I’m looking to get as much off my back and onto the bike this year, I’ve seen some great ideas for hardtails but I know its not as easy for bouncy bikes.

At the moment I’ve got an Alpkit Airlok Dual 13l for my sleeping bag to go on the bars and a small 1.5l top tube bag for bits. I think I can use a small asddle bag for tools but anything bigger is going to buzz on the descents and I don’t want anything getting in the way of the dropper post.

The other obvious area is the triangle but with my water bottle in there is doesn’t leave any useable space.

Are there any other clever solutions people are using, my bike is a Cube Stereo.

ta

The obvious answer is.
……. you need another bike!

The other obvious area is the triangle but with my water bottle in there is doesn’t leave any useable space.

move the bottle?

That’s the best option scotroutes, I do have a hack hardtail but I want to take my good bike and im not quite able to justify a new bivi bike (though it might not be far off!)

There are only one set of cage mounts on the down tube so there’s no other suitable place to move it too (?), I’ve thought about doing away with the bottle but then that puts me back to a bladder on my back.

i think you’ll toil to get much more on that bike beyond what you have so far…

i sorted myself out with alpkit stuff recently for the jones. id suggest swapping out the dropper and add a big seat pack for the times you are really loaded up. even with a seat frame and bar bags, I’m still carrying bulky but light stuff on my back a well.

Not cheap, but you could get a custom made frame bag to fit a Cube Stereo – look at a Wildcat Gear Clouded Leopard framebag. It will have cut outs for the shock and even a bottle cage. Wildcat also do a thing called the Lioness that hangs over your the dry bag on your bars. I am a huge fan of their gear.

Alpkit stuff is good too and they do these Stem Cell things that mount behind your bars. An option is to use climbing chalkbags, which is what I have. You can also mount another top tube bag at the seat tube but backwards. The Topeak Fuel Cage bag comes in a few sizes – just dont overload it as it can flop about a bit.

You can also attach things to your fork legs and the down tube using a Gorilla cage or the smaller Monkii cage, though measure the diameter of the tubes first to make sure they are going to go around them.

I was looking at this the other day and it was suggested to put some pipe insulation around the dropper post whilst using an alpkit koala – apparently it goes on really nicely and doesnt stop the dropper from working – I am off to ride wales for 3 days in a few weeks, so will be trying this option myself

You can also buy mounting kits which velcro/zip tie on to move the water bottle if you want

thanks all,

I don’t want to loose the dropper post and even with a normal post id have to drop it for descents so anything under the seat would rub on full travel, I tried strapping my matt there one time. I will try and see how big I can go though and see how the pipe insulation works out.

I did look at the stem cells but thought the bars would be too crowded, I have got an old chalk bag though so will try that.

I hadn’t thought of another top tube bag at the seat tube so will try that.

I’d ask what you need to carry and where you’re riding?

You could easily make use of your 13l capacity on the bars, buy having a smaller packsized sleeping bag, which could easily reduce half that volume.

A seat pack would give you extra capacity if you left the dropper at home.

You’ll send to find that a lot of people are returning to wear packpacks/bumbags to keep some of the weight off the bike to help with the handling/hike-a-hike

yes I probably could get some more on the bars but im conscious of the weight, I’ve got the Alpkit Pipedream 300 bag and could probably get my thermarest in there too (the Airlock dual hasn’t arrived yet so I haven’t had chance for a test yet).

I suppose if I can get both of those on the bars then it doesn’t leave that much for the pack?

Freeload or whatever they are called now Thule own them.

even with a normal post id have to drop it for descents

Just *what* are you looking at doing? Bikepacking (assuming that’s what you are aiming at) rarely if ever heads down anything anywhere nearly as technical as the typical trail centre red. There are exceptions of course but generally if it gets to the type of terrain where you need to drop your saddle then you’d get off and walk.

I just got one of these off of eBay:

Should be coming in the post soon so I’ll let you know how it works – gonna have a little camping trip up the Pentlands next week to try all my bikepacking stuff out.

It’s a Thule Pack n Pedal Sport Tour Rack

yes I probably could get some more on the bars but im conscious of the weight, I’ve got the Alpkit Pipedream 300 bag and could probably get my thermarest in there too

You can get an AK PD400, thermals, sleeping socks, hat, primloft gillet into an 8 litre drybag. 13 litres and you’ll have loads

Just *what* are you looking at doing? Bikepacking (assuming that’s what you are aiming at) rarely if ever heads down anything anywhere nearly as technical as the typical trail centre red.

