@@Celisar1 Either very expensive equipment, or very specialised (if they knew the exact temperatures at night and so on, they don't over-prepare). Or both.
Use a hammock if trees are common in your area, and weather and rules permit. Based on temperatures you might not need a mat and can deal with a thin sleeping bag
I have discovered that hanging the mug off the back of your bikepacking bike is some type of "status thing." I agree with the OP, I'd head out on my own if I had to listen to that thing rattle.
I love the cycling videos whether they're for traveling advice or bike packing tips that are short and to the point. Thank you for keeping it with enough information to learn from in a short amount of time. :)
That is the struggle, and a big reason why gravel bikes don't follow the traditional bike fit standards. Shorter stem, wider bars...very few tents packs actually between 42c bars. The wider and flared bars on the other hand do a much better job of it. Also the flare helps with shifting (irrelevant w/ electronic), and another overlooked aspect is that wider bars are more compliant and inherently have more flex!
I am seriously considering packing a few of my important belongings, getting on my bike and just going. This is that time for me to leave everything and set out to re-discover my own happiness. It's been quite some time since I've had the time (open window) to explore my options and do something great. This year will be the one.
I would not put ID or credit cards or big cash in any bag on the bike. If you are in a sketchy area, someone can steel your bag or even bike when your guard is down.
concise, straight to the point, beautiful setup, put through the paces in a super rough environment makes you expert enough for what I'm doing. great video exactly what bikepackers are looking to watch.
"You can go to a 650b and mount a 1.5 inch tire which is absolutely huge." Poking holes in that, I just picked up a Salsa Journeyman drop bar bikepacking/adventure bike. It comes stock with 650b x 2.1 inch tires and can fit up to 2.2 inch.
Great video! Good suggestions. I would love to do the silk road. Just finished bikepacking 827 miles from Key West Florida to South Carolina. Celebrated my 68th birthday on the trail.
Its nice to see what people take on these trips, but you seldom see a video of the kit laid out then packed away in the bags. Done a few weeks in Kyrgyzstan and it was easy to see who was unsupported by the amount of gear carried due to the unpredictable weather.
Very nice and to the point! Would like to see all your kit laid out that went in the packs, and also your overall impression of the bike, kit and riding. Thanks!
Great insight...i would still prefer side pannier bags and carrying a heavier load. You get used to it within a very short time thats its not really an issue. A Brooks saddle and gel bar tape takes care of the comfort...Afterall I'm touring not racing!
JS I've done it both ways: France with panniers and the Tour Aotearoa (google it) with seat pack, frame bag and front roll. Panniers are nicer to being able to get to stuff more easily; bike-packing gear better for going off the beaten track and down narrow trails (& narrow swing bridges). Horses for courses: what matters is being out there and enjoying it.
Panniers are great for the tarmac roads but on bumpy gravel I found the bike stiffens and you get all the impact, brooks saddle is a good shout though, B17
I watch a lot of bike channels but I've never heard of yours until now when one of your videos popped up on my feed. Great video and I've already subscribed.
Brilliant review/comments - I’ve seen lots of bike setups, etc - but never explained so well. Especially the “on the trail comfort” vs. “camp comfort”. Spot on, Andy !
So your tent, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag all fit in the handlebar bag? Wow. I wish you listed the CAPACITY for each bag. I just completed a 3 year trip w/one backpack 40 Liters (legal size for airplane carryon).
Really want to get into bikepacking but coming from a bicyle touring experience the minimalism is daunting. And my touring setup was a hybrid of bikepacking with framebags mostly and I was half the weight of other tourers ive seen with full pannier setup. I would pack a shitload of chews and gels.
Why you didn't add the fact you all had a supporting vehicle? With those setups you can't survive on your own, not without enough food or a tent. And that's a basic! Great setup and editing :)
Novice Tip: Consider taking a 5-8 hour primitive survival class that covers the environment/region you ride in. This can save on load out weight and cost of gear when you can simply utilize your surroundings for shelter, water, fire, food, etc or just have the skills in case of emergency. Nothing like a little mental prep to take you on some awesome adventures.
Cycling the Silk road in central Asia isn't a race. I don't get it why you try to bring as little and light weight as you did. It's a trip typically takes few weeks. High up the mountains the weather can be very unpredictable. It can snow even in the summer. And can drop to -10 to -15C at night. so you clothing and camping gears must take that into consideration. You're going to very remote areas. Saving a few kilogram is a big deal for racing. But it makes little sense for travelling. Speak from my own experience. I cycled the Pamir highway two years ago.
@Andy Van Bergen Imagine someone watches your video and uses your guide as reference. Only find out the hard way the temperature drops to -15C when camping high up the mountain at night. I doubt your camping gears and sleeping bag can handle that kind of temperature.
@@spektrumB If anyone goes bikepacking, hiking or whatnot and _only then, being there_ finds out the temperatures drop outside their comfort zone, they have no grounds to be there in the first place. That's no different than doing a subsaharan tour and wondering about all the sand. Do your research, guys.
@@cy-one I just came back from Everest basecamp trek in Nepal. You will be surprised how many people bought "under-spec" sleeping bags with them. Sure, lodges supply blankets(thin one). But the temperature dropped to -20C at night when I was in Gokyo. And there was no heating in the room. It isn't hard to find information about the all these. You underestimate how many people don't do their research before departing.
@Andy Van Bergen I cannot imagine why you would do such a trip in a group? Hard cycling for me is a solitary activity, not a social activity. I get that people have different preferences but don't you feel like such a tourist when you're traveling in a big gang?
in my experience touring bikes are the only option.... i practice bikepacking and you are always running to destiny to avoid hypothermia , dehydration ....etc...... you can´t carry enough stuff to be safe in bikepacking.. ....
