We're excited to introduce the launch of The Northwoods Ramble, a brand new podcast that celebrates accessible everyday adventure by bike in the Upper Midwest. This video and audio podcast is geared towards a wide variety of riders looking to explore the outdoors on their bikes, be it through bikepacking trips, gravel rides, or discovering the growing MTB trails and culture in the region. Hosted by Dave Schlabowske and TJ Barnes, The Northwoods Ramble will be a deep look into Northwoods bike adventures. Dave, the former Executive Director of the Wisconsin Bike Fed, spends his time curating bikepacking routes and assisting with local bike races in the CAMBA area. TJ, a trail builder with the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, brings his trail-building expertise to the show. Together, they make a rowdy duo to guid you through discovering new bike adventures, events, and Northwoods culture and history. Dave and TJ, hosts of the Northwoods Ramble You can join Dave and TJ as they explore the Upper Midwest from their base camps in Seeley, WI. Located near the Chequamegon National Forest, CAMBA MTB trails, and Birkie Ski Trails, Seeley serves as great central HQ for bike chatter. On the podcast, Dave and TJ will review regional bikepacking routes and banter about their gear. They'll also keep you informed about the MTB scene in the Minnesota Iron Range, the UP, and Wisconsin. And to round things out, they'll also share historical tidbits, cultural insights, regional tips, and a few local beers they enjoy. The Northwoods Ramble will feature a diverse range of guests, including regular biking enthusiasts, route creators, members of the bike industry, and trail managers and builders. Each episode will provide a fresh perspective and valuable insights into the world of biking in the Upper Midwest. If you're looking to connect with more adventure content and community, keep an eye out for regular episodes moving forward.

For 11 days, we've opened up an online shop for The Nxrth gravel jersey orders. These jerseys and bibs come in both men's and women's cuts and are designed and stitched in Coon Valley, Wisconsin by Borah Teamwear. The store closes on Thursday, June 15. Shop Jerseys .

