Hi all,
I dont really know why I am asking this at the moment as I am completely skint, but anyway it can be my next project. Ive been looking at some Of the ITT routes http://selfsupporteduk.net/routes/penninebridlewayE2E.html

and fancying giving some a go, I would also like to try some bike packing so that leaves me with the bike dilemma. I’m thinking so sort of rigid29er type thing with big clearances so I can run huge tyres would be great for something like this. It will mostly be built up of 2nd hand parts as I need it to be cheap. What sort of stuff would people recommend frame wise? something like a scandal, or titanium on one or a carbon frame would be nice but I’m not really sure.

My ITT bike is cheap, rigid and steel.

Most importantly for the PBW is a bike that opens gates automatically though.

If you want to go bike packing, I’d say just use whatever bike you currently ride (assuming it’s not a full on DH monster).
It doesn’t really matter what bike you are riding, as long as you can carry what you need.

I did a bikepacking event recently, and people were riding fat bikes, thin bikes, rigid, full sus, CX and every possible wheel size.

Just have fun and don’t worry about the equipment too much.

Most importantly for the PBW is a bike that opens gates automatically though.

😆

I have a Cotic Solaris (Mk1) that I use for bikepacking and long distance stuff. Cotic have just announced the Mk2 Solaris and they are selling off the remainder of the Mk1 frames though they don’t have all the size range. Both versions can take 650b+ wheel/tyre combos as well as normal 29″ ones though the Mk2 is designed with that in mind.

There’s no one typical “bikepacking bike” though many go for the simplicity of a rigid 29er but equally some have full-sussers. At the Yorkshire Dales 300 there were no full-sussers, nearly everyone was on a hardtail or rigid bike. There was one fat bike and one crosser. Two were on singlespeeds.

The On-one Inbred 29er frame is just £150, you could build a nice bike up on that. The first guy home in the YD300 was on a rigid On-One Lurcher. There are one or two complete bikes about (Genisis Longitude for example) that are aimed at bikepacking.

Worth asking over on http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/index.php as well. I’m on there with the same username, Stuart the guy behind it also posts on here. There’s a lad on there, Ootini, who has a blog where he’s doing bikepacking on the cheap.

Here’s Andy Wilkinsons MTB/ITT bike. Don’t think that’s what you meant though!

Link to article

Thanks for your replies,
The on one lurcher looks interesting, although I have read a fair few bad things about it, The tyre clearances look a little small as well. I’m just a bit worried going fully rigid may be a little too uncomfortable for very long days in the saddle.

Ride whatever you have. You can either ride fast for an ITT or not. Bike will do little for you unless you’re really looking to challenge some of the set times.

Basically, just ride your bike, don’t buy one.

Go join the Bearbones forum if you want more info/abuse.

Shameless plug….this will be getting sold soon 😉

Just seen on another thread that you are 17 hence the “skint” comment.

Given that info, I’d start, as Greg says, by using whatever you’ve currently got. If you don’t like it then you haven’t spent loads of money.

Nowt wrong with a Lurcher comfort wise. Smooths off the bumps a treat. The inbred rides much better than it has any right to considering its price too.