![\"SAND](\"https:\/\/bikepacking.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/SAND-Segment-3-Richtersveld_14.jpg\")
<\/a><\/li>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nFrankly, it\u2019s been showing its age, and we\u2019ve been listening to your feedback about what could be improved. Working with our friends at Ride with GPS, we rebuilt it from the ground up, and we\u2019re beyond excited to unveil a redesigned map with a fresh suite of features<\/a> that will make it easier than ever to find your ideal route. All 545 routes are still there, spanning 70+ countries and nearly 240,000 kilometers. What\u2019s changed is everything around them. Read on to learn more.<\/p>\n New Terms<\/p>\n We\u2019ve fine-tuned our categorization methodology for the types of routes in our catalog, from one-night trips and month-long adventures to community routes and Bikepacking Collective Routes. You\u2019ll find the new language and several updated terms on our routes page and in the menus at the top of the site. Below is a rundown of those changes:<\/p>\n Route Types<\/p>\n We made many changes to the data structure of our routes, all of which led up to the release of the new map. A few of these changes involve the syntax used to categorize routes. One such designation is \u201cIdeal Bike Type.\u201d Each route is assigned one or two of these, and we made some adjustments to the naming. Here is the updated list of bike types:<\/p>\n Route Duration<\/p>\n Overnighters are designed to be completed in a single night, though some people choose to extend them to a second night. We also still have Weekend Routes, which would be hard to complete in fewer than two nights out. The rest of our routes see a slight update to their naming conventions and are defined as follows:<\/p>\n Previously, these filters were only available within a drop-down at the top of the page. As of today, you can now filter the route map by these new route types!<\/p>\n Our New Map<\/p>\n We unveiled our global routes map in 2014, originally built using a clunky Google Maps interface with very few features\u2014just a collection of pins, created to provide a resource we wanted: a place to find good multi-day, dirt-focused bicycle routes. We were the first organization to publish such a global bikepacking route map with associated digital guides, inspiring readers to connect multiple routes and share routes of their own. Today, our map features nearly 550 curated routes, and it\u2019s always growing. While we\u2019ve always had the functionality to sort our list of guides by route type, location, and general duration, we\u2019ve long been planning and discussing ways to make it easier for you to find the routes that suit your unique needs. Thanks to our partners at Ride with GPS, the wait is over!<\/p>\n Our new map adds 18 new and revised filters to help discover the route of your dreams, meet your time limit, or match your riding style. They are:<\/p>\n Now, some of our vintage routes do not have every rating yet, but we will be updating those so the filters become even more accurate. You\u2019ll also notice that you can finally see all of our routes on a single map. Previously, we had one map for overnighters and another for everything else. Mixing and matching routes has never been easier. <\/p>\n Our new map incorporates Ride with GPS\u2019s new wildfire, wind, and air quality layers, so you can even pick your routes based on those up-to-date considerations. You can read more about those features here<\/a>. <\/p>\n All of the maps on our site\u2014both the collection maps and the map on each route\u2014also recently became even easier to use with the addition of a command+scroll zoom feature, which allows you to use your mouse or mousepad to zoom in and out while pressing the command key. Previously, you had to double-click to zoom in or use the \u201c+\u201d button, and you could only zoom out with the \u201c-\u201d key. In addition, the filters above will automatically adjust your map to zoom in on the perfect route when you\u2019ve entered all your preferred parameters. Or you can click on any route and the map will immediately zoom in for you, then zoom right back to your preferred level when you click away. And we\u2019re not done! We still have a few more filters and options to add in the near future, so keep checking back.<\/p>\n The people behind our routes<\/p>\n You\u2019ve likely seen the artist renditions of our Route Architects beneath our world map. These are creators who have designed many of the drool-worthy tracks that established BIKEPACKING.com as the leading source of aspirational bikepacking routes. We couldn\u2019t create leading routes like those in our Bikepacking Collective Route Network without insights and hard work from our Route Architects.<\/p>\n Our core group of Route Architects is made up of passionate, skilled individuals who are largely responsible for the Bikepacking Collective Routes network and other large, captivating routes. Each is experienced in bikepacking route design, active in community advocacy, and adept in route documentation. These are people we have worked with to bring their routes to life, all of whom meet some combination of the qualifications below:<\/p>\n This sliding scale helps us acknowledge long-time stalwarts in our community while providing a guide for recognizing new talent. Each year, our team will review our route creators and induct new Route Architects who have met some or all of the requirements above. They will be the first people we reach out to when we have scouting and route-development opportunities or need feedback on a corridor, and they will have additional opportunities to shape the future of routes on our website. <\/p>\n We are pleased to welcome 20 Route Architects to our class of 2026! We are honored to partner with such a diverse group of individuals from around the globe to knit the world together by bike. You can read more about each one and their contributions to our website by clicking on their picture to visit their author page. That brings up another new addition: you can now filter the posts on each author page, with the option of viewing only their list of routes. We hope to welcome several new Route Architects to our site each year, so stay tuned and submit your exceptional routes today.<\/p>\n How You Can Get Involved<\/p>\n We couldn\u2019t do this work without the help of our Bikepacking Collective members. Being a member isn\u2019t just about getting The Bikepacking Journal in your mailbox, having access to more than 100+ exclusive industry discounts, or getting to use expanded website features. It\u2019s also a commitment to developing and maintaining long-distance, dirt-focused routes across the globe, from your backyard to transcontinental corridors. <\/p>\n Many organizations create one-off routes or cover adventures undertaken by others. There are websites and apps that suggest where to ride based on popularity. But very few devote the extensive time and energy required to venture into the unknown, chart original routes, take high-quality photographs, ensure accurate documentation, and constantly update route guides in real time. It is a labor of love for us here at BIKEPACKING.com and for the community of contributors we support. So, thank you to all of our Bikepacking Collective members for sharing in our vision of curating this unrivaled network of dirt-first routes.<\/p>\n Become a Member<\/p>\n Support This Platform & Gain Full Access<\/p>\n to The Bikepacking Journal, Member Prizes, Exclusive Features, and Discounts<\/p>\n Click to Join<\/a><\/p>\n While we hope that all of our readers will join us members<\/a>\u2014or better yet, become a Builder-level member\u2014we also want to provide a way for individuals to contribute throughout the year. To that end, we\u2019re unveiling an additional way to support route creation, documentation, and curation: a one-time donation option<\/a> to contribute to our Bikepacking Collective Routes Fund. All donations collected via this one-time option will go directly to supporting routes on our website through:<\/p>\n Existing members and non-members alike can make contributions via this option. Note that only Bikepacking Collective members have access to exclusive benefits such as industry discounts, our online buy\/sell\/trade gear marketplace, and The Bikepacking Journal. However you can help, our small team is sincerely grateful for your support.<\/p>\n Ready to explore the new map? Check it out here<\/a><\/strong>. And if you have any questions or feedback as you do so, please let us know in the Conversation below!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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