Back in the heyday of blogging, I kept a ‘blogroll’, so I could stay in the loop with the happenings and goings-on of other like-minded bike bloggers. I remember the frisson of excitement whenever there was a new post I could dig into, or when I stumbled upon a blog, and an archive of posts, that was completely unknown to me.

Although keeping a blog has fallen out of fashion, this form of personal journaling still appeals to me. Blogs are freeform in their expression and layouts. They can be roughly cut and ad hoc, or more polished and considered. They’re distinct in voice, fully autonomous, and free from algorithms. They’re also free from the social pressure of ‘likes’, often driven simply by a passion to be creative and to share. Given the uncontrollable omnipresence of social media in our lives, the way I interact with them is also much more intentional than when I’m on Instagram.

Over the years, blogs become rich treasure troves of inspiration and information, whether they’re chronological posts filed away on WordPress and Blogger platforms, or more curated entries on personal websites. Even if long form bicycle journaling’s been usurped by the click and scroll nature of social media, I’m ever-hopeful that there’s still a corner of the internet for it. For sure, a blog post takes more time to craft. But if you’re willing to do it, I think people will find it and read it, and appreciate the effort you’ve put in – including you, when you look back upon your blog in years to come.

Here are the blogs and journals I like to check in on, just to get this list started. Please let me know if there are other active ones I should be visiting! I’ll tuck a link to this post away in the banner at the top of this website.

Personal Blogs

Sea Surf Dirt – Mike’s photography is amongst my very favourites, his posts are always thoughtfully written, and there’s all manner of practical information to be gleaned too. Mike’s been travelling on his bike for years, in one way or another, making this a very rich resource.

Montanias Vacias – Ernestos’ beautiful, behind the scenes journal on his wonderful Montanias Vacias project. Dipping into these posts always encourages me to get back out there!

Rivendell Blahg – Bicycle-themed blogging doesn’t get much better than Grant Peterson’s Blahg, in my opinion. Everything I aspire to in my own blogging, collating all manner of disparate thoughts. Great writing, too.

rmdub – Whilst perhaps more of a photo website than a blog, Ryan’s seemingly perpetual bicycle travels are the stuff of dreams, from the sheer quality of his photography, to the inspired choice of places he’s ridden in. Plus, there are RWGPS route maps to turn such dreams into reality too!

Pedaling in Place – Joe Cruz is one of the few old time bike bloggers still posting! His written words, and the originality of the trips he puts together, are always top notch. Such a treasure trove of storytelling.

Ambgel – Oriol got in touch after a trip through Mexico, and we had a lovely time chit chatting in Oaxaca over coffee! His blog is the perfect example of what I love most about this style of journaling – it’s a rich archive from years of bike trips, the reports are thoughtful (with fantastic reading lists too), and it’s a catalyst for future ideas!

Sandalsandsmiles.blog – Hammock-loving Alexei was on a mega-tour of the UK and Europe when I met him a couple of years ago, and we immediately struck it off. Was it the fact that we both own Jones Spaceframes?! Or foraging for blackberries? I’m stoked he’s now keeping a blog full of beautiful images and considered words. There’s some fantastic posts so far, from places I’d love to visit myself, like Albania and Montenegro.

Coffee Tea Trip – This Polish bike and coffee-orientated site is new to me, but it looks to have all the hallmarks of a blog that will be very enjoyable to dip into. Thank you Google translate!

Highlux – Although it hasn’t been updated in a while, Mark and Hannah’s blog has long been a favourite, cataloguing journeys both near and far, complimented by fantastic travel and bike-related photography. Their journey across the Americas laced existing and original routes together; it’s all catalogued on their site, making it a fantastic resource for other riders.

Dirt, Grease and Coffee – Another of my favourite blogs that’s no longer updated, based on Kurt’s fat bike travels in the Americas. I travelled with Kurt on the Peru Divide (before it was called the Peru Divide!), and wrote about the experience for the first issue of Sidetracked magazine. That ride, and sharing it with Kurt, remains a highlight of my bike touring in the Americas.

Riding the Spine – Although I’d kept my own bike touring website back in the late 90s, cataloguing my travels in Asia, this is where it all began for me, South-America wise! Riding The Spine was incredibly inspiration, and made the notion of traversing the Americas on dirt roads seem possible. Years later, I got to meet Goat and ride with him in New Mexico. What a treat!

Gypsy By Trade – Nicholas Carman’s blog took pride of place in my blogroll back in the day… It’s superbly written, and the way he weaved bike routes together based on historic hiking trails was always an inspiration. I do hope he jump starts it back to life!

Bike Brand Blogs

Ron’s Bikes Blog – Behind the scenes at Ron’s Bikes. I’m a massive fan of Benedict, the way his brain operates, the photos he takes, and how he writes!

Rivendell News Blog – More brand orientated that Grant’s Blahg but still recommended, thanks to lots of interesting asides, and an accent on film photography too.

Peter Verdone – Some fascinating thoughts on bike design to be found here. I’d love to try one of his bikes out for myself.

Rodeo Journal – Even if it doesn’t reflect my style of riding as such, the writing and photography here often gets me wishing I had a gravel bike again!

Massacan Blog – I’m super into the aesthetics and sheer joie de vivre that emits from this Franco-Italian bike brand. Great photography and storytelling, that gets me itching to be riding in the south of France!

Jones Bikes Blog – Ok, so I’m a bit of a Jones Bikes fan, to say the least. But still, almost any ATBer will likely find many of Jeff Jones’ posts absolutely fascinating.

Velo Orange Blog – The VO blog includes a number of interesting bike culture reports, aside from brand news.

Surly Blog – I always love an insight into the SurlyVerse!

Old Classic Blogs!

I’ll add whatever old classics I can remember that are still in existence, like Corrax and Tracksterman. So watch this space!