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Kyrgyzstan Won: The (Uncompleted) Bishkek Spectacular

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Kyrgyzstan Won: The (Uncompleted) Bishkek Spectacular

On their fourth trip to Kyrgyzstan, Belén Castello and Tristan Bogaard return for Tristan to ride the 2023 Silk Road Mountain Race. But with a few days on their hands before the start, they decide to blaze a new 250-mile route that circumnavigates the Ala-Too, from the capital of Bishkek. With hopeful hearts and full panniers, they start their ride by setting out over Kegeti Pass (12,401′). After surmounting the pass, tragedy strikes as Tristan falls ill. Things aren’t always sunsets and tailwinds on bike tours, so come take a journey through accepting defeat in the beautiful mountains and valleys of Kyrgyzstan.

Bikepacking The Lesser Known Corners of Northern Spain

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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. 

Devil’s Cardigan: The 2023 Australian Gravel National Championships

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Devil’s Cardigan: The 2023 Australian Gravel National Championships

Picture an island 42 degrees south of the equator deep in the middle of winter. Surrounded by great oceans, it is battered by cold rain, snow, and wind. The Roaring Forties haunt the island like the growls of a Devil. Born out of these challenging conditions, The Devils Cardigan seemed the only name fit to describe the Australian Gravel National Championships. 

Read on for Scott Mattern’s recap of Tasmania’s annual off-road rite of passage and how he made it devilishly difficult by combing both the 50km and 100km distances…

Creative Exposure Pt 3: A WTF-NB Database of Photographers and Videographers

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Creative Exposure Pt 3: A WTF-NB Database of Photographers and Videographers

After often being the only female-identifying photographer/videographer in the proverbial room at cycling events, Natalie Starr began compiling a list of diverse professionals back in 2019. After sharing a follow-up to her initial post, Natalie is back with a third installment of folks to book for your next industry gig (looking at you marketers!). Let’s check it out below!

No One Is Going To Do It Except You: A Schön Studio Shop Visit

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No One Is Going To Do It Except You: A Schön Studio Shop Visit

If you weren’t already familiar with Schön Studio, you may have just seen some of their stellar work in our recent MADE bike show coverage. Tucked into a corner of a quiet neighborhood in Squamish BC, Danielle Schön has been building bikes, teaching classes, and doing a variety of other metalwork and art out of her hand-built, backyard workshop. Read on below for Pat Valade‘s shop visit and in-depth profile… 

Introducing Curious Creatures: A Fresh Approach to Mountain Bike Apparel That Celebrates Individuality and Adventure

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Introducing Curious Creatures: A Fresh Approach to Mountain Bike Apparel That Celebrates Individuality and Adventure

Curious Creatures is a mountain bike apparel brand born out of Bozeman, Montana, and is founded on the principles of empowerment, exploration, and self-expression. Firmly committed to elevating industry benchmarks, the brand resonates through its emphasis on quality, sustainability, and unadulterated individual expression. And, they have just launched their first product line—take a closer look below and read on to learn more about the brand’s commitment to inclusion in cycling.

Returning to Cuenca Los Ojos: Sarah Swallow’s Otso Voytek and Ruta del Jefe Updates

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Returning to Cuenca Los Ojos: Sarah Swallow’s Otso Voytek and Ruta del Jefe Updates

Ruta del Jefe has officially announced the dates and the new venue – March 21-24, 2024 in Cuenca Los Ojos, Mexico –  for the next edition of this adventure, education, community, and advocacy event. Cuenca Los Ojos is a protected natural area in the Sky Islands of the Mexican state of Sonora, southeast of Agua Prieta/Douglas, Arizona. Daniel Zaid and Karla Robles recently linked up with, organizer Sarah Swallow and, below, document her new new Otso Voytek, which she has been using for scouting the 2024 Ruta Del Jefe route. Additionally, Daniel and Karla share an update on the work Cuenca Los Ojos has been doing to provide the best platform for Ruta del Jefe in advance of the event’s first season south of the border…

Female Hygiene on a Bike: How to Prepare for a Multi-Day Journey

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Female Hygiene on a Bike: How to Prepare for a Multi-Day Journey

Cyclotourists, bikepackers, and other backcountry travelers love shaving down their gear to just the bare essentials, splitting toothbrushes in half, or rationing the squares of toilet paper with every wipe. But, when it comes to personal hygiene, I feel like I owe it to myself to splurge a little, given how much I put my body through day-in and day-out whilst on a long, multi-day journey.