Chris Chavie is an avid cyclist and community builder who founded the MN Bike Trail Navigator blog in 2011 as a massive resource for regional cycling info, maps, events, and more. He can regularly be found exploring Minnesota by bike and racing in many of areas great events. Today we talked with Chris all about his favorite bike events, adventure destinations, and gear that he's excited about. To learn more, check out Chris' website, MN Bike Trail Navigator . Chris' Top 5 Gravel Event Picks *in no particular order The Filthy 50 The Filthy 50 is a personal favorite of mine and I've enjoyed watching it grow from around 200 riders back in 2013 to the current 1000 rider cap. Since its beginning, race director Trenton Raygor has broken down some of the barriers to gravel racing, bringing in a lot of new riders to the sport. It has become a Fall race tradition for many gravel lovers. The Heywood Ride The Heywood Ride is another of my "grassroots gravel" favorites. The courses are filled with one lane roads, plenty of long rollers, steep climbs and fast descents that showcase the beauty of the Northfield area and beyond. With distances of 30 to 390 miles, there's a course for every caliber of gravel cyclist. Freedhem 76 Since being invited by race director Don Griggs last year to come out and race, The Freedhem 76 has become a new Fourth of July vacation tradition for my wife and I. The grassroots feel and mostly gravel course, that's different from the standard crushed limestone I'm used to riding, were just a couple of the things that drew me in. The sand trap MMR segment is also a plus. Spring Valley 100 Considered the "the granddaddy of all gravel races", this ride through the Driftless Region on the former Almanzo 100 course out of Spring Valley is not only beautiful but challenging. Continuing with Almanzo founder Chris Skogen's tradition of breaking down barriers to gravel cycling, the Spring Valley 100 is still free to enter and is self-supported. Chippewa Medicine Wheel Gravel Ride I've always wanted to ride the National Forest Service Gravel Roads of the Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota, so I plan on attending the Chippewa Medicine Wheel Gravel Ride this fall. The organizers tout this as an "all wooded forest ride without a cornfield in sight" and "the best gravel in the middle of nowhere" which is a change of pace from the areas I ride south of the Twin Cities. This is a free event with routes of 54 or 106 miles. Chris' Top 5 Places to Ride *in no particular order Tioga Recreation Area | Cohasset, MN (MTB) With beginner, cross country, jumpline, flow and downhill trails, Tioga has something for every type of mountain biker. The trails are amazing and so is the scenery. Like Cuyuna, there's plenty of red dirt, rocks and elevation change, but with a more wilderness feel. It's definitely worth the drive. Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area | Crosby/Ironton, MN (MTB) The first of the Iron Range mine pit trail systems, Cuyuna is a top mountain bike destination in the Midwest. With 70 miles of "Red Gold" for riders of all abilities, it's been a favorite of mine to hone my skills and get better at climbing. I fell in love from the very first ride. Northfield Area | MN (Gravel) The Cannon Valley Velo Club is so lucky to have this treasure right in their backyard. They introduced me to the gravel roads here and it has become my favorite near the Twin Cities area to ride. The area is loaded with quiet gravel roads and plenty of elevation change and spectacular views of the Cannon River Valley. Welch Area | MN (Gravel) On the north and south side of the Cannon River Between Red Wing and Cannon Falls lies some fast riding gravel with short and long climbs and descents that showcase the scenery of the river valley. Cannon Valley gravel was my training grounds when I first started riding gravel years ago and I still visit it regularly. Driftless Region | MN (Gravel) I had never biked this area until the 2013 Filthy Fifty in Stewartville and 2014 Almanzo 100 in Spring Valley. I immediately fell in love with the remoteness, beautiful scenery and developed a love/hate relationship with the numerous lengthy climbs. It's definitely on the top of my list for Minnesota's best gravel. Chris' Top 5 Gear Things He's Most Excited About Right Now *in no particular order Garmin Varia RTL515 Rear-view radar This is one of my everyday favorites. I never ride road, gravel or commute to work without it. Vehicles approaching from the rear no longer take me by surprise. It also provides me with a little extra time in the event I need to make an evasive maneuver. I even paired it with my wife's Garmin Edge for when we ride together. LINK . Outbound Lighting Hangover helmet light The Hangover is my new favorite helmet light, not only for its bright beam, but for its functionality and long battery life. It's a great addition for filling in where my handlebar light lacks coverage out on the trail. Pass-through USB-C charging is also a plus for those extended length night rides. LINK . Showers Pass Spring Classic jacket This waterproof, windproof and breathable shell is perfect for spring and fall riding in Minnesota. I recently bought one and the way this Spring is going, I'm glad I did. LINK . Garmin Edge 1040 The new Garmin Edge 1040 is a big improvement over the Edge 1030 Plus and is my main training tool to track my progress, fitness and to help me achieve my cycling goals. Its long battery life, slightly larger display and USB-C charging are just some of the reasons I made the upgrade. I love the fact that I can commute to work all week long without recharging. LINK . Fanttik X8 APEX Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor Since receiving this as a gift from my wife, I rarely use my floor pump anymore. It's only the size of a water bottle and inflates any tire with Presta or Schraeder valves. Works perfectly with high pressure road tires, fatbike or gravel tires. It has become standard equipment on all my out of town bike trips. LINK .

This year we've been inspired The Heywood boys' gravel charcuterie rides but didn't have any hardwood that fit in a half frame bag. So we designed some and had a small batch of boards made from an Eau Claire, Wisconsin black walnut tree with a local woodworker. We've got about half a handful left and they are now for sale in our web store until they are sold out. Pick one up here or learn more about how we picked the wood and designed the shape over here . They ship free and have a cutout for fitting in angled frame bags plus six notches for voile-strapping under a saddle or to a cargo cage.

Early Bird pricing for the 2023 Gravel Pizza Overnighter ends today, May 31st, at midnight. To join us, head over the Gravel Pizza Overnighter page. This year we're adding an optional Friday night of social gravel, stopping at Boondock's bar for drinks and apps, and then a campfire back at base camp. Join the community and experience the best woodsy gravel in the middle of nowhere, Wisconsin.

