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Litespeed’s Unicoi softail has been around for a few years, but we recently came across it again and thought you, our readers, would be interested in seeing it. With 45mm of rear-end damping built-in, and the capability to run up to a 140mm fork, the Unicoi would be a great alternative to using a modern full suspension as a bikepacking or touring rig.
There are about 52 weeks a year and every week, we post 5 full-resolution galleries, meaning there are around 260 Reportage galleries a year for you to enjoy. The intention behind this website has always been about documenting the outliers of cycling and inspiring you, the readership’s next build and bike ride. Over the years, we’ve tapped into a wonderful resource of talented raconteurs and photographers. Hosting their work is both a privilege and an honor we cherish.
With such a massive image database, these Photographic Year In Review posts provide reflection, aspiration, and motivation to continue, to push on, and keep doing what we do best: tell stories and share photos.
Read on below for a short synopsis of this year with a massive gallery of inspirational photos from the past twelve months…
After some indecision over where I’d go following my tour through Southern Turkey, I landed back on familiar territory. I’d originally planned to head for Ecuador or the Western Wildlands route in the US, but once my plans got pushed later into the year, I decided that a trip back to Southern Peru would be more enjoyable than trudging through Ecuador’s rainy season or dealing with the seemingly constant fires in the western US. Plus I’d get a chance to see if the months of Duolingo to shake off my rusty Spanish would pay off in any meaningful way.
We’re rolling out some new things for 2022 and that includes our Radar Roundup where we take some of the news items to come across our inboxes into an easy-to-digest dump of sorts, culling down the clutter from our homepage and making it easier to stay on top of what’s going on in our little corner of the cycling industry. This will come particularly in handy when it comes to spring/summer product drops from our favorite brands.
Check out our first Radar Roundup below with products, videos, and a Radavision entry…
This video was showcased in today’s Reportage but we’ll put it here in Radar as well:
Odyssey of the VOG is a 350 mile self-supported bikepacking race through some of the most rugged terrain through the old-growth forests along the the Oregon Coast. The event name pays respect to a section of the route comprised of 51 acres of massive old-growth forest found on the North Fork Siletz River at the western edge of Polk County, Oregon. Most of these huge trees are Douglas-firs, with a few large western hemlocks as well, many of which are close to 500 years in age. 2021 was the inaugural year for the Odyssey of the VOG. This film provides a glimpse in to the experiences of a few of the participants.
For more information: odysseyvog.com
One of my favorite aspects of traveling to a new place is discovering the local music. Inevitably, I’ll be at a restaurant or shop and a song over the radio will catch my ear. In my experience, there’s very little that will bring the enthusiasm out of a local like a tourist showing an interest in their favorite local classics, so asking about the song will often open up a whole conversation and a slew of other recommendations. With that in mind, here’s a short playlist of Turkish classics from the ’70s and ’80s that folks turned me onto along the way:
Bikepacking Roots (BPR) is excited to share the Love Where You Ride project. Recognizing that bikepackers traverse landscapes from those with wilderness qualities to rural communities to urban areas, we have created a set of Positive Impact Bikepacking practices that riders can apply to travels and racing. We also partnered with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics to adapt their standard Seven Principles specifically for bikepacking and adventure cycling.
In 2020, 11 year old Scarlet Zeigler set a personal goal for herself to ride 100 miles on her bike in one day. She accomplished that goal in the early spring and then set out riding several tours that year. One of those was on the Erie Canal where she decided to see how fast she could ride it. That year, she rode it in 2 days, 22 hours.
For 2021, Scarlet decided to see if she could beat that time and went back, fully self-supported, and rode from Buffalo to Albany NY on the Erie Canal trail. In November. She was responsible for buying all of her own food, finding water along the route and had to figure out the many detours completely on her own. I (her dad) simply recorded everything with a dated iPhone…
Here is the story….
Kona‘s latest video features an epic bikepacking trip across the recently built Paparoa Track in New Zealand’s South Island.
Check out more photos and a brief synopsis below. Enjoy!
A husband and wife take some time off from the day to day hustle to tour on the Virginia Creeper Trail.
We posted part one of this video series a week or so ago and here’s part two!
Three friends bikepack 1,300 km over 3 weeks through BC and Alberta on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) and BC Trail in snow and record-breaking heatwave. Follow @Sir.Bikes.Alot on Instagram for more!
Ryan Duzer’s second episode from the Monumental Loop is live on his YouTube channel. Watch it here for a look at this beautiful terrain and some dusty cyclotourits!
Riding 100 miles in the rain with a fully loaded bike from the San Juan Islands to Seattle, pushing a 50-pound touring rig up a mountain in Montana for 6 hours and 6,000 ft, getting stuck in Dallas after the last leg of my flight was canceled at midnight (more on that later)… as a cyclist, I’m no stranger to struggle. And according to Brene Brown, hope is a function of struggle.
When we encounter struggle, we face the moment when we don’t think we can make it and sometimes finding resolve within to not only survive but to triumph. The next time life offers a seemingly uncrossable water crossing, muscle memory kicks in, and we think, I’ve been here before, I can do this! That, Brown says, is how one becomes a person of hope.
“Well, what the hell now?” I thought to myself as I stared down at my carbon fork now resting on the ground in three separate pieces. A curb-sized, unassuming jump on a wooden arch bridge outside Breckenridge had taken me down, imploding my bike with me. The front brake cable was the only thing connecting my front wheel to the rest of my bike. I had never experienced a mechanical problem like this trailside. That’s it, game over. All the planning and anticipation, just to make it halfway through the Tour Divide.
Three friends bikepack 1,300 km over 3 weeks through BC and Alberta on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) and BC Trail in snow and record-breaking heatwave. Follow @Sir.Bikes.Alot on Instagram for more!
Bikepacking Roots’ latest route – the Northwoods Route – is a ~600-mile-long circumnavigation of the western half of Lake Superior, primarily following gravel roads, relatively smooth two-tracks, rail trails, and short sections of pavement through thick forests and along countless lakes of all sizes. This loop has been created to be inviting to riders on both mountain or gravel bikes, and riders will find that resupply options are relatively frequent along the way. Singletrack alternates and trail networks along the way offer options for riders looking for more technical riding opportunities – loaded or unloaded – and to experience the many unique trail systems built near communities along the way.
Head to Bikepacking Roots for the full breakdown of this epic route!
AUZANGATE is the third Shared Territory film, which debuted this week. We recently caught up with Director, Justin Balog, for a brief Q&A about the project, which you can find below, along with a link to the beautiful film and incredible gallery of images from photographer Ian Matteson.
Ryan Duzer was in Las Cruces for the Monumental Loop Dangerbird last weekend and has a few videos showcasing the event. Here’s part one for you to enjoy today!
