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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.

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

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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!

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

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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!

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. 

Not About Bikes: 2023 Bikepacking Summit and DangerBird Ride

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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… 

San Juan Splendor: Circumnavigation of Mt Wilson

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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…

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

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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.

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

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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.

The Rough Road Renegade: Introducing the Curve GMX+ Steel

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The Rough Road Renegade: Introducing the Curve GMX+ Steel

Is it a drop-bar mountain bike? A gravel rig on ‘roids? Or a bike from another dimension? When it comes to codifying bikes these days, it’s really easy to get really lost (real quick). However, once in a while, a bike comes along that challenges the norm, flips the bird to conventional geo numbers, and stands alone: not as an outlier, but as an original. Sam Rice has been test riding Curve Cycling‘s long-awaited GMX+ and shares his thoughts on why it isn’t “just another touring bike” below, along with a look at their updated Seek 430 FM carbon fork.

Bespoked 2023 Prologue: A Tour-Ready Titanium Randonneur from Wheeldan

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Bespoked 2023 Prologue: A Tour-Ready Titanium Randonneur from Wheeldan

I’m in Germany for the 2023 Bespoked Handmade Bicycle Show, which is taking place this weekend, October 13-15 in Dresden. Prior to traveling to Dresden, I was in Berlin with Flo and Tine of Fern/Allygn Bicycles and Gramm Tourpacking where we had an action-packed day visiting various makers around their workshop in the east side of the city. One of our visits was to meet Dan Pleikies of Wheeldan Custom Bicycles. Dan isn’t able to make it to Bespoked, BUT I was able to pull aside a client’s stunning randonneur bike he had on hand to document. Let’s check it out below!

Summer Shreddin’ in Winter Park: Inside / Out at San Util Design

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Summer Shreddin’ in Winter Park: Inside / Out at San Util Design

Spencer takes us on a trip to Colorado to visit Winter Park’s local bag maker, San Util Design. Started as a one-man project, but ever on the up and up, the makers recently opened a new shop on the mountain town’s main drag and hired a few part-time employees. Boasting a range of products from hip packs all the way up to custom frame bags, San Util has some great handmade gear available. Let’s check it out below! 

A Simple Solution for a Simple Problem: A Shovel Research Rod Steward Review

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A Simple Solution for a Simple Problem: A Shovel Research Rod Steward Review

Does it get much better than small makers addressing niche demands within a niche sector of the bike industry? I don’t think so. One of my favorite parts about running this website is showcasing and highlighting cottage industry bike businesses. Shovel Research is a small machine and fabrication shop that makes well-designed products that address a niche demand. One of which is its Rod Steward, a bag support designed for the Fab’s Chest by Ron’s Bikes, but as I found out on my Rivendell Bombadil, it works well with a Rivendell Sackville BagBoy bag.

Let’s check out a quick review below…

Deadfall, Cow Sh*t, and Monsoons: A Well Used Revelate Nano Panniers Review

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Deadfall, Cow Sh*t, and Monsoons: A Well Used Revelate Nano Panniers Review

In a world where traditional bicycle touring setups are seemingly overtaking strap-on bikepacking bags, micro or mini panniers make a lot of sense. If you have a rear or front rack, why not run a pannier over a lashed, structureless bag? Panniers are great for many reasons, mainly their ease of loading and stability. They don’t flop all over or rub your tires on smaller frames like bikepacking bags tend to, and if they’re packed and mounted right, they stay out of your way during the inevitable hike-a-bike. Plus, depending on how you load your rear rack, you can still use a dropper post. 

John recently took the new Revelate Nano Panniers ($250/pair) out on the Northern New Mexico CDT for four days of navigating deadfall, battling cow shit, and being trounced by Southwestern Monsoons, i.e., the true test of a pannier’s reliability!

Read on for his well-used review!