@whileoutriding

I was feeling a little wistful… so wrote a story about the times when bikepacking is less about the riding... and more the space that it creates to spend time with our friends. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣The full story and photoset is up @bikepackingcom - see link in my profile. It’s best seen on the big screen and don’t forget to scroll left and right too! ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣Looking forward to seeing my buddies in New Mexico and Europe again, and celebrating with some fine camping fare. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣Oh, and there’s Yeshe’s fantastic pancake recipe in the post too!⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣

I finally got around to writing up a review of the unfeasibly light Jones titanium SWB! Given that it’s been in my possession for way longer than I was expecting (Covid Complications) and morphed into a number of different builds along the way, it’s a wordy one! Should you wish to wade through… it’s over on @bikepackingcom. The link is in my profile. There are many photos too! ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣Thanks to @Miles Arbour for this lifestyle photoset, from back in November in New Mexico when I just received the bike… and I had a lustrous mullet and missing teeth! Now the bike is caked in mud, we all wear masks, I have an (almost) full set of pearly whites… but short hair and a budding rat’s tail. Oh, how life changes!

I’m not one for self promotion (or selfies), generally... ⁣😬⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣But it was fun being interviewed by Chipps at the UK’s @singletrackmag (a publication I’ve long read and admired) when our paths crossed in Baja California earlier this year. Aside from enjoying some great riding together, we sat down for a ‘chat’, the result of this is a sizeable spread in Singletrack - with a planned gear-nerdery post on the Singletrackworld website too (it seems I was a bit too much of a chatterbox).⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣Here are some pages from the interview (yes, there are more!), which is out this issue. ⁣I’m sure I could have been way more eloquent… but hopefully the gist of any ‘wisdom’ gleaned over 20+ years of bike touring came through! You can subscribe to Singletrack in both print and online formats.

So, my return to the US didn’t go quite as planned. ⁣⁣😬 ⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣I thought I had all my ducks in a row. A valid reason (to see and support my son after 6 months apart). Responsible travel (face shield, a COVID test lined up, and 2 weeks of self isolation). And the nod from the US consulate. But apparently not, because I was denied entry at the border. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣Still, at least Mexico likes me and has issued me a new visa! Thanks to my friends and family for supporting me and helping me through my disappointment. I’ll be headed back to Oaxaca soon and I’m excited to be in the land of dirt roads, tlayudas, mezcal, coffee, and fruit-laced ice cream. But sadly, no Sage for now. ⁣⁣🥺 ⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣If I can get inspired to jump back into Gramlandia, expect lots of Oaxacan content!⁣ ⁣🇲🇽 ⁣⁣

I am thrilled - and more than a little nervous - to have all the pieces set in motion to return to New Mexico after 6 unexpected months away. Fingers crossed the journey back unfolds as planned - it includes face masks, protective glasses, various forms of transportation, a border crossing, 2 COVID tests, and 2 weeks of self isolation. Thanks to all my incredibly supportive friends who have helped me out - and am so grateful to you! ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣Mexico feels like home right now, in a way I’d never expected. I’ll miss this beautiful land. The food is fresh and plentiful. Oaxacans are courteous and welcoming. The pace of life feels just as it should be. The coffee is locally grown and roasted. The mezcal is smooth and smoked. The mountains harbour an incredible biodiversity in plantlife. And the dirt roads are unending…

I haven’t been on the gramalan for some time, for various reasons. A few people have kindly checked in to see if I’m well… so a quick yes, I am! (well, as much anyone can be, as we negotiate this COVID dance of life, death, and everything in between)⁣⁣.⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣I’m thankful to have found myself a wonderful nook of the world to hole up in as I figure things out. I have my health, friends, and a bike. Apart from the noticeable absence over these last few months of a big piece of my life jigsaw (who I hope to be seeing soon) all is good!⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Happy Earth Day 2020!⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣A few years ago I spent Earth Day in Bogotá, Colombia. The whole of the city - a metropolis of some 8 million people - was closed off to motorised traffic. Between 5 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. only buses, taxis and emergency vehicles were allowed to circulate. Private cars and motorbikes were banned. An estimated 600,000 gas-guzzling vehicles were forced to stay parked. Instead, bicycles and pedestrians were free to move as they pleased.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣I timed my bike tour in Colombia to finish on that very day, joining the shoals of early morning commuters cycling to work. What I saw was nothing short of mind-blowing! Main arterial roads, normally bumper to bumper with rush hour traffic, were almost bereft of vehicles. Instead, residents drawn from all walks of life were making the most of the clean air and quiet, safe streets. ⁣After all, despite an ever-improving public transit infrastructure, Bogotá isn’t without its weekday motorized quagmires, and in 2013 there were 570 people killed in automobile accidents⁣⁣.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣As I rode around the streets, I saw all kinds of cycling contraptions. There was a self-made, all-weather velo-mobile that included a passenger seat, integrated lighting, and a storage box for waterproofs. There were throngs of BMX-like cargo bikes making deliveries around the city. There was an elderly gentleman pulling a trailer with four barking dogs. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣I have to admit that I was completely entranced, and for the most part, everyone living in Bogotá seemed pretty happy too. I know we’re still a long way off from prioritising truly people-friendly cities. But it made me think that maybe… just maybe… if we want it enough… we can really make it happen. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Encountering other bicycle tourers on the trail is always a treat. Last week, we posted a couple of stories about Julia Vallera and her creative exploits over at @bikepackingcom. I met Vermont-based Julia (aka @lovedrawrings) on the Baja Divide, where she was riding with a group of Canadian friends. As a posse, we lived through the route’s fabled highs and lows… spirit lifting desert expanses and crushed avocado dreams alike. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣An artist and teacher, Julia was aboard a Surly Pugsley she’d converted to 27.5+ wheels - making it the ultimate peanut-butter-mud-vanquisher - and bedecked with a hodgepodge of borrowed bikepacking gear. Her cap is from Colombia and was bought from the family of Nairo Quintano (El Cóndor de los Andes), no less. Equally memorable, her sunglasses were swap shopped from a Baja older timer on our last day riding together. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣Amongst other creative projects, Julia took a photo a day on a disposable camera, later illustrating them with Baja themes. The results are playful and whimsical… scroll through to the last picture for some of my favourite examples! Julia makes all kinds of cool stickers too, and soon, when this pesky virus is over, she’s promised to print some boojum-inspired T-shirts for all you Baja plant lovers. I have my eyes on one… I’ll be removing the sleeves, of course! ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣See my profile for a link to her Rider and Rig post, and be sure to click through to enjoy all her Baja artwork! ⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣

