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Chris, That's beautiful bike. Your's are equally stunning. I've owned scads of custom and small batch frames over the years and love how that segment of the bike market always seems to find relevancy. I go through periods where all I want is a bike out of a box. Then a small builder, like you...

I have to say, my favorite trips are those when I take off with less than 30 pounds of gear, food, and water.

Yes, I did leave my editorial rather vague on the specifics. However, it would be impossible to recommend lighter/smaller gear as there's literally tens of thousands of items to consider. It's really as easy as heading to your local REI for a quick shop. As I said in the article, the biggest...

I would strongly recommend the REVIT Sand 3. I've tested more than a dozen suits in just two years and that one stands out. Sinuhe Xavier was a fellow tester during my big Overland Journal suit review and we both felt the Sand 2 performed exceptionally well against suits pushing $2500. I have...

Those were likely made in Romania. As my buddy at La Sportiva says, same machines, same materials, but the people in the factory are not as fancy. :) If you like those, you would probably like the new La Sportiva Nucleo. Compared to the Glaciers they're like slippers. I just put 50 trekking...

I think this has as much to do with the bag as it does the lines. I just received some new Topeak bags to try. They're quite affordable, and the bar bag appears to be designed well enough to escape a few brake line woes. As Dave said, the angle of the lever might need to be tweaked as well, if...

Most people who just toss something together and lash it to their bars eventually have trouble with their lines. It's one reason why I try not to run a bar bag unless forced to. I also really dislike the weight and clutter up front. Some people run longer lines (me) with the hope of those...

After a few months with the SkyRise, and several opportunities to put it to use, I have my ExPo review live on the home page. https://expeditionportal.com/long-term-test-yakima-skyrise-rooftop-tent/ This was one of the harder reviews to write. I have evaluated at least 12 leading RTTs in the...

Every year people die in tents with even a tiny stove in the vestibule. Every year. Every year someone asks if it's okay to cook in a tent. Rinse and repeat. As a mountaineering guide years ago we almost lost two dumbazz clients who thought they'd be okay cooking with an isobutane/propane stove...

I haven't swapped out parts on a bike in ages. It defeats the purpose of price shopping. Why clutter your closet with a bunch of cast-off parts and throw more money at undamaged replacement parts?? I don't get it. Shop smart and you'll get a bike ready to roll right out of the box.

If you search the home page you'll find my two editorials I wrote about my ER experience, albeit as a loaner from ER for just a ten day romp. To give you an idea how easy it is to drive, on our trip we ended up at the end of a snow covered road in Colorado near Leadville. That required I back...

I know a lot of people are brand loyalists, but the reality is, as long as you're buying a bike offered by any of the core industry brands, you'll get a fine bike for your money. There's nothing about a Specialized that is any better/worse than a Trek, Salsa, Cannondale, Scott, Rocky Mt, etc...

True enough. I've used my Base Camp duffels all over the world. They were the best. However, the Sea to Summit duffel is simply–––better. And by a pretty significant margin. The double-track zipper system, larger opening, trapezoidal shape with a wide base, better pack straps...

Thanks fellas. The number of hours and teamwork that goes into the homepage editorials are significant, so I hope they continue to draw in more readers. It's a great place to pop in once in a while to catch up on some very interesting subjects. Mike, The Capo Rally is a fine machine. On its...

There's a bit more to it than just inflation. An exotic sports car in 1985 might have cost $100,000 compared to today's million dollar machines. The discussion of hyper-bike pricing is its own rabbit hole. However, the "sweet spot" of bike pricing hasn't evolved that much relative to inflation.

Keep in mind, those bikes are built in tiny numbers and only as a means of establishing the direction of a brand's innovation and place within the competitive ranks of innovation. One of my friends is in production for a major brand and said they made fewer than 100 units of their top tier bike...

On a side note - in 1988 I worked in a bike shop and spent the whole summer saving for a Dura Ace built Kestrel 4000. Man, was that thing a beauty and about as high tech as anything ever to roll on two wheels. To see Kestrel now sold by Bikes Direct just breaks my heart. Same for the Motobecane...

We have several ExPo members with extensive experience in bicycle manufacturing in Asia and at home, but I doubt they will chime in, and I think they probably shouldn't. However, we've had these discussions in depth. If a brand wants to ask a manufacturer to produce a junk frame worth a few...

Sale bikes are pretty easy to find, but keep in mind it's july, the meat of the selling season. New models start arriving in a few months. I spent much of my life working in bike shops. Never, ever, did I work in a shop that didn't have bikes to blow out at end of season. But my claim stands...