On January 1, The Nxrth is officially turning 2 years old. We started The Nxrth as a creative experiment that aimed to connect Northwoods adventure cyclists with incredible experiences and community. With a simple goal in mind, we didn't know what that would actually look like or whether anybody would be even be interested.
Now that we're officially entering digital toddlerhood, we're looking back at the stories you wrote, the adventures you went on, and the projects you joined us on in 2023.
Thank you to the 40,000+ of you who visited The Nxrth in 2023, took the time to send an email and say hi, or joined the community by simply pedaling by your bike and making your own new adventures.
Most Popular Stories: Your Reader Submitted Stories
These are your top 5 stories of adventures that didn't go as planned, horrible weather, racing until your lungs exploded, swearing to never do it again, and then promptly dreaming up another round of getting lost in the woods together.
1. What Does it Take to Finish Arrowhead 135? Jill, Kate, Leah, & Ken Share How They Do It by Jill Martindale, Kate Coward, Leah Gruhn, and Ken Krueger. READ STORY.
2. Jeremy Got Sick So Avesa Took Charge and Slam Dunked The Biggest Heck of the North Ever by Avesa Rockwell. READ STORY.
3. DAMn is Back! Chris Stindt on Swearing to Never Do It Again Till Yesterday's Surprise Announcement by Chris Stindt READY STORY.
4. Snow in Your Eyes, Sleet in Your Face, & Wind That's Never at Your Back: 2023 Dairy Roubaix Recap by Chris Stindt. READ STORY.
5. Teammates Leah & Casey Win US Fat Bike Open, $1K Cash Prizes. Here's How It Went Down by Leah Vanevenhoven and Casey Hildebrandt. READ STORY.
Most Popular Stories: All Categories
Of all ~150 stories we published in 2023, these were the ones you were most interested in from all categories. It includes bikepacking straps, the hardest event on earth, creating a new bike company, rad new lodging in Cable, and a rowdy gravel fest in hodag country.
1. The Ultimate List of Bikepacking Straps. READ STORY.
2. What Does it Take to Finish Arrowhead 135? Jill, Kate, Leah, & Ken Share How They Do It. READ STORY.
3. Wyatt Bikes Started In College Apartment at Age 21. Now Building 100% Made in USA Bike Frames. READ STORY.
4. Meet Home Base, The New Bike-Out-Your-Door Adventure Hub in Cable. READ STORY.
5. The Hodag Country Ramble Is a New Kind of Community Bike Adventure & Gears Up for Year 2. READ STORY.
Editor's Picks: Josh's Favorite 7 Stories of 2023
Getting to connect with YOU, the riders who make this such an amazing to ride my bike is a huge honor. The fact that you choose to share your stories here on The Nxrth is, to me, a big act of trust and I'm hugely appreciative of everyone who contributed to the 2023 community. This list also reflects a few of the adventure I've been able to join in on and loved getting to share back with the community.
Here were my favorite pieces of 2023:
1. Fighting The 2am Temptation to Quit: Raven Dewitt's St. Croix 40 Winter Ultra. READ STORY.
2. The Filthy 50 is Turning 10: Roll Back Through 1 Photo From Each of the Last 9 Years with. READ STORY.
3. Storms, Pizza, & Fireside Fellowship on the Gravel Pizza Overnighter 2023 [GALLERY & RECAP]. READ STORY.
4. Follow Leah, Amanda, Jere, Matt, & Kendall! 5 Local Dots at Iditarod Trail Invitational in Alaska! READ STORY.
5. The Itasca Lakenights Bikepacking Route. READ STORY.
6. Coon Fork 40 Recap & Gallery: The Double Rainbow of Beachside Gravel Adventures. READ STORY.
7. Is Gravel Charcuterie a Thing? The Heywood Guys Say Yes (And Share Their Pack List). READ STORY.
How You Used The Nxrth in 2023
Users Who Stopped in at The Nxrth This Year: 40,125
Number of Pages Viewed This Year Year: 128,119
People Who Joined Our Email Community This Year: 393
Most Popular Pages of 2023:
Gravel Race Calendar (15,028 views)
Wisconsin Bikepacking Routes (7,487 views)
Minnesota Bikepacking Routes (5,398 views)
Gravel Pizza Overnighter (4,204 views)
Fat Bike Race Calendar (3,796 views)
Top 5 Most Popular Bikepacking Routes of 2023
1. The Driftless Loop by Nicolette Reker
2. Wisconsin Adventure Bicycle Route by Frank Hasler
3. Coon Fork Overnighter by Josh Rizzo
4. Chasing the Train by Scott Haraldson
5. Tour de Nicolet. by Shane Hitz
Well, I suppose.
That's a wrap on 2023 and the stories and resources you used the most throughout the year. We've got a lot of exciting surprises planned for 2024 and are excited to connect with more of you throughout year. Have a story, route, or idea you want to share? Let us know at info at the nxrth dot com and say hi!
