Six years ago, Miles and Emily moved to British Columbias Sunshine Coast, trading van life for a more rooted existence. That brought the need for a dedicated bike rack for quick shuttles around town. The Rockymounts BackStage Swing Away Bike Rack stood out for its full 180-degree swing function, which permitted access to the back of the van, a high load limit, and a minimal profile. Find Miless long-term review hereThe post Rockymounts BackStage SwingAway Long-Term Review: The Bike Rack for Van Dwellers appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Despite being tempted by lighter, more spacious shelters over the years, Nic has remained loyal to the very first single-person tent he picked up. A packable, relatively roomy budget option that costs just $150, the GeerTop Blazer seems too good to be true. In his review, he runs through all the elements that have kept him hooked on this budget bangerThe post GeerTop Blazer Review: Six Years in a $150 Tent appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

For our final video from the 2026 MADE Bike Show, Neil asked 33 framebuilders and a few component makers one big question: If you could take a month off work, where would you go bikepacking? Their answers include dream routes and a few far-flung destinations that might surprise you...The post MADE 2026 on Video (Part 10): If You Could Ride Anywhere appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

This past Tuesday I mentioned the erstwhile Cockie award, and lately it seems like the universe is telling me to bring it back:Though this particular specimen could just as easily qualify for a JBARA award in the fixie category:And yes, if youre reading this you should already know that JBARA stands for Just Buy A Rivendell Already, even if the AI doesntBut I image that sooner or later it too will catch on, since it did a decent job when I asked it to design the actual award:Even though, as Ive already noted, a JBARA award is simply one of these things spraypainted gold:Speaking of Rivendell, the Farb is sporting a Silver OM-1 derailleur:Im using it with the shifters in indexed mode, and it works perfectly, though as Ive mentioned it is not officially compatible with them. But this is:I suppose theres a certain irony in Rivendell offering an OM-1-specific indexed derailleur, since all of this an end run around the forced compatibility of the Indexing Industrial Complex to begin with, but its not like they havent been telling you to just use friction from the beginning, or like anyones stopping you from trying whatever indexed shifter you already have first.Sorry, as a confirmed retrogrouch Im wont to lapse into defensive mode at any momentand as a recovering Fred Im just as wont to revert to integrated shifting now and again:Only to boomerang right back to friction with whiplash-inducing speed:These are the bikes Ive been riding most recently. Some might say the Cervino is equipped with some of the last true Campagnolo stuff, since it was designed while Fred Mertz was still alive:[Ethel is about to get a dressing-down.]Those same people might even declare Campagnolo itself moribund, though it looks like big money is coming to the rescue:This sounds promising at first:Campagnolo. which dates to 1933, said the new investment will bring resources and strategic expertise that will accelerate the companys transformation and further strengthen its position for the future.Though I tend to doubt theyll be putting any of those resources towards rim brake development. More likely it will go towards the development of a 16-speed drivetrain with a suppository-style battery.In fact, well be lucky if they keep making parts for outdoor bicycles at all, since clearly everythings moving indoors now:Yes, living rooms are the new gravel, though Im not sure which brand name makes me more uncomfortable: MyWhoosh, or Favero Assioma:From the 4th of October, all SRC Category 1 riders, along with Category 2 riders who have earned more than $2,000 in prize money, will be required to purchase and use approved Favero Assioma PRO RS-2 or RL-2 pedals, which come in at $789, as their primary in-game power source to remain eligible for prize money.Probably the latter, since MyWhoosh just sounds like a wireless toilet flushing app, whereas Favero Assioma sounds like the name of whoever wrote this note I saw on the subway recently:Well, Favero, theres always a first time.

