is it Camelback to go with your MTB heritage, stuffed pockets in road style, or pump on frame and seatpack in CTC fashion ?

I used to be stuffed pockets unless bigger days out and proper off road where I do still use Camelback, but have moved away from brimming jersey pockets for fear of injury falling on my pump, and currently have a tool bottle in the seattube cage, which I can also get pump in.

Small pump (Giant Connect MTB) under a bottle cage, and then a saddle bag containing; multitool, tube, Park patches, phone, keys, bar/gel if required.

Alpkit bike gear – frame bag, seat bag and handlebar bag – but thats for a bivi trip (well it will be when i have done one !)
Other than that bottle tool kit, and camelbak

Pump on frame.

CO2/Tube/Head/Multitool/Levers/Patches go in Topeak small saddle pack.

That’s it. Might put another tube in jersey pocket if I remember.

Oh, and ninja stars and cactus go in pockets.

I did try frame bags etc, but would rather have the extra bottle.

Old bike pic, but you get the idea…

fear of injury falling on my pump

On a quick ride I’ll have 2 bottles on the frame, tube and tools under seat, and snacks and phone in jersey…

On a bigger ride I’ll have a wildcat ocelot for ‘stuff’…

And on a really big ride it’s like this…

TBH, I’m loving not having anything on my back, even on the MTB…

DrP

The same sort of places cycle tourists have been carrying stuff for the last hundred odd years.

ie. various combinations of jersey pockets, saddle bags, bottle cages, panniers

Saddlebag for bike stuff, jersey pockets for food/layers.

Same as the OP – tool bottle & a pump attached underneath .

You can carry a thin sandwich between the crown of your head and your helmet.
Keeps it safe too..

DrP

It depends with me, depends on distance and terrain.

Long distance (> 50k ) and rough Bridleways stuff I tend to carry a camelback with spare tube, puncture kit, spoke key, lezyne multi tool, couple of gels and bars, wallet, phone, cards..

Long distance (> 50k ) gravel route (something like SDW/Ridgeway) then bottle, puncture kit, multi tool, wallet (contains money/phone/cards) couple of gels and a bar, all in rear Jersey pockets.

Short distance or routes I know well then just simple puncture repair stuff, phone, money a gel maybe a bar, in Jersey pockets.

In the main I take stuff in 2 above, seems to be light enough and concise enough for the riding I do.

I did the Lakeland Monster the other week, I took a camelback full of crap expecting the worst that the terrain could throw at me, however I could (and should) have done that event with stuff in No2 above, that would have been more than enough.

I’m about to do the Wessex Ridgeway, means a stop over and the terrain looks fairly easy but because it’s a long distance and near all off-road I’m taking the camelback set in No1 above. Looks about the right kit I’ll need for me rideout.

I don’t get on with saddle packs very well, I much prefer the lightness of the bike, but with the expanding distance I’m intending doing/starting to do it looks like I’ll need a seat pack and possibly a frame bag/bar bag and I’ve started looking into this. Quite what I’ll carry in them I’m not too sure, but certainly tools I have are adequate, maybe just a spare Jersey or something else etc.

Most distance stuff I do takes me near/past/through villages etc. so all I need regarding food/drink etc. is catered for that way so I’ve no need to carry coffee makers/sausages/bread makers/food mixers 😆

You can carry a thin sandwich between the crown of your head and your helmet.
Keeps it safe too..

DrP The sandwich or your head?
RM.

You can carry a thin sandwich between the crown of your head and your helmet.
Keeps it safe too..

DrP

And don’t forget that if you substitute steak for your chamois pad, it will be nicely tenderized and part cooked by the end of the ride.

My Salsa Warbird after Trans Iowa

Apart from food was carrying a waterproof and some warmer gloves

[url=https://flic.kr/p/pSUdeB]IMG_0545[/url] by thom1984, on Flickr

for bigger days out it’s the ocelot. I also have a jannd pack which takes ~ half the stuff. saddle bag for tools sometimes.

try to avoid a camelback normally.

Apart from food was carrying a waterproof and some warmer gloves

And some minty arse lard, I hope! That saddle looks pretty skywards!

Really like the idea of the Trans Iowa, though. Looks awesome.

some good pics and examples. I like having the weight off my back where I can and the tool bottle is ok, especially as I can get pump inside it, but find having 1 water bottle a bit limiting for anthing over an hour or so, so might get a small seatpack and a bracket for the pump to go on frame

Am also sorely tempted to try this;

It depends on what you mean by adventure rides. All of mine are single day affairs and I think the longest has been 10hrs or so (100-150miles normally mixed tarmac, dirt, technical).

