Ride Your Adventure

The honest answer to this question is a bit cliché. Find the bike most comfortable for you, given the terrain you will experience. The truth is that there may not be one perfect bikepacking bike for all situations. For example, you wouldn’t want to take a mountain bike on a cross-country trip, just like you would want a road bike on a trip that is mainly on singletrack. With that said, there are specific areas in that you can adapt a bike to fit multi-surface adventures, and there are things you can consider to make the bike more comfortable.

One area to pay attention to is the handlebars. You will be spending much time in the cycling position, and one of the fastest areas that can fatigue is your arms and hands. Do you prefer flat bars or drop? Drops will offer more hand positions which could be a benefit. Adding aerobars to your drops will offer a way to relieve pressure on your hands and numbness in your forearms. However, if your terrain is going to be more singletrack-focused, flat bars could be the better choice. If you are going to ride with flat bars, consider adding comfortable grips and bar ends to provide extra hand positions. Whatever you decide to go with, ensure plenty of saddle time leading up to your trip with that setup. Do not change your setup right before leaving for a bikepacking adventure.

When it comes to deciding to use a bike with suspension, it will depend and vary on the trip. In general, there are three different surfaces you will encounter while bikepacking; road, gravel, and singletrack. If your ride is up to 80% road and gravel, the suspension won’t be necessary. If your bike has gravel specific fork with some travel in it, that would obviously be fine here too. Other drawbacks of using suspension include extra maintenance or potential mechanical issues, and it adds weight.

Instead of suspension, we suggest putting extra thought into your tire setup. If there were one thing to consider when buying a bikepacking bike, it definitely would be to buy a bike that can accept wide tires. If you can fit a 700x45, that will give you much versatility when setting up for any specific ride. The right tire setup can make a noticeable difference in your comfort when you’re on hour eight of day three on a bikepacking trip. If you have difficulty deciding if suspension is necessary for a ride, the answer might be to use a bigger rear tire. We even suggest using different size widths on the front and rear. A thinner front tire can improve handling and reduce weight, while a wider rear can make a more comfortable ride. A slight difference is all you need, like a 38 rear and 35 front or 40/38. It all depends on what your plans are. If you’re looking for a tire to start experimenting with, we suggest the Gravel King by Panaracer, but again, it depends on what your bikepacking plans are. These tires can handle bumpy roads and are light, fast, and strong. It all comes down to personal choice and trying many different tire combos before you take off bikepacking.

Starting in the rear, we suggest getting an Ortlieb Seat-Pack. This made-in-Germany seat pack is beyond well-made. It’s waterproof proof and provides a good amount of space. We suggest storing crucial items here that have to stay dry. For example, sleeping gear: sleeping bag, down pants, down jackets. Moving forwards, the frame bag is where heavier and bulkier things can be stored. If extra water is needed, it can go in here. Also, your extra clothing layers can go here, like a wind jacket, vest, socks, and after-riding clothing. In an ideal world, everything would be waterproof, but if you’re looking to save some costs, this bag doesn’t have to be. Anything you want to stay dry here, wrap in plastic. Above the frame pack is the top tube pack. This is a great spot to carry the accessories you will need. We put a tool kit, battery packs, chain lube, headphones, gloves, and wet wipes here. On the handlebar, we like to place a feed bag and a handlebar bag. The feedbag is to keep some trail mix nearby so you can slowly keep the calories coming in. We’ll talk more about eating and food later. For the handlebar bag, we like to use an Ortlieb bag here as well. Their Handlebar-Pack QR is a great choice. This is where we keep camping equipment. The straps on the front of this bag can hold a sleeping pad. We have found an actual sleep pad to be more useful and easier to deal with than a blow-up sleep pad. Inside a backpacking tent, bivy and other camping gear can fit nicely. The gear you carry will differ depending on the season. As a basic rule of thumb, we suggest using Ortlieb bags for gear that you absolutely do not want to get wet. They have a clear advantage in this department over most other brands. A fully loaded bike for a summertime bike-packing trip will weigh around 45 pounds.

If you’re looking to invest in a little more comfort, the next place to look would be the seat post. We suggest looking at the Cane Creek 3G Thudbuster Seatpost with long travel. This is a great way to add suspension to a gravel bike and take some pressure off the sit bones. We highly suggest looking into this seat post if you’re a fan of rail trails. It will really help smooth them out, which will reduce sit-bone fatigue.

The last thing to consider with bike setup would be the drive train. The biggest question in drive chain choices nowadays is whether you go with a 1X or stick with the classic 2X. Honestly, we don’t suggest spending a bunch of money to convert because both will get the job done. However, there is a reason 1X has become so popular lately. The most obvious reason is that there is less chance of mechanical failure. If you’re riding on some really bumpy gravel, there is a good chance that the front derailleur will stop shifting properly at some point. So, if you’re shopping for a new bike to fit the bikepacking theme, consider the 1X drivetrain.

