The 2026 edition of Paris-Roubaix was probably one of the best in recent years.
To experience the atmosphere and how these warrior bike riders tackle these cobbled farm tracks can only be appreciated in the flesh.
If you’re a bike racing fan, you need to see Paris Roubaix in the flesh at least once in your life.
After a 20 year absence from Paris Roubaix I was back on the cobblestones of this legendary bike race.
The 1990 edition was the very first tour I operated as a 24 year old trying to make a business out of taking people and showing them the best bike races in the world.
I’ve talked about this race so much with my son @sergiobaxter00 and promised take him one day. So this year we made it happen and it was a pleasure to take him and @by_wout.photographer around Paris Roubaix.
I wanted to show them some of the best sections of pave and we did 3 quality sightings.
Before heading to the race I took them to see the famous Forest of Arenberg so they could see how bad these cobbles are.
Then we went to see the race at:
1. Sector 28 Quivey, 4*
2. Sector 20 Haveluy to Wallers 4*
3. Sector 4 Carrefour de L’Abre 5*
It was an amazing weekend and it felt so good to be back at the races.
Question: Should I start operating these type of tours again ? 🤔
I had a Rest Day in Guerrero Negro and went Whale watching.
It is here in the protected warm waters that whales coming down the Pacific from Alaska give birth to their young.
It was an amazing experience witnessing these giant mammals of the Ocean.
Baja Divide Week 2
I left the coastal beach camp at Nueva Odesia and headed inland into the wilderness of Baja California. It was a really tough ride, extremely steep and rocky climbs which involved a lot of hike a bike. It was that tough I only managed 42km in the day and wild camped amongst the cacti.
But the next day I was rewarded with an amazing trail through the Vallee de los Cirios where giant Cardon Cacti and Cirios trees line the route.
That night I had my first of what was to be many shed sleeps and was awoken at 4am to rain bouncing on the tin roof. I decided to stick to the road and had a rainy ride to Cataviña.
After the heavy rains I decided to deviate from the Baja Divide route and had 3 full days on the tarmac to the town of Guerrero Negro where I took a rest day. There was lots of vultures preying on the plentiful road kill.
The Baja Divide Week 1.
After a break at home for Christmas I returned to San Diego to continue with the journey of riding All The Americas.
My plan was to follow the recognised Baja Divide, an off road route crossing through the Mexican peninsula of Baja California.
If left San Diego with my friend @edburnettca who rode with me towards the Mexican border, after that I was on my own.
Day 1 I crossed from San Diego over the super steep climb of Otay Mountain and into Mexico where I crossed and spent the night at a motel.
Day 2 I left Tecate and was hoping to make it to Ojos Negros but totally underestimated the terrain, how slow it was with rough trails and soft sand. I ended up wild camping with only left over pizza for a meal, but was treated to an amazing stary night. En route on a trail in the middle of nowhere I was stopped and questioned by the military, 10 guys in a pick up with machine guns and covered faces. It was quite daunting.
Day 3 I headed to Uruapan and once again underestimated how slow the going is and arrived in darkness. I was also loosing air in my rear tyre and thought it was burping air out from the really rough descents.
Day 4 Turns out it was my rim that was cracked 🤦🏻♂️. I limped to a small village Santo Tomas where I met an ex cyclist who took my wheel for a complete rebuild overnight and had it back at 8am the next morning.
Day 5 I rode an absolutely stunning trail alongside the Pacific Ocean to the fishing village of Ejido Erendira where was treated to an amazing sunset on the Pacific.
Day 6 I left the Pacific coast and headed slightly inland to Vicente Guerrero
Day 7 I rode to Nueva Odisea and was my first encounter with deep sand and quite a bike of hike a bike. The day ended with a great ride along the hard packed beach to a beachside campground at Nueva Odisea and another amazing sunset.
Here is my set up for Part 2 of Riding The Americas.
@iamspecialized Hard Tail Mountain Bike with a lock out Rockshok front fork.
SRAM 1 x 34T chain wheel with a 10/50 cassette and mechanical change.
Front tyre is Maxxis Ikon 2.60 and the rear is Continental 2.20 because that’s all the frame can take.
@tailfincycling bags aeropack and panniers at the rear and roll bag on the bars. At the rear will be all my clothes and cooking equipment, water filter, tools and spares. The front roll bag will have my tent and all sleeping equipment.
I am going to need more water carrying capacity so I’ve added more bottle cages and now with a camelback as well I’ll be able to carry 12 litres of water.
