Stories, long form features, news, inspiration and opinion from our community of those who adventure by bicycle.
Welcome to the Pinch Flat Journal. Here we share reflections from the road and beyond the trail, interviews with riders and the moments that make riding bikes more than the simple action of rolling on two wheels.
The City Needs Bike Couriers
A conversation with Jon Dennis, co-founder of Pedal Collective, Bristol’s bike courier co-operative making city centre deliveries by cargo bike.
Strangers Make Great Friends
Stood nervously at the most northern tip of Europe, the start line of what was to be the biggest journey of his life, Jacob was contemplating what was likely to be several months spent largely alone as he navigated the European Divide Trail. Then he met Anna.
The Moor The Forest and The Sea
In the North East of England, between vast swathes of exposed moorland and the storm-battered cliffs of the North Sea. In the thick of one of the wettest winters of recent years, Chris rides the brand new YC adventure route, from Scarborough to Whitby and back again.
Bikepacking Sweden’s Champagne Gravel
The Unionsleden is a brand new 350km cycle route connecting Moss in Norway to Karlstad in Sweden, designed to celebrate the fromer union between the two nations. Chris joins the route’s designer to explore the forests, lakes and endless gravel roads in the province of Dasland in the west of Sweden.
Bikepacking The Zillertal Trail: The Throat of the Dog
The Zillertal Alps are characterised by its deep gorges, icy rivers, glaciated peaks. Following the creation of a brand new bikepacking route, I headed out for three days of gravel tracks, fast, technical descents and plenty of hike-a-bike on the Zillertal Trail along with the route’s designers.
Homage to Gardetta
Every now and again we get to visit somewhere truly special, one of those places and experiences that you come back to over and over. This is a love letter to one such place. A remote refuge deep in the Italian Alps.
What’s Up with Our Rivers? Riding to Find Out
The Cheviot Hills are home to the Coquet and the Breamish rivers, two of England’s cleanest waterways, but like every other river in the UK, their health is at risk. We use our bikes to find out more.
The Old Road: Bikepacking The Old Chalk Way
From English Channel to North Sea lies the remains of Britain’s oldest road. We pieced together the most rideable sections to create The Old Chalk Way, our long-distance bikepacking route across Southern England.
Highlands and Islands: Bikepacking Scotland
From the Trossachs to the Outer Hebrides, the Western Highlands to the rugged North Coast, we squeeze together a spontaneous bikepacking trip across as much of Scotland as we have time for.