In 2001, Josh begin his career as a bicycle entrepreneur with the development of the CELLO bicycle case, a system for converting a BOB Trailer into a bicycle shipping case. This project evolved into BikeTrailerShop.com in 2006 which was an instant hit and lead to BikeBagShop.com and BikeKidShop.com which were eventually all consolidated into BikeShopHub.com. In 2013 Josh moved this thriving business to Tucson.
In 2017 an outdated ecommerce platform had lead to an inability to adapt to the changing ecommerce and bicycle markets. Over the course of 2018 and 2019 Josh worked to correct this by pivoting the business into Campfire Cycling.
Josh grew up in Flagstaff, AZ getting into cycling at an early age, racing mountain bikes. Cycling has been a big part of his life ever since, driving ideas for business and bicycle advocacy. Now with two young kids, Josh doesn’t get out on as many bicycling adventures as he’d like. That said, Josh recently managed to get his whole family out on our first bicycle camping adventure.
Boston Tea – April. 24, 2026
This week, I’ve been off visiting my Dad in New Jersey and family in Boston. We took a touristy visit of a Boston Tea Party reenactment. Here is Melanie tossing a tea crate into the harbor.Â
A Make-It-Mine Makeover – April. 17, 2026
This week, I’ve been working on some much needed updates to our Make-It-Mine bicycle customizer. This tool allows you to upgrade and customize bicycles purchased from us all with great discounts built in.
While the tool has been a great way for sell bikes, the software we used left much to be desired. Over the past few weeks, I was able to customize it to improve its usability. The biggest updates were to the back end in how we manage keeping the bike builders configured and to make sure we are always offering the best pricing through it. This means we’ll be able to keep it updated with more bikes in it!
With the new updates, we were able to add in many of the new Surly, Salsa and Kona bikes that have been coming out this spring. When you use the tool to purchase a bike from us, Surly and Salsa bikes are 10% off and Konas are 5% off!
My Fork-Pack had an Adventure – April. 10, 2026
On our Tombstone Hustle trip a few weekends ago, after making it through the notoriously challenging 2 mile hike-a-bike followed by a 3 mile gnarly descent to camp, I realized I had lost my Ortlieb Fork-Pack with all of my tools in it. I had taken it off on the trail to install a tube on another riders bike and I must not have fully reengaged it when I put it back on my bike.
I thought about heading back up the trail in the morning, but I knew that could take many hours and for all I knew it might be unfindable. So I put a sign up and prayed.
The next day I got a text “We found your pack. No cell service so we left it next to the bridge and your sign”. I was appreciative it was found, but not excited to make the 3 hour round trip to retrieve it. So I reached out to the only friend in the area who lives in Bisbee. He happened to know someone that lived fairly close to the trailhead. That same day his friend grabbed it for me and brought it into the shop when he was in Tucson later that week. BTW, my bag’s savior happened to be a very accomplished AZT racer and producer of the epic bikepacking podcast, The Desolationist.
Testing Out Revelate’s B.A.T. Tote Bag – April. 03, 2026
Last Friday Eddie Parks of Revelate Designs came by the shop for a product training before joining us for the Tombstone Hustle. Along with lighting our eyes up with a large selection of exciting new bikepacking bags that are due out soon, he also brought me one of their Big Ass Totes. Sarah decided that we needed to test out the strength of the stitching while Eddie was still around and climbed inside for some high intensity stitch stress testing. The chaos that ensued is hard to describe. Look closely at this photo to see if you can piece together what happened. BTW, we don’t have any B.A.T. Totes in stock, but you can check mine out and we’ll be happy to special order one for ya. Thanks Eddie!
Cruising by the Shop! – March. 27, 2026
Breakfast by Bike yesterday morning had us cruising by the shop, so I had to catch a quick pic. We’re off to do the Tombstone Hustle this weekend. Have a great one whatever you are up to out there!
Nathan’s Resin Pour – March. 20, 2026
At the last Breakfast by Bike I was thrilled to receive this inspired and original piece of southwest mountain bike art from Nathan Franklin. Nathan’s been working on refining his process of these resin pours combined with hand carving and painting to give each one a unique flair. Thank you Nathan!
