Rigs of the 2026 Pinyons and Pines

Ahead of tomorrow's Grand Depart, Bikepacking.com has published a comprehensive overview of over 50 race rigs for the 2026 Pinyons and Pines event. This self-supported bikepacking race spans 413 miles, commencing and concluding in Flagstaff, Arizona, and is renowned for traversing some of the state's most challenging northern terrain. The feature highlights specific bag setups and gear choices, offering a detailed look at the equipment riders will deploy.

This annual pre-race gear exposé has become a staple for self-supported endurance events, providing invaluable insights into evolving trends in lightweight touring and off-road cycling technology. For participants, it’s a final opportunity to scrutinise competitors' choices, while for the broader bikepacking community, it serves as a practical guide and inspiration for future adventures. The Pinyons and Pines, with its high-altitude desert and technical singletrack, demands meticulous gear selection, making these rig rundowns particularly pertinent.

Ultimately, these pre-race gear showcases are less about the bikes themselves and more about the endless human quest to shave grams and find that elusive perfect setup, often to be undone by a misplaced spanner or an ill-timed puncture.