Three friends, two weeks, one tent: Bikepacking the French & Spanish Pyrenees
Mid-afternoon river dips, late night village meals, and three friends sharing a lean-to for 12 days. The trip that inspire the Drift MTB Short.
Words and Photos by Lindsay Ryder • July 2025
Three years ago, I packed up my hardtail MTB, Hera, and set off with my husband Hans and friend Jen on a grand adventure. Planes, trains, buses and...more buses delivered us to San Sebastián, Spain with a mish-mash of water purifiers, camp cookware, sleeping pads and yes...one lean-to tarp for the three of us to share for our 12-day journey.
Our plan was simple: pedal across the Pyrenees, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.
What we didn’t know then—but would come to feel in our legs, lungs, and hearts—was just how spectacular (and occasionally brutal) those 500+ miles and 50,000 vertical feet would be.
We started in Basque Country, a lush, misty-green wonderland ripe with sheep and pintxos bars. We dipped our tires ceremoniously in the Atlantic and turned our handlebars north.
The first day, we pedaled city roads, country rambles, and even some coastal single track, plus took no fewer than two short ferry crossings (yes, they even had a fare of 1€ for our bikes!) to cross into France. From there, the vibe shifted subtly—baguettes replaced tortillas, the prominent language remained Euskara (which I speak about as well as French...not very!). Turning our handlebars east, we pedaled through high-alpine valleys rife with hydroelectric infrastructure due to the gushing interwoven rivers.
Here we pedaled up into the alpine village of Vielha, where we crossed from France back into Spain. A rest day in Vielha included visiting their cafes, breweries, local history museum, and yes - a bike ride! (This time we left our bike gear at the hotel and got to remember the joy of spinning singletrack without luggage). We departed Vielha well rested, showered, but with legs just as tired.
Every day brought a new ecosystem. From the moody mists of the Atlantic side to the dry, sunbaked ridges of Catalonia, it felt like we were riding across seasons as much as countries. By day eight, sunscreen had become more important than rain gear. We stopped for giggle-filled mid-afternoon river dips, airing out socks and jumping off rocks in our shammies and sports bras.
With the tock clicking and miles to go, we were unable to let the construct of time drift away from us entirely; we had a plane departing Barcelona back to Montana in just four days! Our days revolved around elevation gain, snack strategy, and the next village fountain—where we’d refill bottles, wash our faces, and scout for ice cream or Haribo bears. Our nights were spent camping under our glorified tarp, bike clothes strung up to dry out while we laughed about how many yogurts we'd each eaten outside the grocery store that morning.
When we finally reached the glimmering Mediterranean Sea, we rolled straight onto the beach to complete our ceremonial tire-dipping. Gigantic gelatos were immediately followed by dipping our own bodies into the sea.
A vision for the Drift short.
This ride inspired the design behind the Drift MTB Short—a piece of gear born out of the need for something that could keep up with the kind of trip that demands everything from you, including some occasional streetwear style.
I wanted a short that could climb a mountain, dry quickly after a river plunge, and still look at home while sipping cava and museum hoping in Barcelona. After 12 days of rugged riding, dusty trails, sunny swims, and post-ride prix-fixe meals at village restaurants, I knew exactly what I needed. So I made it.
The Drift Shorts are for the big rides and the quiet calms. For fast descents and slow afternoons. For the adventures where your bike becomes a bridge between landscapes and cultures.
Where will you take your Drift shorts? Or rather, where will they take you...