We’re continuing our 2025 Bikepacking Awards by spotlighting the people who inspired the community this year with standout adventures and meaningful contributions. We’re also highlighting the most compelling bikepacking routes we published in 2025, from quick overnighters to ambitious epics. Dive into the full list of selected riders, routes, and events here…
In part one of our 2025 Bikepacking Awards, we highlighted our top picks for Gear of the Year. This second installment celebrates the people who elevated the community in 2025 through powerful storytelling, sustained contributions to bikepacking culture, and purpose-driven adventures. It also recognizes route makers whose work spans everything from quick overnighters to ambitious international odysseys. We’re proud to keep expanding our first-of-its-kind global route network with help from our core designers and stewards and an incredibly talented community that continues to contribute, maintain, and nurture these routes.
To choose this year’s winners, we opened nominations and received nearly 50 route contenders. Eight editors then cast blind votes, tallying results against criteria that included originality and intent, documentation quality, and ride appeal. We also invited input from the Bikepacking Collective, our member community. With that, let’s dive in.
Inspiring Bikepackers of The Year
Our award for Inspiring Bikepackers of the Year highlights a handful of individuals who inspired us with outstanding efforts and positively represented the bikepacking community in 2025. Find all six below, in no particular order.
Boru McCullagh
After departing on a bikepacking trip that was only supposed to take eight months in August of 2022, Boru McCullagh finally concluded his ride around the world this year. Settling into a more spiritually fulfilling pace, Boru has experienced what many of us would consider the journey of a lifetime. Taking time to truly immerse himself in the cultures and places he rode through, Boru’s personal and physical journey across three films is an inspirational tale of what it means to live life to the fullest. Find the original coverage here.
Nicolette Jones
Nicolette Jones of Colorado stands out among all the impressive racers and riders this year. The 26-year-old kicked off the season as the first woman (and seventh overall) to finish the Grand Loop in Colorado, followed by a new women’s northbound record on the Colorado Trail, and she capped things off by winning the 300-mile Arizona Trail Race women’s race. We’re excited to see what she gets up to in 2026. Find the original coverage and more photos here.
Josh and Sarah
Late last year, Joshua Kian and Sarah Morgan finally set off on a long-planned journey from England, heading east across the globe. Through videos, stories, and an upcoming printed feature inThe Bikepacking Journal, they’ve documented their ride in a uniquely honest, inspired, and thoughtful way that conveys a deep sense of joy to be out on the open road. We can’t help but feel moved. Find some of their posts here, and stay tuned for more!
Antoine Willemart
Belgian filmmaker Antoine Willemart has published several exceptional videos this year, and his easygoing approach to taking on ambitious trips serves as a welcome reminder to maintain your sense of fun and adventure on any ride. We’ve loved his crew’s recent rides around the Black Forest, the Ardennes, and the Pyrenees. Peek a selection of Antoine’s videos and bikes we’ve shared here.
Belen Castello
Year after year, Belén Castelló continues to impress with her consistency and dedication to sharing uplifting, earnest, and beautifully produced accounts of her getaways on two wheels. Her four-part Cycling Northern Vietnam was particularly noteworthy this year, and she sets a bold example, inspiring viewers to push beyond their comfort zones and savor the small pleasures along the way.
Adam and Leo
Dynamic duo Leonardo Brasil and Adam Andres Pawlikiewicz Mesa have long been two of the most devoted and ambitious bikepackers in the community, undertaking massive rides and creating painstakingly produced films from their travels. This year alone, they published films from the Trans Al-Andalus and the Estrada Real, and they’ll have a story in The Bikepacking Journal 15. Hats off to you both!
Best New Routes (9+ days)
This category honors worldwide bikepacking odysseys—experiences we’re sure you’ll never forget. Find our three picks below, ordered based on our votes.
Celestial Divide
Created by Malik Alymkulov to connect our classic Tian Shan Traverse with the Bartang Valley in Tajikistan, the Celestial Divide is a north–south passage through Kyrgyzstan’s Celestial Mountains, from the Great Steppe to the Pamirs. The linear route threads this portion of the lofty Tian Shan on an unforgettable high-mountain traverse through the heart of Central Asia. Find the full route guide here.