I have an arkel saddle bag which is good enough for all bike spares (tubes,pump, multitool, few bits and bobs). Money and phone in pocket. Two bottles (I have 1L ones if there is limited chance to fill up). Windproof and food in the pocket.

Pretty much the same as a road setup just pockets are a bit fuller and the saddle bag a bit bigger. If the weather is fine then you don’t need much at all. Food and water are the biggest challenge and I check to see where shops are on route. Be interested to know what people are putting in the frame bags. If your bike is in good working order you don’t need a huge amount of spares.

Am also sorely tempted to try this

Do you ride a Specialized CFH? I hadn’t noticed…

Do you ride a Specialized CFH? I hadn’t noticed…

Heh…

😀

(Also have a Brompton, a Giant, a Marin and a beloved old Scott loaned to my father for use on a turbo)

what people are putting in the frame bags.

food and clothes. phone, wallet, keys. spare battery/ tools.

tbf. i bought mine for longer rides: circa 20hours with no food availibility. now i just ponce about hampshire pretending it’s iowa.

Alpkit possum for the Tripster.

Not sure what I will get for the RLT9 yet through.

When mine comes it’ll be a saddle bag for tools and jersey pockets for phone, wallet and keys when I’m commuting or dicking about in the woods.

For tours it’ll be a bob or, if I don’t have to carry the wife’s stuff too, a rack. I’m not into hanging stuff within the frame or off the bars.

Just to clarify on the camelback I use, it’s the very long one withe the water bladder that wraps around the kidneys.
Coz I ride slammed I do find that the pack fits nice and close and doesn’t wobble around. Don’t think I’d like the normal camelbacks.

I’d agree with the statement about a well maintained bike, better it is the less you need to carry. That’s why I can get away with so little most of the time.

Well the weathers looking great and I’m packed for my Wessex Ridgeway hack.

Ttfn

I also have a Revelate big pack, but not used it in earnest yet

and panniers 🙂

[url=https://flic.kr/p/p6Q9Ky]Autumn bivi trip[/url] by james*o, on Flickr
Just a gas tank and/or Possum (small) for winter day rides. Otherwise, clip-on pump, jersey pockets and small seat pack.

I also have a Revelate big pack, but not used it in earnest yet

Doubles up as a wheelie bar?

Doubles up as a wheelie bar?

😀

Indeed, I do have a tendancy to fall off !!

Seems I eat more….

Pump on frame, expandable small saddle bag with 2x 26″ light tubes, multitool etc plus emergency gel and 4x sachets of torq powder for making up bottles. Gilet strapped to remaining seat post. Phone with a £20 note? 12x energy bars and 12 x gels in jersey plus whatever bannanas I can fit.

Hate camel backs but will have to for my Spearfish unless I can jury rig another cage.

I have the medium topeak sadlle bag, the one that fits two tubes,small park tool ,chain links , patches plus 2xCO2(for cold & wet puncture repair). I stick my pump and a tyre lever in my pocket.
I like the look of jameso’s set up.Which are the bags on the top tube if you don’t mind me asking?
Do those mahoosive revelate saddle bags chaif?

Do those mahoosive revelate saddle bags chafe ?

I haven’t used mine in earnest but Sanny uses his a lot and no chafing. Its a compression fit onto the saddle rails and a wide padded flap on the seatpost so very secure.

They are very tapered at the seatpost end so your thighs never come close. You can see the shape a wee bit better in this photo.

That’s from a blog post I did with a complete kit list.
http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2013/05/bikepacking-kit-list.html

They are very tapered at the seatpost end so your thighs never come close.

Ah, I see thanks.I fancy one of the frame bags and am edging towards the bivi thing – thanks for the link to the blog , i’ll read later.

a bracket for the pump to go on frame

I’ve lost two pumps off brackets – both times I was sure I’d secured them properly.Obviously not, jersey pocket from then on,

Carradice or a framebag for me.

So what happens to these on the frame pumps / inner tubes under the seat etc when it suddenly gets wet and v muddy ?
Bakpak all day long for me .

I’ve been trying out a frame bag over the last few rides; I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find a tube, tyre levers, multitool, decent size pump, small first aid kit and lightweight gilet would all fit in there! It’s snug but at least that stops any rattling. I picked it up for around £14 from Charlie The Bikemonger. It’s tough and waterproof so no worries with it getting muddy.

No backpack feels very liberating after a decade or so constantly using one 😀

I used to put pump in pocket but after some stories of them adding to injury when falling I pop mine in tool bottle if road/paths or camelbak if off road. Similarly don’t like it getting all manky on frame bracket. I do use one on proper road bike tho.

My pumps get muddy. I’m failing to see the issue.