Selfies and Self-Reflection on the Colorado Trail Race
This year’s Colorado Trail Race saw fifteen women and non-binary riders at the start line. In this competitive field, Katya Rakhmatulina took the win and set a new women’s fastest known time at 5 days, 1 hour, 53 minutes. Lael Wilcox, Ana Jager, Alexandera Houchin, and Karin Pocock also bested the previous women’s FKT of 06…
Faces Behind the Dots: Pinyons and Pines 2023
Starting this Thursday in Flagstaff, Arizona, the Pinyons and Pines has a strong field of women lining up for either 300+ or 500+ mile routes. This event is fast becoming one of the classic bikepacking races in the west. In fact, it’s become so popular that it filled up in a matter of hours when…
Faces Behind the Dots: Stagecoach 400
The Grand Depart of the Stagecoach 400, a long-running bikepacking race in Southern California, starts this Friday. Created by Brendan Collier in 2012, and now (dis)organized by Meg Knobel, the Stagecoach features the coast, mountains, and desert all in one ride. We asked riders about their backgrounds, what they’re looking forward to, bike choice given…
Faces Behind the Dots: East Texas Showdown
The East Texas Showdown is a bikepacking event put on by Patrick Farnsworth, the host of the Bikes or Death Podcast. Starting at Bullet Grill in Point Blank, Texas, the route features a 60/40 balance of gravel to pavement and the opportunity to ride through the Sam Houston and Davy Crocket National Forests. With three…
Faces Behind the Dots: Queen’s Ransom
Created by the bikepacking mastermind John Schilling, the Queen’s Ransom is a 225-loop showcasing some of the best trails in the desert west of Phoenix. This non-competitive ride is a favorite winter getaway for desert bikepackers and is considered one of the best loops around. With three nights of camping as a group, it’s as…
Faces Behind the Dots: Huracan 300
This Saturday, February 4th, a group of bikepackers will depart on the Huracan 300 bikepacking race. This 370-mile loop in Central Florida includes 100 miles of singletrack, dirt roads, abandoned paths, and occasional pavement. Racers also have the option to take on the “Lite” version of the route which is 340 miles and avoids singletrack…
Faces Behind the Dots: Arrowhead 135
Every year, a group of winter die-hards line up for the Arrowhead 135. It’s a 135–mile winter ultra-marathon where people compete on foot, ski, or bicycle. Each winter, the race begins in International Falls, Minnesota, and finishes at the Fortune Bay (Bois Forte Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) Casino in Tower, Minnesota. It’s hard, very…
Faces Behind the Dots – Fat Pursuit 2023
Based out of Island Park, Idaho, Jay Petervary’s Fat Pursuit is one of the most highly regarded winter ultras on the calendar. Covering 200 kilometers of “groomed” trails in the Yellowstone area, the event is notorious for lots of snow, difficult conditions, and extremely cold temperatures. One of the more unique aspects of this winter…
Faces Behind the Dots- Arizona Trail Race 2022
The Arizona Trail Race (AZTR) starts this Thursday, October 20. This year, seven women are racing the AZT 300 and two women are racing the AZT 800. A truly singletrack route, the AZT 300 is 92.4% dirt and the AZT 800 is 88.7% dirt. The route starts at the border with Mexico and traverses north…
Faces Behind the Dots – Utah Mixed Epic 2022
The Utah Mixed Epic is known for linking together some of the more remote and rugged pieces of road and trail throughout the state of Utah. We’ve got profiles of the four women lining up for the 600+ mile loop around Utah sandstone country. From high-mountain to low-desert riding, get their takes on bike setup,…