Yep, if you cant ride it without dropping the seat, trying to ride it with bags strapped to it will probably not end well. Just re-learn how to descend without a dropper ;0)

There are exceptions of course but generally if it gets to the type of terrain where you need to drop your saddle then you’d get off and walk.

Nonsense, all depends where you ride and if you like using a dropper. Walking down descents? Have a word with yerself!. 😆

Also, if your having issue with bag under the seat hitting the tyre, you might have same issues with the fork buzzing the front bag. Depends how high you can mount the bag.

even with a normal post id have to drop it for descents

Only ever had a hardtail, never owned a dropper post, never dropped my saddle for descents.
Admittedly, with a drybag harness attached, it’s more difficult to get so far back, but bikepacking isn’t about the Gnar – so you’re unlikely to encounter a situation that would justify a dropper.

Also, I’d probably use the hack bike – as long as it’s working fine, you’ll probably find it more practical.

all depends where you ride and if you like using a dropper. Walking down descents? Have a word with yerself!.

I like using the dropper but I don’t have it on the bike when bikepacking.

I did have a word with myself – the word won! 🙄

yourguitarhero – that wee rack looks ace, let us know how you get on with it.

did someone on here mount a 2nd seat post at the back of the saddle and then cut it in 1/2 to mount an alpkit koala too ?

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bikepacking-with-a-dropper-simple-solution

credit to postierich

I know it’s terribly unfashionable, but at least consider a rucsack. If your kit is light enough it won’t be a burden, and you get full technical ability of your bike too.

Before I get flamed to death, I’m only suggesting it’s worth trying. You probably already own a small rucksack so you might as well try it out. If you have a nice lightweight one all the better.

I did a pretty decent length (100Km, 3000m climbing) overnighter in the brecons/blackmountains in March with a 13L bar bag, top tube bag and a 25l osprey pack on my full suspension bike. It was fine. I’d rather have the kit on the bike if possible, but my HT was out of action that weekend so I took the suspension bike.

I use a cheap seat post rack weighs nothing and an alpkit dual airlok strapped but thats on a hardtail without a dropper. Done Telegraph valley and Jacobs ladder with that set up no problems. I think i would work on Full suss without a dropper.

Thanks for the replies, I’m not planning on riding around the world, I’m just doing my normal fairly full on peak district riding but camping out at the end as oppose to riding home.

I don’t want to compromise my bikes handling (too much) and certainly don’t want to compromise the fun.

I will be wearing a rucksack but wanted to keep the weight and bulk to a minimum. The Thule rack looks interesting i’ll have a proper look at that.

Luggage on your bike will definitely compromise handling quite a bit, imo A 20l rucksack would sort you out I reckon. The best way to keep the weight to a minimum is to buy better kit. My sleeping bag, esp now it’s summer, fits in about 2l of space.

I would only load up the bike if I knew I wasn’t doing anything technical that I wanted to enjoy.

I know it’s terribly unfashionable, but at least consider a rucsack. If your kit is light enough it won’t be a burden, and you get full technical ability of your bike too.

+1

I hate backpacks with a passion on the bike, but as my local loop is ~27miles I’d struggle to do that on 750ml May-September so take the Camelback (but it’s minimaly packed, pump, tube, tool, rear light and sweeties). With a bit of planning I’m sur eI could stuff it with the lighter Bivi kit. Infact it’s probably the best place for a lot of the small stuff in the absence of a frame bag as bar bags and saddle packs work much better with big bulky items that hold their shape when compressed (sleeping bags, mats, etc).

I think you’re going to have to sacrifice something, either the dropper post, the FS bike or both. I’d lose the dropper when bivi’ng, you’re not going to be getting overly ganrr with a bar bag 20+ miles form anywhere!

How much does the OP’s kit weigh all-in?

I would probably look at replacing the bottle with a bladder.
Then using a Wildcat* frame bag in conjunction with a Mountain Lion handlebar harness. They do a Lioness pouch on the front that could take your water bladder.

I’m with you on the dropper-post thing. Would love a reliable solution for that.

Did you see what Beth at Wildcat did for this Pivot?

*I’m biased as I do design work for them

Wildcat custom frame bags are a good option too mind for FSers

The rack surely won’t help. The distance between the saddle and rack will reduce under compression and the local and will hit the saddle.

Put heavy stuff on the bars and lightweight bits in a rucksack…..
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or buy another bike.