This overnighter threads together some of northeast Victorias best riding country, linking Beechworth, Eldorado, and Stanley by way of gold-rush backroads, quiet forest tracks, and long, easy-going ridgelines. Its the []The post I Left my Wallet in Eldorado appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

We here at Tan Tenovos Contrarian Font of Velocipedal Bloviation are huge supporters of ultra-mega endurance racing:And so the entire staffthats me, Antonio the Helper Monkey (Vitos successor and third cousin), and Trek Bicycle Corporation President and CEO John Burkewould like to congratulate whats-his-name, winner of that big thing they do, who completed the whatever-it-is in record time:In fact, he beat the previous record time by over a day:Hats off to Victor Bosoni, who just finished the 2026 Tour Divide in record-breaking time! Riding with remarkable speed, discipline, and composure from Banff to Antelope Wells, the young French ultracyclist completed the route in just 11 days, 8 hours, and 27 minutes, more than a day and a half faster than the official previous mens record. From his recovery-first approach to his meticulously dialed setup, Bosoni delivered one of the most impressive performances in the history of the race.Im also fairly sure that when the above article went to press, Laurens Ten Dam was in second place, still out riding, and a full day away from finishing. Now, I realize most people will conclude from all this that Victor Bosoni is really fast and deserves a huge amount of respect, but all it means to me is that these races are too long. Sorry, margins of victory should not be measured in days. Wheres the suspense!?! Its like the Olympic Hide And Seek, but even that ended in a tie:Oh, and heres a screenshot of the action:Thrilling.Following these things is like refreshing the UPS site when Im waiting for a new bike, but at least with that I actually get something at the end:Also, if youre tempted to point out that the Tour Divide takes much less time to complete than the Tour de France, the crucial difference is that with the latter theres a thorough accounting at the end of each day and a ceremony, which at least gives you a reason to check back in and see what happened. But 11 straight days of cycling is simply too long, and theres no way Im following that. If someone sets out on a bike in the morning and theyre not back by the end of the day then as far as Im concerned theyve ceased to exist and its time to move on with my life.Or, to put it another way, any cycling event in which the participants carry toothbrushes on them while they ride should not count as a bike race:(At least I hope they brush their teeth)Technically thats called a vacation. And that doesnt take away from the arduous nature of the event, either, since theres no law that vacations have to be fun. And if you think my disdain for competitive ultra-endurance cycling means I support laid-back alt cycling, well thats where youre wrong:Look, theyre trying too hard, then theres not trying hard enough. Sometimes it seems like everyones either turning themselves inside out on some pointlessly grueling gravel ride, or else aggressively trying to out-slow each other on what until recently we used to call hybrids.Its like a vintage Univega catalog come to life!But I realize of course that all of this is just the tedious grousing of an aging roadie whose formative cycling years were spent on competitive group rides where nobody talked and if you got dropped youd wind up alone and confused, 50 miles from home somewhere in the vicinity of the Westchester County Airport. Why I followed that path instead of falling in with a group of collegial people who rode slowly, carried satchels, and stopped to fish Ill never truly understand. Ive never thought of myself as competitiveprobably because Ive never actually come close to winning anythingbut I suppose like so many other competitive people in denial who suck Ive sublimated this competitive instinct into the ridicule of others.Actually, thats not entirely true, because I did win a gigantic BMX trophy sometime during the Reagan administration:I swear I never cry myself to sleep with it.Speaking of crying, I can assure you those arent tears of despair, theyre tears of laughter:Here are some words strung together in a certain order that convey absolutely no meaning whatsoever:The bicycle transforms one of the most successful racing styles ever created into an extraordinary expression of both innovation and savoir-faire, Pinarello said in a statement, Representing the ultimate meeting point between elite sport and high-end luxury.As for the article, they really buried the lede, because the real story is that FANTASTIC Vuitton skinsuit:Behold, the worlds most aloof cyclocross racer:Forget the pro peloton, its a sad day for Campagnolo when they dont even make the Louis Vuitton fashion show