I met @nicolaslegorreta while I was riding through Patagonia in 2014. Since then, he and his family have graciously invited me into their home in Mexico City when I’ve been passing through. A couple of years ago, we spent a few days exploring the high elevation climes of Nevado de Toluca National Park. And this time, it was on his recommendation that we set our sights on the beautiful desertscape of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán biosphere reserve.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣Our trip was curtailed for obvious reasons; hopefully we’ll be able to return and dig a little deeper at some point. But I was glad we still had time to hang out together. Nicolas has a wonderful manner with people, a respect for their land, and a love of his own country - including its rich culture, the nuances of its history, and its delicate environment. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣He also has a sweet Surly Karate Monkey that he pilots skilfully down Mexico City’s dusty enduro trails, or uses for his bikepacking trips. Nicolas builds and repairs much of his own bikepacking gear - he did a great job fixing my Kitsbow shorts! He’s working on some designs that he hopes to put into small scale production in Mexico, incorporating local textiles and a stamped leather patch of a diving hawk, designed by his girlfriend Rafaela. More on this soon! ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣

The last photoset was drawn from the northern part of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán biosphere reserve. The southern portion, in Oaxaca state, feels considerably more rugged. There’s still lots of cool cacti - including some particularly magnificent Organ Pipes - even if they don’t preside over the hills in quite in the same density. ⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣Instead, this part of the biosphere promises shady oak woodlands in its higher elevations - their crooked branches heavy with bromeliads. These offer perfect respite from the dry season sun, with bougainvilleas and bignonias adding splashes of colour along the way. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣And, when the biosphere’s dirt roads do spiral down lower and lower, there are unexpectedly verdant forests that rise from the shores of the Rio Grande, where cantankerous green macaws gather during the daytime. The valley floor may be overbearingly hot come midday, but at least it’s a land of abundant limes, mangos, and particularly delicious chicozapotas - malty, sweet delights that masquerade as little potatoes. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣Our original plan was to return and link up the two areas of the park… but our friend Covid put an end to that, for now at least. Still, we did manage to post details of this second loop to @bikepackingcom. As it stands, both make appealing introductory trips to those visiting the region, especially for anyone who enjoys immersing themselves in the twin wonders of botany and biking. Exploring the reserve has definitely been a catalyst for me to dig deeper in the former… as a way of appreciating the latter all the more!⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣

A while ago, before we all began our inward journeys on how best to ride out this microbial storm, @nicolaslegorreta (who I first met in Argentina) and I spent a few days exploring the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán biosphere reserve, in southeastern Mexico. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣The biosphere is home to some 300 different bird species – including horned owls, golden eagles, and green macaws. But it’s most known for harbouring one of the densest concentrations of columnar cacti in the world. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣This includes periscope-like ‘viejitos’ that carpet much of the hillside. These old men, so-called on account of their wispy, beard-like tips, are endemic to this area and very much emblematic of this part of the reserve. A limbless cacti, they grow as tall as 10m high and for the botanical enthusiasts amongst you, are a type of Cephalocereus Hoppenstedtii. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣I love bicycle rides that educate as well as expand the spirit, and this area certainly does both (it does a great job at feeding hungry bellies too, thanks to a cacti inspired menu of open top tacos, or memelas). ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣To glean the most from your visit, it’s best paired with a visit to the Jardín Botánico Helia Bravo Hollis. This impressive garden is named after the acclaimed botanist Helia Bravo, co-founder of the Mexican Cactus Society in 1918, renowned for her botanical research and extensive fieldwork. Helia lived to the ripe old age of 98 and you can see a photo of her amongst this collection of her beloved, prickly flora. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣In preparation for once we’re all free to roam once more, download the gpx of our route and read more about the area - in terms of its biodiversity and its cultural heritage (smoky mezcal and all) - over at @bikepackingcom. The link is in my profile. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Although I spend much of my bike bikepacking solo, one of the many joys of riding with new friends… is learning new things! I’m a firm believer that you can glean skills and knowledge from just about everyone, if you take the time to observe and listen. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣↟↟↟⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣Roberto (@roberto_apolo) - aboard a classic old Jamis 26er and running bags he sewed himself - taught me the subtleties of making coffee with an Aeropress. Shame on me for not knowing, but still, there seemed to be no finer backdrop than amongst cordon cacti and boojums to right a wrong. @bunyanvelo, you would have approved! ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