I wanted to do some gravel charcuterie rides but didn't have any hardwood that fit in a frame bag (or any hardwood actually) so I designed one for my own rides plus a few extras that I'll put in our web store soon. Details here. My friend Tim Brudnicki from Tree Purpose of Eau Claire, WI helped turn this idea into reality and here are the details. If you have any thoughts on whether these seem neat or if I'm just overthinking this, shoot me at email at josh at the nxrth dot com. NOTE: We only made a small batch and they will be for sale HERE to our Patrons first in the next few days. They are the special team of supporters who are helping build more adventure cycling resources up north. If there are any left, we'll make them available publicly after that. About the angled cutout I've tried shoving a few different pieces of wood into my frame bag but always run into two problems. First, my bike is very small which makes my half frame bag also really small so it's hard to find a piece of wood that fits and second, the angles of a bike aren't conducive to wood with right angles. So we cutout the corner giving it a nice angle that mirrors the common angle on a bicycles down tube. About the notches Not everybody rides with a frame bag. We put notches along both sides so that it's easy to strap to anywhere you have room on your bike such as under the saddles or on a cargo cage. About the wood The wood is from a black walnut tree that came down about a mile from my house and probably lived a jolly life. It was milled, kiln-dried, and machined in Eau Claire. Black walnut is great for cutting boards because it is hard wood and has tight pores that resists bacteria and is easy to clean. About the Sizing One size fits most.These are 4" x 11". If you're looking to show up at your in law's house with a big spread of exotic meats, cheeses, crackers, olives, and organic jalapeño cranberry spread, this is probably going to be too small. Also, if you're wanting to put this in a half frame bag and don't have 4 inches of vertical space, you're out of luck. 3 Ways to Carry it On Your Bike Have fun with it. Ride like a hooligan and eat like royalty. 1. In Your Frame Bag This board was born for frame bags. You're going to slide it in and just feel good about having a little living piece of the northwoods tucked right in where it fits beautifully. 2. Strapped Under Your Saddle Every saddle is different: rail length, rail angle, room between the rails and the seat post, etc. So the fit will be different for every bike. But no worries. We're gravel bikers. We're ok running to garage for a few Voile straps and taking the time to get it right. 3. Strapped to a Cargo Cage If you're lucky enough to have triple mounts on your fork blades, you're going to look real nice with a charcuterie board and a chunk o' meat hanging on for dear life under a pair of bikepacking straps . Want one? These will be available HERE to Patrons first in the next few days. If there are any left after that, we'll put them out to everyone.

Today we're sharing our very first Upper Peninsula Gravel Guide for Iron Mountain. Located on the border of WI and MI, Iron Mountain is a doorway to a mixed catalog of gravel adventures, lakes, rivers, and perfect towns to spend the weekend. It is now available to Patrons on our Adventure Team Tier. To get access, join our Adventure Team tier on Patreon . Photos by Dylan Juchemich @jukendorf We collaborated with Andy Cabrera from U.P. Sport & Spoke to get local knowledge of gravel roads in varying distances and great stops along the way. In this guide you'll find everything you need to plan an entire gravel weekend (and much more) in Iron Mountain, Michigan. Inside the Iron Mountain Gravel Guide 8 quintessential Iron Mountain gravel routes 329 miles of woodsy U.P. gravel to explore 3 top lodging picks 2 recommended campgrounds Breakdown of 7 best restaurants 3 spots for evening drinks 3 spots for coffee 6 non-bike activities to make it a full weekend adventure Photos of Iron Mountain Gravel Biking

Paulie from Go PHYSIO has the been around the block a time or two and I asked him what's the most common mistake people make when setting up their own bike. Here he discusses the relationship between the rider and the bike and why LOOKING fast does not always equal RIDING fast. About Paulie Glatt: As a competitive cyclist with a history of low back pain, Paulie has a great understanding of how critical a proper bike fit is to our experience on a bicycle. He rides Road, Gravel, Mountain, Bike Packs, and commutes by bicycle throughout the entire year. His longest race was The Day Across Minnesota, a 240-mile gravel race that he completed in 17 hours. To learn more about Paulie or to schedule a professional bike fitting, visit GO PHYSIO . Hey Paulie, what's the biggest mistake people make when setting up the fit on their own bike? Paulie Glatt: Trying to look like the pros tends to be one of the most common mistakes I see. Looking fast does not equate to riding fast. More often than not, this approach results in discomfort, poor efficiency, and limits a rider’s ability to endure long rides. In general, riders tend to overlook their physical limitations. Factors like hamstring mobility, core strength, and hip range of motion need to be considered for a proper fit. An ideal bike fit is about more than achieving recommended joint angles and getting your knee over the pedal spindle. It’s not about simply molding a bike around a rider. It’s about the relationship between the rider and the bike. Usually both can be improved. Every rider leaves my studio with a few recommended exercises.

