In her review of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Splash Bivy, Hailey Moore writes about why she prefers bivies over tents and offers her assessment of this featherweight dyneema bikepacking, or backpacking, sleeping kit companion.
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Morocco’s Highest Peaks By Bike: A Bikepacking Traverse Through the Atlas Mountains
After crossing Spain and climbing the highest mountains in the Al-Ándalus area, the Toubkal mountain presented itself as a challenge but also as an excuse to explore a country in which Sonia and Eloi had not cycled before. They knew that the next step was to change continents, and Morocco’s Highest Peaks were just on the other side of the harbor. What they didn’t know was that they were about to cross a land that would surprise them to an extent that, at the time, they couldn’t even imagine…
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Fizik Team Amani and Black Mamba Ferox Carbon and Atlas Gravel Shoes
Fizik has launched limited-edition versions of its popular Ferox Carbon and Atlas gravel shoes in bold, new Team Amani and Black Mamba colorways. To celebrate the achievements of Team Amani, fizik has unveiled two new designs, both inspired by the wildlife of Kenya…
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*Feature Film and Photobook Announcement* Camera Corner: Wende Cragg Documents the Birth of Mountain Biking
Photographer Wende Cragg has been a pillar of the cycling community since she began documenting road, cyclocross, and the early days of mountain biking in Marin County, California, and throughout the United States over 50 years ago. We are delighted to launch the trailer for our first feature-length documentary film, Camera Corner: Wende Cragg Documents the Birth of Mountain Biking. It profiles Wende’s work and its lasting impact on the cycling industry.
We’re also unveiling a book and merch pre-order, as well as the beginning of a growing list of film screenings, which kicks off with the world premiere at the Marin Museum of Bicycling on August 16th & 17th and another at MADE’s movie night on August 23rd. There’s exclusive early viewing access, pre-orders for an epic photobook featuring Wende’s work, and an associated throwback merchandise run.
Continue reading below for all the details!
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Crust Bikes Scapebot Review: The Yes Man
The Crust Bikes “Scapebot” is the third iteration of the original Scapegoat. The frame fits a wide variety of tire sizes and has a unique geometry that is both modern and harks back to the golden age of ATBs. True to form, Spencer has been using this bike as his touring rig for years and decided to put the most outlandish tire clearance claims to the test. Check out his long-term review of the Crust Scapebot below…
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Readers’ Rides: Yann from Cycles Khelonys Folding 27.5+ Touring Bike
Yann from Cycles Khelonys sent in the folding 27.5+ touring bike the team displayed at this year’s Concours de Machines, winning them third place. Let’s check out the process and final build below…
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2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct Review: A Cosmic Trigger
John likes to review a carbon full-suspension bike at least once a year to challenge his opinions on his preference of chassis material, and this summer’s bike is the 2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct. Thanks to new geometry, details, and a simplified RIDE-4 adjustment, the Instinct proved to be a very capable 140/150 trail bike. Perhaps the bigger picture of this review is John’s ever-questioning of his quasi-religious, cult-like zealotry for metal bikes…
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Ritchey Introduces the Redesigned P-29er XC Mountain Bike
Previewed in our Sea Otter Classic coverage earlier this year, the new Ritchey P-29er is finally available. After perfecting his concept for a new mountain bike, Tom introduced the first P-29er in 2012. Now, Ritchey announces the latest updated version of the P-29er, the latest manifestation of Ritchey’s deep heritage of mountain bike history.
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The 2024 Rough Stuff Rally Non-Competitive Mountain Bike Festival in Copper Harbor
The Rough Stuff Rally is back in 2024 in Copper Harbor, Michigan and we’ve got all the info you need! Let’s check it out.
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Switchback Nostalgia: Tracing Old Tracks in the Cordillera Blanca
After seven years, Ryan Wilson returns to the Peruvian Cordillera Blanca to re-ride some of the roads that inspired him to take up bike touring in the first place and explore some new roads around the tourist hub of Huaraz. Come along for a ride in one of the most spectacular regions of the world.
