hi Katie, I’m more of a silent viewer- I don’t comment very often but I just wanted to say that I really enjoy your videos and congrats on just hitting 50k subscribers! Thanks for putting lots of time and effort into making these videos, they’re always so simple and beautiful attributing to your authentic and sincere nature. I really appreciate it. I hope you have a lovely day! 🌷
Those little top tube packs are perfect for holding my power pack to top up my iPhone on the handlebars. They are so useful I now take one on most rides e.g. for camera, sketchbook etc
I've been traveling ultralight. Handlebar roll and seatpost bag, something like #2 in the video. Got tired of traveling so minimally and packing so tight so just sprung for a Tailfin setup with the 20L aeropack and 2 10L panniers. Dang they were expensive, but they just stand out from the pack. Sleek, adaptable, elegant design and rock solid.
For me it's small front panniers and small rear panniers with a small ortlieb handle bar bag, big Agnes tent on the top of the back rack helps to keep the centre of gravity low for multi day world trips. On mtb trips I use a similar setup to you.
I like the Center of gravity of panniers. In my experience I don’t like the feel of the bike with weight up high. Just my 2 cents. Thanks for the video, your tail fin setup looks great!
I've been setting up a gear list for the TransAm next year. Just wanted to say THANK YOU for bringing my attention to the Tailfin Bag. Didn't know it existed and its exactly what im looking for
It's a very good point about panniers being much easier to access than a seat bag. Also you can get at least twice as much in, maybe 3 or 4 times as much, plus on a normal pannier rack you can have something on the top as well. Of course you have to watch the weight. Altura do some 15 litre panniers that weigh a mere 250g. I bought a seat bag but it was close to my tyre and then I realised by bike had rack eyelets at the bottom, and I found out you can get seat post clamps with eyelets, so I did that and fitted a Topeak Explorer rack. I have disc brakes, but the non-disc version fitted my bike.
As I know, bar bags are also “not aero” that’s why when you do bike packing you should try have all your bags in line with your body and bike. Francis Cade made a perfect video in aero tunnel about it 👌🏻I know that doing that kind of trip most people don’t think about it but if you mention about that... I think when you starts do some serious distances every little thing counts and personally I’m adding aero bars
I asked about the Tailfin bags on Facebook as I have been using a saddle bag (Apidura) for a while but I found myself becoming a bit frustrated with it. My saddle height does not allow the largest size bag to fit so I had to compromise and get a smaller capacity bag than I ideally wanted. And then, on PBP, I became very tired of packing/unpacking the bag all the time when I was really tired. I think easy access would have cheered me up!
Honestly look at the tailfin its worth every penny. For lower saddle heights you can get a connector that allows the bag to sit further back meaning you can use all of the bags volume.
I personally prefer rear panniers, as with them mounted lower down the bike seems more stable on rougher unmade surfaces. Not everyone needs massive panniers though. I use a pair of Agu small front fork mounted panniers on the rear on my bike which is plenty for an overnight stay, that way I only need a top tube bag and dont need the handlebar mounted bag at all.
I'm a big fan of bike packing set up rather than panniers on my 29er. One problem I've encountered unfortunately tho' being only 170cm tall, is the rear seat post bag sagging onto the rear tyre and rubbing. On my last bikepacking adventure, my rear tyre rubbed a small hole into my new Ortlieb bag. I know other short people have experienced this too so if you're vertically challenged like me(with shorter seat post height), and looking at different set ups, it might pay to keep this in mind. I know Blackburn do a removal rear bag that sits in a hard capsule which prevents sagging which might be a good option.
Super helpful to see three different set-ups like this. And congrats on hitting 50k subscribers. Obviously, I'm a bit late and you're closer to 55k now but oh well... ;)
Hi Katie, thanks for this video. I have a question for you... two of your setups used the Apidura front handlebar bags. I have the large version of this bag too. I have a few problems with it. Number 1: it tends to get too close to my front tire, so I always have to tighten the two straps that go over the handlebars as tight as possible. But after a few days, it looks like the yellow threads holding these straps to the bag were being stretched so bad that I was worried that they would start breaking. Number 2: I had to also be careful not to crush my shift cables and hydraulic brake lines that run between the bag and my bike frame. I never liked how everything was crushed together. Number 3: the worst problem... this Apidura bag has 3 plastic clips that can be used to attach another small Apidura bag (Apidura Expedition Accessory Pocket), which I also used. The lower plastic clip was rubbing on the head tube of my carbon bike frame. Had I not taped the area up before starting my journey, the plastic clip would have rubbed its way into my frame. As it was, it ground all the way through the protective tape, and only started to scuff my carbon frame. The clip itself was also ground down. I was terribly disappointed with this situation. I was wondering if you or your friends have similar experiences. Cheers, Karl
Some great ideas there - thanks. Just wondering why none of the 3 set-ups have mud guards? Would have thought these would be useful on wet days without adding much weight?
