Don't Come to Colombia unless you want To…

Colombia will ruin you for everywhere else.
                                             
We're saying this upfront because it's the responsible thing to do. If you come to Colombia to ride, to hike, to explore, you will go home and find that other places feel slightly less alive. The mountains are too green. The people are too kind. The fruit on the side of the trail is too good. And the street dogs will run alongside you up climbs that will break your heart with their beauty.
                                                                                                                                                    BERT was born in Medellín. We make the pre and post-activity shoe. We know this country the way you know a place when you've crossed it on a bike or on foot. Here's our honest guide.

Expect Dogs

Not aggressive dogs. Not dogs to be afraid of. Dogs who will materialize from nowhere on a dirt road in the middle of Antioquia and decide, for reasons of their own, to run alongside you for the next three kilometers.
                                                                                                                                                    Colombian street dogs are everywhere on the trails and roads outside the cities. They're curious, friendly, and they have strong opinions about pace. Carry treats if you want a companion for the whole climb. Don't expect them on the descent,they have their own agenda.
                                                                                                                                                    At BERT, 5% of every sale supports spay and neuter programs for street dogs in Colombia. It started because our founder rode these same roads and met the same dogs.

The Climbs Will Humble You  

Colombia has some of the most demanding and most beautiful cycling terrain in the world. The roads outside Medellín, Alto de Minas, Las Palmas, the roads toward Santa Fe de Antioquia, are legendary among local cyclists for reasons that will become clear approximately 45 minutes into your first ascent.                                                                                                                                                  
What you will also notice: the locals climb these roads in jeans, on single-speed bikes, carrying fruit. They will pass you. Smile back and keep pedaling.
                                                                                                                                                  For bikepackers, the Ruta de los Cuchos and the roads through the coffee region (Eje Cafetero) offer multi-day routes through spectacular terrain with reliable access to towns, food, and accommodation. Talking to local cyclists before you ride is always worth the time.
                                                                                                                             

The Fruit on the Trail is Real

At some point on a long climb, you will pass a roadside stand selling fruit you have never seen before. Stop. Lulo tastes like a citrus hybrid that doesn't exist anywhere else. Gulupa is a small passion fruit with more intensity than any version you've tried.    
Maracuyá juice served cold at the top of a climb is one of the better things that can happen to a person.
                                                                                                                                                  Colombian trail food is not a consolation prize. It's a reason to ride.

Locals Will Help You

If something goes wrong in a remote area, and on long rides, something eventually does, a Colombian will help you before you've finished explaining the problem. A flat tire on a dirt road in Boyacá will produce a farmer with tools. A wrong turn in the mountains will produce someone who insists on riding with you to the correct path.                                                                                                                           
This isn't a generalization. It's the consistent experience of every foreign cyclist and hiker who has spent real time in the country. Scarab Cycles and Colombici in Medellín are the go-to contacts for bike rentals and guided tours for visitors who want local knowledge before heading into the mountains.

Get Challenged by Local Riders and Hikers

You're halfway up a brutal climb, your legs burning, lungs gasping for air—then a kid on a rusty bike, wearing sandals, casually cruises past you, grinning. Or a seasoned hiker in flip-flops keeps a faster pace than you on a steep incline. In Colombia, cycling and hiking aren’t just activities—they’re a way of life. Even when you’re exhausted, the locals’ effortless skill will keep you inspired.

 The Waterfalls Aren't on the Map

The best ones never are. They're down unmarked paths off dirt roads, mentioned by the guy at the fruit stand, visible from a ridge you wouldn't have found if you hadn't taken the wrong turn twenty minutes earlier.
                                                                                                                                                    Colombia rewards going slowly and going off-route. The infrastructure for adventure is thin enough that you still feel like you're finding things. The rewards for leaving the main road are real and consistent.

What to Pack 

Colombia's mountain terrain means significant temperature variation, hot in the valleys, cold at altitude, wet in the afternoons during rainy season (April–May, October–November). Layers matter. Waterproofing matters.

And after the ride, after the climb and the descent and the fruit and the dogs you need a shoe that isn't a hiking boot. Something lightweight you can slip on at camp or walk through a town in without looking like you're still on the trail.
                                                                                                                                                          That's what https://thebertshoe.com/collections/all is for.                                                                                              
   Follow us on Instagram @thebertshoe for more from Colombia and beyond.           

If you don’t want to bring your bike, you can always rent one from: Scarabcycles the best handmade bikes in Colombia.

If you would like to go on a tour check : Colombici