Ortlieb Product Training – March. 13, 2026
Following our Colossal Cave trip a few weekends back, Ian of OrtliebUSA lead our team on a deep dive of all things Ortlieb. After partnering with Ortlieb on supporting the ride with Ortlieb prizes, giveaways and cool drinks at the end of the ride, it was time to up our team’s game on our Ortlieb knowledge. I’ve know Ian for 15+ years, getting to know him at my many visits to the Ortlieb booth at Interbike. Ian’s knowledge and appreciation of Ortlieb’s manufacturing culture and product design always impressed me and I was super excited to have him share his insights with the team. When it comes to industrial strength waterproof bike touring, Ortlieb sets the standard. Thank you Ian for sharing!
Our AZT Adventure Crew – March. 06, 2026
Last weekend I had the honor and pleasure of joining together with this small band of adventurers to take on the advanced version of our Colassal Cave trip. Kim, Steven, Mitch and I peeled off the main group to ride a 5 mile section of the AZT into camp. In the morning, we rode another 5 mile section of AZT out of camp.
While I miss riding with the big group, I really enjoyed getting to form our own little adventure crew. It was great to get to know these folks as we sipped a small taste of the giant barrel of fun that is the AZT!
Tucson Spring Bikepacking – February. 27, 2026
Its that time of year for us here in Tucson, the time of year where its wise to make the most of the weather and get out there for adventures. Our trip two weekends ago on the Sky Island Odyssey East felt like the transition from the desert winter to the desert spring. We woke up after the first night covered in frost. By the last day we were sweating and its been relatively warm ever since.
Join me in welcoming Molly Cameron, our new Ecommerce Operations Manager!!! – February. 19, 2026
Some of you may already know Molly. Among other awesome things, she owned and ran Portland Bicycle Studio for 17 years, so she comes to us with deep experience and a real understanding of what it takes to serve cyclists well.
Molly’s going to be the person making sure your orders flow smoothly, our catalog and inventory stay dialed, and the behind-the-scenes machinery keeps humming. Welcome to Campfire, Molly! We’re stoked you’re here!
BikepackBaggregator.com – February. 12, 2026
My photo for this week is a montage of our rider and rig photos from our fall beginner trip to Catalina State Park. This montage was put together by Alissa of BikepackBaggregator.com, which is a really cool site featuring all sorts of bikepacking details that allows you to zoom in and get all the details about all the bags on the bikes.
With my recent effort to photo riders on our rides, I’ve also been working with Alissa to share these photos on her website. If you have a moment to share an image of your bikepacking setup, I’m sure she would greatly appreciate it!
Our Internet Famous Friends! – February. 05, 2026
Its getting to be prime riding season here in Tucson and many cycling are around for the good times including some of our internet famous friends @Trumarmalade, @RussetPeach and @BikePak.
A Bag from the Upside Down – January. 29, 2026
Yesterday we kicked off Breakfast-by-Bike for 2026 with a ride over to a pocket park in Barrio Anita. Toby tasked me with coffee and I decided to use the opportunity to put my new OMM Impala to the test mounting my Primus camping stove to it. I also haven’t done much riding front loaded only so I definitely was pushing that to the extreme as well with my OMM Ponderosas carrying the fuel, pot and water.
A Bag from the Upside Down – January. 22, 2026
From this week in the Upside Down, I bring you a bag with its upside down under the top of the rack. Having been in the business of selling bicycle bags for going on 20 years now, it is not every day that I come across a new location to put a bike bag. Of course it will only work when the rack is mounted over a wheel that it is far too large for, as can be seen here with this bicycle rack designed for a 700c wheel over the 20″ wheel of a Bike Friday. While we don’t have any rack-bottom bags in stock, we do have a nice selection for the top-of-the-rack.
Baylor out Utility Cycling! – January. 15, 2026
Cruising home earlier this week, I passed Baylor headed home from a backyard project. Seeing his setup with pick axe in back and straw hat up front reminded me of one of my long defunct blogs, utilitycycling.org, where we would explore all of the ways bicycles are used for getting work done.
Ready to get out there! – January. 08, 2026
Our return to the Sky Island Odyssey East loop is about a month away and I’m looking forward to getting out there! I’ve been grinding away keeping things running smoothly with our ecommerce operation manager’s departure last month. I’m looking forward to getting a new hire in place and then getting some time on the bike.
