Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

I've got the 13L one, and sometimes fill it to absolute capacity. Looking at your photo, I might have been putting it on wrong...I've never put the top straps through the saddle rails.

Excuse me.

It's okay :) let me know how you get on with it

so i just realised my forks will have bottle cage bosses.

Over a few thousand kms, will the drag created by having bottles there be noticeable?

Wondering if I can go full frame bag and just a little feed bag up front, avoiding any cumbersome saddle pack...

paging @hippy & @mdcc_tester

This article comparing various pannier positions and bikepacking options may answer some of your question

Noticeable, no. Measureable, yes.
Will it outweigh the time saved by not stopping as much? Dunno.

i'm thinking I can one bottle under my aero bars, and two on my forks. Ease of use and plenty of capacity.

If I can fit a small sleeping mat, bivy bag and 1/2 sleeping bag in a full frame bag I reckon it'd work.

@Moonboy - that's an interesting article.

12 minutes per 100km

300km per day (average) = 36 mins per day

2 weeks = 8.5 hours.

Using my cigarette packet calculator, I estimate that, given that the frontal area of a waterbottle is equal to around 1/3 of a pannier, using water bottles on my forks might cost me just under 3 hours.

I think that might be a trade off I'm willing to make.

Taking orders? :)

Get non-round bottles.

any recommendations?

I've got a couple of days free at the end of next week... You'd be my second customer! :)

I know of at least one other person who'd want one too. How much would the finished thing cost?

More important what machine do you have

@PhilDAS I am definitely not a professional, but am getting better each time. How about I make you one and you can pay what you think is appropriate. Or if you have anything you would like to swap? Or I can give you a list of things I'd like?

@pdlouche its an Adler 67-70 walking foot.

I'll gladly provide you with the practise! Sounds like a good deal to me!

Are you in London? I'd need a cardboard cutout of the shape you want.

I am yeah. Okay let me decide which frame I'm gonna use :)

I don't have a vast parts bin like some guys on here but you could give me a shout with stuff you're after and if that fails, there's always cash

Anyone have a frame bag, top tube kind in a large size they don't want any more? Want one for training.

@skinny
http://www.ebay.fr/itm/262744844281?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Good shout thanks, should be good enough for training.
I just want to return to bidons for a bit, so I cna have one with water and one with crack (sugar).

You're welcome

Just looked and it's only 41cm long. I ride a 58cm frame, so it's too small.

Anyone got a Large frame pack bag?

Get a medium restrap one....they are plenty big enough and cheap, not to mention awesome!

Bikepacking. Ain't nothing new.

Cool story to go with it. Totally mental.

The lost cyclist