TranSardinia (Italy)
With a two-decade history and recent documentation by Tristan Boggard, the TranSardinia indeed deserves high honors. The route runs the length of the island’s eastern massifs, weaving through rugged mountains, farms, and quiet villages, showcasing a lesser-known Sardinia that prioritizes a slow pace and connection with tradition and a refreshingly simple way of life. Find the full route guide here.
Mata Atlantica Bike Route (Brasil)
Perhaps the most ambitious route published our platform in a couple of years, the Mata Atlântica Bike Route (MABR) runs more than 2,500 kilometers from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul, following the Serra do Mar across five states on mostly unpaved roads. Route creator Alex Gauthier purposefully linked reserves of the Atlantic Forest—one of the planet’s richest biomes—through jungled slopes, canyons, plateaus, beaches, historic towns, and traditional communities. Find the full route guide here.
Lagunas y Salares (Bolivia)
Documented and contributed by Ryan and Ilse, Lagunas y Salares blends two marquee routes in the Bolivian Altiplano. It connects bucket-list salars while tying in the equally alluring lagunas of the Potosí highlands, an area that plays host to miners, travelers, and motorcyclists yet remains eerily quiet and rich in folklore, relics, and excellent high-altitude riding. Find the full route guide here.
Best New Routes (Weeklong)
The Best New Routes (Weeklong) awards are dedicated to 5-to-8-day bikepacking routes that can slot into your work schedule and daily life commitments. After all, it’s amazing how many rich and rewarding experiences can be packed into a short riding holiday.
Alberni Bam Bam (Canada)
Created by our own Miles Arbour, this 450-kilometer loop around southern Vancouver Island sets off and finishes in Nanaimo, linking gravel, rough doubletrack, and a four-hour boat ride up Alberni Inlet. It’s easy to see the allure with hidden cold-water swim spots, pockets of old-growth forest, colorful communities, and a week’s worth of coastal backroads. Find the full route guide here.
The Wildcat (Scotland)
Designed by Nima Khorshidi, the Wildcat is a weeklong circuit through Scotland’s central Highlands, highlighting classic area scenery and quiet connections between iconic towns. The Wildcat stitches remote glens to quaint villages with plenty of optional links throughout for a choose-your-own-adventure route, named after Scotland’s most threatened mammal. Find the full route guide here.
Caminos del Sol (Spain)
Conceived and documented by Tristan Bogaard, Caminos del Sol offers a sun-soaked escape around Spain’s Mediterranean region, but away from the touristed beaches. Instead, it trades the crowded coast for the arid ranges between Gandía and Alicante just inland from the sea. It’s a spectacular ride packed with castles, historic towns, and mountain scenery along a web of quiet dirt roads. Find the full route guide here.
Great Western Loop (Scotland)
Designed by Nima Khorshidi, this 141-mile bikerafting-specific adventure explores the West Highland Peninsulas and reaches Ardnamurchan Lighthouse, the westernmost point of Great Britain. Beginning in busy Glenfinnan, it quickly slips into some of Scotland’s wildest, least-spoiled corners with remote coasts, rough tracks, and big horizons. Find the full route guide here.
Oregon Cascades Volcanic Arc (OCVA)
Co-created by Ryan Francesconi and Ron Lewis, the OCVA spans over 400 miles from Klamath Falls to Portland, tracing the Cascades along the western edge of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Using the volcanoes as waypoints—Shasta, Jefferson, the Sisters, Hood, St. Helens, and beyond—it tours lava fields, evergreen forests, river valleys, and a sweeping cross-section of Oregon’s diverse bioregions. Find the full route guide here.
Best New Routes (Weekend)
This category highlights weekend bikepacking routes (2-to-4-day rides) that are are extremely rewarding in their own small but perfectly packaged way.
Central Wasatch Traverse (Utah, USA)
The Central Wasatch Traverse caught our attention as it seems like a rare blend of big-mountain feels and easy logistics. This compact 153-mile traverse by Taylor Hunter connects two Amtrak stations for logistical ease, and it strings together high ridgelines and remote singletrack with quick dips into lively Wasatch towns for food and resupply. Find the full route guide here.