It wasn’t until recently that I became aware of the lack of information around the topic of personal female hygiene and bikepacking. As I’ve been approached by more women with different questions on the subject over the years, I began to realize that there’s a need for this kind of information sharing, and that actually, there’s no distinctive guidance out there to help.

So, I want to share my knowledge and experience with the hope that it will help other riders better understand what female hygiene on a bike looks like. There’s no universal solution for everyone, and I can only speak from the anatomy that I know about, but perhaps you’ll find good tips and advice to integrate into future trips based on your needs.

Everyone’s Nice at Brother in the Wild Dorset

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Everyone’s Nice at Brother in the Wild Dorset

Petor Georgallou steals his sister away as a (reluctant) partner in crime to check out the Brother in the Wild Dorset, hosted by Brother Cycles. He’s pleased to find a “field full of weirdos” and a plethora of equally unique and odd bikes and, it turns out, everyone’s nice. Stick around near the end for a lengthy discussion on the merits and cost of silver brazing, and a sampling of the bikes that made an appearance.

Kumis and Glaciers: Stories From Bicycle Touring Kyrgyzstan’s Tian Shan Mountains

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Kumis and Glaciers: Stories From Bicycle Touring Kyrgyzstan’s Tian Shan Mountains

Wild horses, high mountains, glaciers, and nomads—Ana Zamorano first heard stories of adventure and misadventure from bike touring in Kyrgyzstan while riding in The Andes. The allure of adventure was too enticing and she made a pact to experience the vast valleys and high passes of the Tian Shan Mountains herself. Read on for her retelling of a trip that included loaded high-altitude touring, a glimpse into the region’s nomadic culture, and endless mountains in the distance. 

World Ride Guatemala’s Only All-Women’s Travesia and Why It’s So Important

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World Ride Guatemala’s Only All-Women’s Travesia and Why It’s So Important

For the first time since the pandemic and just the second time ever, World Ride and Old Town Outfitters collaborated to host Guatemala’s only All-Women’s Travesia. The event attracted women from all corners of the country and riders could choose from 25 or 40-kilometer mixed-surface routes that stitched together local villages before ending at ancient Mayan ruins. The goal: creating a safe space for women to try cycling. The result: an unstoppable community of women riders. Continue reading below for Hilary Lex’s moving story and photo gallery of this epic event, along with a beautiful film co-produced with Ashley Hayes!

Cycling in Kuwait: It’s Not the Heat That’s the Challenge

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Cycling in Kuwait: It’s Not the Heat That’s the Challenge

Kuwait was the last place Abe Alkhamees expected to find a cycling community. After an extended vacation to all the best cycling destinations in Europe, he traveled to his home country to explore the cycling there. His Meet The Rider project aims at putting a face to Arab cyclists, sharing their stories, and bridging the gap between these riders and the rest of the cycling world.

Creative Exposure Pt 2: A WTF-NB Database of Photographers and Videographers

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Creative Exposure Pt 2: A WTF-NB Database of Photographers and Videographers

First off, wow, wow wow! The response to our initial release of this list and exposure highlight of the first few creatives was profound and I truly, from the depths of my heart, appreciate it. I built this list with the hopes of it being an outlet used for bringing new creatives opportunities within the industry, a reference point for those who have hopes and dreams of entering into the photography/videography side of the industry and to provide the exposure that these talented individuals deserve.

For those of you who are new here, I started compiling this list back in 2019 after photographing Crankworx and realizing that there weren’t many (if any) other female-identifying photographers/videographers shooting the event. I had known of just one who had attended a conference at the event, but she wasn’t present, at the time, on the field. In the last 4.5 years, I have managed to compile a list of 90 (and growing) women, trans, femme, and non-binary creatives who shoot either photo or video within the cycling industries. And while I am sure there are plenty of names that you are familiar with, it is my hope that this list opens your eyes to at least a few more. And with thanks to The Radavist, there is now a platform that is helping me bring even more awareness to these creatives by highlighting eight individuals each quarter. This list is ever-growing and I will continue to update it as I discover new identifying creatives, however, if you’d like to apply to be on the list, there will be a form at the bottom of this article. Please share this list, print it and pin it to your desk, forward it to a friend, and follow everyone on it! It is up to us as fans of the cycling industry to help spread the word about the talent that helps it function.