After a long and decorated career at the top level of professional road racing, Svein Tuft returns home to the coast of British Columbia to rediscover his love for adventure and the outdoors. Spawning from tales of childhood wanderlust, Svein searches for simplicity in life away from the travel and high-pressure racing world to get a new sense of normal. From short family outings to grand adventures deep into the Canadian Rockies, Svein is inspired by two-wheel adventuring and finding the path less paved.

Shimano Gravel bike ambassador Svein Tuft riding a gravel bike up a hill

Tuft’s professional racing accolades are impressive. He was one of Canada’s fastest time trialists and raced in cycling’s biggest races, including the Tour de France. His years were dedicated to reaching the pinnacle of professional road racing, but his time in Europe was not always easy. The ‘crazy machine’ of competition tested his resolve, prompting him to dream of life beyond the pro peloton and what awaited him back home in Canada.

Finishing up his professional career, Tuft returned home with a yearning for stability and normalcy—a life that seemed a distant memory. Through this transition, he’s found solace in the simplicity of riding the trails and roads close to home, revisiting the forests of his youth, and cycling through them with his kids and dog. This return to the basics rekindled the joy he once found in cycling and exploration.

Svein Tuft Pro Road Cyclist riding his gravel bike across a bridge in Canada

In the Path Less Paved, Tuft relishes the adventure and freedom of bikepacking through B.C. Taking his gravel bike out through the backcountry encapsulates everything he loves about cycling. It's the perfect blend of fun singletrack trails, arduous hike-a-bike sections, and long mountainous climbs. It’s these daily explorations on his bike that keep the spirit of the young kid who bought a 10-speed bike for $40 so many years ago alive.

Shimano Originals Film The Path Less Paved Svein Tuft
Svein Tuft in Shimano Originals The Path Less Paved
Svein Tuft riding his grave bike down a mountain at sunset
Bikepacking on a gravel bike in the mountains
Svein Tuft Riding a gravel bike in the mountains