Words and Photos by Justin McKinley The 2025 Tour Divide was memorable for all sorts of reasons. It was my third attempt in as many years. My first two ended before reaching Antelope Wells so when I showed up in Banff this year I knew there was 2700 miles of rugged terrain ahead of me. Every year on the Divide is different with its own … Continue reading JJJJustin’s Tour Divide Recap
UPDATE: Sarah has started the ride. Track her progress here. On August 27, 2025, Otso Cycles Ambassador, Sarah Swallow, will set out from Port Orford, Oregon, to ride Adventure Cycling Association’s new cross-country dirt route, The Golden Gravel Trail. The route spans 3,700 miles, with 234,500 feet of elevation gain, from the Oregon coast to the Mississippi River. The route is inspired by the TransAmerica … Continue reading Sarah Swallow’s Ride Across the West on the Golden Gravel Trail
We have a handful of super rad Otso Ambassadors taking on the Tour Divide this year and we had to take the opportunity to share a bit of each of their stories here. Below you will find bike photo galleries and answers to the questions we all want to ask these types of folks. We hope you enjoy the photos and the reading as much … Continue reading Tour Divide Bike Checks
Otso Ambassador Justin McKinley has been sharing some rad updates on his YouTube channel about his upcoming adventure: The Tour Divide. This will be Justin’s third attempt at the route. This year, he’s chosen to race The Divide on his new Otso Fenrir Ti. Justin recently shared that he got his Fenrir Ti all built up and we couldn’t be more excited about the result. … Continue reading Tour Divide: Ride It with Style
Words and Photos by Sarah Swallow Bicycle travel is an incredible way to explore new places and immerse yourself in cultures around the world. Unlike traditional travel, cycling allows you to bypass crowded tourist hotspots and engage more deeply with a place’s natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and daily rhythms—all at a human-powered pace. Traveling by bicycle is not just about reaching the final destination; it’s … Continue reading A Guide to Bicycle Travel
Words and Photos by Sarah Swallow Bikepacking trips and events can require months of training and preparation, financial investment, and time off work and away from loved ones. So, what leads us to quit things we have put so much emotional, physical, and financial energy into completing? How do we avoid quitting? How do we know when to stop, when to pivot, or when to … Continue reading Quitting: A Cyclist’s Guide to Graceful Exits
Words and images by Stephen Shelesky Equal parts joy, escapism, and self-therapy, I’ve found a lot of reasons to gravitate towards ultra-cycling. Since entering the sport less than two years ago, riding ultra has led me through one of my largest life transitions to date and increased my self confidence tenfold. Ultra takes many forms, bikepacking races being one of them. One of the pinnacle … Continue reading Bridging Identities During the Silk Road Mountain Race
Words and photos by Sarah Swallow Having fun together is vital to relationship satisfaction, according to the Gottman Institute. The research shows that the stress that couples experience must be balanced with a certain amount of connection and fun to build a positive relationship perspective. In other words, we need to have an archive of fun experiences so that when times are tough, those positive … Continue reading Bikepacking for Couples Part II: Strategies for Experiencing Joy and Managing Conflict
Words and photos by Sarah Swallow The setting was the Bolivian salt flats outside of Uyuni. The time was November 2019; Adam and I were one-and-a-half years into our relationship. It was the end of a month-long bikepacking trip that had started with getting stuck in La Paz during a coup d’état of Bolivia’s then-socialist President Evo Morales, and some of the most intense and … Continue reading Bikepacking for Couples Part I: Lost on the Bolivian Salt Flats, A Story
All drop bar complete bikes using Shimano GRX 11-speed are up to 25% off. This includes Waheela C, Warakin bikes, and Fenrir bikes in all sizes and colorways – even the new colorways for Waheela C. The sale is good for 1x and 2x options with either GRX 600 or GRX 800 levels. The discount is on the base build only; upgrades are still available … Continue reading Save up to 25% on Gravel Bikes
