Join The Bikepacking Collective

Become a Sustaining Member

Join the Bikepacking Collective and your contributions will help build a better, more sustainable BIKEPACKING.com. Support us in creating original bikepacking routes, authentic stories, and quality guides and reportage. A Bikepacking Collective membership also includes a subscription to The Bikepacking Journal, our biannually printed publication, as well as access to exclusive merchandise, industry discounts, prizes, and a voice in the future of the website.

Bikepacking Journal

In summer 2018, we announced The Bikepacking Journal, our biannual printed publication, which is jam-packed with the very best in pedal-powered storytelling and photography from around the globe.

We feel a great sense of responsibility in producing a printed journal, both for our readers and to the environment, and our aim is to publish one that’s worth savoring and proudly displaying on your coffee table. To this end, we’ve carefully considered every detail in the journal’s production to create the most beautiful publication possible.

Over time, a small handful of stories from The Bikepacking Journal will appear here on the site, but by joining the Bikepacking Collective you’ll have the opportunity to get each issue in the mail (anywhere in the world) and read the complete collection first—all in the full glory of print! Preview Issue 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06 / 07 / 08 / 09.

 

Fill in the form below or read on to learn about member benefits. The price of a Bikepacking Collective membership is the same for everyone, worldwide.

Note: The deadline to join and have your membership start with The Bikepacking Journal Issue 10 was April 17, 2023. If you join today, your first issue will be the fall issue (#11); the deadline is October 17, 2023.
  • Price:
    Billed Annually
  • $0.00

  • IMPORTANT: By joining the Bikepacking Collective, you agree that your membership will automatically renew at the end of each one-year membership term from your join date. You can cancel your membership at any time before then, but all benefits (including delivery of The Bikepacking Journal) will cease immediately upon cancellation, and we do not offer any refunds upon early membership cancellation.

Already a member? Click here to log in and update your details.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

As a Bikepacking Collective member, you aren’t just helping evolve and build a stronger BIKEPACKING.com, you’re also helping us curate and create high-quality content for the entire bikepacking community. For just over $5 a month (the price of a beer), you’ll also receive two issues of The Bikepacking Journal in the mail each year, and a whole lot more. Complete benefits include:

1. The Bikepacking Journal. One of the key aspects of being a member is a subscription to our bi-annually printed publication. We print issues in April and October of each year. Preview Issue 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06 / 07 / 08 / 09.

2. Collective Rewards. We give away bikes, bags, apparel, and gear packages on a regular basis. Each reward is limited to Collective members, who are automatically entered for each drawing. We’ve already given away many thousand dollars worth of great gear, including several bike frames, bikepacking bags, clothing, and more. Check the Collective Rewards to see what’s up for grabs for our members.

3. Exclusive BIKEPACKING.com gear. We offer new merchandise (t-shirts, hats, patches, stickers, etc) and include items with each Journal (like printed maps and bandanas). When they come available, members are always be the first to be notified and have exclusive access with a 20% off discount to our store.

4. Industry discounts. We’ve lined up hundreds of industry discounts. Currently, we’re offering members significant discounts from major brands such as Revelate Designs, PEdALED, Brooks, WTB, and many more. Take a look at the Spring ’23 list here. Past discounts have also included major discounts on bikes, like the Tumbleweed Prospector and Bike Friday All-packa. Stay tuned for more.

5. Invest in the future of bikepacking. Every year, we make an effort to invest in the community and build the greater bikepacking infrastructure. Member funding helps us maintain and expand our original routes network and we utilize a portion of member dues to build new routes. For example, in 2022 we launched the Eastern Divide Trail, the longest bikepacking route in the world, a massive undertaking that couldn’t have happened without the support of the Bikepacking Collective. Additionally, we regularly allocate funds to support organizations and causes that make a difference and help progress bikepacking. These include El Grupo Cycling who focus on getting young people out bikepacking, and the Routes Access Fund, which we allocated a portion of member dues to support BIPOC bikepackers.

Consider this an ongoing list of benefits, as we have plenty of other ideas for Collective member offerings in the future. So get signed up, and please pass this along to your friends.

WHY JOIN?

BIKEPACKING.com was created from behind the handlebars, out of a passion for sharing adventure. Our small team strives to inspire others to get out and explore our planet, discover its wild places, and connect with its diverse cultures, all via the bicycle’s elegant simplicity. In keeping with that mission, our goal is to ensure that the site and its many resources remain free and open to everyone. But, given the time and effort required to keep the site growing, we need your help with funding it. Here’s why:

1. Build a Better BIKEPACKING.com

Beyond ensuring the future of this website, your contributions will help grow and improve BIKEPACKING.com as a resource for the bikepacking community. This ranges from increasing our contributor rates, to adding new mapping features, to implementing additional website functionality.

2. Expanded Routes, More Inspiration, and a Bigger Community

Our ultimate goal is to be able to concentrate our efforts on 1) creating in-depth and meaningful content and inspiring stories; 2) bringing to life new and original bikepacking routes and updating old ones; and 3) connecting and informing the bikepacking community. Your support and input will enable us to continue pushing our high content standards and expanding our network of paid contributors.

3. Banner Ads Aren’t Sustainable

With ad blockers, insta-marketing, and the erosion of online advertising rates across all media, securing banner advertising is becoming increasingly challenging, especially for what many consider a niche activity. Looking forward, we predict it will be unsustainable as our sole source of funding. While there are currently banner ads in place, and we greatly appreciate our advertisers, we are determined to create a more consistent and rounded model. In addition, managing a complex advertising model is very time consuming, and much of that time could be better spent developing more meaningful aspects of the site. We’ve experimented with additional means of funding, but nothing feels quite right. Ultimately, we feel the future of this website depends on our community, The Bikepacking Collective.

Still not convinced? Read our Bikepacking Journal Manifesto for some additional thoughts on our goals for the publication and why we need your support.