I realized that you can pack a lot in little space. There isn’t lots of videos on bike packing, but there is videos of light weight hiking, so if you are bike pack you might only really need a med kit, tool kit and larger tent to keep you bike safe from weather and people. A lot of the those items can be split between the pack and the bike bags. This video is helpful ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hQajaLTjL6o.html
No todos entenderan, quizás por la geometría de mi gravel a mi me pasa que usando el bolso detras del manillar sobre el tubo, me molesta al pedalear sentado y de pie en caminos rectos y subidas, sin embargo me encanta como luce la estética de todo el conjunto.
How much and what kind of bike maintenance tools do you carry? How many spare tubes? My concern would have been that those carbon-everywhere bikes are maintenance prima donnas.
@Andy Van Bergen Well, you certainly trust these frames more than I do. I've been riding Diverge Expert for about 3months now and already had a crack in the seatpost. Now all I can think of is what's next. There is absolutely no way I would take it on any kind of adventure.
I was looking at the "future shock" thing & had to rub my eyes, it looked like the top of the steerer tube was bouncing up & down! & here's me with my old air sprung forks....
You should realy mention the type of equipment that you pack. The tent that is briefly shown is quite clearly an ultra light tent. My own tent, that I use for bikepacking and backpacking has at least the same size as your front bag and ways just over 1500 grams (3.3 lb). And don't get me started on the sleeping bag... For those with a much lower budget, packing will always be heavier and larger.
I run front panniers a bar bag and rear rack for street shoes food and overflow, total weight with 2 water bottles is 55lbs. 48/32 rings 11/36 cassette. Thats about as light as I will go. Includes tent sleep bag and pad, jet boil, 2 spare tubes and tools, after ride clothes. Enough stuff for a tour but 30lbs lighter than a fully loaded touring bike
90% of road on a gravel bike... I would use a MTB. A lot more comfortable. For me, gravel bikes only make sense when doing half and half road and dirt trips. I mean, having drops is useless for a trip like that. It is nicer to have front shocks and wider tires, specially if the trip is many days long. Cheers
That is a tried and true bike for sure. But there are other options, depending on the type of tour. No need for a steel frame on a tour with sag support, or on an ultralight self-supported tour over smooth asphalt. For self-supported tours with heavier loads it would be great though.
Well, this video is not a set-up for touring. Bikepacking and touring aren't the same things. Completely different bikes, different geometry, different gear needs. That said; I don't think a steel frame is necessary for either. Steel fork yes, esp if self supported. But for touring esp, you're weight isn't even likely to be on the frame anyways, it'll be set over your wheels in your panniers. An Al frame will be perfectly fine with this, save you weight on climbs, and is more resistant to corrosion if you're anywhere near a coast or somewhere they salt roads in winter. 26 inch tires I agree with, if you're riding anywhere not North American, Europe or Japan. Disc brakes are fine maintenance wise, esp if you're willing to go mechanical rather than hydrolic. Run mech disc brakes on a frame that can do both rim or disc. There's plenty of frames that can do this.
Super helpful! I'm looking at a very similar set-up for a cross-Canada trip this summer. How much/what non-ride-snack food were you able to carry in your saddle bag?
I am planning a trip with my MTB. I am not sure is it the best bicycle for long trips, but I do not have another bicycle. Can you give me some advice, regarding the gear and equipment? Is MTB capable for long trips, since you are using more "road" style bicycle? Thanks
nice advertisement. no heli tapes on those straps contact point says that the bike wasn't used much. if you have those straps on bare carbon it will wear through quick.
Did you ride tubeless? I've been riding tubeless for a season now and while I love having more flats (especially no more pinches) I suffered a lot of random pressure loss on longer rides (a few days). I kind of like the safety feeling of just changing the tube instead of worring to find a bike shop with a compressor.
Hi, using a Burley travoy I would be interested by your thoughts re: the bikepacking vs trailer debate, in the case of this journey : more drag and weight but less weight and stress on the bike components, and more stability. And also easier accès to your stuff.
If u knew it was mostly rough / dirt / gravel terrain... why didn't u take bikes with front forks shocks ? Would have been a world of difference in comfort
Hi. I'm from Kyrgyzstan. Nice video about bikepacking! 👍 I also use bike for travel, but still don't know which packing is better)) And, how do u like our country?
Guys, I want to start setting up Bike packing, can you share which brands of bags you used? I see the specialized 'S' all over but if you can provide the names of the item GREAT. Thnx
I've got a moto-x style front guard, downtube guard, & even a little one cable tied to the back of my seat tube that keeps crap out of the front derailleur & chainwheels. If you count a fully-loaded seat pack as a mudguard, I've got four! lol
"A mountain bike width one and a half inch tire which is absolutely huge"...yeah right MTB tires start at 2.0....and even now those lines are being blurred! Second critique is the vertical load water bottle cages when if there was ever an application for the Specialized Zee Cage...it would be this. Right Side load on the downtube, Left side load on the seat tube. Third critique, and this is a new trend amongst the community, the silly coffee cup hanging off the back as some kind of status/cult symbol. To say its there as a matter of convenience....nah, they make stem bags for that exact reason, and guess what? The coffee cup is significantly less likely to get dirty! With so many advancements in technology and accessories in this cycling segment, this is just silly. All the rest though, pretty agreeable, especially the compromise of being more comfortable on the bike vs at camp.
Racks and panniers are great for heavier loads. This kind of setup is for those who are going light and might be on a bike where mounting a rack and carrying a heavy load isn't feasible. It's a great option. Never hurts to have more options.
At (0:13) you ride in aero position (but without handlebar extension) -- does your handlebar have some flat section that you can rest your hands like this? Or is this practice and taking some more risk?