Great vid thanks Katie and as I'm in the market for a bikepacking system, quite timely. Definitely will go with the Tailfin, a great looking system. Cheers.
I’m not sure whether you’ve done this but would you consider a more in-depth review of your tailfin solution? I have of course perused the tailfin website, but I’d be interested to hear your (unbiased) opinion along with practical concerns - e.g. waterproof? Detachable if you lock your bike up (even for a short period), etc.
Panniers have a much larger carrying capacity which is an advantage that sometimes turned into a disadvantage! Typically I seen to fill up whatever space I have 🙄 I've bought tiny backpack that stuffs into itself for $5 of eBay. This means I travel lighter but have extra capacity of I need more food or fluid to get to the next shop!
The moment you add any bags,panniers or racks the aero notion is over. Good job those bags are waterproof, not a mudguard in sight. Fortunately there wasn't a long spell of rain, wet roads.
Hi Katie, I've recently ordered the tailfin and looking very forward to its arrival. No doubt it is 'a very expensive piece of kit.' Just came across your vlog today via '250km solo ride' an 'How to ride 200km' and ended up here. :) Interesting stuff, certainly as I've never done either 250 or 200k. Looking forward to it though. Now my question... what is that on your front handle bars which looks like an old school but yet new front light. What brand is it? That thing is huge! Not that i want to buy it but i'm very curious or is that a camera? Greetz and happy riding.
Great video! I’m a motorcyclist as well and would probably go the pannier route just for ease of access and familiarity of using panniers on my motorcycle adventures. I’d like to find a front bag, though, in case I ever decide to do any bike packing. Looking forward to all of the comments, folks! Thanks for sharing!
For anyone on a tighter budget (like me) a TorTec Ultralite rack and a 11litre rack-top bag can be found for a total of £40 and weight of 850g. That is 100g heavier but £250 cheaper than the tailfin.
When you get right down to it ... Are you having much more enjoyment from backpacking preparation than say after about 2 hours of actually being so uncomfortable?
Bike packing and touring seems pretty normal out there in Europe, in America it's looked at like it's pretty and mundane, but in fact takes discipline stamina and and a nitch for adventure to get out and ride couple k's on a fully sustainable bike.
I’ve got the tailfin aero pack and agree, it’s a brilliant bit of kit. Somewhat disappointed with my apidura frame bag, it’s not waterproof at all. I really wish I’d gone with Ortlieb as they are far more reliable
How does the tailfin aero pack do on chunky gravel and rough terrain? Does it hold up to the vibration on washboard roads? How does it do with the occasional jolts you get when riding rough roads?
For an overnighter, i love top tube, frame and saddlebag. They dont slow you down and you only have to unpack the saddlebag once or twice. For longer touring or when i want to carry heavier stuff (my complete camera gear f.e.) i use the good old panniers with a lowrider on my gravelbike. they do slow you down noticable especially with a headwind, but the bike feels much more stable and planted when having all that wheight down low at the front axle.
When you add weight (paniers, large frame bags), is there any need to evaluate if your wheels and frame (as well as rim brakes) can handle all the extra weight? On a touring bike no worries, but on a race bike with lightweight wheels I'm wondering whether this issue comes up.
I think most road bike weight limits nowadays are atleast 100kg and I've seen some that can handle up to 125kg. I guess the limiting factor would be the wheels. A friend of mine is around 95kg and he went on a trip this weekend with around 15kgs in the bags. That was no problem on his road bike at least. Probably a good idea, in general, to check the weight limit on a bike / wheels, before creating the a bikepacking setup.
if you are a lighter rider, like say 70kg, then you'll be fine with some bags since most road bikes can take up to 110kg. also carbon is very strong, stronger than steel. idk about comparing a steel bike vs a carbon bike to see which is stronger since it's not so simple, but the carbon material should be stronger. although you have to also consider that it's also about frame design. a good frame design will take a lot of weight. also your road bike might not be designed to hold so much weight over the back wheels, so having a frame bag and saddle bag will be better than panniers. i use a carbon road bike with a saddle bag and front roll bag and i don't worry about that :) however the main reason is that a road bike has a sensitive centre of gravity. if it's higher, then your road bike will feel all over the place since it's so light already. a touring bike will handle better with a higher centre of gravity :) so you can fix on a road bike by keeping all your water in your frame bag ;)
@@TheMonsterPool See this video at 3:30 and following discussion. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-W0iMHkYpWFo.html. My concern would be heavily laden carbon bike with carbon race wheels going over bump, with 95 kg rider.
