Continuing his journey down the Andes from Colombia to Santiago de Chile, Ryan Wilson travels across the surreal landscape of the Salar de Uyuni and traverses a rarely visited part of the driest desert in the world, the Chilean Atacama. Read on to follow his final days in Bolivia and his route through one of Chile’s most remote corners…
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Bitesized Bikepacking: The Hub & Pisgah Tavern
For the third installment of Bitesized Bikepacking, Esker Cycles traveled to Brevard, NC, to visit its friends at The Hub & Pisgah Tavern…
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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Splash Bivy Review
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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Far from Alone: Meaghan Hackinen’s Invisible Support Network Behind her Solo Tour Divide Finish
This June, Meaghan Hackinen set out to compete in the Tour Divide. While no stranger to big rides or bikepacking races, this would be Meaghan’s longest off-pavement adventure yet. After a neck-and-neck race with Ana Jager, Meaghan reached Antelope Wells in a time of 15 days and 23 hours, winning the 2024 women’s division (7th overall) and setting the fastest women’s time for a grand depart.
In this reflective essay, Meaghan weaves together snapshots from her experience while exploring the invaluable but less visible support network that helped her achieve this Tour Divide win.
Supporting photographs from Seth DuBois, Alexandera Houchin, and Megan Dunn
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A Fistful of Bolivianos: Crossing the Andean Altiplano
As Ryan Wilson continues his bike tour south from Colombia to Chile, he crosses a remote stretch of Bolivia’s infamous altiplano. Follow along as Ryan takes on this harsh yet beautiful environment through volcanic landscapes and otherworldly salt flats.
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2024 North South Colorado Recap – A Long, Solo Win
The North South Colorado Bikepacking Race, a 610-mile adventure from Fort Collins to Trinidad, Colorado, is known for its challenging and scenic route over some of Colorado’s iconic (and lesser-known) passes. This year’s event saw around 60 riders toe the line, ready to tackle the diabolical journey. The course, notorious for its demanding 50,000 feet of elevation gain, offers a diverse mix of terrain, including smooth and blown-out gravel roads, trails, and even an abandoned train trestle precariously perched on the side of a mountain.
After a scratch on Day 2 of last year’s race Zack Allison returned this year with renewed confidence and a well-thought-out strategy. Zack, who spends most of his time racing gravel bikes and co-promoting the FoCo Fondo with his wife Whitney, provides a thorough recap of his North South Colorado win. His account delves into the highs and [mostly] the solitary lows of his journey to take the win at one of the toughest bikepacking races in the USA.
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Continental Divide Trail Q&A Part 2: Eating My Way to Mexico
Following up on his gear-centric Q&A, this article explores everything food-related from Kurt Refsnider’s 3-month adventure last summer riding the length of the Continental Divide Trail (the bike-legal sections, that is). That trip was documented here on The Radavist in a series of articles – if you want to read more about the adventure, you can find those here.
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Grayl GeoPress Ti Purifier Review: Water Filtering ≠ Purifying
Water filtration does not equal water purification: there are different levels to the process of creating safe, clean drinking water. In a review of Grayl’s GeoPress titanium travel purifier, Hailey Moore explains what gets missed by filters alone and why you might consider carrying a purifying system.
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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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Arcouzan Bikepacking Route in French Pyrénées: Embrace Everything
Arcouzan bikepacking route is a mixed-terrain, circular cycling track around the wild and remote (but surprisingly accessible) Ariège region of the French Pyrénées. Arcouzan is not a race; it’s about finding connection through adventure. It’s designed as an immersive journey for cyclists, a bike-packing route encouraging you to travel slowly and embrace everything you encounter.
Continue reading below as Claire Frecknall and Tomas Montes document their reconnaissance mission on the new Arcouzan bikepacking route…
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Rapha’s New Explore Luggage
Introducing Rapha’s all-new Explore luggage system, which was created for the rigors of bikepacking and adventure riding. Constructed with durable and highly weather-resistant materials. Let’s check out these new bags…
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The 2024 Salsa Cutthroat Gets Updates
Hot off the heels of a Tour Divide second place with Salsa rider Ana Jager, the brand announced three key updates to the popular Cutthroat touring bike. Let’s check it out below.
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Outer Shell Drawcord Handlebar Bag and Rolltop Saddle Bag Review
With a myriad of bike luggage options, picking the right bag for your needs can be quite a conundrum. Nic Morales dives into some offerings from Outer Shell that may just strike a happy balance by drawing from storied design, including the recently updated Drawcord Handlebar Bag and Rolltop Saddle Bag…
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A Long-Term Review of the Durston X-Mid 1P Tent
The X-Mid series of ultralight tents from Canada’s Durston Gear has gotten a lot of attention since they were first launched in 2018. Ryan Wilson has had a chance to put his Durston X-Mid through the wringer on trips across rugged regions of Asia and South America. Read on to find out about his thoughts on the tent after two years and hundreds of nights with it.
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Zen and the Art of Trailside Coffee: A Philosophical Approach
Touring through Colombia’s coffee-growing region, and re-reading of Robert M. Pirsig’s classic, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance has inspired Joe Sasada to reconsider his passion for coffee from a more philosophical angle. He shares some tips and tricks for everyone to level-up their trailside brew game, as well as a photo gallery from that stunning region
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Continental Divide Trail Q&A Part One: What Did I Pack For My Toughest Bike Trip Yet?
Last summer, Kurt Refsnider rode the length of the Continental Divide Trail (the bike-legal sections, that is) over the course of three months and documented the journey in a series of articles here on The Radavist. You can find those here. This article is the first of a two-part Q&A series about Kurt’s gear choices and bike setup. The subsequent second part will be all about food planning and eating on a 3,000-mile singletrack adventure.
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On the Trail of Ancient Civilizations in the Peruvian Andes
As Ryan Wilson continues his bike tour south from Colombia to Chile, he runs into the beginning of Peru’s infamous storm season. Follow along as Ryan has a few close calls in a region that was home to one of the earliest civilizations in the Peruvian Andes.