Old Stone House Loop (Minnesota, USA)
This 170-mile loop in the Driftless Area balances effort and reward by alternating limestone bluff scenery with punchy gravel climbs, flowing descents, and hushed valley lanes. Quiet camps, historic sites, and a memorable landscape make it an essential Midwest ride—another great one by Scott Haraldson. Find the full route guide here.
Amber Waves of Grain (Kansas, USA)
We’re happy to see another excellent route in “flyover country.” Madeline and Riley’s creative loop features endless gravel, classic prairie towns, and rippling wheat fields, showcasing the subtle magic of the plains. Straightforward logistics and friendly terrain make it an inviting introduction for bikepackers of all levels in this corner of the world. Find the full route guide here.
Lower Dolores Canyon Scramble (Colorado, USA)
Sarah Swallow’s Lower Dolores Canyon Scramble quickly got added to several of our Bucket Lists. This remote, demanding loop carves through redrock country from high mesas to a green river bottom with technical stretches, massive canyon views, and genuine solitude on the Colorado Plateau. Find the full route guide here.
Best New Routes (Overnighter)
Overnight routes offer an easy and accessible way to get out, disconnect, and get a sense of an area’s landscapes and culture from the saddle. We’ve added hundreds of fantastic overnighter routes to our map since we launched the Local Overnighter Project a few years ago, and this category was particularly difficult to narrow down. While none of the three finalists are particularly difficult routes, they are each long by overnighter standards and could all make great three-day loops as well.
Turin Hills Loop (Italy)
Albeit challenging as an overnighter, that’s how Roberto “Bob” Bonofiglio and Luigi “Gigi” Grossi intended it. This stunning 200-kilometer loop heads out of Turin to explore the quiet hills surrounding it on farm tracks and village lanes stitching together a tasteful mix of scenery, history, and regional cuisine—perfect for a tough overnighter or a two-night weekend ride. Find the full route guide here.
Vastmanland Overnighter (Sweden)
Adding to Michael O’Dwyer’s library of amazing routes in Sweden, the Västmanland Overnighter rolls through endless forests and past industrial relics before culminating in Hälleskogsbrännans Nature Reserve, where a reborn woodland tells the story of Sweden’s 2014 mega-fire. Easy access and rolling terrain make it beginner-friendly, with a photogenic hut stay to boot. Find the full route guide here.
Gower Gold (Wales)
Often called “Wales in miniature,” the Gower serves up pristine beaches, rugged coastlines, and fantastic riding. Emma Kingston knows the area well and put together this overnighter as the best way to pedal, swim, and eat your way across of the UK’s most beautiful peninsulas. Find the full route guide here.
Jeune Landing loop (Canada)
The Jeune Landing Loop is another excellent local route by Miles Arbour on the north end of Vancouver Island. This 140-kilometer figure-eight links Port McNeill and Port Alice on beginner-friendly gravel featuring mellow rollers, lakeside camps, and a welcome mid-ride coffee/resupply before closing the loop. Find the full route guide here.
Collective Choice Route of the Year
While many of our favorite routes come in the form of a simple overnight trip, there’s something special about a route designed for multiple nights out. With that, we curated a list of our favorite multi-night routes from 2025 and asked members of the Bikepacking Collective to vote on their favorite. Here are the three clear winners.
TranSardinia (Italy)
With a two-decade history and recent documentation by Tristan Boggard, the TranSardinia indeed deserves high honors. The route runs the length of the island’s eastern massifs, weaving through rugged mountains, farms, and quiet villages, showcasing a lesser-known Sardinia that prioritizes a slow pace and connection with tradition and a refreshingly simple way of life. Find the full route guide here.
Trans-Wisconsin Bicycle Route (USA)
From the Illinois border to Lake Superior, this mostly unpaved, linear route is a rolling portrait of Wisconsin. Riders cross the Driftless Area, pass quilt-work farmland, and dive into the state’s northern forests while soaking up small-town hospitality. It’s framed as a two-wheeled love letter to the Badger State created by Scott Haraldson, and we were happy to see it take a large percentage of the Collective vote. Find the full route guide here.