Deciding how to handle your food for a bike-packing trip should be done in the planning stage. As a rule of thumb, we suggest planning on buying food along the way as much as possible. If your trip involves a lot of remote riding, obviously, you will have to make prior plans on what to bring. This means you might have extra storage and weight. If possible, we suggest saving weight and planning to eat along the way. Many trips, especially along rail trails, will have towns to stop at and get a bite to eat. Before you leave for your bikepacking trip, use Google Maps and search the route to get a rough idea of where you can plan food breaks. When it comes to carrying enough food, a tip we have is to bring a lightweight, packable backpack like a cinch bag. This will fold up very small, so when you don’t need the bag, it won’t be in the way; however, it’s an easy way to carry food in between long stops. If you’re interested in a little nicer bag, look into Apidura Packable Backpack. The straps on this bag are much nicer than a cinch bag, so you will definitely be more comfortable with this one. Also, this bag folds up and has a strap that allows the rider to attach directly to the bike frame.

When it comes time to actually eat, more especially, mid-day mid-ride, more than likely you won’t want a big meal. This is where a gas station protein shake or high-calorie Cliff Bars will be your friend. We’ve even heard of drinking chocolate milk.   The idea is to get as many calories as possible that are “easier” to process. The thing about bikepacking to keep in mind is preventing bonking. Once you bonk, the rest of the day or trip could be a struggle. A bike packing trip is not the place to worry about calorie counting to a degree. You should be very mindful of what you’re taking in, but you will be burning a lot. As a rule of thumb, eat an hour before you are hungry.

If you want to sleep in a tent, bikepacking tent technology has improved immensely over the past five years. For example, the Fly Creek HV UL2 tent is designed to pack small enough to fit in the handlebar pack we mentioned before, poles included. This tent also won’t weigh you down, weighing only 37 ounces. Yes, you’ll give up a few comfort features, but the packability is second to none. Other options for sleeping while bikepacking include a hammock, picnic bench with a sleeping bag, or hotel.

If you want to be lightweight, you have to pack, for a lack of words, light. That could mean sacrificing a few changes of clothes and finding creative ways to wash your kits daily. Washing clothing in a sink or shower is common practice on the trip. We recommend bringing at least two pairs of shorts; however, some people will say one is enough. With two, you can have a backup pair in case you can’t get your main one washed out the night before.

Bib shorts vs. shorts. First off, it’s a personal choice, and whatever you’re most comfortable with is the right choice. However, we would like to point out that bibs can have a few advantages. On a bike packing trip, you will be in the saddle for a long time. Bibs are popular because the straps help keep everything in place. If you wear shorts and find the chamois moving around on you, give bibs a try. Second, bibs come up higher in the back. If we get caught on a wet ride (which is bound to happen on a bikepacking trip), the bibs come up higher in the back. This helps prevent road stray and dirt from getting into places it should be, which helps prevent chafing.

Some other quick tips and trips for cycling clothing on a bikepacking trip include flip-flops or shower shoes, toe socks are a great way to reduce the chances of blisters, and enduro or mtb style shoes that are bigger and have space (even consider going up a size).

Don’t forget to pack the extras and outerwear. Arm and leg warmers could be necessary depending on the time of year. Another thing about warmers is to make sure to check the morning temperatures. If you get on the road early, the lows in the morning could warrant warmers, even though it might get in the 80s. Planning is key. Also, a cycling wind vest would help in that scenario as well. For outerwear, we recommend bringing a down jacket and pants. These can do double duty and be part of the sleeping bag as well. Lastly, a rain jacket and pants should be your last layer to bring. If and when you get caught in a rainstorm, you will be more than happy to have this layer. Remember you will adjust your clothes frequently throughout the day. Morning riding will be different from the afternoon; climbing a big hill will require different layers than descending. Bringing versatile clothing that can pack easily is what you are looking for when it comes to bikepacking clothing.

Unless you’re riding a rail trail, it’s inevitable that you will come across traffic on your trip. Being safe on your bike has to be the number one priority. There are many ways to do this. First, be smart about your clothing. There is plenty of high viz cycling apparel available, and we can’t recommend enough that this is the best time to utilize it. Secondly, and most obviously, use lights. In fact, use multiple rear lights. Mix-up flashing and constant. You can also consider purchasing a Garmin Varia rear light with a radar that alerts you when a car is approaching. Third, ride smart and predictably. Following the rules, staying to the right, taking the lane when you need to, and making eye contact are all good pieces of advice. Keeping a whistle around your neck is a smart tip. It can act as your horn. If you’re going through an intersection, blow it if you feel it’s needed.

When it comes to deciding when to take the lane and when to stay to the right, a good way to judge the right time is by going off of your speed. If you are climbing a big hill and going slowly, move over; however, once you crest that hill and pick up speed, own the lane. It’s best to prevent cars from trying to pass you when you are going at or close to the speed limit. If you plan a bike packing trip mainly on roads, ensure you have enough experience riding on the roads to be comfortable.

Where we’re located in Appalachia, a well-planned bikepacking trip can avoid most roads, and you can still get almost anywhere. Using the rail trail systems and mapping out gravel roads, you can plan your trip and avoid main roads. For example, we are located in Pittsburgh, PA, and we can get to the bottom of West Virginia and be off the main roads for about 70% of the entire trip. Just be smart, and plan ahead, and you can have a safe and more adventurous trip with proper planning.

When cell service is spotty, and you still need to know where to go, a GPS unit can be an important piece of gear. When bikepacking in remote locations, a GPS unit can save your life if you get turned around. Some GPS units can send SOS signals to local emergency authorities, send messages and location to loved ones, and show you where to go. If you don’t need a GPS, but are still traveling alone, invest in a spot tracker. A spot tracker will notify loved ones of your location and can send messages. It can be a great piece of gear for peace of mind.