Biniam Girmay said he is "full of confidence" as his NSN Cycling team announced their lineup for this year's Tour de France.NSN are the third team to reveal their eight riders for the French Grand Tour, which begins next Saturday, 4 July, and will primarily be looking for sprint success with Girmay.The Eritrean won three stages and the green jersey in a historic 2024 edition, but didn't get closer than second last year. Now with a new team, he is looking to once again shine on cycling's biggest stage. It will also be the first Tour for NSN, the team which was formerly Israel-Premier Tech."Everybody who knows me understands how special the Tour de France is to me but Im more interested in creating more special moments than looking back on what Ive achieved in the past," Girmay said in the team's press release."I know my form is good, but its also great knowing that I have a really committed team around me. We have worked hard since the start of the season to discover the best ways to work together, to build trust in each other, and to score the best results possible."Im going into this years race full of confidence and with a real sense of anticipation for the first sprint opportunities."Girmay has won three times this season, including a stage of the recently-completed Baloise Belgium Tour; his first shot at victory will come on stage five to Pau. However, the race beings in NSN's home city of Barcelona, where they will be looking to make a mark.He will be joined by Lewis Askey, George Bennett, Marco Frigo, Mats Louvel, Krists Neilands, Jake Stewart, and Tom Van Asbroeck."Weve got a good group of riders for the race, focused predominantly around Bini and the sprints," head sports director Sam Bewley said."But the race is 21 stages. We want to have a purpose and a goal across the entire race, so its important to have guys like George, Krists, and Marco in his first Tour there so we can keep NSN in the race across as much of the three weeks as possible."We feel confident with the guys we have to be able to deliver some good stage outcomes from breakaways, mountain stages, or how the Tour plays out, in addition to our primary focus of the sprints."

The main block of the national championships takes place this week. Right before the Tour de France, most of the world's top countries will host their own events to decide on who will wear their country's colours for the next 12 months. We keep you updated on the winners from all the main countries...

I recently tested well over two dozen bike pumps, including a swathe of new models and the best mini bike pumps. Throughout my time sweating away in the workshop, my thoughts kept drifting back to the fact that the best electric bike pumps simply make sense. Why did we endure the manual way for so long? Okay, it's not often you have to muster the energy to pump away at two dozen pumps across both road and gravel tyres, multiple times in one day; however, electric pumps just make life so easy. Quite literally, all you have to do is remember to keep it charged.If you're a sceptic, given how many electric bike pumps are available in the Amazon Prime Day summer sale at hefty discounts, now is the time to just give it a go. I believe you will feel the same as I, almost immediately. All of the Prime Day electric bike pump deals in one place! Airbank Mini Bike Pump Pocket SE ROCKBROS Mini Electric Bike Pump Cycplus AS2 Pro Max Cycplus AS2 Tiny Cycplus AS2 Ultra Cycplus AS2 Pro Muc-Off AirMach Muc-Off AirMach Mini Pro Deals not available on Prime Trek Air Rush Muc-Off AirMach Topeak E-Booster My findings from testing two dozen manual pumpsIt wont come as a surprise that I still believe the future belongs to the best electric bike pumps. Our testing of two dozen manual pumps didn't change and only firmed my position on the topic. I still love analogue bikes and components, but this is one of the few creature comforts that is worth it. Electric pumps are faster, lighter, and more compact, and all I now carry in my handlebar bag. While electric pumps are rapidly improving, manual pumps are still plagued with the same issues we have had for years. Many still don't stay on the value, or fit so tightly you end up ripping it off. Actuation ergonomics are still not great in the slightest, so much so that some of the ones I had on test were pitching my hand. The biggest fault for me is that, from my testing, not a single mini pump got anywhere near our prescribed target pressures, something electric pumps do with ease and accuracy. There is a mix above of all the best deals I have been able to find both in the US and the UK during the Prime Day sale. However, if you are outside these regions or have a preferred retailer, check out below for today's best offers.

Best MTB sunglasses 2026: Top eyewear for gravel and mountain biking

The 2026 national championships will be taking place in its grand majority this week, and the time trial events are set to take place mostly on Wednesday and Thursday. From several corners of Europe new - and old - champions are being crowned. Great Britain has seen its under-23 riders compete alrea...

Starting in the old mining town of Ansted, youll drop down into the New River Gorge and experience our newest national park via converted rail trail, purpose-built singletrack, and scenic []The post West Virginia Coal Country appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.