Our Roots
Bikepacking from the beginning.
Our Roots
Bikepacking from the beginning.
Rooted in Bikepacking History, Invested in Bikepacking’s Future
A founding component of the bikepacking movement, Revelate has been 100% dedicated to building bike bags longer than any other brand. Explore our journey here!
In the beginning…
October 30, 2001
Revelate founder Eric Parsons and friend Dan Bailey go on a 2-month mountain bike tour to the Indian Himalaya. The pair tows trailers over some of the highest motor-able passes in the world (over 18,000’). Along the way they realize trailers are difficult to travel with and are one more big piece of equipment that can fail.
Tour of Patagonia
July 17, 2002
Fort Collins, Colorado: Eric’s friend sews a bike frame bag for him modeled after one Eric saw built for the Iditasport race in Alaska. After strapping together some other bags to a rack, he takes off for a 3-month mountain bike tour of Patagonia. He learns many lessons on this trip resulting from multiple failures of bike and gear in the harsh Patagonian climate. This is the first extended trip where he uses what later becomes known as a “bikepacking setup,” which includes a frame bag and minimalist gear.
Alaska Ultra-Sport
March 13, 2005
Alaska: Eric races the Alaska Ultra-Sport (29″ x 2.3″ were state of the art). Starts sewing and building his own bike bags and gear, driven by the unique demands of Alaskan winter racing. He built the pogies on this bike from sleeves from a down jacket, modified with an external shell. Frame bag was the original from the 2002 Patagonia trip.
Ecuador to Bolivia
January 1, 2006
Eric embarks off on a 6-month expedition style bike tour from Ecuador to Bolivia. He tries using a hybrid approach of panniers mixed with homemade bike packing gear. A robbery early on causes him to stop in Quito to have new front bags custom altered to work for his trip. Overall, he brings too much stuff, but is able to carry enough food for 12 days on high traverses in the Bolivian Altiplano. Wishes 29+ tires existed back then!
Epic Designs
October 1, 2007
The day job is quit and Eric launches Epic Designs with a blog based “website” and starts selling some of the first bikepacking bags out of his basement in downtown Anchorage. Most customers are local Alaskans and mid-westerners needing bike frame bags for winter ultra races. The winter of 07’-08’ sees a fevered development in bike bags including the first Gas Tanks, Super Twinkie seat bags and Expedition Pogies all built for winter riding.
First Generation Handlebar Harness
January 1, 2009
Influenced by using a backpack lid as a handlebar bag, the first iteration of the Harness was released. The system was versatile enough for all-season use and was the first bikepacking bar bag of its kind that incorporated a drybag and removable front pocket. Overtime the concept has become an industry standard.
Garage Surfing!
March 6, 2009
The work space for Epic Designs graduates from a basement to an unheated one-car garage. The sewing machine and 4’x8′ plywood table move into several different spaces over the next year, enduring bum landlords and cramped rooms. Eventually a good friend takes pity and lets us move into his garage, where we (over) stay for a year and a half before finding our own garage to call home!
Race Driven!
April 2, 2009
Epic Designs departs its winter roots and gets heavily engaged in building gear for racers taking on events like the Tour Divide, Colorado Trail Race and Arizona Trail Race. Eric makes lasting connections with core riders of these events, including Scott Morris, Kurt Refsnider, and Chris Plesk; they contribute feedback on the early gear and form an underground ambassador program.
End of Epic, Hello Revelate Designs!
February 2, 2010
Epic Designs is forced to re-brand as Revelate Designs due to a trademark conflict. The launch of Revelate is taken in stride, and the team welcomes changes that include a new website and the lasting partnership with an Oregon-based cut and sew manufacturer. With newfound expertise and increased sewing capacity, the first production Tangle Frame bags and handlebar pockets are released. Our gear logo still signifies our roots as Epic Designs.
Enter Dusty
December 2, 2010
Dustin Eroh, an alpinist, wilderness adventurer and graduate of Alaska Pacific University’s Outdoor program, is hired as Revelate’s first employee to help with basically everything. Referred by legendary hell biker Roman Dial, Dusty quickly becomes chief garage bartacker and shipping master. Over the years Dusty advances to product design and often blends his high mountain skills with bike adventures. Read our blog Q&A with Dusty.
Production Frame Bags
November 2, 2011
Revelate teams up with Surly bikes and Salsa Cycles to build co-branded full-size frame bags for several of their adventure bike models. Being the first non-custom full size options that are widely available to bike shops, they were a hit! The partnership nudges bikepacking into the mainstream by making the bikes adventure ready off the bike shop floor.
Banner Race Year
July 2, 2012
Revelate customers crush it all over in endurance events! The late and great Mike Hall completes the 18,000+ mile World Cycle Race with Revelate gear. Forcing us to do a double take and look back at shipping records. Eszter Horanyi and Olie Whaley both win and set records in the Tour Divide, Eszter wins women’s overall and Olie takes home a new men’s record, on a single speed no less.
Waterproof!
May 2, 2013
End of Garage era…
July 2, 2014
After progressing through 5 garage workshops since the business started, Revelate leaves its 2-car garage and moves into a legit commercial space in Anchorage. Gone are the days of mid-day burrito making in favor of larger production and storage space!
Dialed Winter Goods
March 3, 2015
Keeping to our northern roots, a slew of winter-specific niche products are released. These include the Wampak winter Hydration pack, Williwaw Pogies and Nano Panniers. In the spring, a Revelate party of 9 flies to McGrath and rides the first 350 miles of the Iditarod trail in reverse back to Anchorage. Product testing should always be this fun!
Bike Alpinism!
February 6, 2016
Dusty leads a crack team of his climbing friends deep into Wrangell St. Elias National Park on fat bikes in winter to explore ice climbs in the upper Chitistone gorge. The crew gets lost and falls into rivers, but succeeds in finding and climbing legendary ice flows in the remote wilderness.
Lael Wilcox wins Trans Am!
June 2, 2016
Coming off a banner year of shattering the Tour Divide women’s record, friend, Anchorage Alaska local, and Revelate Ambassador Lael Wilcox cements herself as a force to be reckoned with by winning the 2016 Trans-America race. Covering 4,400 miles in 18 days, averaging 235 miles a day, she beats all male racers and continues to prove there’s just one category in endurance racing: fast. Never one to tire, Lael continues to take on big challenges for the overall win internationally.
Waterproof Front Pockets
July 16, 2016
Revelate releases the waterproof Egress pocket and fully sealed Yakataga Pocket. The class-leading Egress incorporates a contoured side profile, a padded liner and multiple attachment options. The specialty Yakataga pocket, inspired by bikerafting adventure trips, is fully submersible and quickly detaches from the bike for transitioning to paddle mode.
Indie-Rail: Dropper Posts & Terrapin 8L
January 8, 2018
Revelate incorporates Indie-Rail, a simple and unbelievably stable mounting system into two new seat bags, the Terrapin 8L and dropper post compatible Vole. Indie-Rail cinches each saddle rail to a stiffened bag structure virtually eliminating side-to-side bag sway. New hardware and external plastic frame sheets are also incorporated into all new seat bags.
10 Years!
November 7, 2018
With 10 years of innovating under our belt, we’re grateful to those who have supported us along the ride. We’ll continue to design and build the best products we can to make tomorrow’s bike adventures a reality!