I have 2 front fork cages from tailfin in case I need to carry extra food and I’ll strap a dry bag to these.
A selection of some of the places I camped during my journey from Calgary 🇨🇦 to San Diego 🇺🇸. Some were on campgrounds but I did a lot of wild stealth camping.
Most places felt safe but there were a few instances when it didn’t. One night whilst stealth camping in a red neck town (photo 20) someone fired up a chainsaw at 2am.
Another night I couldn’t find anywhere to camp and eventually set up in a children’s playground behind a church and again in the middle of the night I was awoken by a prairie dog barking at my tent.
On my way to Yosemite I camped in an old abandoned campground and stumbled across people doing some dodgy drug dealings.
I wild camped through Death Valley and The Mojave desert, just me the silence of the desert and incredible starry skies.
One of my favourite wild camps was at Alabama Hills under Mount Whitney, amongst the boulders with California’s highest mountain above covered in fresh snow.
Before this trip I didn’t know whether I was capable of camping and living rough. After a few days the tent felt like my home and when I crawled in each night I felt safe, even though all I had around me was a nylon cover. It’s amazing how you mentally adapt to situations.
Resume of Bikepacking The Americas Part 1, Calgary 🇨🇦 to San Diego 🇺🇸
71 days ridding
6,937.30km Ridden
78,335mts of Elevation gain
1 Million memories and experiences
California has been good to me….
I crossed the whole state of California from the huge Redwoods on the Pacific Northwest coast to the southern city of San Diego and the Mexican border. It was by far the biggest state and even much bigger than my time in Canada.
I didn’t take the direct route following the Pacific Coast. I did as far as San Francisco where I spent 4 days with my eldest son. From San Francisco I headed inland to Yosemite National Park where I encountered an early snowstorm and had to get a short lift to Tioga Pass in order to get through before the 2pm road closure.
I wild camped at the amazing Alabama Hills underneath Mount Whitney, California’s highest mountain.
I spent 4 amazing days crossing Death Valley, riding below sea level at Badwater Basin, exploring its Canyons and wild camping where possible.
I crossed the Mojave desert and wild camped at Kelso Dunes.
I rode along the iconic Route 66 and the sandy trails of Joshua Tree National Park.
Through the hot lands of Salton Sea, the weird Slab City and more desert landscapes before hitting the Pacific Ocean again and the beautiful city of San Diego.
California Stats:
2,632km Ridden
30,000mts elevation gain
28 days riding
Highest point; 3300mts
Lowest Point; -85mts
Hottest temp; Ocotillo Wells 42°c
Lowest temp; Tioga Pass -2°c
2 / 3 Rain days
20 nights Camping
4 nights Motels
4 nights San Francisco with Son
1 broken chain
1 lift (25mile Yosemite)
1 snowstorm
1 swim in a pool (death valley)
0 punctures
2 vagrant encounters
15 packets of Rice a Roni eaten
And a lifetime of experiences and memories.
California was amazing……
The last push into San Diego and the end of part 1 crossing The Americas I experienced the hottest temperatures of the whole tour.
Leaving Salton Sea and riding through the desert at Ocotillo Wells the temperature hit 42°c / 107°F 🥵. I sat in a store for 2 hours in the middle of the day, had a good chat with the Iranian owner and bought a sombrero.
I wild camped in the desert at Ocotillo Wells, it felt like I was on the moon.
I then climbed away from the desert floor and below sea level up to 1300mts and the town of Julian. From here I descended to the Pacific Ocean passing through Ramona on the way.
On my way into San Diego I went through the big university complex before rising alongside mission bay and the birthplace of Triathlon.
It was quite emotional arriving into San Diego, I’d just ridden 7000km from Calgary 🇨🇦 over some of the harshest terrain you could find.
I was welcomed by my good friends Ed and Diane who hosted me in their beautiful apartment in downtown San Diego. They used to work for me on the Tour de France tours I operated back in the day.
It was nice to leave the bike, enjoy time in San Diego with Ed and Diane as well as meeting new people. End of Part 1. To be continued….
At the southern end of Salton Sea is a place called Slab City.
Slab City is an unincorporated, off-the-grid community in the California desert, known for being a free camping area and a hub for alternative lifestyles. It is named for the concrete slabs remaining from Camp Dunlap, a former World War II military base, and has no running water, electricity, or sewage services. The community is a mix of “snowbirds,” artists, and those seeking a life away from mainstream society, though it also faces challenges like extreme heat and poverty.
