The Radavist

Peter had quite the surprise on his bikepacking trip…

“While I was bike touring in Chile I met a fellow cyclist named Allister Knox. We ended up riding about a week and a half together, always searching for perfect river campsites, dry firewood, and good hill climbs. When we finally reached the end of the Carretera Austral, a village called Villa O’Higgins, we set up at a Hostel for a few nights until we could take the ferry to cross into Argentina. Al surprised me with a ticket on this flight the night before we were supposed to take the ferry and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my trip in Patagonia.”

It’s been a while since Patagonia offered mountain bike-specific apparel but their return looks to be triumphant. These new Dirt Craft MTB shorts are just one of their offerings, yet look to be the most bike-specific item on the list. In fact, I’m sure they’d be more than ideal for touring as well. They’ve got all the details you’d want in a resilient short made to take a beating on the bike and best of all, they make them for women too. See the full MTB line at Patagonia.

Photos by Kyle Kelley

This website focuses a lot on Made in the USA products, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t share products like this when I put them through the ringer, especially if it saves you some money.

The summer sun is unforgiving and while I’ll wear sun sleeves and a normal jersey on my road bike, I spent a good amount of time this year looking for long-sleeve sunblocking options for mountain bike rides. A large misconception about long sleeve shirts is that they’re too hot to wear on a sunny summer day and while that can be true for materials like cotton, there are silkweight options that will wick sweat, keep you cool and most importantly protect your arms from the sun’s harmful rays…

There are a lot of misconceptions about merino wool, many of which are addressed here in this video by Patagonia, showcasing their new Merino Air™ baselayers. I’ve tried these products on and was really impressed with them. When it comes to bikepacking, camping and even travel, I usually wear as much merino as I can. It’s nice seeing the fabric pushed into a new realm…

Com’on, admit it. You’ve got a few pieces of Patagonia in your wardrobe. My favorite is their down sweater. I never leave for a trip without it. That thing has saved me on more than one occasion over the years. Chances are, your clothing has hit a few snags after heavy use. Rather than tossing it in the trash, you choose to send it in for repair.

Patagonia’s repair facilities are in Reno, NV but now, there’s a new mobile repair truck. The Worn Wear truck is currently crossing the US to make on the spot repairs, sell used clothes and even teach you how to repair your own apparel.

Check out the full schedule below…

Up until last week, I hadn’t heard anything about this movie, Slow is Fast. If you’re thinking of touring the California coast, this is a must-watch!

“In September 2012, Dan Malloy, Kanoa Zimmerman and Kellen Keene rode bikes down the California coast hoping to see their home state in a new slower-paced light — surfing, camping, staying with friends and lending a hand wherever they could to earn their keep. The result of the trip is a beautifully crafted book and DVD.”

Pick up the DVD and book at Patagonia.