Weighing less than 57 grams, the Flextail Zero Pump is the sort of bike camping luxury that’s easy to live with. It cuts the hyperventilation out of sleeping-pad inflation, though a temperamental deflation function had Travis leaving it at home on trips where every ounce counts.
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Tailfin Packing Cubes
Tailfin’s new Packing Cubes system allows you to stay even more organized when it comes to using the brand’s innovative touring collection.
Reportage
Shooting Solo: How To Document Solo Bicycle Tours
What does it mean to create and capture an authentic moment?
Laura Killingbeck is a lifelong adventure cyclist who recently pedaled the Great Divide. Below, she shares her philosophy and practice of shooting solo photography in the field.
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Alexandera Houchin’s Ultra Racing Hacks
If you follow ultra racing, then you have most likely heard of Alexandera Houchin. Today we’re sharing a few hacks she’s tried over the year, from her beginning roots bike touring all the way through bikepacking races. Read on for a bit of self-deprecating humble pie and innovation, rolled in one!
Reportage
Highs and Lows in Ecuador’s Volcanic Corridor
Last year, Ryan Wilson met up with fellow bike traveler Joe Sasada to tackle the dirt road version of the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route. In Part one, they got their feet wet on this classic route, but in this chapter, Ryan and Joe visit the heart of Ecuador’s iconic volcano corridor and run into the trials and tribulations that come with any good bike tour. Read on for a slice of the highlights and lowlights of their ride across the Andes.
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A Review and Some Tinkering with Shimano CUES 1×11 Drivetrain
With Shimano releasing CUES to replace Alivio, Acera, and Altus groupsets, is it possible we are getting something better? CUES unites all the parts under its umbrella with the same flat cable pull ratio and chain pitch across 9, 10, and 11-speed drivetrains. Spencer Harding devised his own mix of CUES parts to fit his touring demands at a low price point. Check out what he found and his thoughts on this new parts offering from Shimano below…
Reportage
Bikepacking Iceland: When Things Go Low but Spirits Remain High
After completing the Westfjords Way Challenge in 2023, Werka Szalas and friend Louise Philipovitch decide they want to see more of Iceland. In the course of a week, they attempt to explore Iceland’s rugged and beautiful countryside, but like any bike tour, they find a few challenges along the way…
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Biggie Smalls: Hands on with Tailfin’s New 16L Mini Panniers
After 2+ years worth of miles on Tailfin’s 10L mini panniers, Ryan Wilson has been putting their new 16L Mini Panniers to the test while out in the Chilean Desert. Utilizing the same attachment system as the rest of Tailfin’s range of panniers, the new 16L version brings added versatility for commuters and long-distance tourers alike. Let’s check it out below.
Reportage
Cobbles and Comedores: An Introduction to the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route
After extensive touring through Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina, the only remaining “missing link” in Ryan Wilson‘s Andean traverse was Ecuador. Last year, he met up with fellow cyclo-tourist Joe Sasada to share miles on the dirt-road variation of the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route, an 850-mile mountainous traverse through the country’s volcanic corridor. Read on for Ryan’s introduction to Ecuador…
Reportage
The Gumbo Hauler: Jesse’s Stumpjumper Clydesdale Conversion
Everyone loves dogs and bikes so of course hauling them together just seems right. Spencer Harding recently documented Jesse’s classy vintage Stumpjumper frame, equipped with a Crust Bikes Clydesdale fork, and full cantilever brakes that’s an adept doggo transporter and so much more. Let’s dive into all the fun details and gawk at a cute pupper below!
Reportage
Bike Touring Cork in Ireland: Hardtails, Hills, and Horses
Nick McIntyre takes us on a mosey through Ireland’s southernmost county on some choice cuts from the Golden Age of 26-inch MTBs. Sharing company with a small group of friends, Nick writes about rolling past stashed-off coves, winding back roads, and an unexpected day making petty bets at the Ballabuidhe Horse Fair after one of the wettest Irish summers on record. It was a given that there would be some downpours to deal with along the way, but these only made the odd break in the clouds all the sweeter. Read on for Nick’s retelling of bike touring in Cork and don’t miss his 35 mm gallery.
Radar
Testing Grounds: An Instant Coffee Round Up
When it comes to creature comforts, it’s hard to skimp on coffee, especially with so many instant coffee offerings popping up. While we love to savor freshly ground beans and an Aeropress on a bike tour, in the interest of space and weight savings, it’s hard to beat a solid instant brew.
We asked some of our editors–Hailey, Spencer, Josh, and John–to bring some of their favs on a recent Radavist Retreat in Tempe, Arizona and after a morning ride, we sampled them. After our tasting party, we have some thoughts to share with y’all. Check out a quick instant coffee roundup below!
Reportage
Mental Detours Part Two: The Italy Divide to Rome and a Dolomites Mini-Tour
In part two of her Reportage from bike touring in Italy, Hailey Moore writes about arriving in Rome and feeling the weight of history in the Eternal City. She and Anton Krupicka also tack on a three-day multi-sport tour in the Dolomite mountains.
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A Bikepacking Traverse Connecting the Highest Peaks of the Iberian Peninsula
During a month-long tour, Sònia Colomo and Eloi Miquel trace singletrack and rough roads en route to summiting the highest peaks in the Iberian Peninsula. Come along for the ride through the backcountry of Spain!
Reportage
Hooked on a Feeling: How I Prepped for Atlas Mountain Race
Mel Webb is an ultra-distance bikepack racer and host of Detours: An Ultra Cycling and Adventure Podcast. She’s lined up at the start of events like the Silk Road Mountain Race, the Hellenic Mountain Race and the Alberta Rockies 700.
In just over a week she’ll be racing the 2024 Atlas Mountain Race and will be putting her body and setup through their paces in one of the world’s toughest, and most beautiful, ultra-endurance events.
Standing at 5’2, she’s no stranger to the game of tetris that is packing a small bike. Come along as Mel takes us through the evolution of her ultra race kit with photos from Morgan Taylor.
Reportage
Rogue Panda Check-In and Tall Bike Check
Even as the custom and production bag maker community has continued burgeoning over the past few years, one name has remained an innovator in the space: Rogue Panda. When John was in Flagstaff, Arizona, last October, he swung by the shop for a quick peek and spent some time documenting one bike that stood out among the rest!
Reportage
Yosemite of Southern Arizona: Two Nights Around the Chiricahua Mountains
The often overlooked Chiricahua Mountains sit between Las Cruces and Tucson. Sitting on the edges of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, the range boasts incredible scenery and biodiversity. Spencer and some buds spent a long weekend bike camping around the Chiricahua mountains. Check out one of the most underrated areas in Southern Arizona and all it has to offer.
Radar
Ortlieb’s Bike Bags Get a Dark Sand Makeover
Ortlieb, makers of waterproof bags for bike touring, just announced a new color for its entire bike bag lineup called Dark Sand.