For the 2023 Gravel Pizza Overnighter , we added Gold Tickets which include an additional Friday night camping, slow roll social gravel ride, and a stop for drinks and apps at Boondock's Bar before. We want Friday night to be an intimate community night and are limiting ticket sales to 30 and there are now 12 left as of noon on Tuesday, May 9 . If you'd like to join us for Friday night, grab a ticket while they last.

Dave Schlabowske recently got a new Milwaukee Bicycle Co fatbike. He rounded it out with completely custom components and he silver-brazed a custom rear rack. In part 2 of this series he shares how he designed and built the rack for lightweight bikepacking setup. See his process and gallery of photos here. Read Part 1 about Dave's fatbike build HERE . Story and photos by Dave Schlabowske . Over the many years I have been bikepacking I have refined my camping gear so most of it packs very small and is extremely lightweight. My shelter and sleep system only weigh about 3 lbs total, and I can stuff the Zpack Duplex tent , the Enlightened Equipment 40° Quilt , Thermarest NeoAir Uberlight pad and Sea to Summit pillow in two Sea to Summit 5 L roll-top dry bags . Because that gear is light and small, I was looking for a way to pack it that did not take up precious space in a bikepacking bag that was designed to hold heavier items. My experience with lightweight rear racks has not been good. Aluminum racks eventually break due to fatigue from vibrations riding rough trails and gravel roads. Stronger chromoly steel racks are heavy and overkill. Planning the Custom Fatbike Rear Rack When Trek came out with their 1120 with its unique front and rear rack system I thought that was an ingenious way to pack small dry bags, but it was still overbuilt for my lightweight gear. When I converted my Milwaukee Bicycle Company Feral 29 from an MTB Trail Bike to dedicated bikepacking rig, I had it stripped and asked if Ben’s Cycle could add more rack mounts and then had it repowder-coated. Ben’s has the Waterford Precision Cycle-built frames delivered without paint so they can add almost any braze-on a customer wants before powder coating, so they had no problem with my request to add a triple mount on the downtube, top tube bag mount and two water bottle mounts to the seat stays. Using the Trek 1120 rack as my inspiration, I planned to build a custom rack using 3/16” 304 stainless steel wire, which is a tad thicker than what is typically used for water bottle cages. I bought a handful of 60 inch lengths of wire from Speedy Metals in New Berlin for about $5 each . The wire is thin enough that I can bend it with a simple hand tool and can be silver-brazed given I still have an Oxy-Acetylene torch, but no longer own a tig welder. Measuring, Bending, & Brazing The project is something like a combination of origami and packaging design in that the main section of the rack is all bent from a single 60 inch piece of stainless wire. I measure all my bends from the center of the wire and then make the bends. Along the way I am careful to keep the rack symmetrical and aligned. While it is important to measure carefully and make precise bends, the wire is forgiving in that I can twist it and tweak bends slightly after they are made. Once the main rack is brazed up, I braze it to two pieces of ¼ inch stainless plate that I cut into strips to mount the rack to the chainstays. After that is done, I add some additional 3/16” wire pieces to the main rack so I can securely attach the dry bags with bikepacking straps . I am also able to attach things like my tent stakes and Morakniv Bushcraft knife . The first rack I built for my 29er worked out so well that I just built another one for the new Milwaukee Bicycle Company fat bike I just got. I made efforts to keep the weight down on the fat bike rack (10.9 oz/310 g) and it ended up lighter than the 29er rack (12.8 oz/363 g). You may notice I like the color orange for my bikes, which dates back to my first bikepacking/gravel bike, which was the iconic 1993 Bridgestone XO-1. That bike was destroyed when my old concrete garage collapsed at our first house in Milwaukee, but I have had a thing for orange steel bikes ever since. How it Performs I built that first rack two years ago, and after a few thousand miles of bikepacking on varied rough terrain, I have had no failure or need to make repairs. The racks are sturdy, but also flex enough so they hold up to all the vibrations that cause stress fractures in aluminum racks. I can’t make these for other bikes since they are custom built to fit specific seatstay dimensions. For those who want something similar, I suggest they look at the Aeroe rack system . That is a bit more heavy duty, but seems very well engineered. To see Dave's original custom rack and his Milwaukee Bicycle Feral 29er, see his Reader's Rig HERE .

