Salty Beard

Bikes have always been my escape into the unknown. As a kid in rural Kamloops, BC, I would head into the woods behind my house looking for deer and cow paths to ride, because in the seventies that was all there was. Armed with a PB&J, I would spend days out exploring old logging roads and trails. I am honestly surprised I never got lost, injured, or died of thirst.

My lust for adventure left me unsettled as a young adult, but cycling was always the constant. There were times when I was between bikes, but it was always there. From being a bike messenger and building MTB trails in the eighties to racing cyclocross three decades later, I toured often, and then I found randonneuring. Riding through the night, as long as my legs could turn the pedals, did something for me. 200, 300, 600 km in one shot. It was game on.

Fast forward and so much has changed, but so much is still the same. At almost sixty, injuries have slowed me, but the need to ride through the night and explore the backwoods will always be there. Now I share what I know through a YouTube channel and send others into the woods with my own ultra-distance route, the Caves & Coves: a 1,350 km photo-based bikepacking adventure race on North Vancouver Island.

On a bikepacking trip with my new friend Barry, we planted the seed of what Bike Gear Database has become. My years since as editor have only deepened my passion for cycling. For 2026, I am spearheading the new Routes section, bringing you places to ride from our staff and cycling community so you can find your own adventures.