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Rocky Mountain Reaper 26 Review: The Kids are Alright
The Reaper lineup of bikes from Rocky Mountain utilizes many of the brand’s popular features from its adult-sized siblings but in smaller versions for growing younger riders. Featuring dialed kinematics and adjustable RIDE-9 geometry, the Reapers–which include 24″, 26″, and 27.5″ wheeled models–are designed as ripping platforms for kids with the same Rocky Mountain DNA as the rest of the storied Canadian brand’s lineup.
Last year, Josh brought in a Reaper 26 for his now twelve-year-old son Holden to ride on their loose and chunky southern Arizona trails. Holden also used the bike to race his first XC season with the Arizona Cycling Association’s Youth Development League.
If you have a young rider at home and are curious how this bike fit, handled, and held up for Holden over nearly nine months of extended use (and abuse), continue reading below…
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Silky Pocketboy Curve 130 Folding Saw Review: The Mountain Biker’s Machete
This is not one of Travis’s trail-work humble-brag stories. His Silky Pocketboy folding saw can’t make lasting changes like the chainsaw or sawzall he prefers to use. But he carries a Silky Pocketboy on every mountain bike ride, and maybe you should, too.
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History of Mountain Bike Evolution Show: Bicycle Taxonomy
John spent last weekend in Santa Cruz catching up with friends, riding some tacky dirt and checking out the History of Mountain Bike Evolution Show at Santa Cruz Bicycles, put on by Doug Hatfield, Velo Cosmos with Team Old Soil. The show spanned the evolution of the mountain bike from the 1940s through the Syndicate Racing Team’s World Cup DH machines.
Below, John hones in on the evolution of cruiser bikes to klunkers and the genesis of the Marin County “Mountain Bike” and shares a jam-packed gallery of bikes and hangs…
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藝術 (Art), 手工藝 (Craftsmanship), 製造 (Manufacture): Taichung Taiwan is a Bicycling Manufacturing Mecca
Coming off our Dust-Up article on (Most) All Bikes are Handmade is a deeper dive… It is easy to take for granted how products from around the globe end up in our hands. When it comes to bicycles, many of us have no idea how they are made. Our Instagram feeds are filled with romanticized images of artisans building intricate frames one at a time, but what about the production bicycles that the vast majority ride? Much less information is available, leaving our imaginations to conjure up images of robotic welders and dirty, fast-paced production. This often leads to uninformed debates on where, who, and how products are made.
The authors of this article offer a unique perspective on bicycle manufacturing. Daniel Yang, a talented engineer working with Neuhaus Metalworks and his own brand ARTEFACT, is changing how artisan framebuilders build bikes through 3D printing and 3D modeling innovations. Adam Sklar has over a decade of experience building high-end custom bikes by hand. He recently brought his production to Taiwan, working together with factories to produce his signature designs. The factories and people you see in this article produce Sklar Bikes, which is why we were given the opportunity to share this experience with you all.
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2024 RockShox Psylo Gold RC First-Ride Review
Sometimes, the bike industry throws cost-conscious consumers a bone, and the 2024 RockShox Psylo Gold RC is a meaty one. Travis has been chewing on it for a couple weeks now, and he’s got a review with almost no flesh-based metaphors.
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Readers’ Rides: Laura and Tree’s Retrotec Tandem Mountain Bike Named “Joy”
Apologies for the delay in delivering this week’s Readers’ Rides, but as you can see, it’s a special one. Tandems are often called “relationship accelerators,” particularly when it comes to tandem mountain bikes! Laura and Tree had Curtis from Retrotec Cycles build them something special… so let’s get to it.
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VIDEO: Los Angeles Doesn’t Need Mountain Bikes – Lowelifes Trail Crew
Old Man Mountain joined Lowelifes for one of their monthly work party campouts to gain a little insight into what makes their trail organization different from other groups in California. They do grueling work, from long hours breaking up granite with 60V demolition hammers to cutting out forests of Poodle-Dog Bush. They also know how to have fun, hand-pressing tacos for their volunteers in the backcountry. Join us and learn more about Lowelifes and what makes the trails around LA so special…
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Readers’ Rides: Marty’s Rocky Mountain Blizzard
Our Readers’ Rides today features Marty and his Rocky Mountain Blizzard that has been passed around to several people in Minnesota but has finally settled down in his care. Let’s check it out!