The Pannier Journal
TOASTING Life at 15KPH...
A collection of adventure cycling journeys, conversations, events and news stories that celebrate the spirit of travelling by bike...
THE WILDS OF SIERRAS DE CAZORLES
Valencia-dweller, Pedro, sets off on a five-day circular bikepacking route, from local-ish Elche de la Sierra, to explore the wilds, back roads, tracks, and trails of Sierras de Cazorles National Park by bike...
by Pedro Mecinas Martínez
PEAKLAND 35MM
Liam is no stranger to bikepacking. Having finished the Transcontinental Race a couple of months prior he joined the 2019 Peakland Ramble, shooting a lovely roll of film on his trusty Yashica T4 camera, along our road & gravel Sheffield to Manchester route through the Peak District National Park...
by LIAM CLARKE
WARBIRD – THE FLIGHT OF THE ‘OG’ ORIGINAL GRAVEL BIKE?
What makes a bike a gravel bike? Tom Hill heads back to 2008, and delves into the development of The Salsa Warbird - widely considered the original 'og' gravel bike - a genre-defining machine that has changed the perception of what is possible on drop-barred bicycles…
by PANNIER
FILM: BIKEPACKING THE SOUTH DOWNS WAY
Last summer, four friends rode the South Downs Way - an ancient 100-mile ridgeline that spans the southeast coast of England. Starting in Winchester and finishing in Eastbourne the historic chalk path has over 3500m of climbing and not a car in sight; rolling steep hills as far as the eye can see - an ideal UK bikepacking playground...
by GEORGE MARSHALL, NEIL PHILLIPS, ANNA MCLEOD, LIAM YATES & SOPHIE EDMONSON
A HIGHER CALLING // OPENING THE ‘HIGHEST ROAD’ IN EUROPE
While we’re locked down, work is going on in the Alps to clear the roads for another season’s cycling. Have you ever wondered how these majestical, treacherous alpine roads and passes are opened for us cyclists and bikepackers? Max Leonard transports us to the highest paved road in Europe...
by MAX LEONARD
THE GRAVEL-RIDING ADVENTURE-CYCLING BIKEPACKING CYCLE-TOURING ‘RULES’
Call it what you want: bikepacking; adventure cycling; gravel riding; cycle touring ... these are our lighthearted list of so-called 'rules' for you to check out, add to, and/or call out! Some more serious than others, obviously. See what you think...
by PANNIER
DOWN TO JERICHO
Cycle touring author, Julian Sayarer, released his latest work today - Fifty Miles Wide. A book / on his journey along the roads of Israel and occupied Palestine - a route that weaves from the ancient hills of Galilee, along blockaded walls of the Gaza Strip, and down to the Bedouin villages of the Naqab Desert. He shares a couple of extracts from the book...
by JULIAN SAYARER
LOST LANDS
The Frontier300 is a new UK coast-to-coast gravel route and event that weaves through the alluring Anglo-Scottish Borderlands, akin to the wailing westerlies. We head up to bikepack the 300-kilometre route and discover more about these lost lands, in the company of two world-record seekers...
by STEFAN AMATO & DUNCAN PHILPOTT
OUR BIKEPACKING / CYCLE TOUR & EXPEDITION KIT LISTS
What do you need to join one of our bikepacking tours or expeditions? We ride through the bike requirements, recommended kit list(s), what is available to hire from us, and frequently asked questions...
by PANNIER
FURTHLINES
In the wake of Storm Dennis, we explore the roads, gravel tracks and infrastructure lines of Snowdonia National Park's Carneddau Mountains. As we ride up, into the snow-sprinkled shadows of two Furth peaks, we slowly unearth a very humbling story of human influence in the mountains...
by STEFAN AMATO & DUNCAN PHILPOTT
INTRODUCING OUR NEW FILM: RAINSPOTTING
Our new bikepacking film with Brother Cycles - tracks our 84-hour bikepacking ramble through Scotland's gloomy Grampians - IS OUT *09 APRIL 2020*. Watch the teaser, check the poster and join us on 25th March 2020 at 19.30GMT for our Watch Party...
by PANNIER
BEHIND THE SCENES I – PODCASTING THE SILK ROAD MOUNTAIN RACE
As Stefano heads to Morocco to document the inaugural Atlas Mountain Race, we chatted with him to understand more about his journey behind the scenes - what it's like, and what it takes, to tell the story of a bikepacking race...
by STEFANO NUCERA, ANTONIO ABREU & DANIL USMANOV
RAINSPOTTING
Six of us alight the sleeper train at Corrour - the highest, remotest station on the West Highland Line - and 'go for a w̶a̶l̶k̶ ride' through the wintry, gloomy Grampian Mountains of Scotland. We track the old-established north-south drove roads and, in true drover style, explore the alluring moorland voids in between...
by STEFAN AMATO & DAVID SEAR
THE POSTMAN
Clinging to the frayed edges of the ragged shores of the Isle of Harris, a singletrack path navigates its way above cliffs, around bays. Three friends make the trip to ride the Postman’s Path to Rhenigidale, and find out more about its history...
by TOM HILL, SAM NEEDHAM & TRISTAN TINN
REPORT // PEAKLAND RAMBLE x RCC 2019
A couple of weekends back, we hosted the first edition of our 'Peakland Ramble' tour – an accessible one night, two day bikepacking weekender adventure through the Peak District National Park, between Manchester and Sheffield. This edition was in collaboration with the Rapha Cycling Club (RCC)...
by PANNIER
LtD GRAVEL RAID // ARE GRAVEL RACES AND EVENTS FOR ME?
Katherine takes a weekend off from dirt bikepacking, and heads to the LtD (Laurens ten Dam) Gravel Raid in the Eifel Region of Germany to find out if the rising number of gravel races and events are relevant and enjoyable for us 'slow' bikepackers...
by KATHERINE MOORE
REPORT // LAKELAND PASS-STORMER 2019
The photo report from the first edition of our 'Lakeland Pass-Stormer' tour – a two night, two day bikepacking adventure designed to show off the beauty and challenge of riding and hike-a-biking in the Lake District National Park...
by PANNIER
EXTRAORDINARY WORLDS // THE SILK ROAD MOUNTAIN RACE 2019
In the early hours of August 30th, Pannier.cc Pair - Stef & Dave - crossed the finish line of the 2019 Silk Road Mountain Race. Stef shares his experience of the extraordinary worlds of: Kyrgyzstan and Racing one of the toughest bikepacking events going...
by STEFAN AMATO & DAVID SEAR
EASTER WEEK // Montes Universales
...every Easter, Stefan makes time for a week-long bikepacking pilgrimage somewhere new. Somewhere empty and undiscovered. In previous years, these trips have seen him ride in Romania, Sierra de Cazorla and the hidden hills of Valencia. This year, he chose Montes Universales in Northern Spain...
by STEFAN ROHNER
WAYFARER CENTENARY
...we join the Rough Stuff Fellowship and Anfield Bicycle Club in the Berwyn Mountains of North Wales, to celebrate the first ride of what is now known as the 'Wayfarer' Pass, in 1919. Organised by cycling author and journalist, Jack Thurston....
by STEFAN AMATO
THE ORTLIEB STORY // HARTMUT. HISTORY. HERITAGE…
...we head to Ortlieb HQ in the heart of Germany to un-roll the bike bag brand's beginnings, and what makes them tick today. Is there more to Ortlieb than their uber-utilitarian image? 100% W̷a̷t̷e̷r̷p̷r̷o̷o̷f̷ Yes ...