Last year I tried my first SS bike tour on my Krampus. It was an overnighter on forest service roads in the Powell River, BC area [Upper Sunshine Coast] and it went really well. Most of the things I was worried about like how much I would be pushing didn't pan out to be an issue. Krampus Trip Report --> Singlespeed Bikepacking... Singlespeeding the Sunshine Coast, BC, Canada ..read more

My daughter is heading off to college in the fall and I want to put a rear rack in the back of her Trek. She just needs something to hold a bag for book, etc. Any suggestions? I see threaded holes that may or may not be for a rack ..read more

Hey all. This summer around June 8 I'm going to be doing my first tour in Europe. I'll be arriving spending about two weeks in the England/Scotland/Ireland with my wife, grabbing my bike from London and flying to Geneva to start. My idea was to ride through the Swiss/Italian Alps then down into Italy then maybe back into Austria, back to Switzerland or just ride as far south in Italy then train back to Geneva - my original plan was to race the Hope 1000 in June, that's why my flight is out... First long trip in Europe - advice / routes / gear ..read more

I’ve never been a fan of the Ibex suspension because it is undamped and can really bounce around. I haven’t used the trailer in years. We’re looking to take a couple overnight bikepacking trips with the kids this year where the trailer would be just the ticket. Having a 5.5x1.0 New Old Stock shock just lying around that I bought for a kids bike project, I decided to give it a shot. I did need to buy the shock hardware for both ends so it would fit (6mm x23.8mm) I haven’t ridden it... I've upgraded the BOB Ibex shock ..read more

For any of you out there wanting something a bit different this summer, the Korea Epic Ride is happening in early June, from Chuncheon, in the center of the peninsula, out to the coast. The event is run as a brevet, it's not a race, and the emphasis is on locals and expats having an event to take part in to test their gear as well as build experience for larger international events. The event organizer is a well-known local guy here in Korea who's very keen on bikepacking, getting out there... Korea Epic Ride ..read more

Moving to California next year. Many of the places I would like to ride will be more remote with no cellular coverage. Because I will not know as many people, there is a higher propensity for riding solo. I have good luck, so far, in never having a ride-ending situation, but I cannot count on that forever. I know my iPhone offers me SOS satellite notification but that is one way. I can send a message to my wife, but I have no way to know if she got it. All she will get is an emergency... Budget Satellite Messaging ..read more

Looks like Soma finally released their updated boost version of the Juice. They've added some features that bikepackers should find appealing. What do people here think? $700 seems like a pretty decent price. Juice (29er Trail Hardtail – Boost 148) - Soma Fabrications The latest Juice 29er hardtail frame feature practical updates to its feature set and geometry without diving too deep into progressive geometry. Seat tube angle is slightly steeper for easier climbing, but it... Soma Juice (Boost 148 / 2024 ..read more

I have started gathering gear for bike packing and it occurred to me that the type terrain I will typically use will be light or improved trail, gravel, fire roads etc, and that maybe I did not need to radically augment my car camping gear by buying a bunch of types of specialized bags to attach to my bike frame when I could do with a light hydration/daypack and bike trailer. Most of them I think are a bit heavier and have more cargo weight capacity then I need for this ..read more

I've had my eye on a Salsa Cutthroat for awhile now. However, with the supply shortages, it looks like it might be awhile before I can get my hands on a Cutthroat. I just ran across a review of the new Otso Waheela C and it looks amazing! I'm looking for a bike that can handle bikepacking trips and even some longer bikepacking races with a dream goal of the Tour Divide some day. But, I'd also like a bike that I could use for local gravel races in the 50-100 mile range. While the... Otso Waheela C vs. Salsa Cutthroat ..read more

This is the website. onX Maps: GPS Map App for Hunting, Hiking & Off-Roading Know where you stand with onX, the most accurate GPS mapping tech for outdoor enthusiasts featuring land ownership maps that work offline. www.onxmaps.com They have three apps, "Hunting", "Backcountry" (hiking) and "Offroad" (jeeps) If they had a "MTB app" I wouldn't even ask. I used the free trial "Hunting app", and it worked really well, especially in terms of "who owns what" and "am I actually trespassing" I like it well enough to pay, but I am torn between Offroad and Backcountry, and wondering if an ..read more