America.Sure, weve got our problems, but lets set the cynicism aside and take a moment to unironically appreciate how lucky we are to live here. Weve got fiftycount em, 50!fun-filled states brimming with every sort of terrain and retail establishment and lunatic you could possibly imagine. Its like Canada if it were interesting.But sure, if youre a cyclist, life in America can sometimes be difficult. This is because nobody understands us, and nowhere is this lack of comprehension more apparent than in our advice columns. Our drivers may fail to see us in the simple Whoops, I guess I ran him over sense, but our advice columnists fail to see who we are as people, and in a way isnt that far worse?Well, no, obviously it isnt. But they could still do a lot better than this:Or, more recently, this:Were all familiar with the whole Pando Cyclist phenomenon. Those riders were clueless enough, but in this case our advice-seeker is a Post-Pando Cyclist:Im a 40-year-old man, and Im married to a 38-year-old woman. I took up cycling as a hobby several years ago. It was about a year after the pandemic ended, and I was feeling out of shape and depressed, and I was drinking too much. My daughter had just been born, my dad died six months later, and I was in a high-stress job I hated. It felt like my new hobby helped me be healthier, both mentally and physically.He does two or three short rides a week:Im now at the point where I typically ride my bike four to seven hours per week (two to three times). The main problem is that my wife hates it. Whenever I mention going for a ride, she gets noticeably annoyed and makes passive-aggressive comments about my priorities. Outside of these few hours alone on the bike, Im a very present and active partner and parent. I still do family activities after my rides and am conscious not to be a blob on the couch for the rest of the day.And its driving his wife crazy:At this point, it feels like she is just mad that I have something I enjoy doing that doesnt involve her. If I replaced this hobby with another one, she would likely have the same reaction. I dont know what else to offer as a fair solution. I think Im within my rights to do something alone and have an activity that keeps me in shape. Its literally the only hobby I have! Im not willing to give up this hobby yet, and if I do, I would need to replace it with some other form of physical activity in order to stay sane and healthy, which would likely put us in the same predicament. Is there any middle ground here?So the advice columnist weighs in with a bunch of generic advice that isnt necessarily bad, but which betrays a complete lack of understanding of the cyclist mindset, and is not written in a way that a Fred can understand.What Fred needs to hear the truth.First and foremost, Fred, what you need to realize is that you should be thankful. See, the fact your wife resents you for riding your bike means shes a healthy, well-adjusted person. As a new rider, you labor under the delusion that what youre doing is important or even worthy of praise, but normal people understand that getting dressed up like this to ride a bicycle to nowhere is deeply self-indulgent behavior:Sure, you may get a lot of pleasure from it, and you may want to be free to explore you newfound identity. You might even feel like your wife is preventing you from being the happy, fit person you were truly meant to be. But believe me, it could be way worse. You could be married to another cyclist. This may sound like an ideal situation, but believe me, cyclist couples are just creepy. There needs to be at least one sane person in order for a relationship to function, and cyclists are inherently not sane. You know what a cyclist couple looks like? This:You dont want this.Also, like most Freds, you seem to be under the delusion that cycling is transforming you into a desirable physical specimen. Nothing could be further from the truth; in fact, most cyclists suffer from a sort of reverse body dysmorphia which causes them to think grotesque attributes are somehow attractive. For example, did you know cyclists are actually proud of their tan lines?[From here]Also, as the years go on, your legs will become swollen, your upper body will become pale and emaciated, and youll realize the final evolutionary form of the cyclist, which is nearly identical to that of a plucked chicken:[Cyclist at rest after an epic ride, from here.]Look, self-delusion is bad enough, but its far worse when you start foisting it upon others by suggesting they should continue to share a bed with youor worse, follow you around on an e-bike:Ive encouraged her to think of some of her own personal hobbies to get into and offered to get an e-bike so she and our daughters can tag along.This is like a drunk telling his wife she should come to the bar with him and hell buy her mocktails while he drinks himself to death.Of course none of this would have been a problem if your wife had known what she was getting into from the beginning. Instead you just sprang all this on her, like Kristi Noems husband and his boobs:In your defense, it sounds like you didnt know you were a cyclist, either. Nevertheless, had you been a lifelong Fred then your wife would already have known about and had time to come to terms with your proclivitiesand more importantly, youd have learned early on how to spare her from the worst of it. For example, while you dont say what time of day youre riding, but if youre like most new cyclists youre heading out in the middle of the day, because youre under the impression that Fredding is normal behavior. But real cyclists know that its best to ride early, when good, decent people are asleep. This way you come home from your ride when everybody else is just getting up, and you can pretend to be normal for the rest of your day. In your case, you say youre riding from four to seven hours a week. This is about what a typical terminal Fred rides in a single day, and is very easily concealed. Like a furtive masturbator, an experienced cyclist could easily ride four to seven hours a week without a spouse or life partner even knowing he owns a bicycle, let alone identifies as a cyclist and rides one regularly. Frankly, your inability to ride a measly seven hours a week without annoying your wife is deeply amateurish.But its true that nobody can hide forever, and ultimately if you want to be a cyclist, you have to come to terms with everyone hating you, including your wife.Cant deal with that?Maybe cycling isnt for you.

Pedaleo is a three-day bikepacking festival in Switzerland packed with inspiring talks, hands-on workshops, a vibrant expo, social rides, outdoor movies, live music, lake swims, and more. Leoni Kolberg was one of more than 1,000 participants, and she wrote a detailed reflection on what made the weekend special. Find her recap and photos from the event here...The post Welcome to Bikepacking Paradise: Three Days at Pedaleo appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Released five years ago, the Panorama Taiga is a modern Reynolds 725 hardtail that's equally suited for trail riding and bikepacking. Panorama just updated the Taiga with several small changes and geometry tweaks to better suit technical trails. Check out the updated Panorama Taiga 2 here...The post Panorama Taiga 2 Sees Updates and New Geo appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

If you ride off-road, youve probably seen our bikepacking routes map, which means youve also encountered its limitations. Weve been listening to your feedback, and today, were thrilled to unveil our completely revamped interactive map of nearly 550 curated routes worldwide. Learn whats new and explore all the latest features hereThe post Our Global Routes Map Just Got the Overhaul Everyone Has Been Asking For appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.