I’m no stranger to taking Omnium bikes out into remote mountain landscapes for the adventure of a lifetime. This summer, I’m heading to a place—and bringing a bike—I’ve been dreaming about for years.
When I first floated the idea to my friends at Omnium, they told me I was mad. And since they know me well, that was really saying something.
“Peru? On the Mini?”
It felt a lot like the time I floated the idea of racing the Silk Road Mountain Race on the Cargo bike. Totally ridiculous—but incredibly exciting. And also, what if it worked? What if it was the perfect excuse to build an adventure-ready version of this bike?
I’ve been traveling by bike for over a decade, always drawn to unique places, rugged terrain, and immersive cultural experiences—whether solo or with friends, for long weekends or continent-crossing expeditions. In recent years, that’s expanded into the world of ultra-endurance bikepacking races, which has let me explore even more of the world, just a bit faster.
But my core motivation hasn’t changed: explore special places, in fun and unusual ways.
Though I’ve lived in Latin America, I’ve spent surprisingly little time in South America. It’s long been calling my name—a vast and endlessly rich part of the world, with incredible landscapes, cultures, and food. But where to begin?
A few years ago, I came across the Great Peru Divide route by Cass Gilbert on bikepacking.com, and it has truly sat pretty loudly in the background ever since. This is the route I had been looking for, this is my gateway to South America: a 1,600 km off-road trail through the high Andes, with massive climbs, remote terrain, and tiny villages. A true rooftop-of-the-world experience in a place I’d never seen before.
While traveling to Eurobike with the Omnium team last year, I got to try the Omnium Mini Ti on the test track—and immediately fell in love with it. That’s when the two ideas began to merge: Peru would be incredible, and this bike would be perfect for it.
Yes, it’s far from the obvious choice. But as I’ve shown with the Silk Road and the Traka XL, the “perfect” bike isn’t always what you expect, you have to look beyond what you’re imagining as perfect and see the possibility. The Mini Ti, like the Cargo, is unconventional—but it’s also tough, capable, and fun as hell. A utilitarian workhorse with flair.
This time, it’s not a race—it’s my ride. I’ll be tackling just over 1,000 km of the route at a more relaxed pace, on a setup I still can’t quite believe came together so perfectly. After years of dreaming, I’m finally flying across the world to push myself—and this wild little bike—over the Peruvian Andes. And even after everything I’ve done, this might just be my boldest setup yet.
Follow the journey on Instagram: @allanshawphoto
BUILD SPECS
| Frameset | Titanium Mini V3.1 |
| Rear Wheel | Classified G42 – including classified power shift for 2x gear ratio |
| Front Wheel | Omnium 406 carbon rim with SP Dynamo hub |
| Tires | Tubeless Schwalbe Rocket Ron 622×2.25 and 406×2.25 |
| Crankset | Cane Creek Eewings |
| Chainring | 34t Garbaruk |
| Bottom Bracket | Chris King |
| Pedals | Shimano Spd |
| Rear derailleur | SRAM Red AXS 12s |
| Shifter | SRAM AXS Pod |
| Chain | SRAM 12s flattop |
| Cassette | Classified 12s |
| Brakes | Hope Hope Tech 4 |
| Brake Rotors | Hope Floating rotor 180mm front & SRAM Centerline CL 160mm Rear |
| Seatpost | OMNIUM Stock |
| Saddle | Brooks B17 |
| Seat post clamp | Hope |
| Headset | Omnium Titanium LE Headset 1 1/8 |
| Stem | Extra-Lite 80mm |
| Handlebars | Stridsland Anchor bars Raw |
| Grips | Fi’zik |
| Basket | Wald 1275 |
| Lights | Supernova E3 TL and M99 DY PRO Silver |
| Kickstand | OMNIUM Cargo Kickstand |
| Bags | Brooks Scape Full Frame Bag, Seat Bag and Feed Pouch. Brooks Clapham Tote Bag. |