Surly E-Bike Season – January. 01, 2026
We often notice that bike sales come in interesting waves. A recent wave of bike sales that came through the shop was of Surly Ebikes. Here is a Surly Skid Loader and Big Easy that just went out the door.
Campfire’s Hungry Game – December. 25, 2025
Wrapping up our holiday celebrations, we gathered together earlier this week for a fun little distribution of holiday cheer.
Similar to how the Hunger Game’s tributes go up the tubes onto the arena, the Campfire team gathered around our break table next to a package with their name on it. When I shouted GO, they raced to open their package. Toby managed to pull his new beanie on first, entitling him to be the first to select from the cornucopia of dehydrated meals.
I’d purchased this large selection of camping meals both as gifts and product testing. The team’s favorites will be coming to you soon to the Campfire catalog. And don’t worry, there was no last tribute standing, everyone was a victor with their meal choices and you will be too once we’ve shared our recommendations!
David Powers On – December. 18, 2025
We’ve found ourselves in a time of change here at Campfire as our tremendous Ecommerce Operations Manager, David Tang, is moving on to a great opportunity to become the Arizona Rep for QBP!
For the last 3 years, David has been a powerful and stabilizing force here at Campfire, combining his deep, multi-decade experience in the bicycle industry with his persistent ability to work with a broad range of systems, keep things organized and get stuff done. Working with David was a true pleasure as we worked closely together refining fulfillment, catalog, inventory and accounting processes throughout Campfire Cycling’s backend systems.
We’ve jokingly referred to the downstairs of the shop where David, Sarah and I work as the dungeon. But David’s legacy here at Campfire is having transformed the dungeon into the engine room. We’ve got our work cut out for us as we take over David’s processes and prepare to hand them off to whoever we hire as his successor (see the job posting below). But it is clear that David has left us a smoothly operating engine to carry on.
If you know David from his Ordinary, REI or Campfire days, don’t worry, he’ll still be around the Tucson cycling scene. He’s promised to join Campfire rides, likely carrying the Surly or Salsa banners on some of them. Thank you for everything, David!
Team Campfire’s Holiday Party – December. 11, 2025
Last night the business family behind this family business got together to do that holiday thing and enjoy food, drink and good cheer. We did it at my home for the first time in awhile and it felt really special to bring this amazing group of passionate, skillful, dedicated people together.
This is the type of behind the scenes content that we keep just for the newsletter (no social posts on this one). If you’re reading this we appreciate you for being here reading our stories, cheering us on, buying our services and wares and everything else you do help keep us rolling. Thank you so much and happy holidays to you and your families!
Feld Pocket Park – December. 04, 2025
Last year I missed out on the first Breakfast by Bike to Feld Pocket Park. This magical little spot is in the middle of a neighborhood next to the UofA. Tucked away in the dense desert foliage, we were instantly transported away from the city for the morning of pancakes and friends. Look this place up when you get the chance!
Swift Product Training with Martina! – November. 27, 2025
Last week, we were thrilled to have Martina from Swift Industries stop by the shop for an in-depth product training session. We’ve been loving these deep-dives with our top-selling brands—and it’s especially meaningful when the brand’s founder leads them herself. From product design philosophy to fabric selection to the community-building that makes Swift such a beloved name in bikepacking (Swift Campout anyone?) Martina brought us into the inner circle for her hour presentation. It’s easy to see why these bags hit that sweet spot of style, function, and durability. We’re now fully topped up on our Swift knowledge and ready to help you find the perfect bikepacking bag!
Ride Bribes – November. 20, 2025
My daughter is a big fan of the fancy drinks at Starbucks. I am not a fan of $7 for some warmed up sugar water with flavoring? She knows the way to my heart though, offer to go on a bike ride with her dad. We agreed on a Starbucks that was a few miles away so we got a little ride in. She wanted to bring the drink home so as you can see here, I had to get creative. It didn’t pop out or spill. Mission accomplished!
Rough Ride Report of the AZT Clamber – November. 14, 2025
Last weekend I did not join Campfire’s “intermediate” bikepacking trip, the AZT Clamber. When it was time to pack up my bike, knowing that it was optional for me to go as we already had two experienced ride leaders, I struggled to muster the energy to pack my bike up. Having helped lead all previous 6 Campfire trips of 2025, my ride leading energy was feeling a bit drained.
