This week’s Reader’s Rig comes from David in Denver, Colorado, who shares the All-City Gorilla Monsoon he uses for singletrack cruises, gravel rides, bird-watching getaways, and more in the nearby mountains. Meet David and find details on his bike here…

Words by David Carriere, photos by Nic Morales

Hi. My name’s David, and I live in Denver, Colorado. One of the things I love about bicycles is that they allow you to experience every part of your journey, from doorstep to destination, in a much more present and meaningful way than any other mode of transportation. Exploring and immersing myself in my immediate environment, the place where I live, is something I value deeply.

I find bikepacking a fun, simple way to extend my journey and broaden my environment. These days, I enjoy cruising the expansive mountain singletrack, dirt roads, and gravel trails a short bike ride or bus trip from my apartment. I’ve been incorporating bird-watching into a lot of rides, so lately I’m more likely to be packing binoculars than a tent and sleeping bag.

I bought this bike while living in Orlando, Florida. I was a longtime bike commuter, and in 2020, suddenly found myself with no office commute and lots of time to look at the computer, deliberate what type of bike I should buy next, and daydream about taking said bike into the woods. That winter, I bought a complete All-City Gorilla Monsoon from City Bike in Tampa. It’s admittedly too much bike for the relatively tame terrain I mostly ride, but I appreciate the clearance for 2.4-inch tires on the rare occasions when things get rowdy.

• Frame/Fork: All-City Gorilla Monsoon
• Rims: Mason X Hunt 650B
• Hubs: Hunt
• Tires: Ultradynamico Rosé 48
• Handlebars: Stock AL6061
• Headset: Cane Creek 40
• Crankset: FSA Comet 38T
• Pedals: Shimano PD-ME700
• Cassette: Microshift 11-42
• Derailleur(s): SRAM Apex 1
• Brakes: Tektro MD-C550
• Shifter(s): SRAM Apex
• Saddle: Brooks C17
• Seatpost: Nitto SimWorks Beatnik
• Stem: Nitto UI-21EX 90mm
• Front bags: Ron’s Bikes Fab’s Abs, Road Runner Middle Earth Jammer
• Frame bags: Oveja Negra 1/2 Pack
• Rear bags: Bedrock Sinbad roll-top bag
• Accessory bags: Rockgeist Honeypot stem bag
• Other accessories: Surly 24-Pack Rack

The bike also feels stable and handles well when fully loaded, which is ideal as I’m known to be a bit of an overpacker. Mostly, I’m grateful that it introduced me to a small community of like-minded cyclists—some of whom became close friends—in a seemingly unlikely bikepacking locale. Overnighters in the Seminole State Forest and multiday trips to the Gulf Coast or St. Augustine with my friends are some of my fondest memories of Central Florida.

In 2024, I left Orlando and took the opportunity to spend a year living back in the Connecticut town where I grew up and resided until my early 20s. It was incredibly rewarding to explore fabled Nutmeg Country by bike and see my childhood home with a different perspective. A highlight was a long-weekend bike trip to Hammonasset Beach State Park with my girlfriend, Carolyn, who introduced me to birding. It was her first bikepacking trip, and despite a heat wave and me accidentally routing us through a mile and a half of rocky, swampy, mosquito-ridden mountain bike trail that was largely unrideable on our loaded bikes, we had a great time camping, eating pizza, and spotting birds at the shore.

You can find David on Instagram.

Further Reading

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