Wren Sports recently announced a drop bar version of their Perseverance bar. It's built for long distance unsupported bike adventures with an emphasis on all-day comfort and wilderness utility. The expedition geometry and integrated aero loop make it a unique option for adventure bars. The Perseverance drop bar is currently in production and will be available at Wren December 2022. The cockpit is a tough part of your bike to get just right and that goes even more so for long distance adventures. The stress on your hands, the ability to have gear carrying flexibility, and the need for multiple riding positions makes finding the right handlebars extremely important, but also really difficult. Wren sports is currently in pre-production with a drop bar version of their Perseverance Bars. It's a handlebar that they've built specifically for epic, unsupported adventures and their goal is to strike the balance of maximum comfort and adventure utility. Riding With the Perseverance Bars These bars were new to me on so many levels I kind of can't believe they've been such a great fit so far. For starters, I've never customized my cockpit outside of pretty standard and traditional drop bars. I've long admired the trend in wider gravel bars with swept drops but just haven't made the switch. I also only did my first gravel century just this year and have never ridden with aero bars. In a lot of senses I've been a pretty traditional adventure cyclist who hasn't wandered too far from your out-of-the-box gravel bike. The wider hoods, shallower drop, and integrated aero bar were new to me and so much fun to try out. I was so stoked when they showed up on my doorstep about 10 hours before driving away to the Filthy 50, a local gravel race in Lanesboro, Minnesota. Then two weeks later I had a local overnighter planned and I got to load up the handlebars with a full width tent which had never fit on my handlebars before. Climbing in the wide hoods and grinding in the shallow drops felt extremely natural. The Filthy 50 race was uniquely dry, dusty, winding, and slippery and the extra width gave me noticeably more handling confidence. Now to be fair, these are really purpose built for expedition bikepacking and less for gravel racing. I rarely get out for more than a 3-day bikepacking trip but felt like the advantages carried over really well for shorter adventures and day gravel rides as well. For non-climbing and non-maneuvering, I would personally prefer the hoods to be a little narrower and just flare out to the existing width of the drops. I'm pretty short at 5' 6" and the width at the hoods is definitely more than I need. Hand Positions & Mounting Options The only extra hand positions you really get with these bars is in the integrated aero loop as well as more places to rest your hands on the flats. Some people will wish the aero loop wasn't integrated and others will love that it's always there and ready to send. I'm pretty fidgety even on long rides and enjoy full stretching out, giving my back a break, and getting out of the wind in the aero bars. The aero loop also gives more mounting options for devices, lights, and cameras. One thing I really love is that the width of the bars gives room to strap a full width tent right up front. I don't have an ultra light bikepacking-specific tent with short poles and both of my traditional MSR 2-person tents have plenty of room to attach to these bars with bikepacking straps because of the extra width. All the Numbers The most notable specs are the width at the hoods and the size of the aero bars. At 530mm width at the hoods, they're just about the widest handlebars you'll find. The Redshift Kitchen Sink handlebars, for example, come in four sizes and 530mm is the widest. The Salsa Cowchipper bars comes in eight sizes with 520mm being the widest. There are a few wider options than the Perseverance drop bars but not many. The second point to notice is the large integrated aero loop at 250mm in length with a 78mm rise. I can't find length specs on the Redshift Kitchen Sink or Farr Aero Gravel Bar but the Perseverance loop appears quite a bit bigger which allows for you to be fully stretched out and tucked downward and the other brands bars' integrated loops only seem to scratch the surface of that. Full Perseverance Handlebar Specs 530mm width at the hoods 105mm Drop 29 degree flair 6 degree backsweep from clamp to hoods Clamp Diameter: 31.8mm Drop: 105mm Flair: 29 degrees Material: 6061 Alloy Finish: Anodized Gold/Bronze with Black Decals Aero Loop Specs Rise at the Nose: 78mm Backsweep from Clamp to Hoods: 6 Degrees Length: 250mm Width at Base: 301mm Tube Diameter: 22.2mm Aero Bars for Adventure Cycling? I'll be the first to say that the aero bar threw me for a figurative loop. I think of them for ultra distance racing but less for adventure riding. Cons are that you can't take them off because they're integrated. Pros are that they give you more hand options for long hard days bikepacking on mixed terrain and wind plus they give your back a break and allow you to stretch out. These are definitely not for everyone, but for certain riders these are going to be perfect for their exact needs on bike adventures. With a 301mm width where the aero meets the handlebar, this particular aero integration is fairly wide which is going to give you more control than racing aero bars to navigate tricky terrain right from the tucked position. It should be noted that without the armrests (currently in preorder with expected shipping of November 2022), the aero loop is not really an option for long periods of time. You'll definitely need the arm rests for longterm comfort which is also another expense. Pros Cons Thoughtful adventure-specific geometry Aero loop isn't detachable Many different hand positions Hood width is very wide and won't be for everyone Shallow & wide drops give stability and comfort ​ Aero loop allows light & gps mounting in front of handlebar bags ​ Internal cable routing ​ Even though these bars are built for longer unsupported adventures than I've tested them out for, I really like the comfort and confidence I can feel instantly. The aero loop will likely be more than I need most of the time but I like the having the option to stretch out. Being a short rider, it'll be interesting to see how the 530mm hood width will play out over time, but for now I know it's already hard going back to the narrow bars I was once used to. I think the nicest thing is to have a full range of position and gear attaching options for the spontaneous and varied adventures that lie ahead.

