, one name has remained an innovator in the space: Rogue Panda. When John was in Flagstaff, Arizona, last October, he swung by the shop for a quick peek and spent some time documenting one bike that stood out among the rest!

Reportage By: Spencer Harding

Yosemite of Southern Arizona: Two Nights Around the Chiricahua Mountains

The often overlooked Chiricahua Mountains sit between Las Cruces and Tucson. Sitting on the edges of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, the range boasts incredible scenery and biodiversity. Spencer and some buds spent a long weekend bike camping around the Chiricahua mountains. Check out one of the most underrated areas in Southern Arizona and all it has to offer.

Radar

Ortlieb’s Bike Bags Get a Dark Sand Makeover

Ortlieb, makers of waterproof bags for bike touring, just announced a new color for its entire bike bag lineup called Dark Sand.

Radar

VIDEO: Omni Tiera Dogpacking How To – Mira’s Basket Setup

We all love videos of trail dogs running alongside their best friend while they ride singletrack but what about taking your best friend on a bike tour? Omni Tiera is a YouTube channel that keeps getting served to us (thanks, algorithm!) and since John documented Pablo while he was in Madrid with Blackburn all those years ago, dog touring has been something we’re keen on seeing more of. Part of getting more dogs out on tours is sharing the wealth of knowledge you learn from experience.

As such, we’re stoked to share some of those tips here. In this video, Omni Tiera discusses the dog basket setup.

Radar

Announcing Cycling the World Film Event hosted by Patagonia Palo Alto on January 24

Cycling The World documents McKenzie Barney’s multiyear, mostly-solo attempt to see the world by bicycle over 18,000 miles, five continents, and 28 countries. Self-shot and edited, McKenzie is currently touring her documentary around the United States with The Radavist as her media partner. In 2023, the film toured around the country, hosted by universities, breweries, and bike shops such as Treehouse Cyclery and Cycleast.

Now, we’re excited to announce the latest Cycling The World film tour event for 2024: January 24 in Palo Alto, California hosted by Patagonia!

Radar

MSR’s New Hubba Hubba Bikepacking 1 or 2-Person Tents

When it comes to toting a tent around on a bike tour, the one thing that often ends up interfering with mounting the tent between your handlebars are the tent poles. Numerous brands have developed shorter poles that now fit between the hoods on gravel bikes with the latest being MSR, who just announced the Hubba Hubba 1 or 2-person tent…

Radar

Bikepacking Roots: The Bikepacker’s Guide Virtual Workshop #3

Bikepacking Roots are excited to jump right back into its virtual workshop series next week. Join us Wednesday, January 10th for EAT, DRINK, RIDE, REPEAT: Planning food & water, bikepacking nutrition and navigating resupplies. Check out more below.

Radar

A First Look at Sim Works’ New Doppo Locust Touring Bike and SimLoaders Bags

We got our first look at the made in Portland, Oregon Sim Works SimLoaders bags during our Chris King Open House Reportage this year and today, the Japanese brand announced the full lineup, coinciding with a completely redesigned Doppo touring bike, now dubbed the Locust and with either 27.5×2.8″ or 29×2.4″ tire clearance!

We first showcased the Doppo when John did a bike tour around Mt. Fuji with the Circles crew back in 2016, so it’s exciting to see the newest permutation of this line. Read on for a complete look at the SimLoaders Bags and the new Doppo Locust below!

Radar

Radar Roundup: Ron’s CT Tool Wallet, State Death Metal, MADE 2024 Registration is Open, Timeless Trails, One Year Alaska to Mexico, and Badlands 2023

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Radar

Niche Needs: Specialized Recon ADV Shoes Review

Spencer takes us on a walk and a pedal with a well-used review of Specialized’s Recon ADV shoes. The pursuit of a clip-in and lace-up shoe without all the other newfangled doodads led him to the Recon ADVs. It’s a simple shoe packed with plenty of technology nonetheless.

Reportage By: Weronika Szalas

Bikepacking The Lesser Known Corners of Northern Spain

Armed with bike, camera, and plenty of curiosity Werka Szalas set out for a month on the road in Northern Spain. The main focus of her trip was to visit the Picos de Europa National Park in the province of Asturias but she couldn’t help spending time detouring through Leon and Cantabria, too. Read on and check out her gallery for a closer look at a few of the lesser-known corners of Spain.

Reportage By: Daniel Zaid

Not About Bikes: 2023 Bikepacking Summit and DangerBird Ride

With its mixed-surface riding through four distinct sections of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument that surrounds Las Cruces, New Mexico, the Monumental Loop has plenty of spice—and not just from the chile you’ll find in Hatch. Every fall, the Loop’s organizers extend an open invitation for cyclo-tourists to come experience the 250-mile desert figure eight as part of the Dangerbird group ride event. This year’s rolling extravaganza was a coupled with the Bikepacking Summit, which Daniel Zaid attended and reports on below…

Reportage By: Todd Gillman & Aaron LaVanchy

San Juan Splendor: Circumnavigation of Mt Wilson

While winter has already set in over in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, Todd Gillman and a troop of friends snuck in one last hurrah of the year, a two-day leaf peep bike tour to circumnavigate Mt. Wilson while the leaves were still poppin’. Read on for Todd’s lively route description and file this instant backcountry classic away for next year—you won’t soon forget Aaron LaVanchy‘s stunning photo set…

Reportage By: Kurt Refsnider

Updates From the CDT Part 4: Resistance and Enchantment Through the Final Miles

What does it mean to ride the 3,300-mile spine of the Continental Divide, from the Canadian to Mexican border across the United States? Very few people can say, but Kurt Refsnider can now count himself among them. In his fourth installment from the Continental Divide Trail, Kurt writes about the final miles through a geologist’s lens and how New Mexico held just as much resistance as it did enchantment.

Radar By: Travis Engel

Bike Hacks: Why Prism Reading Glasses are My new Favorite Bike Camping Accessory

One helpful tip for getting a good night’s sleep while bike touring is to mimic your home sleeping experience as closely as possible. Cotton pillowcases or fleece sleeping bag liners can ease your mind by tricking your body. But you should apply that logic to your entire pre-sleep ritual. Have some dessert, brush your teeth, and once you’re all tucked in, do some light reading. Travis Engel is here with a bike hack that may make that last part a little easier to do in the wild.