So I chilled out at home while Jake and Ellie headed out on our new route. It turned out that the route was quite a bit more challenging then we had anticipated. With the route being quite close to Tucson, we had experienced riding various sections of it. However, the reality of bikepacking the route proved to be much more challenging then we imagined. Between rougher trail conditions, a bit warmer November temps, riding while loaded and the rugged nature of that section of the AZT, this definitely should have been considered an advanced route.
What I can say after absorbing Jake and Ellie’s reports is for any future NEW beginner and intermediate routes that Campfire takes on, we will now be sure to do a loaded pre-ride to really size it up. That all being said, it sounds like the group made the most of the unexpected extra challenge of it and managed to have some type 2 as well as regular old fun.
Clever Carry – November. 07, 2025
Jonathan stopped by the shop this week to drop off his wheel and I just had to snap a pic. I always love clever ways for strapping stuff on bikes. Not only was this one clever but it inspired my imagine with all of the different wheel sizes. I imagined the big wheel being part of a fantastical drive system that pushed the other wheels.
Cheers and Thank You Ellie! – October. 30, 2025
We’re all a bit sad around here as today is Ellie’s last regular day at Campfire before getting started next week as Tucson Living Streets Alliance’s new Safe Routes to School manager.
Its been an absolute joy having Ellie on the team these past three years, between her care and deep experience as a mechanic, her love of the Tucson cycling community and her bikepacking inspiration. LSA is lucky to have her and we know she’ll do great things there and for all of the kiddos!
Ellie will of course still be around town but if you want to see her off from Campfire, she’ll be around today!
And Ellie does promise to keep on joining us for rides and events as much as possible.
Camp-to-Camp #Shredpacking – October. 24, 2025
Anticipating my double booked camping weekend, I was a bit frustrated as I considered all of the planning and packing I would have to do to attend both my son’s school camping trip on Mt. Lemmon and Campfire’s beginner bikepacking trip to Catalina State Park. But I got excited when I realized I could connect the two with an epic #shredpacking adventure.
I’d previously ridden the upper part of the route, Red Ridge and some of the lower part of the route on 50-Year Trail. Bringing it all together into 32 miles of epic mountain biking had me going over the nether regions of Red Ridge, a bit of CDO, the infamous Charouleau Gap Road and upper 50-Year trail’s cowboy slickrock. It was 32 miles of challenging mountain biking that took me over 7 hours to get through. As I approached the end of the ride, beat down but happy I thought, I’m glad I did this, but I don’t think I’d do it again. The truth is I probably would do the shortest possible version of it, but I added about 7 miles to the start and maybe 10 to the finish that I’d leave off next time.
I packed light with just food and water for the day and no tent for some cowboy camping at Catalina State Park. Is this #shredpacking?
Please Support our Friend Elliot with Roadrunner Bicycle’s Closing Sale – October. 18, 2025
Last weekend we learned that the time had come for Elliot to shut down Roadrunner Bicycles. Its been a tough time in the cycling industry and it no longer made sense for the shop to press on. I asked Elliot if there was anything we could do to help, and the answer was simply to help spread the word about their clearance sale. They are closing down the shop by October 31st and offering great deals on everything in the shop. The more bikes and gear that Elliot can find homes for, the easier it will be for him to move on to what’s next.
Elliot is a truly inspirational leader of the bicycling community here in Tucson. Beyond running Roadrunner, Elliot is a board member of Living Streets Alliance, and a leader and participant in so many cycling and outdoor events around Tucson. Elliot’s love of the Tucson cycling community, cycling and the outdoor is infectious. And Elliot has been amazing at partnering and supporting Campfire, joining us on our rides and event and partnering with us on the amazing Adventure Ride Series. We’re currently working with Elliot on #7 coming up Nov. 18th at Playformance’s courtyard!
Go say hi to Elliot at Roadrunner and checkout what’s on sale! And signup for the Adventure Ride Series #7-Close Encounters of the Animal Kind! While Elliot is closing this chapter, he’s getting started with the next, with the launch of Roadrunner Resupply (more to come).