Blog

69 miles and 10,000 feet of vert. That's what enticed me to the Dawg Size Increaser. I've been doing longer routes on my SuperSomething gravel bike and feeling pretty capable of accomplishing some hefty mileage, but most of it is in my own backyard. The Dawg Size Increaser circumnavigates Mt. Diablo counterclockwise, so it's all new territory to me. Definitely worth blocking off a full Saturday and letting my inner dawg run free.

Known to locals as simply The Geysers, this remote road climbs up 3500 feet along Big Sulphur Creek up to Geyser Peak, the site of the largest geothermal power facility on the planet. At the base of the climb there's a sign that says ROUGH ROAD, and I thought, "That's a pretty good description for my SuperSomething – a 'rough road' bike." Outfitted with 700x50 tires, my XL SuperSomething is set up for off-road adventures, but it still feels fast and floats like a hovercraft over the broken and dilapidated road and gravel surfaces throughout rural Sonoma County.

More than the pristine showbikes or the builders continually pushing what's possible with a torch and some tubing, MADE is an excuse – a really good one – to pile into a beat-up minivan with a friend and go find your people. The bikes brought us here. The people are why we keep coming back.

We recently received an email update from Dan, a Sklar customer who took his Tall Tale on a bikepacking trip to Catalina Island with a few pals. The photos enclosed within Dan's email made us smile ear-to-ear. We have wanted to check out Catalina Island for a while now, so we asked Dan if he'd share a few words about his adventure. Take a look...

Steel or carbon fork for your gravel bike? We get this question a lot. We break down ride feel, weight, and use cases to help you choose the right fork for your SuperSomething build.

Front rack or bar bag? Adam settles the bikepacking gear debate for reader Enzo, confessing his love for soft, floppy cargo over stiff, rattly racks and baskets that turn a lively fork into a numb plank (except, hypocritically, when he's just noodling around town). Check out our three experience-derived setups.

We headed to Lost & Found in Portola, CA to ride with friends and remembered exactly why we love gravel races. From free snacks at aid stations to riding world-class routes without lifting a finger to plan them, gravel racing has a way of reminding us why we fell in love with bikes in the first place. It's not about competition, it's about camaraderie.