Show me your bikepacking bikes! And rigid or sussed?

I’m a stones throw away from you in Talybont and have a rigid 27.5+ Charge Cooker that I can put bikepacking bags on (I got some from Ian and Beth of Wildcat in Brecon to keep it local), the same bags will fit on my Marin Four Corners for gravel/road purposes (not done an overnight ride on this setup yet but it’ll work). Then I could chuck them on my Orange 5 if I really need to (though haven’t tried the frame bag on there, doubt it’ll fit very well).

The last couple of overnighters I’ve done are on the Black Mountains on the Charge Cooker. Lots of fun, even on descents like the Dragon’s Back/Y Grub. It’s not as all out as when riding it on a day ride, but really good fun. I think the + tyres are fantastic for picking lines and sneaking down steep rocky sections slower, but with more grip than on the full susser.

I find that some trail centres are fantastic on the rigid. Did a couple of laps at Cwn Carn recently and loved it, it handled the drops on the so-called black run very comfortably, again I think the added grip of the +sized tyres work wonders. Probably wouldn’t enjoy Glyncorrwg as much but I haven’t ridden there in a few years, from memory it is a bit more rattly.

Like you, bivvies under the stars bring back great memories of climbing trips. Although I seem to carry more firewood, cider and proper coffee on bike packing trips – must be an age thing.

Off Road 650 B+ … crackin bike

Less Off Road

It was wet out last night!

Home for the night ? ? ? #biketramps #Bikepacking #bicycling #bearbones #bicycletouringpro #bicycletouring #biketravel #adventurecycling #biketour #touring #outdoors #ridewithpurpose #adventure #ride #neverstopexploring #tourdivide #sussexmtb #GetOutside by Jim Barrow[/url], on Flickr

Long Distance Clara

I generally ride my rigid Swift when bikepacking. You can still ride pretty technical stuff, you just approach it differently, and it eats up the miles in between.

It definitely wouldn’t have been the nicest night yesterday but that looks like a good setup.

I want to do a bivvy by the end of next month so I’ve got a time frame to get the kit for.

Who still uses a backpack on longer rides? I like going pack less on most rides but was thinking a small rucksack wold be ok?

I still think I’ll use a backpack next time I go out (whenever that ends up being).

Bike was really leaden over the bumps the other day and I only had water and tubes lashed to it.

@blackmountainsrider – generally I try and avoid using one but if I’m trying things out (especially in winter with kit being so bulky) then I’ll take one but that would usually be for short local rides. I used a small Camelbak (Lobo) on the BB200 that was primarily for water but did have multitool and pump in there as well. Having looked at the route beforehand there weren’t that many watering points so the Camelbak made sense, with more becks, etc. available then a water bottle would have been better.

No one right way really, use what’s best for you and/or the intended route.

If you’ve X amount of kit then there’s four choices really: put it on the bike; put it on your back; a mixture of bike and back; take less stuff. For the occasional foray I wouldn’t worry too much, strap some dry bags to your bike and shove what’s left in a rucksack and enjoy the trip. If you get into it then you’ll start to figure what works for you and change accordingly. I’ve had 10Kg loads and 3Kg loads for the same ride – had learnt a bit for the second time.

Thanks. When I’ve bivvied on foot I’ve allways tried to go as minimally as possible. Im guessing 30 litres of storage will be plenty for my 1st one night trips. I have rucksacks that are big enough but I’m thinking if I can put the sleeping bag and bivi bag on the bars and a couple of small frame bags plus a 10 litre rucksack that should be a good starting point.

Rigid for me, Although it gets used as a commuter more than anything.

[/url]Untitled by singlespeed_shep[/url], on Flickr[/img]

@singlespeed_shep, what front rack is that please?

Specialised Pizza Rack,

Great rack, nice large flat top and still takes pannier bags

Cheers, looks good 😀

Posted before… Diverge used for Wales off-road coast to coast.

Photo taken this morning after 2017 BAM #1

Alternate configurations using Rebas and/or 29er wheels.

@flap_jack – nice set up, what tyres were you running?

Do people just use their main bike and buy kit to suit? Or do some of you start out with bikepacking in mind and buy a bike for that purpose?
I’m thinking of using my old Tricross but canti brakes + fat bloke + kit = high potential crash.
It’s a good job I’m slow

Here’s mine from last year’s YD300

All the bivy kit was in the seat pack, trail food in the yellow Alpkit bag, other food & spare clothing and emergency stuff in the frame bag. Waterproof was in my jersey pocket. Two water bottles: one in the cage on the down tube and one in another cage in front of the seat post that you can just make out. The Alpkit bag didn’t work out – it’s too floppy and the cage in front of the seat post broke so I need to figure out a better way of attaching one there.

For the BB200 I kept the seat pack but replaced the Alpkit bag and the frame bag with two stem cells. I wasn’t sure if I was going to do the route in one or not. Since I had the Camelbak for water and the repair stuff, I did some rationalisation and got things even more compact. In the end I did ride through but I could have bivvied without problem.

@ElShalimo – the Solaris was until recently my only MTB so I simply pressed it into service. If I was getting a bike specifically for bikepacking I’d probably look at a Stooge (or a Salsa Spearfish) – different ends of the spectrum but sort of shows that just about any bike will do.

Arctic bikepacking before rolling out at last year’s Rovaniemi – will be back there is just over a month for another 5 days of fun! This year I’ll be adding a couple of panniers (mainly food) and a light backpack with down jacket, pants and mitts.

