Beccy Waters

Welcome to the most unorthodox Bikes of feature we’ve ever released! Enjoy browsing below to see some standout drawing skills from a handful of bikepackers and an insight into the first of the quirks of the unique Tour de Farce.

Oct 15th 2024

Once again, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite films from bikepacking races this year to keep those in the Northern Hemisphere entertained as we settle in for some short days and long evenings.

Dec 16th 2023

Oct 7th 2024

Ahead of this year's fourth edition of the Trans Pyrenees Race, we sat down with the team at Lost Dot to explore how this year's TPR sticks to the Race's heritage of a double traverse of the Pyrenees but with a few twists along the way.

Feb 28th 2024

The DotWatcher Dozen, a 2024 race season preview including 7 established classics and 6 inaugural races with exciting new formats. Making it a baker's dozen, the thirteenth race we highlight is one that has been on hiatus, but this year we see it return to the racing calendar.

Jan 13th 2024

A roundup of some of the most exciting races in 2023, with a spread of events across the globe. Take a look at what went down at some of the biggest races of the year.

Dec 9th 2023

The Bikepacking Triple Crown is comprised of three routes: the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, the Arizona Trail, and the Colorado Trail. Completing all three in a lifetime earns a rider a place on the Triple Crown Finisher list. The Challenge, does this all in one season.

Dec 9th 2024

Our annual awards nominated by you, the bikepacking race community, to celebrate the finest achievements of 2023 in the sport. Read the feature to learn who received this year’s awards for their endeavours on and off the bike.

Dec 31st 2023

With the dangers of sleep deprivation being ever-present in bikepacking races, it has recently become a buzz-word in the endurance world. Find out what our community thinks on making rest mandatory.

Apr 1st 2023

With the dangers of sleep deprivation being ever-present in bikepacking races, it has recently become a buzz-word in the endurance world. Find out what our community thinks on making rest mandatory.

Mar 25th 2023

Twelve women have set off from Marrakesh as part of the inaugural Atlas Mountain Race, so Beccy Waters took some time to get to know some of them. Who are they and what does it take to take on a race like this?

Feb 15th 2020

Lover of all things on two wheels, Ashley Wedelich spends her time split between riding her fleet of bikes and running her farm in southwestern Colorado. She lines up at the Atlas Mountain Race this weekend as one to watch given her experience and success on similar terrain.

Sep 27th 2022

Dulkara Martig spends her time in some of New Zealand and Alaska's wildest places, working and adventuring. Her experience from the first edition of the Tour Te Waipounamu offer a unique insight into a bonified adventurer's exploration into bikepacking.

Jan 20th 2022

From the flames of 2020 came a dotwatcher's delight in 2021. Restrictions in travel made for many startlists to be dominated by domestic racers and we witnessed some household names cement their prominence as well as some new names bursting onto the scene.

Dec 31st 2021

The role of the media crew in telling the story of a race both during and after the event has been instrumental in the growth of our sport but their potential influence on the race is disputed. We pose our questions to those with the most experience from either side of the lens.

Jan 13th 2022

Not content with wins at the German and European cross country marathon championships, Seb has spent the past two years turning his hand to bikepacking. His racing pedigree combined with his meticulous attention to detail and good humour have dealt him a good bikepacking hand.

Nov 25th 2022

Badlands is renowned for its diversity and opened our eyes to the variety of landscapes and terrains Andalucia has to offer. Keep reading to learn more about this year’s race and Badlands Rewild: the race’s new initiative to combat social and environmental problems in Andalucia.

May 15th 2022

Another year, another season of dotwatching delight! With old favourites and plenty of new races on the calendar, we look ahead to 2022 with some sneak peaks at routes and rider start lists.

Apr 8th 2022

Lost Dot, organisers of the Transcontinental Race, Trans Pyrenees Race and now the Accursed Race, have shared some insight with DotWatcher on their 2024 plans. Learn about the route for TCRNo10 and how they're tackling climate change at the Accursed.

Nov 6th 2023

A roundup of some of the most exciting races in 2024, with a spread of events across the globe. Take a look at what went down at some of the biggest races of the year.

Jan 17th 2025

Peta McSharry has been riding bikes since before bikepacking was a thing and over the course of the past 30 years has learnt a thing or two about racing bikes far and fast. We asked questions about her background's influence on her work and unique perspective on bikepacking.

Mar 28th 2025

The 2024 edition of Across Andes is called Patagonia Verde as riders head into Chile's Aysén region known for its greenery, large glaciers, fjords, and snow-capped mountains. A ride at the end of the world.

Jun 7th 2024

The 2023 edition of Across Andes is called Patagonia Verde as riders head further south than ever before into Chile's Aysén region known for its greenery, large glaciers, fjords, and snow-capped mountains. A ride at the end of the world.

Jul 4th 2023

A race at the end of the world in Tierra del Fuego, Chile. This inaugural event is held in one of the windiest and most remote places you could imagine a gravel race. Riders will be hoping for prevailing winds and favourable weather.

Mar 7th 2024

Considered by many as the halo event of the European season, the TCR is back for its tenth edition; a decade in the making. The tenth edition starts in the iconic city of Roubaix and will finish in Istanbul, Türkiye, marking the first time the race crosses Europe's border.

Jun 5th 2024

This 600km route traverses the UK from the west coast to the east, and back taking in two of the UK's National Parks: The Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. Unsurprisingly, the April weather in the North of England can easily help define this race.

Jan 12th 2023

A stalwart of the MTB bikepacking calendar including a traverse of the Grand Canyon, the Arizona regularly attracts some of the strongest off-road racers and has remained true to its original low-key self-supported ethos.

Sep 6th 2022

FURTHER EAST TRACKING: FURTHER EAST takes riders deep into the East of England on a gravel epic. Flat and fast; blink and you'll miss it.

Jul 12th 2022

A staple of the ultra calendar which has become the European season finale, 2VS is Juliana Buhring's offering to the ultra world and initiative to promote eco-sustainability in South Italy. A road route between Mount Vesuvio and Mount Etna with some spicy climbs and terrain in between.

Apr 14th 2022

Tour Aotearoa, New Zealand's 3000km bikepacking odyssey. A long race, but a scenic one following a combination of tracks, trails, paths and lanes on many of NZ's Great and Heartland Rides.

Jan 10th 2023

A race the width of Australia: from Perth to Sydney, riders take on this Aussie classic emulating the journey of the Overlanders of the 19th century.

Jan 12th 2023

An original of the world of bikepacking, the Colorado Trail Race is a mountain bike race through the Colorado Rockies. Notorious for its tough terrain and altitude, the CTR is not for the faint of heart.

Mar 9th 2023

Camille McMillan's original Further race kicks off with a typically unorthodox start from the Refuge de Ruhle, a pyreneen refuge at an altitude of 2,185m to which riders will need to make their way to the day before. There's never a dull moment at a race organised by Camille McMillan.

Apr 14th 2022

One of the original European bikepacking races and notoriously one of the hardest on the calendar, the HT550 is back for another year of hike-a-bike, bad weather and all that the Scottish Highlands can throw at the hardy souls.

Jan 18th 2023

The brand new no-fly race from Lost Dot takes riders on a fixed-route off-road course through the Accursed Mountains in Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. Follow along to see who takes the inaugural crown.

Jan 9th 2024

The Tour de Farce is the Adventure Syndicate’s offering to the bikepacking world to take itself less seriously, foster fun and develop a community during the race. With time penalties and bonuses for a wacky mix of trials, the TdF is an antidote to the increasing professionalisation of the sport.

Sep 26th 2024