@@bengt_axle Yes. That could be a problem on carbon wheels (with carbon brake surface), when you are going fast and braking a lot. I recently changed from full carbon wheel to carbon wheel with aluminium brake surface, since I had worn down the brake surface of my carbon wheels after doing 45000km on them. It could have become a problem if I didn't get new wheels. I've heard a lot of bad things about Mavic wheels in general (like in the video). So I have always stayed away from them. I don't think bumps are a problem in general as long as the wheel is structurally sound even if the rider is 95kg. My uncle is around 95kg and he has probably done more than 60000 km on pure carbon wheels without any issues.
Hi katie, lets do a follow up and slow down speech for us. You're articulate and thorough. That's way too much stuff to go to starbucks. Us americans don't even know what a km is.
the tailfin asks you, the customer, to give them a good rating, but you never hear from them again, if you point out flaws in the design. i had a question regarding the fixation of the top stay with the clip, which in my case clipped of by itself on one side, and only found out now, that they changed the design. no automatic mailer there for the customer and no information if the new design is suitable to the old rack. bit disapointed regarding at which price tag it comes.
Wondering what exactly is inside the bags. Tent? Cook stove? Sleeping bag? Or do you stay at inns along the way and just need change of clothing & toiletries? Cheers from 🇨🇦
I have the tailfin and confirm it is amazing on my Cervelo R5 Disc. I rode back from Geneva in 6 days and stored everything I needed and had nothing else on the bike. The only thing I would change is to have a small handlebar bag to put a small amount of weight over the front wheel for easy access and to balance the bike a bit better. in a straight line the tailfin is unbeatable in myh opinion and so easy to remove
Aluminium cheaper but can guarantee if the bike falls over or stood against something abrasive that expensive carbon will scuff. £300 I think. Also there are 2 variations. One for aeropack and one for pack and panniers.
Really informative video. I have a question with the Tailfin. Is it supported internally and how rigid is it when packed? I have an Altura saddle bag which I like because it is attached to the seat post by a single clip and takes a second to unclip and put on a different bike. However I think it is probably the largest type of bag which you could attach by that system because if it was any larger and heavier it would probably wobble and unbalance you if you ride on rough ground. Although the Altura mount seems incredibly strong considering that it is attached to the seat post by a single bolt. The Apidura front bag also looks good because it looks as though it would help to balance the load. I don't think I would have the same problem as you with clearance from the drops as I am taller and the bars will be wider.
I just got the Tailfin AeroPack and it is brilliant. The floor of the bag has aluminium support, covered over for protection with rubber. The setup is super light and the overall attention to detail is fantastic. Ok it is expensive, but if you add up the cost of , say, Apidura bags it’s not that much dearer (I got the much cheaper aluminium version) . I think it’s well worth the extra for the light weight, stability and ease of use
I always loved your videos and efforts but now I'm depressed because you introduced me to the tailfin. Now I have to have one. The tailfin product made me see just how deprived I was. When I get it I'll send you a picture of my setup for biking across the U.S. next summer. Check out Apidura's new Downtube pack. I love it and am carrying a spare tire in it securely and out of the way.
I was very nervous putting my brand new beach cruiser on this rack. ru-vid.comUgkxG6JIgwJhur8_Rg8UeQ3EmePzi_wSncL8 But after reading many reviews I decided to get this one and take a chance. When arrived it was very simple to adjust and put together. I also added spike tape over the metal hooks before securing and tightening the straps, and no scratches. I also purchased the top bar made by the same company so that my cruiser sits straight on the rack without having to turn upside down. Extra bungee cords are used to secure the front wheel from flapping and even piece of mind knowing your bike is secure. Definitely recommend...
no! we have panniers its easier why chang everything? long distance, panniers food, clothing cooking sleep done. panniers done..2hy changeca good system..
I like the first setup. But you can get rockbros or topeak trunk rear bag that have side zip pockets that expand to bigger pannier bags similar to the 3rd setup. A combination of setup 1 & 3. I've forwarded the rockbros vid of the bag I'm trying to explain. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-avkZk_mgkeE.html
why does Bikepacking LOOK just Bicycle touring ?, Thats been around a over a 100 years... are they being stupid by effort an design.. or just vile racist stupidity by Millennials ??.. Bicycle touring , say it out loud , Bicycle Touring...