I recently had the pleasure of going on the Seek Travel Ride podcast with Bella Malloy. If you haven’t heard of this podcast before, it’s all about bicycle travel, and there are over 80 interviews available from people of all levels of touring experience. Simply press play or click the “Share” button below to find this interview on 18 different podcast services. Time Stamps: 0:00 – Introduction 3:30 – What Was My First Bike? 5:27 – How Did I Get Into Bicycle Touring? 9:28 – Tandem Touring Across Continents 14:32 – How I Became A Bicycle Nomad 16:58 – Why Do I Prefer To Live An Unpredictable L ..read more

On a spectrum from road to mountain bikes, gravel bikes sit somewhere in the middle. They are fast and efficient on the pavement thanks to their drop bar body positioning, yet comfortable and capable on the dirt as a result of their wider tyres and more stable frame geometry. In this article, I’ll examine the best gravel bikes currently available. I’ve selected these bikes based on many factors, including outstanding overall design, high attention to detail, well-selected components, and excellent value for performance. I’ll be picking bikes from different sub-categories, and I should note I ..read more

The Tour Divide is an off-road event that traverses the length of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to the Mexican border. The course is over 4,338 km long (2696 mi), and along the way, riders will gain over 60,000 m in elevation (200,000 ft). This ride is self-supported. The clock begins at the grand depart and won’t stop until riders cross the finish line. The fastest rider will complete the course in 13 days, covering approximately 334 kilometres per day (207 mi). This event is quite cool from a gear optimisation perspective, as a few tweaks to the bike setups will allow riders to knock hour ..read more

Pinion bikepacking bikes are becoming increasingly popular as they eliminate one of the most frustrating parts of any bike – the derailleur. If you haven’t heard of them before, a Pinion gearbox is a fully-sealed oil bath of cogs located at the crankset that usually offers 12 different gear ratios. The Pinion gearbox eliminates the need for a derailleur gear system. Image: Panorama Cycles Compared to derailleurs, Pinion gearboxes are less susceptible to damage, they don’t require any tuning or adjustment, they reduce bicycle maintenance, and they are unlikely to ever wear out. The only mainten ..read more

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has historically been closed to outsiders, making it known to some as the ‘last great forbidden kingdom’. However, through sweeping reforms that encourage foreign investment and tourism – the country is now inviting independent travellers past its portals. My female partner and I travelled over 4,000km (2,485mi) in 90 days throughout Saudi Arabia. This took us from the Star Wars landscapes in the north to Al Naslaa rock (which looks like it was cut with a laser), to Maraya (the largest mirrored building in the world), to Medina (which is the burial site of the prop ..read more

The UNBOUND Gravel Event has become the place for brands to tease new gravel bike products. On course last weekend were prototype gravel bikes, tyres, wheels, handlebars, and drivetrains – all being rigorously tested (and teased) to the gravel world. Elite racer Andrew L’Esperance rode to 21st place at UNBOUND using a prototype Fox gravel fork with full aero fairings. Over the 9+ hours out on the course, Andrew averaged a rather sprightly speed of approximately 22mph (35kph). Aerodynamics matters a great deal at these speeds and distances, so it’s no surprise that we’re seeing aero fairings on ..read more

Lael Wilcox has just started her around the world cycling record attempt. You can track her journey right here: The cool thing is that the tracker also shows us the exact route Lael Wilcox will be following. The record criteria require Lael to cycle a minimum of 28,970 km, in an east-to-west direction, wavering no more than five degrees off course. The total journey distance must be a minimum of 40,075 km, including all flight distances. Lael must start and finish in the same place, and must pass two points that line up through the earth’s centre; Lael has chosen Madrid (Spain) and Wellington ..read more

All gravel bikes exist on a spectrum – you have bikes designed for buttery smooth dirt roads at one end, and bikes optimised for rough, bumpy surfaces at the other. The BMC URS LT ONE firmly sits at the rougher end of the gravel spectrum. This bike features front and rear suspension elements, and a super stable frame geometry, allowing it to maximise your traction, speed, and comfort over notably rough terrain. But the fascinating thing is that while the URS LT is capable off-road, I’ve found it to be light and fast enough on the tarmac to keep up with bikes on the opposite end of the gravel s ..read more

Lael Wilcox will next week attempt to break the around the world cycling record, which currently stands at 124 days. She aims to ride 29,000 kilometres (18,000 miles) through 22 countries and beat the record by two weeks. Let me save you from doing the maths: Lael will need to ride over 260 kilometres (160 mi) every day for almost four months. Seriously! In addition to this endurance feat, Lael will attempt the record unsupported, which means she will need to spend much of her day hunting down calorie-dense foods, and hotels, while maintaining her bike, and constantly working on logistics. In ..read more

Kona Bicycles has been brought back from the dead! Dan Gerhard and Jake Heilbron have purchased the brand back from Kent Outdoors, who seemingly sent it down a very dark and uncertain path that culminated in a very mysterious withdrawal from the Sea Otter Classic a month ago. The founders of Kona Bicycles have purchased it back. Image: Kona Bicycles The founders plan to double down on the brand legacy and get back to basics. Their highest priority is renewing relationships with a nearly 1000-strong North American and European dealer network, which they see as their strongest advocates and alli ..read more