tip: put some removable (painters) tape on all the surfaces where the bags attach, after al long ride, these can rub against the frame and damage the paint
Came here to this video hoping to find a recommendation for frame protection. What kind of type would you recommend that won't damage the finish on the frame when you pull the tape off? Any old painter's tape?
A medium or even a small microfiber towel works better than a regular one : it absorbs more water, it's lighter and dries faster. And it takes way less space in the bag.
Always - I brought my bike bag (a convertible backpack/pannier) on a kayaking trip recently and discovered I was the only person who thought to bring a first aid kit. People raided that thing haha
@@alexmiller1658 ha yes it's generally an oversight where cyclists will do the upmost to check thier bikes can be fixed but might need an antiseptic wipe/painkillers / plasters for themselves on the roadside.
@@LUCYDIAMONDBOXER1 exactly, my kit is pretty spartan ( just some bandages, gauze, antiseptic, and a small bottle of aspirin) but I also live in the middle of a city so my rides rarely take me terribly far from civilization
A tip based on my experience. I've fallen, had trees fall on me, axe accidents, knife accidents, sprayed ankle, ran out of water, gone without food for days, had ticks. In all those circumstances, an off-the-shelf first aid kit is not the answer. It gives a false sense of security, which can be dangerous. They're also a clutter. What they provide is often solutions for accidents so minor, you can survive fine without them. A tiny compressor wont stop a gushing flesh wound. My suggestion: 1.Take courses by professionals. 2. Research the most common accidents for your activity/area, and pack accordingly. 3. Consult with search and rescue for preventative measures and items they commonly use. 4. Make your own gear as simple as possible and learn how to use them blindfolded. For me it's a satellite com. and SAMsplint to treat moderate accidents and fractures, respectively. If it's hot, I'll add a pack of sodium, purification and sugar. If it's arctic, the list extends exponentially. It's easier to prevent accidents, than respond to them in fog and friction. Stay safe and smart.
One of the things that got me into cycling was a 4 day trip along the C2C with mates, on a 'mountain' bike I paid £99 for, from a local hardware store. I weighed almost 20st at the time. It almost killed me, and I loved it - I've never looked back.
I'd like a video where they roll into a camp area, set up camp, demo everything significant. Then in the morning show the camp being broke down and repacked. Then a nice ride off into the sunrise..
lug several more kilos of pork would not be a problem, family would appreciate a barbecue at night while the one who rides it during the day would be too tired to have dinner and sleep straight away
This is in all seriousness a very good point. I mostly do my adventure tours with a dedicated, heavier bike. But I recently contemplated to fit the bags that I've used with it to my roadbike, if I'd like to do a faster tour where I would need some stuff with me, but not so much. However, the frame of my road bike is a bit smaller. The end result was that the frame bag was a bit too large for the frame and the front wheel had very little clearance to the handlebar bag. Sure, I could get smaller bags for that bike, but that costs money too.
@@pinjaliina even if you do get smaller bags, you might not have space for all you need. With a 9 liter bag on the handlebar, no frame bag, and a 17 liter "arse rocket" (that's apparently what the Germans call saddle bags) I have a hard time fitting much more than some spare clothes and some tools. It works if I sleep at hotels, but not so much otherwise.
A welder and bike rider, I brazed eyelets onto my Serotta steel frame. This Spring I'll replace the cranks for triple...and etcetera, to make a touring bike. My first 'touring bike' was a 1960s Cinelli racing frame. I rode it all across Europe and North Africa in 1974.
I really recommend, for your safety, to use a rear mirror to keep track of the traffic from behind. I use a Zéfal Z Eye that I fix on the helmet, and it has been very useful on my bike packing rides in Japan, New Zealand, the US and in Europe (France and Germany).
I began on a solo bikepacking trip 2 years ago after watching si's bikepacking video in Morocco and the beautiful shots of alta badia in GCN. So there I went alone, to Italy on a 7 days trip. Made many mistakes as a newbie but I loved it. On the 2nd trip I had 2 friends joining after seeing my instagram posts. Now just wondering when can we ever go again.
Good video, excellent tips. Last year I did the LEJOG ride in the UK and one extra tip, put some clear sticky backed plastic on your frame at the points your frame bags attach otherwise when you finish the adventure the frame will be scratched from the continual rubbing, especially if it rains and the road grime acts like a gritty paste. Planning subject to COVID to ride Nice Paris, retracing some of Conor’s route later this year.
Just went on my first "bike adventure" since getting my Centurian road bike a few weeks back. I rode from my town to another town west of us and back. Round trip it was 51 miles. It was the longest ride I've ever been on and I loved every minute of it.
Thank you for some great ideas. An overnight BP adventure is def in my plans as soon as our southern USA weather cools a bit. I’m currently building a budget hybrid bike specifically for this purpose. The build (my first, gratis of GCN tech tips) is as much of an adventure as the ride will be.
