PSA – Just found an inflatable pillow in Poundland.
I bought it to experiment with bonding some foam to one surface to see if I could make a comfortable alternative to the usual rolled-up clothing-in-a-drybag I normally use.
Then I tried it and thought it was pretty good un-modified. It’s got a flocky/microfibre surface and I like it a little under-inflated.
Anyway – it’s 43g and a good size (over a foot wide)
Not sure if it counts as bikepacking as i cant abide camping (unless with a hammock which i will do again next summer) but here are the set ups ive used for overnighting. Genereally hostels.
Carlton ‘gravel’ Singlespeed.
Gazelle Mondial Road tourer.
And the newest member of the family. Genesis Vagabond custom build (which i love but cant really justify so feel free to make a decent offer. XT m8000 1×11 with an oval CR)
Ben that Genesis looks outstanding – make sure you don’t regret selling it! I think I’m a bit envious as my bike looks like quite a hideous creation in comparison 😀 It’s purpose is getting me a few miles out into the wild and then I make a coffee and chill for half an hour (got a 3 month old baby, so some quiet time is nice)
Putting some kit together to do some bike packing over winter.
I’ll need to mount 2 bottle cages to my forks (Rigid Stooge) to clear space in the frame for a frame bag, and I’ve spotted a fair few on here doing it. What are you using to mount them?
Looking at getting 2 cheap alu cages and then mounting them onto the forks with 2-3 jubilee clips and rubber pads. Would that be secure enough to hold 2x750ml bottles (1 each side)?
Had an interesting 62mile loop yesterday evening/this morning as a mate and I loaded up our cx bikes; his commuter, my racer, and went looking for the Grwyne Fawr bothy. We’d planned for worst case scenario so were fully tipi’d and bivi bag’d up but the bothy was empty so we had it to ourselves when we got there at 9pm after some hike a biking.
It was a little easier to see this morning!
Home now and bike stripped and ready for tomorrow’s race.
(Particularly if you’re planning on doing it over 3 days and driving from the SE, there’s places left and I’m tempted, but can’t even afford petrol at the moment!).
I bought a Joey but sent it back before using it. I found the webbing and straps were in the wrong place for my bike and it was going to sit too high and not really protect the head tube which is one of the reasons for getting it.
If you like the idea and you’re handy (which I’m guessing you are given you’ve bought material) it’s very simple so you could knock something up quickly.
I went DIY after that, but admittedly haven’t perfected it – due to lack of time more than anything.
Noticed your post on BB stayhigh. There’s some pics of my harness on a thread in the MYOG forum from not too long ago. Should answer most of your questions. Yes I know it looks proper s*** 😀
The original plan was to bivi in some woods I’d found on the map, a nice small wood on top of a hill, miles for anywhere. Anyway, I got there, there’s a big no entry sign as it’s a wildlife reserve for nesting birds and judging by the noise there were a lot of them!
Continued back down the hill and decided that pitching in the corner of a field was probably the sensible option rather than pressing on in the dark without any real plan of where to go. Stupidly I’d not bothered to bring a map as it’s an area I know the trails well enough!
20miles there, 20 to the outlaws for a fry-up in the morning, and another 10 back home, just enough to feel like I’d done some work.
And proof you don’t need to be in the middle of nowhere to enjoy a cheeky night under the stars and wake upto a lovely inversion/sunrise!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/M7YWXm]2016-10-10_10-20-51[/url] by thisisnotaspoon, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MCv6nQ]2016-10-10_10-21-02[/url] by thisisnotaspoon, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MUwLoE]2016-10-10_10-21-12[/url] by thisisnotaspoon, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/M7Z3Vd]2016-10-10_10-21-43[/url] by thisisnotaspoon, on Flickr
Kit list:
Alpkit kanga + airlock with a vango self inflating mat and an ME Daragon Series sleeping bag (no idea what rating it is/was, but it’s chuffin toasty even at 5C outside!)
Ibrea Bike frame bag with a Gelert solo tent.
Alpkit Koala with down jacket, waterproof, ronhills, merino LS top, silk bag liner, 650ml Ti mug, bearboned 18g stove, roasting tray windshield, foil bubble wrap pot cosy, travel shampoo bottle of meths and striker.
Camelback with 3l of water and bike stuff.
Podsac chalk bag with a bag of wine gums, bar of choclate and phone.
Dinner was cous-cous and choritso cooked in a bag in the pot cosy whilst I brewed a cuppa in the mug. Genius , whoever came up with that washing up saving idea!
Wrapping the bivi with the mat and using the bivi stuff sack to stuff the sleeping bag into allows everything to fit into the front. There’s even enough room for the tarp that way! But it makes the front pretty wide and a little too heavy (and the tyre can rub on the u/s of the pack if the fork compresses most of its travel). Need to raise the fork pressure a little I fear.