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To help satiate the rapidly-growing bikepacking community’s desire for new long-distance routes, Bikepacking Roots recently released the 2,700-mile-long Wild West Route. This Canada- to-Mexico epic links together dirt roads and rough 4×4 tracks through Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona, showcasing the vast expanses of wild and public lands in the Intermountain West.
We’d like to give this video another little nudge, after featuring it in the post about Ben and his Kona which he used on this trip.
Sonoran Overnighter
Words and Photos by Spencer Harding
It’s easy to get lost in the dreamy imagery of bike tours to exotic far-off lands. I’m always making myself feel like everything has to look like a crazy-ass skid backlight by a Kodachrome sunset at the end of the world…but let’s be real in a world of unreal imagery.
Pepper and Sam came down to Tucson to start their trip on the Sky Island Odyssey. Pepper was in from Australia after being away from the states for many years on her way up to a new job in Seattle. Sam, running from the winter on Prince Edward Island and needed no excuse to come down and get sunburnt. Monique and I had been talking at the shop about going camping for a few weeks without any plan coming to fruition. We decided to take Pepper and Sam on a little shakedown ride into the mountains near Tucson before sending them down south on their odyssey. Colin, fresh off getting an OK from the doctor to do some light pedaling after he tore his Achilles, joined us until the route turned uphill!
Photos by @saltlake_lian
At the UK handbuilt bicycle show in Bristol, this weekend Condor Cycles showed off their new, made in Italy Bivio Odyssey frameset. It is a collab with the Italian clothing brand, PEdALED.
Condor teamed up with PEdALED in 2017 and 2018 with their pro cycling team but at the 11th hour, just before the start of the 2018 Tour of Britain, their key sponsor JLT, gave Condor some bad news they wouldn’t be continuing as they had been taken over unexpectedly, leaving them with a bit of a void. Condor really enjoyed teaming up with PEdAL ED as they are a very relaxed and easy to work with brand, so they decided to make an aluminum frame inspired by the Silk Road Mountain Race they sponsor and newly-launched Odyssey clothing range.
The McKenzie is a durable and fully waterproof handlebar bag made by Watershed Bags in the USA. Its waterproof closure and lack of outside mounting hardware provide an durable alternative to traditional bar packs which will almost always rattle loose. In addition, the abrasion-resistant fabric withstands whatever you throw at it, including spills, while keeping everything dry and worry-free. You can even pack your camera equipment in it with the Watershed Bags Ocoee liner and dividers. the McKenzie comes in sage (pictured), coyote, and black, and can be custom made with a purge valve.
Dimensions Rolled: 9″ Height x 16″ Width x 7.25″ Depth
Capacity Rolled 640 cu in (10.5L)
Closure Type ZipDry®
Opening Size 13 in
Weight 1.5 lbs
In stock now at Watershed Bags for $130.
Equipping an Amateur Bikepacker (and Professional Filmmaker) for the Peruvian Andes
Photos and words by Morgan Taylor
When most people think “I’d like to take on my first bikepacking trip,” they don’t think of going to the Peruvian Andes. Well, most people aren’t my friend Ben Johnson. Ben’s a filmmaker and a storyteller, and once an idea gets into his head, it’s hard to shake him of it.
Ben had long been following Ryan Wilson’s work here on the site, and lusted to pedal in the high mountains of Peru. With another film project taking Ben down to Lima, the flights were paid for, and the idea of this side trip and a passion project was sparked.
Lots of people ask Stephanie and me for advice about bike traveling and we’re happy to help. Ben came to us with an ambitious plan, a short timeline to get a bike built, and enthusiasm through the roof. He needed help.
I had recently transitioned away from full-time work to focus on creative projects: the right place and the right time to help Ben get set up for his adventure in the Andes. I’m happy to present the film here, and will get into the details of the bike build below.
XPDTN3 focuses its lens on Colombia’s coffee and backroads in their latest story. Be sure to check out the photos and full story at XPDTN3.
I feel like we’ve seen various permutations of bikepacking over the past few years, but this video shows there’s always more! See more at Ice and Palms.
Sorry this has sold out!
Our friends at the WTF Bikexplorers just announced that tickets are now available for the Second Annual WTF Bikexplorers Summit. The Summit looks to bring people who identify as women, trans, or femme together for a weekend of bikepacking, seminars, workshops, and camaraderie. Check out the full press release below!
Deane Parker takes us along on an epic bikepacking and bikerafting trip in New Zealand!
PedalEd has launched a limited edition pack featuring their bikepacking bags and various apparel designed for bikepacking and touring in Coral red. Included in the drop is their Cluster saddle pack, Internode half frame bag, Node snack pack, and Tendril handlebar bag. Head to PedalEd to see the entire drop.
If you’re in Vancouver and are looking to unload some bikepacking and touring gear, or are looking to buy some used stuff for a deal, don’t miss this swap on May 12th at Trout Lake! Holler at @esotericelectric with any questions on Instagram.
Rebecca Rusch and Doom‘s journey through the Four Corners’ most valuable land continues in part two of Protect Our Playgrounds.
Crust Bikes Scapegoat V2
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk
The Crust bikes Scapegoat or Goat’s pro model has seen some revisions for the upcoming run of frames. In an effort to bring the original model in line with today’s “standards” geometry is based on the longer/slacker mantra but in a completely rigid package. The swap from a 135mm F/R axle spacing to boost spacing allows for a more readily available dynamo hub, and the inclusion of through-axles makes for a more solid, loaded bike. The V2 Scapegoat, in the larger sizes, is designed to be ridden with a 27.5+ tire but will accommodate a 26×4″ tire setup as a single speed, or with an internally geared hub.
Prior to the Eroica weekend, Juliet took to the coastal mountains outside of Big Sur with friends for an all-out mixed terrain bike tour. I really love seeing Juliet’s videos from her recent California travels!
Widefoot Designs, makers of the LiterCage, have a new cargo cage available now in their web shop. The CargoMount is an aluminum made in USA cargo frame that mounts to your two or three bottle bosses and can be used to strap any number of items to it, yet they’re designed to carry Nalgene bottles. These come in four colors and are in stock now at Widefoot for $57 each.
245 Miles – 25,000 ft Elevation – 6 Days. Chasing Contours takes on the Trans Wales traverse. Head to Chasing Contours to see the full trip and equipment break down.
Time Trial on the Arizona Trail 300: The Trail is Always Available
Words by Lael Wilcox and photos by Rugile Kaladyte
I started thinking about riding the Arizona Trail again while Rue and I were hiking it in November. We took a $5 FlixBus from Tucson to Flagstaff, walked one mile down Historic Route 66 and got on the trail. It took us a month to walk to the Mexican border. Walking was my mental recovery from a summer of racing. The Arizona Trail is a 789 mile hiking trail across the state. With a bike, it’s a hybrid– mostly riding, but a considerable amount of pushing too. It’s hard. It took me 270 miles of walking to start dreaming about getting back on the bike. I remember the moment– we were hiking the Gila River section and my mind started tracing the curves of the trail with bicycle wheels. And it hit me, what if I rode the Arizona Trail with a bigger, more capable bike?