Great video Connor. Great advice for anyone looking to have a bike adventure. All the tips are clearly from someone with bike-packing experience. My best advice is the take a mate with you. The miles go quicker and the beer tastes better.
Good video. My tip is to reduce your off-bike kit, before buying bags. For about 200$, I'm under a 1kg for my entire sleep and kitchen system. When that's your base weight, everything is so much easier, faster, comfortable, lighter. Sleep & shelter Klymit x lite (150g) Borah gear silnylo tarp (220g) 60$ McKinley sleeping bag. (600g) Cold soaking kitchen Peanut butter-/ice cream jar (30g) Fast food restaurant spoon (2g) That's it. You're good to go.
One very important item to take with you is a spare derailleur hanger. If it’s broken, the trip is done and a local bike shop probably won’t be able to help you as those derailleur hangers are proprietary for the model and the shop might not have the correct hanger for your bike.
I've been using a Burley Coho XC trailer with my Scott Foil road bike...the only mod required is to change the rear wheel skewer and voila! With this setup, I can pull up to 25 kg of stuff: tent, sleeping bags, mattresses, stove (and cooking implements) as well as food. I even have small camping chairs in the mix.
I just toured the northern California coast on a full touring bike. I did the lost coast portion and I was wishing that I had packed much lighter and was riding a lighter bike. I like the setup you described and I will try it out soon on my Serotta Legend Ti. I think I can squeeze on some 700x32 tires and I already have a compact crank. Nothing can be done about the rim brakes, but there is very little rain here in California for most of the year anyway. Thanks for the inspiration...
You need a way of separating wet clothes (and that vast towel) from dry, otherwise you'll get really miserable every time it rains. Also, I'd opt for dynamo-based lighting that can be controlled from the front without getting off the bike. It'll also provide charging facilities for phones and allow you to ride with your GPS backlight switched on all night. What I used to do, too, was to mount one of those cheap stretchy rearlights on the bars, facing backwards, to illuminate my transmission and bottle cages if needed. And mount a light on your plastic hat to read signposts - preferably one that will switch between red and white, the red being for reading maps etc at dead of night when you don't want to destroy your night vision.
Nice job Conor! Where I live I’m unfortunately restricted to day rides sadly, but lonnnng day rides if I can manage it. Always enjoy seeing the Irish countryside in your videos. I miss home!
Hi, thanks for the vid! Very useful! I'm planning a 600m ride on my own, in a tent, May 2021, never done it before. All possible information is appreciated 👍
Amazing video... planning a circumnavigation of Uganda on a bike. Thought I really needed a touring or bike packing bike. Now i know a decent well set up road or even mtb can do the job just as well. Fortunately not planning to load tonnes of bags for the trip
Tri bags (behind the stem) are another good place for food or electronics. I find my knees hit the bag so put it at the back, towards the seat post. Cheap ways to save weight/space; small microfiber towel rather than full size. If you don't have bags with a bleed valve roll items as tightly as possible.
You mentioned lots of good tips but I have a few! It’s always good to take an old fashioned paper map & compass in case you can’t get GPS or the connectivity is bad. I have cycled through dense forests and it’s not good! Plus at the end of each day it’s fascinating to know how far you have cycled! I must be the only person in the world to wear a camel rucksack 🎒 when cycling but its a great way to drink frequently and more safely than from a bottle. Also, on treacherous roads if you fall off it provides additional protection for your spine + gives an extra workout for your abdominals!!
I recently bought Garmin Varia and honestly this in my point of view excellent safety device: warn you when a car is approaching and especially with multiple cars are coming. The light also change flickering when the car approach which increase visibility.
MTB/Hybrid/gravel bike means road and trails can be used...esp if you get fed up with cars. Also waterway trails are so amazing eg Thames Path and canals
i travel with a hybrid tandem bike with my girlfriend , front pannier (30L total ) , rear one (50L) , a extensible frame bag (about 8L/10L) a handle bar bag (about 10L) , on the top of the rear panier a isolated lunch bag , plus a child trailer equiped with a handle bar bag suspended on the rear handle(a nordic cab i have , lots of storage , solid as a rock) with 2 kids with the large 4 person tent in it !! matresses , sleeping bag , spares , baby bottles and tools . hehe i love it ! i got a lot of people staring at us haha.
Just back from a week bikepacking the Netherlands a 985Km route. Originally the idea was to cycle to my in-laws in Sweden from here in Brussels - but COVID kyboshed that idea. I still wanted to use the route I'd planned as much as possible, so used much of it to tour the Netherlands and just skipped the Germany and Sweden bits. I had a fantastic time and I'd thoroughly recommend multiday bikepacking to anyone. A bit of extra advice though I could now add - in these COVID pandemic times it's a REALLY good idea to check ahead if any ferries on your route are indeed running (painful experience of long detours for 2 such cancelled ferrires on my route...)
