Looking for a bike packing bike for a summer trip a mix of road and off road. Roadie mates will be on more road biases gravel bikes. I am looking to go on an mtb set up for miles on tarmac / gravel roads.

So far considering a Stanton Sherpa , cotic soul or Solaris

Buy a bike that you want to ride, any bike will do, that’s the point!

I’d probably go for a 29er so the Solaris or Sherpa should be fine. I’d add a Stooge to your list. I do big distances (talking HT550 and French Divide length) on my Solaris and my wife uses a Stooge.

How about that creme egg coloured on one bike that came out the other day?

have a look for the discounted rigid Marin on crc. not sure of the sizes.

One that is comfy enough for multiple days riding of 15+ hours duration is my own personal conclusion.

Unfortunately, the only real way of finding that out is by doing it… 😜

You don’t need anything fancy, if you’re bagged up that all kind of limit the likely terrain so geo isn’t really that important either.

I started on what I had at the time (a mk1 Solaris). I ‘graduated’ to a mk1 SolarisMAX built up from new for the sole purpose of bikepacking (B+, boost, 2×11, fixed seatpin, barend ergon grips, comfy saddle (this took a couple of goes to get right…)). It’s done many trips and done the job.

I’ve ‘packed on the Sherpa too (just not multiple long days), it was fine. It would give you wheel options.

I’m about to swap the mk1 SolarisMAX for a mk2 (my original dark metal in fact) which my mate has used for multiday trips without issue (solo and with myself). So I’m sure it would also be up to the job.

However, if you go to bikepacking.com and look up their readers rigs (or whatever they call it) and you’ll see it doesn’t really matter…

I’ve been away, I need to check in the loft (tomorrow) before I reply to the pm… 🙂

ETA: bags wear paint so Ti is nice. But tape is cheaper… make sure you buy plenty of decent stuff and cover the main triangle and especially the head tube.

Re-reading your OP I’m planning on riding the Camino del Norte next year. I’ll be doing it on my standard ‘packer but with reasonable rolling tyres on 29er wheels as a compromise.

Did the Camino this year on my full on enduro Stumpjumper Evo, including Double Down tyres and rear insert. Ultra comfortable and reliable, I was never afraid of something breaking. A little slower than the guys with more “conventional” bikes for the route, but not that much once you factor the packing load, the technical climbs and the sheer amount of recklessness allowed by the nearly DH grade build. Back home is my everyday bike.

Done it before more than once with more dedicated bikepacking bikes, which were great at that, commuting and not much else (and not even remotely as comfortable).

Bikes of the 2017 Jen ride can be seen here

https://www.cranked.cc/category/bikepackers-2017/

I’ve seen rig rundowns for things like the tour divide. What about checking out one of those for similar terrain to you?

I’ve bike packed on:

Raleigh alloy frame with 100mm fork

Fine, broke that frame riding down steps😀

Cove stiffee it started with 120mm forks. 700 miles round central Sweden one summer. After the front end of the. Bike got stolen I ended with rigid forks and thumb shifters as that was all I could afford to replace the pinched bits with. This was mostly on the road which turned into loads of deep gravel roads for a couple of days as they were resurfacing backroads.

Orange clockwork with 150mm forks on the South Downs way.

Orange segment for the Jen rise in 2017

Geometron g13 for Jen ride in 2018,2019 and hopefully this year as well.

I’d be more worried about the grips and saddle than the frame. I recon The contact points will determine a lot of your comfort.

If your mates are on gravel bikes get something that fits you with tyres that roll as fast as your mates.

All your suggestions would be great.

A mate did sand her head tube over 2 days so the suggestion on tape is a great one😀

Almost any bike will do, ive done camping trips on a cx bike, a rigid 29er and a fs Ebike.
They all work.
I’d echo the above sentiment though, you need to be able to sit and pedal it for X number of hours a day.
Surly karate monkey is a n other example, but there are many many more.

Also, clip on aero bars are great for some free speed, a different hand position and a place to put stuff.

This is rubbish advise if there is a group as your hands are miles from brakes and they always feel a bit wobbly to me for the first 50 miles

Not sure what size you need but this is in the classifieds

Latest Classified Ads

If you are on a short trip of a week or less then anything will suffice. Any longer then maybe a surly troll or ogre, or something from Bombtrack.
But…. I honestly wouldn’t stress about it, I rode round Bolivia in 2006 on an Orange Gringo and loved it. The bikepacking scene/fad/marketing machine is full of bullshit about how important gear selection is etc etc. Just have a go and don’t spend too much money on it.