It's been over a year since my first bikepacking trip, I discovered amazing new places by bike since then. in this video, I am going to share 10 things I wish I knew when I started bikepacking, so you can get on you bike ready for your next adventure.
1. How to plan your first bikepacking adventure? My first trip was rather improvised. I just took a gpx from a route I found online that followed the Eurovelo 8 to Spain . However, we had some hiccups along the way. That is why I would recommend even if you take a route you find from someone else to still plan your own route using one of the multiple routing programs available. I like to use Ride with GPS and Komoot and compare the best option taking into account the terrain and places I want to visit. Adding multiple waypoints when creating the routes and points of interest like things I want to see and places where I can resupply and sleep
2. What bike to ride? do I need a specific bike for bikepacking? I would say if you have a bike you are ready to go bikpeacking. However, is good to access your needs depending on the terrain you are planning to ride on and check that you have a functional bike that fits you. In my case, I like to have a gravel bike that allows me to ride in mixed terrain to have more flexibility and enough tyre clearance to mount bigger tyres if needed.
3.How much weight should I carry for bikepacking? I would say get the essentials. Don't pack your whole wardrobe, you might regret it on a steep climb. Here is where the first tip comes come in handy, once you plan your route you will have a better idea of the equipment you will need and areas where to resupply food, water and where to sleep. I like to always have a repair kit and first aid kit. On top of that some spare clothes for a multiday adventure things snacks, lights, a power bank, enough water and if sleeping outside camping gear.
4. How to carry your gear? there are many ways to carry your gear, on dry bags using straps, backpacks, and pannier. I like to use bikepacking bags, sometimes a saddle bag and some other more stable solutions like the Tailfin aero pack rack. I find handlebar bags and top tube bags really useful because they are easy to access while riding and frame bags are good to store things I need at hand like tools a rain jacket or a bladder. For snacks food pouches are great. I like to have multiple bags to distribute the weight more evenly and to compartmentalize my gear, which makes it easier to find things on the road
5. What is a good bikepacking pace? How far can you bike in 1 day. That will depend on you, your personal preference, level of fitness. However, is good to set a daily goal depending on the number of days and distance you are planning, how much time you want to sleep the number of stops you want to make. For example, in my case, I tend to ride 100 km to 200 km a day depending on the conditions and how I feel at a pace that feels good when talking with someone.
6. What to eat on a bikepacking trip? While just eating sneakers and candies all day might be tempting, is good to have an eating strategy and be on top of your nutrition not to end up depleted. During my first bikepacking trip I found myself not eating enough and bonking on the first steep climb. Since then I try to carry enough food for the day with me and eat something at least every hour.
7. Where to sleep during a bikepacking trip?
Is good to have an idea of when and where you want to sleep. If you decide to camp outside you will need to pack additional camping gear which will add some extra weight to your kit. For those who prefer hotels and bed and breakfasts, I will recommend trying to choose accomodation outside the cities, I find they are normally more likely to let you take your bike into the room or they will have a storage facility in a garage or garden.
8. How much should I drink during bikepacking trip?
Stay hydrated. It is very important to keep on top of your hydration while riding. If you go to more remote areas where there is water scarcity, make sure you carry enough water with you and consider things like purification water bottles to take water from a water source you might find on the way.
9. Check the country's cycling regulations, things like lights, and areas where you are allowed to ride bells, among others can vary depending on the country.
10. Test your equipment before a long trip. Things that look great in theory ended up not working on multiday trips. For example bib shorts and shoes and mounts. that's why I like to try new items first on multiple short rides before using them on a bikapcking trip.
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27 июл 2024