Thanks, Conor. Excellent topic for discussion -- road bikes for bikecamping. I suppose if you're packed for an extended trip, a proper touring bike would be preferable. But, for up to a week or two, I think a road bike would be just fine if you're sticking to roads.
I run an entry level roadbike but much like yours, it's built without all the mounts and structures for mounting hardware. I run a similar setup with a bag front (bars), middle, and back but mostly to carry everything I need for work. I did take the rig to my honeymoon though! And fixed up my wife's bicycle to manage the same. Still... A long ride would be great right about now. We're both doctors and we desperately need a vacation. Revisiting this video precisely cause of such thoughts. We won't get to do much of these things for a while but.. I can't wait!Great suggestions. Would you suggest switching the forks to one with mounts? Favorite presenter! Keep 'em coming :) Oh and yes, as other commenters said, your bike is huge!
Great video overall. I found the bike spare parts especially useful. I am thinking of going on a bike packing trip soon and was really worried about the possibility of a spoke or multiple ones braking. Especially with the added load.
It's always good to have spares - it's a trade off between taking absolutely everything and having a set up that's not too heavy - depends on the adventure I guess!
in 2020 I adapted my roadbike merida scultura disc for an 8 days adventure over the Alps to the mediteranean sea, it was AMAZING! Konstanz -> Genova, over Passo di Lucomanio, Locarno, Lugano, Como, Milano -> Genova
I've also started bringing Velcro strips, rubber accessory bands and one or two extras of any nuts or bolts that might work lose. One of those accessory bands saved me from having to unmount my camera recently.
Ive been on a bike adventure and i still can get over it, It took place a year ago back there inUK I was determined, I had no bike and no bags just and a small budget and 10 days off in my agenda, I manage to find a borrow road bike put some 28 'fat' rubbers, buy some bags (topeak) and a sleeping bag, mark some spots for stop and I cross UK Coast to Coast and back in the wide way possible, from Swansea Wales going and knocking the doors of GCN in Bristol and Bath to Oxfor and Cambridge, all the way to Ipswich an further more, the Up to Norwich and back but before I move up to Yorkshire every day a 150 km day for a 1500 km ride adventure I took roads paths and gravel sections I sleep outdoors as in some nice bed and break fast that I find along the way... you should try it Connor take a small budget 2 bags and try to go as further and unknown you can go, because in my case, I was a Colombian touring /bikepacking across a new place every day.
First aid and water; both key for camping generally. Or if there are rivers or other sources of fresh water available, a sawyer mini is a great, compact water filter. What do you do with your bike when you’re camping? Do you leave it out in the open with a bike lock? Also, does it need some protection from the elements (e.g. draping it with a tarp)?
First aid kit. I see people mention it. I don't read any experiences where it has been decisive in a serious situation. I find the off the shelf stuff useless. What problems it may solve are either so minor, or not specific for your travel context, that I consider it not worth having. In fact, it provides a dangerous false sense of security. You take extra risks. Additionally, extra clutter that slows you down and mitigates your moral when it fails. If it's for minor inconveniences, like a mosquito bite, sure. It's great. If prevention of actual life threatening scenarios, in my experience, it's more a hindrance.
Absolutely agree with you. First aid kit has to be proportionate and relevant. I did a 40mile round hike with a camp in Epping Forest last weekend; my first aid kit consisted solely of paracetamol and an anti-inflammatory - anything more would have been a waste, cos I was taking no risks and help was so close to hand. When I went to a more remote area with the intention of doing some bushcraft a few months ago, I took some bandages in case my knife slipped (plus a couple of extra things). Point is, like you say, the first aid kit has to be relevant, otherwise you’re just wasting energy.
The most obvious things missed in this vid: 1) First aid kit 2) Extra sun screen 3) Practice repairs and make sure you have the right tools. Removing the rear sprocket? Remove/replace a spoke? These are easy if you know what you're doing, but devastating if you don't have the knowledge or tools. 4) CO2 cartridge for a quick fix as alternative to mini pump (for clinchers) 5) Check RU-vid for videos on solo camping for much better tips on packing, weight reduction, gear, and protection from the elements.
Don’t forget some aloe Vera in the event you do get sunburned! It’ll help soothe your tired and burned skin. It’s also good for healing cuts if you mix it with honey. In a pinch, aloe Vera could work like chapstick.
Good tools and repair skillsis a great tip, but in my experience, first aid kits are generally useless for the uninitiated. First aid kits are like buying cheap all-in-one tool sets for building a house. Or, like buying a mylar, and assuming it will make you warm (it reflects warmth, it doesn't create warmth). Or, like trying to light a fire for the first time in a storm. It might deal with a minor cut, but if your life is in actual danger, it's more a waste of time. It creates a false sense of security, like buying a defect helmet. You think you're safer than you are. Ergo, take more risks. Once the shit hits the fan, when you're running on adrenaline rushed autopilot, what you need is good training and a kit designed specifically for the context of your trip.