Great Western Loop — Headland of the Great Seas (Scotland)
Once again, Nima Khorshidi’s 141-mile bikerafting route explores the West Highland Peninsulas to Ardnamurchan Lighthouse, the UK mainland’s westernmost point. Starting amid Glenfinnan’s crowds, it quickly slips into some of Scotland’s wildest, least-spoiled corners. Find the full route guide here.
Collective Choice Overnighter of 2025
We also asked the Bikepacking Collective to select their favorite overnighter route from the dozens that were published this year. Here are the three that received the most votes.
Turin Hills Loop (Italy)
This challenging 200-kilometer loop around the hills around Turin strings together the quiet dirt lanes, hill towns, and vineyard-filled slopes away from the traffic and bustle of the city. It looks like an engaging mix of adventure, history, and food culture—perfect for riders keen to sample the region’s natural beauty and rich traditions. Find the full route guide here.
Lower Deschutes Roller Overnighter (Oregon, USA)
Created by Machiko Threlkeld, this gravel-focused overnighter loop through Wasco and Sherman counties traces both banks of the Lower Deschutes River. Expect big-sky high desert, views of snow-capped peaks, and a tidy, one-night itinerary that delivers a massive dose of classic Oregon scenery. Find the full route guide here.
Coals to Newcastle Trail (England)
Designed by Tobias Hansen, this overnighter begins and ends on unused rail lines between Durham and Newcastle, climbing into the stark heather moorlands of the North Pennines National Landscape, all while highlighting the region’s two contrasting characteristics—rugged natural beauty and deep industrial heritage—in a compact, rewarding ride. Find the full route guide here.
Shasta Siskiyou Loop (California, USA)
Circling the base of Mount Shasta, this loop showcases the Shasta Cascade’s volcanic terrain, alpine lakes, and backcountry trails. Camping with panoramic views on night one, then settling beside Lake Siskiyou on night two, makes for an approachable itinerary through the gems of Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Designed by Dallas Mignano, find the full route guide here.
Best New Events
Our last category honors three new events, all of which had their inaugural running in 2025. Further, each serves to grow and foster the bikepacking community at large.
Pedaleo
Pedaleo is a new bikepacking/touring festival in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The first annual Pedaleo attracted cyclists from all across Europe for a weekend of group rides, presentations, familiar faces from the bikepacking world, and community building, all on a campsite by a lake for three days in August. We’re excited to see this fest flourish in years to come. Find the recap here.
Building Momentum
Building Momentum Bikepacking is a newly established project by Moe Nadeau of Nelson, British Columbia, that aims to provide an inclusive space for women and non-binary folks to learn about and access bikepacking. The first series of workshops culminated in a group overnighter on the Frog Peak Loop and was a great success. Chapeau, Moe!
High Velocity Research Trash Metal Bike Fest
This summer, a group met in Dresden, each tasked with building a bike from scrap parts within two months and then racing it in three short forest events. The idea was to create a more punk-rock gathering ahead of Bespoked, inspired by the English Bike Hack Derby. Based on photos from this recap, the inaugural High Velocity Research Trash Metal Framebuilding Competition was a great success.
West Texas Showdown
The West Texas Showdown (WTS) is the third stage of the Texas Showdown Series. Five years in development, it rounds out the Texas Showdown Triple Crown. The first running of the WTS was set in the Big Bend region of Texas, home to big skies, rugged terrain, unpredictable weather, and breathtaking beauty. Riders were challenged like never before, and it promises to be another longstanding event on the Texas bikepacking calendar. Find the recap here.
The Golden Horseshoe
The Golden Horseshoe Race is a 1,650-kilometer ride through Southern Ontario’s most remote and varied terrain, including groomed singletrack, smooth pavement, “Cadillac” gravel, overgrown ATV paths, riverbeds, and creek crossings. Starting and ending in Toronto, it weaves through Dufferin/Grey, the Kawarthas, Algonquin, and the Ottawa Valley. Check out their media team’s coverage here.
If you missed it, make sure to check out part one of our 2025 Bikepacking Awards, 2025 Gear of The Year, and stay tuned for the third and final installment soon.
Further Reading
Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info…
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