UK-based Tailfin Cycling just announced a new line of weatherproof top tube bags to add to their options for technical bikepacking equipment. Two years in the making, they've designed all components, materials, and bikepacking straps for these bags in house and aim to address gaps in other top tube bag options on the market. Styles & Sizes The new range of top tube bags comes in either a zip-opening or flip-lid opening. The zip-opening bag comes in 3 sizes of .8L, 1.1L, and 1.5L and the flip-lid opening bag comes in two sizes of 1.1L and 1.5L. Both styles arrive compatible with both straps as well as well as direct mount options. This is a great feature because it means you easily move your bag to different bikes without needing to buy multiple mounting versions. Top Tube Bag Issues Tailfin Aims to Address Working with their R&D division of riders, they set out to innovate on conventional top tube bags by addressing what they consider to be the main weaknesses with other options such as: Instability Knee rub Frame rub Waterproofing Bags lacking both strap and direct mounting options Aesthetics Stability Using their V-Mount system, the top tube bags grip tightly to any top tube bag and ships with a variety of strap lengths to be compatible with virtually any bike. Due to the extra stability of the V-Mount system, the bags don't even need to be strapped to the head tube like other top tube bags. Frame Rub Along with instability generally comes the additional problem of frame rub. As bags wag back and forth, traditional velcro straps and abrasive bag materials can rub the gloss and paint off a bike. Tailfin claims that the V-Mount system completely eliminates all instability and won't cause frame problems even on long expeditions. All-Bike Compatibility Tailfin has done several things to make these compatible on all bikes. First, the three sizes across two opening styles helps pick a configuration that fits your bike size and carrying needs. Second, the fact they come with straps and direct mounting hardware means you won't need to buy both versions for different bikes. Lastly, the bags ship with an extra long strap to be compatible on bikes with extra long top/head/down tube union. Fat bikes generally have a very tall top/head/down tube union so I'll be curious to see if the long strap will cover that distance on a fat bike. Pricing 0.8L Zip: $65 1.1L Zip: $70 1.5L Zip: $75 1.1L Flip: $75 1.5L Flip: $80 Wrap-Up While Tailfin doesn't make every bag option on the market, they're known for pouring an incredible amount of innovation, engineering, and testing into each product they announce and that's extremely evident in these bags. With every component and material designed in house and tested over several years before going to market, including their patented Mag-Lock closure system on the flip-lid bags, you can bet these are going to perform at an extremely high level. To learn more, head to their zip-opening page or flip-lid opening page.