The Boreal Pinion on the Baja Divide

During spring 2023, our ambassador Marie-Pierre Savard rode the Baja Divide, a mythical route in the heart of the Baja California peninsula, connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez, following rugged terrain and sandy trails. For this adventure, she chose to ride the Boreal Pinion : with its integrated gearbox, ultra-strong Carbon Drive Belt and wide tire clearance, this bike was the perfect choice for tackling the sandy roads.

"Surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, you’ll be amazed at every pedal stroke!"

A challenge for our bikepacking expert

In 2023, Marie-Pierre Savard, an adventure cyclist accustomed to remote terrain, is taking on a major challenge: the Baja Divide. This route is well known to bikepacking enthusiasts: 2,500 kilometers of sandy trails along the Baja California peninsula, through breathtaking scenery and alongside the Pacific Ocean.

With over 10 years of bikepacking under her belt, particularly in very remote areas, Marie-Pierre knew how to prepare for this new adventure. However, one major question remained: which bike should she choose to ensure minimum mechanical issues? On the Baja Divide, the rugged terrain and sand don’t play well with transmissions, and when a technical incident occurs, you have to sort it out yourself.

After talking it over with Simon from Panorama Cycles, Marie-Pierre chose the Boreal Pinion prototype. A model that seemed tailor-made for this challenge. This all-terrain touring bike had the immense advantage of offering an integrated Pinion drivetrain and a Carbon Drive Gates belt. These two components are precisely designed for this type of touring, as they are very resistant, require very little maintenance, allow easy climbing of all climbs and keep sand out of the drivetrain cogs.

Panorama bikes on the field

Marie-Pierre was accompanied by three companions on this adventure, two of them riding Panorama models.

Photographer Nicolas Bourdeau proudly sported a Taiga with a front suspension that was a real blessing when tackling the many crevasses and holes on the roads.

As for Marc Morin, an avid mountain biker and bikepacker, he chose the Chic-Chocs 2023 for the extra comfort provided by its wide tires.

A great field test for the different Panorama models! With no mechanical failures apart from an unsuited rack, the team returned home with their bikes intact and smiles on their faces.

Like all cycling adventures, nothing went quite as planned.

The demanding terrain, the extreme dryness and heat, and the group dynamic, which is always a bit slower than when you’re on your own, meant that the team had to adjust their plans. The initial idea was to do the entire Baja Divide in 1 month. However, to make sure they didn’t miss their return flight, they had to take a few shortcuts and cut a section.

In spite of everything, this adventure was a marvellous discovery and will remain engraved in the memories of the 4 cyclists.

From the number of snakes they spotted to the number of Tacos they devoured, here are a few figures that perfectly sum up what they experienced :