I always ride with padded underwear but with regular sports clothing over it that looks good off the bike too. Use a topeak anywhere holder to put an extra water bottle on the downtube in front of the bottom bracket. There are also solutions to mount something on the forklegs (even without bosses) and the chainstays. Might be necessary when camping and to avoid a big heavy backpack. I use my phone for navigation, komoot runs via an app too. In addition you can make pictures too, use google pay, check the weather and you could even make phonecalls 😅 Hardcore bikepackers have a dynamohub in the front wheel. I charge my phone and camera with it and can be away from any wall sockets as long as I want 😁
I rode a multi day in the hills using a 30 litre back pack, and a side pocket from an old Lowe pack strapped under a pair of tri-bars. Didn't take a stove but camped out in a one man tent and ate at cafes of an evening. When away from civilisation I ate food that didn't need cooking such as canned salmon etc.
this video is sheer awesomeness. Added it to my bookmarks for future reference. Why don't trekking bikes get more love at GCN? They have everything for long distance travelling. I got a road bike with flat bards (and bar ends for comfort) street fighter style, 'cos I prefer flat bars to drop bars. Also I find typical road or gravel bikes devoid of enough easy gears. Light trekking bikes exist and they are 1X drivetrain (my fav) while having similar cassettes compared to MTBs, so you can find trekking bikes with 11-46T or 11-51T sprockets. The Riverside 920 from Decathlon and the Canyon Roadlite 6 (gorgeous bike) are very good examples of fine trekking bikes. You can fit almost any kind of tyre on those, too, from 35mm slicks to 38mm gravel, etc, and they look like a road bike, mostly, so they are still graceful and beautiful.
I suggest a tiny lightweight tent and a tarp to put over your bike and bags overnight. No stove needed though, just have cold food in the evenings and stop in cafes for a cooked lunch. Also important to distribute weight so it’s balanced front to back or the steering gets really light
Good Video. Since GCN is showing so much on Bikepacking in the past and right now, why don't you try to cover some of the popular races in Europe? The Threepeaksbikerace was/is recent, French Decide, Badlands, Tuscany Trail, Holy Gravel etc. There's a ton of races every season. Would be nice to see you tackle those ;)
Recommend couple small powerbanks instear large one. They charge themself faster and can do it simultaneously. More easy to predict how much electricity you actually have, also a failsafe option.
Id recommend bringing 2 powerbanks, so you can charge one while you use the other one. For example on a trip I stayed at a lot of campsites, so I had to hand one over to charge over night.
Couldn't you just charge your device with the rest of the power bank battery before arriving at the campsite? Carrying an extra power bank seems like such a waste unless you actually positively absolutely have to have a higher battery capacity.
@@Minecraftrok999 Even if you charge your phone before you get to the campsite, if you hand over your powerbank to charge at 6pm, then you use your phone after that it will be using power, so the phone will not be full the next morning. If you have 2 powerbanks, you basically always have one to charge with if you want, plus the extra battery capacity.
Part of the adventure, if you are going a distance, is being dirty and salty. Makes jumping in a puddle more fun. 😀 Don’t forget your extension cord. Wow so many electronics.
Hi, would have been nice to see if these packs would fit on a smaller bike, i.e. would Manon be able to ride her bike with these on. I am over 6 foot and have struggled with frame bags getting in the way of peddling and access to bottles.
A back up battery rear light is a good idea. Bit extra weight, but you can buy AA or AA batteries almost anywhere in the world I would think. Heading out on a trip in a week. About 1200K in 10 days. My legs and bum hurt already.🙄
You may also want to think about enjoying your time off of your bike, such as by having shoes that you can easily walk in. And a little stove for hot drinks. Or is the point to stay on the bike for 16 hours of every 24?
One tip, you dont need a big towel, get a small microfiber towel, it takes a fraction of the room and absorbs a lot of moisture. Bonus tip, get a tailfin.
They come in different sizes Alfons, this is the biggest size available. There are smaller sizes which should fit smaller frames. Thanks for watching! Conor
Unless I missed it, you don't seem to have mentioned fenders (mud guards). Fenders are absolutely essential on overnight bicycle trips, especially in the Pacific Northwest, or, apparently, the UK.
What about a lock? If you travel multiple days at some point you’ll step off your bike and go shopping or sightseeing. How do you safely lock your bike then?
TailFin X-series racks, panniers and an AeroPack. I'd like to say - that is the way to go, if not for their continually increasing prices. At least by 50% in the last two years. Beautiful equipment, but those prices!.. 😏
