I have a Thermarest Vesper quit that I have used for 4 years, in everything from sommer to -2 degrees (C). Love it and it has worked really well. A sleeping bag is usually too warm for me and I like sticking my feet out and using only part of the quilt when it is warm. It is a little bit more difficult to stay under the quilt when it is cold compared to a sleeping bag but I have not had any problems. There are other brands like See to Summit that make good quilts as well but I have only tried the Thermarest and as I am very happy, I haven't tried anything else. :)

Thanks. Good to know, all the best.

Thank you! :)

Have been using the footbike on and off in the past year (currently in need of a puncture repair) but an excellent piece of kit. Any NSW or Sydney based kickbike groups still running?

I really did not need more space and wanted to keep the bike as small and light as possible. I like to go off-road as much as possible and want the setup to be light for when I end up pushing and carrying up and down the rough terrain. :)

Thanks!

Great video and review! What mount did you use on the fork for Ortlieb fork-packs? Did you use any adapter for spacing?

@@ukaszopaek9159 The fork packs come with their own holder and I was able to use them straight on the fork. Worked really well, recommended!

I believe it might fit but I would not recommend it. The carbon fork is not rated for that sort of load and I would recommend smaller solution, like cargo cages.

Did you find the load limits for RT920 fork? I know that alu is more safe, but if they did these mounting spots in RT920 and have the rack in the offer I thought it works...

@@ukaszopaek9159 I remember seeing the load limit but don't remember where. It was not as high as the load limit for the rack.

To change to a flat handlebar you would need to change the shifter and brake handles which might get expensive. The easiest swap would be to a better-designed drop handlebar. The frame is not suspension-corrected so you should probably only fit a fork with gravel-type suspension length, otherwise, you will be affecting the steering geometry. That said, there are suspension forks with 12mm through-axels so that would work with the dynamo. It is a great value bike but making too many changes will cost money and I would consider if there are other bikes that are more like what you want to begin with. That is often not the case, though; sometimes you just have to fiddle around to get the bike you want. :)

Thank you very much for the accurate and swift response, great feedback!

It is ok but I have come to decide that I don't like tail packs. Much prefer a light rack. Doesn't move around and gives many more options. So I am not the right person to ask about the tail pack, moved away from it rather quickly... :)

Ja, det importerades några till Sverige och registrerades. Fast dom är svåra att hitta!

Not sure if I can tell you a max weight but a small camera and lens should not be any problem. I carried a Panasonic S5 with a 20-60 zoom and a 50mm 1.8 which worked but was starting to get a bit heavier than I liked in the bag.

I think you might have missed what sort of "touring" bike this is. It is an off-road, bikepacking bike where fenders often are more in the way rather than a nice accessory. I certainly would not have wanted mudguards while I was struggling through the peanut butter mud on some of the gravel roads in Spain.

If the video was labelled as about a gravel bike or for bikepacking (off-road or not) I wouldn't have clicked on it. Perhaps there is another marketing niche opening up which will confuse the staff of bike shops even more than they are already.

The dry bag is a Sea to Summit Big River

Thanks, glad it was helpful!

Thank you, glad it was helpful!

Thanks!

As far as I know, wild camping is not allowed in France or Germany. That said, there were plenty of places to camp on the sly and it should not be any problem as long as you take the usual free camping precautions. Very nice section of the trail and plenty of great views!

Yes, it is a Riverside 920 Touring. There is a review of it here on the channel.

It is one of my "rescue bikes", bikes that I return to working order and then hopefully sell. This one is for sale at the moment. :)

Yeah, thats correct! Cycling along the Rhine on Velo 15

That should be possible as the 920 has the same frame as the 900 which is fitted with 3 x 10 gearing.

@wombat.vision oh didn't know that! Cant seem to find the 900 in decathlon. I am looking the 520 though. Same frame as well right?

@@mrlogot Yes it is, just has a different fork (not carbon).

I really like the comfortable position that riding in the hoods gives on longer flat rides but... I hate the drops, especially on these bars. I find them more or less useless. I would very much prefer a flat bar with back-sweep for downhill and rough sections. That said, there are other dropbars that are better but I am probably going to remain a flat-bar guy. But that is one of the only things I would change on this bike, it is really good value in every other way.

thanks very much!

@@danbit You are welcome. Let us know what you decide and how you find it!

I'm 6 foot (183cm) :)

@@wombat.vision Thank you and thanks for the in depth review. Have a good weekend :)

Great points! :) Have tried front racks previously but wanted to try to avoid it on this bike as I was very much trying to keep the weight down.

That's what it sounds like when a Swede who grew up in Sydney says it! 🙃

I think so. My 920 had rims with 26mm internal width and they worked perfectly on that.

Yes, if you load it up fully it can get tall but it is possible to angle it downward. How much depends on your bike and bar setup. The mounting ropes look thin but I had no problem with durability despite probably having too much weight in the bag when I was using it to carry my camera equipment.

I mounted an 11-46 cassette without any problems but even that is outside the recommended range. I doubt that an 11-50 would work. But I can't be sure... :)

It is a roomy 2-person tent but 2 people with packs would probably be a stretch. But if you were to put the packs in the abide, outside the mosquito netting but still under cover there would be plenty of room.

I did map most of it on komoot but do not have it as a single file or route. I essentially followed the route that is available on the website, europeandividetrail.com/gps-files/ ,

Yeah, I don't think that should be a problem. They are 25 cm wide so it should work.

Yeah, definitely a benefit! :)

Thank you! Hope you have a great ride. It is really worth it! :)

Not much actually. A little bit but probably less than I would drink during a "normal" diet. :)

@@wombat.visionThat's interesting, did you take any supplements/electrolytes during the diet? or did the milk provide you with enough?

@@MrRai101 No, nothing extra. No supplements at all.

Unfortunately, I don’t think so. I believe there is a hack but it has many limitations and I would not recommend using it.

How did you feel and how was your recovery once you could get moving again? Any bad repercussions?

The frame is the same as on the Riverside 900 which I 3x so there should really be no problem with the right equipment. Just check what gears are used on the 900…

Thanks! Great that you like the content and I hope it inspires you to try some bikepacking for yourself. Maybe even on the Rockhoipper...? :)

Yeah, that would work but tends to wear out.

The bike was Large, I am 183cm tall and have a 32-inch inseam. :)

They will fit most racks and come with different inserts to fit different thicknesses of rack tubes. Essentially like any Ortlieb pannier.

Thanks for the info!

"In late February of 2022"