@ElShalimo they’re Clement X’PLOR MSOs. 36mm (tight fit in the frame), tubeless setup. I got up and down everything, including stuff my mates using 40mm WTB tyres failed on. I couldn’t recommend them highly enough (except on mud). Even did some CyB on it in that configuration 🙂

@whitestone: How did you attached the bottle on the downtube? I’m suffereing from the nowhere to put a bottle syndrome.

Seen as Scroteouts is doing it, heres my BAM#1 loaded bike (reloaded rather easily than expected for once…)

Packed and ready to roll by Metalheart-UK[/url], on Flickr

@metalheart – the cage is attached by DMR hinged clamps you need to get the size to match the tube – can’t remember the size now.

@whitestone: How did you attached the bottle on the downtube? I’m suffereing from the nowhere to put a bottle syndrome.

Another option, i’m just about to order one for my stooge.

mount skidmore bottle cage adaptor[/url]

GT Grade with everything for a night out, small tent in the seat bag, sleeping bag and air mat on the front and a cooker and some food in the frame bag.

Thanks for the links guys 😀

Do people just use their main bike and buy kit to suit? Or do some of you start out with bikepacking in mind and buy a bike for that purpose?

You are over-thinking it.

It’s just like biking, but with more stuff. It’s not a niche application. Ride what you have, bring what you have. Just find something that works. If a rigid fatbike suits the ride you want to do, then ride one. If an enduro bike suits it, then ride that.

I ‘bikepacked’ in 1993 on my Kona Fire Mountain with my stuff in a rucksack, I did however many Polaris challenges on a variety of bikes too with a variety of kit. just carry it however you can.

My Solaris is going to be my bikepacking transport this year, had a spin over to the parents yesterday, took spare clothes, tools and stuff in the seatpack (Wildcatgear Tiger/Alpkit Airlok tapered 13l) so I didn’t have to take a rucksack. Have got an alpkit Joey and an Airlok dual for the bars, and a very cheap (but so far so good) frame bag the LBS wanted me to try also. Need to get the helitape out before I fit them though, my old raw frame was ideal, this one not so much.

I use my 853 Inbred 69er. Much prefer rigid loaded although in fairness I just seem to prefer rigid all the time as I never really use the suspension forks and 26″ front wheel I have for it. Always wear a small Wingnut Splitback pack too just with bladder and waterproof in (same as every normal ride)

Unpacked though.

This blog entry might help ex0lain some of the reasoning behind my current bike.

http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2016/06/act-3-bike-caution-nerdsville-ahead.html

A couple of pics from the Idaho Hot Springs Loop. Boblo and I toured for a month with this set up. He was on an 80’s rigid Marin, I was on a rigid El Mariachi. Even with endless miles of washboarded roads I wouldn’t have traded my rigid forks for suspension forks.

I seldom ride my full suss bikes now.

After riding in Idaho we fitted road tyres and rode down the Pacific coast through the Redwoods to Marin County just north of San Francisco

@stumpym4, was that a Trans Cambrian Way trip?

@mcmoonter how long did you take for the idaho hot springs? I really like the look of that one. What time of year did you do it?

Nice pics and nice bikes! Here’s my rigid bike from a ride on Sunday, carrying some gear to make coffee/stop for a picnic. Just a basic 29er built up cheaply, enjoyable to ride on all surfaces.

Black mountains riding by Matthew Walker[/url], on Flickr

It depends what bike you own thats the right. But I guess in an ideal the best bike is one with the least parts to go wrong so that would be a single speed fully rigid for me I find the extra gears a benefit on the long climbs as you can keep climbing comfortable for longer. I run a fully rigid with carbon forks and it certainly hasn’t slowed me down on descents as several strava segments show me. The best thing for rigids is plus wheels imho massive improvement on the ride quality. Pic of mine rigged up.

https://goo.gl/photos/gcZXk4WfSK8qQHaYA

I finally got the bike I intend to use for bikepacking built up. It’s a parts bin special, other than the forks which I bought from the classifieds, and a new lower headset.

I rode a loop of the Verderers trail at fod last night. It was the first time I’ve ridden a rigid mtb, and I’m now used to full sus.

I thoroughly enjoyed it though, it felt light, responsive and very engaging. It was like riding one of my old xc race hardtail again. The only bits that felt horrible as such were the braking bumps in some of the berms.

Sadly on the final part of the descent, my rear mech gave up, hence no chain etc in the photo.

To conclude though, it was great fun, and I expect I’ll use it alot when I go for solo rides and local evening rides.

Oh, and I know I should have eaten the pizza crusts, or taken a better photo!

faustus that looks just right, to my mind.

What’s the setup on the forks, may I ask? I envisage something like that on my Vagabond. I only have single mid-fork fixing-points though.

Malvern – It’s just an aftermarket pair of Surly Krampus forks with eyelets everywhere, so i’m using the rear facing anything cage bolts with blackburn cages. The fork isn’t light but rides really nicely.

Not sure what your options are on forks with a smaller a-c and with the correct offset for the vagabond though, and it’s not so easy to cobble together mounts with jubilee clips on skinny steel that bends or narrows like the vagabond fork.

Don’t know the a-c on the vagabond, but the V1 salsa fargo fork has a 442 a-c and bottle cage bosses (x2 not x3) if you can find one. Otherwise, there might be a surly fork that would do the job..?