GLOBAL CYCLING NETWORK VERSUS JOSH IBBETT: ATLAS MOUNTAINS, MOROCCO

14 May, 2018

It seems, every week, we are hearing about Josh Ibbett taking off to some remote and exotic destination to ride his bike. But this time around, it came with a bit of a twist. Our friends over at Global Cycling Network invited Josh to show them the ropes of bikepacking in a place quite possibly on every Bikepacker's bucket list - the Atlas Mountains.

Spanning the length of the African nation, the Atlas mountains run through Morocco and separate both the Atlantic and Mediterranian from the Sahara desert. To any bikepacker, this means endless desert tracks, high mountain riding, amazing cultures, and epic views.

Si Richardson accompanied Josh on the trip to get his first taste of proper touring. Once a former professional, this type of "touring" is very different from the "tour" he was used to. Along most of the way, a motorcycle with cameraman and emergency support vehicle accompanied the duo. However, they did manage to go beyond the car's and moto's abilities and ride across some pretty rough terrain - the perfect place for the SuperDura Dynamo Disc to shine, both literally and figuratively!

GCN has put together two videos on the trip - One about the trip itself and one about some key "hacks and bodges" for common problems when you are out bikepacking in the middle of nowhere.

Like all GCN outputs, these videos are top notch. However, we might be a little bias and say that this is one of the best... and judging from the comments we are not alone:

Wow... What a video. The pure spirit of cycling. I'm gonna cry.
Matheus Barbosa

Probably the best film GCN has made. Nice work Josh and Si, I'm looking forward to more in the series!
Jordan Harris

Greatest bikepacking video on YouTube so far! Kudos to both of you!
Charles Aubert

CAN JOSH STAY IN GCN AND SHARE HIS KNOWLEDGE EVERY WEEK ?!? He's plain awesome in his utilitarian and no-nonsense approach!

Przemyslaw Babik

Have a watch! This one is going to need more than a brew...

And here is the second video featuring Josh's three essential bikepacking hacks. Bikepacking puts a heavy demand on your bike, with long hours in the saddle while heavily laden, often on rough or unpaved roads. Coupled with this you're unable to take all the tools you'd normally have at home. That's where Josh Ibbett's bikepacking maintenance hacks come in handy!