Welcome to RECON where you will find all of our latest stories including gear reviews, ride recaps and industry news.
It’s winter here in Southern California and that means training season for upcoming bikepacking adventures and races. In preparation, I’ve been trail testing some tires from Teravail, the QBP brand, that is well known for off-road tires. I was keen to try the Sparwood 29 x 2.2” tires on my Salsa Cutthroat for the last three months on mostly local gravel, mountain single-track, desert sand, and multi-day bike packing routes in varied terrains.
Read MoreCA State residents to remain in place at their homes except for essential activities, essential business, and essential government functions. But what does this mean for outdoor activities like cycling, running or hiking? Is riding your bike an essential activity?
Read MoreIn this episode, we connect with Pete Stetina about transitioning into gravel racing from the World Tour Road Racing scene. Pete won Belgian Waffle Ride last year and it was a sort of switch for him that this could be a real possibility for him. One that brought him back to his roots of why he rides his bike and what motivates him to get out every day.
Read MoreInspired by the mud-laden conditions often observed at The Mid South gravel race in Stillwater, OK, Salsa Cycles has introduced the Stormchaser, an aluminum frame / carbon fork single speed gravel bike designed to withstand the worst conditions imaginable. Starting from the aluminum Warbird as a point of reference Salsa Engineers gave the Stormchaser a slacker head tube angle and longer wheelbase centers rider weight for more stability.
Read MoreJeff Kerkove of Team Topeak-Ergon took 1st place at the 2020 Stagecoach 400, a multi-day Southern California bikepacking adventure race that was organized by Brendan Collier and Meg Knobel. Starting from Idyllwild CA, Kerkove took an early lead on Friday, March 14 and stayed out front for the entire course only stopping for food and gear adjustments.
Read MoreAs the 2020 Stagecoach 400 rolled out of Idyllwild, CA this morning the rain had subsided for the 50 or so riders starting the Southern California bikepacking race. But while the air may have been dry at 8AM on Friday, March 13, the trails had little time to recover from the storm that came through for a few days before. The race organizers were told just hours before that some dirt sections were off-limits, forcing them to ask riders to ignore the previously supplied GPS route in some sections.
Read MoreThe Stagecoach 400 stands out among peer events for highlighting Southern California’s geographic and cultural diversity, with a 2020 course that features the area’s unique proximity to mountains, desert, and ocean. You can follow along on the adventure via our embedded SPOT Live Tracker below.
Read MoreEaston Cycling is has announced its 2020 Overland gravel race team. With an expanded roster for the new year, a few new faces will join an impressive lineup of race-winning athletes including Amity Rockwell.
Read MoreIn the process of writing up the Top 12 Most Influential Gravel Events of 2020, we came across so many other great rides and races from across the gravel universe. And while many of them are well established, for others this will be their first year. These yet to be experienced races have the potential to take our sport into new territory with innovative new formats and uncharted host locations. So as a follow up to our previous list, we bring you the Top 5 New Gravel Events we’re most excited about for 2020.
Read MoreWe call it Gravel Camp, but when you combine a few industry brands, cycling journalists, top athletes, and promoters from some of the most noteworthy gravel events, it really turns into a gravel party. After the deluge of rain at last year’s event in Calabasas, California, we decided to go with a location that guaranteed warm winter miles and copious amounts of buff singletrack; that spot was Scottsdale, Arizona.
Read MoreJust when you thought the TOC was dead, the powers that be have enlisted the support of the original gravel company to carry California cycling into the future. In partnership with their Development Team, Gravelstoke announced this week the 2020 Tour of Gravel California, an untold number of adventures that will explore parts unseen throughout the Golden State, with each stop featuring its own unique challenges.
Read MoreOn the beautiful Saturday morning of February 8, 2020 in Bakersfield, California, riders pushed east through bare hills, grassy slopes and sandy slots to the entrance of Kern Canyon.
Read MoreSierra Nevada Conservancy awards $360,525 planning grant linking 15 communities by 300 miles of new trail.
Read MoreAll new gravel tire review from Eric with the Ultradynamico CAVA, a smooth tire for fast conditions with a unique look.
Read MoreIntroducing the Gravelstoke Cycling Kit 3.0. In collaboration with Eliel Cycling, we are now offering seven unique items for Presale through Wednesday, January 29.
Read MoreThe Salsa Cutthroat can largely be considered the default drop-bar bikepacking bike for several years running. With the 2020 Cutthroat model once again fitting squarely on the 'bikepacking' side of the gravel spectrum. Check out the Cutthroat and learn more about its design and features an interview with Salsa Cycles from The Gravel Ride Podcast.
Read MoreOn the evening of Wednesday Jan 22 we gathered at The Sanctuary in San Elijo Hills, California. In addition to a 2019 slideshow and connecting with friends, we revealed our Gravelstoke X Eliel cycling kit design.
Read MoreIn the first episode of Frontiers World Tour rider Ian Boswell announces his retirement from road cycling and his shift in focus to gravel racing. Ian has set his route to all things adventure. with his sights set on racing Belgian Waffle Ride, Dirty Kanza, Steamboat Springs Gravel, Rooted Vermont, Peacham Fall Fondo, and Oregon Gravel Grinder.
Read MoreA 10-year-old triathlon brand that has built a huge following in triathlon on powerful design paired with high-quality American-made cycling and triathlon apparel is making a big splash this week, announcing its arrival onto the gravel scene.
Read MoreWith loads of cool new bags being launched in recent weeks we sorted through them all to bring you our top five hip packs for the adventure cyclist. All of these bags are extremely versatile and handmade in the USA from high quality materials.
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