Editor's Statement

It’s a short window of time, this perfect fall weather. As we go to press with this issue the weather couldn’t be better for getting out, a reward for making it through the hot summer and a precursor to a few months of colder temps that keep me tinkering in the basement more than turning miles. After a decade of end-of-summer tradeshows held in perhaps the least bike friendly place in the United States, the fall has become a re-energized time to take in the last bits of beautiful weather with short notice camping trips and mid-day rides.

From packed rush-hour traffic to lush woods and back again in but an hour and a half. Even got some product testing squeezed in (pinch flat repair). Two wheels can lend easy access to relatively nearby yet tucked away and forgotten places in a way that other transport means just don’t unlock. Best to take advantage of it and explore those ghost roads you never knew existed before they’re totally gone.

It’s convenient that the latest trends in bike camping and gravel road riding bikes and gear can be the basis of so much more, be it everyday commutes, long weekend road rides, or hitting certain mountain trails. Less about speed and weight and performance and more about exploring and fun and getting dirty. We’re not talking about a sea-change in design—a fatter tire here, a slightly more comfortable posture there—but it’s good for everyone involved to see practicality going mainstream, beyond the dominant thoroughbred options. Racing and all out performance bikes are a highly refined fun worth taking advantage of at some point, but for the long game and the sake of spontaneity, versatility is hard to beat.

Bern