Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

If you were any kind of friend you'd have put your arm around him and let him rest his head on your chest! :)

Or just use one of your empty dry bags, let air in and close it up

Down jacket/rain coat/ general clothing in dry bag FTW - unless you're packin super light and don't have any spare clothes.

Recommendations for a top tube bag? I have a long tt and a fair amount of spacers so I have room to play with.

revelate revelate revelate

they do look good and seem well regarded but the pics make them seem a bit small. How much stuff can you cram in one, really?

New revelate mag tank.

You really don't want to have a top tube bag filled too much, because they're not always the most stable of bags. No matter how well designed they are.
Unless you're lucky enough to have a frame that has the new standard bolt mounting locations on your top tube. :)

my one takes a full packet of hob nobs comfortably. you can add credit cards, phone, keys, and a bit of cash too and then it's reet full.

looking at the specialized burra burra and it seems to be the same size as the revelate, and cheaper. Anyone had experience?

Ironic given that Specialized forced Eric (epic designs/revelate) to change his entire company name and branding back in the day with a proposed law suit... And now they're right in the market that Eric was instrumental in creating... The big S letting other people do the work for them since day one!

aside from specialized being a generally horrible company, revelate have been making them for more than a decade, whereas this is the first time sp have made them, so revelate have all the little things thought out better.

oh :(

I didn't realise that. Spesh stuff not quite so appealing now.

Given that the entire company was started by them taking Tom Ritcheys frame to the orient and basically saying 'copy that'... It's no surprise.

This is all news to me!

Spotted this and quite like the little port on the side - handy for charging devices through my dynamo/igaro setup - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/topeak-fuel-tank-bag-large-1?sku=5360714444&source=igodigital

As platypus said... Horrible company!
They even threatened a cycling cafe because it was called cafe roubaix, which later resulted in Mike sinyard having to publicly apologise to the owner.

Anyway... Back to bags. I've never seen the topeak in the flesh /fabric, so I can't help you there. :)

that looks ok, but I think the zipper design is much worse than on the revelate. Also doesn't say it's waterproof

Pillow? Fknlxry!

I used combos of keeping helmet on, lying on jacket(s)/clothes or scabbing papers out of the bins in post offices. :)

Rides or races? I've used one on an audax and liked it but didn't bother for TCR or TABR. I'm probably going to take it this year to TCR.

So, first night out in a bivvy I was absolutely eaten alive by midges, while my mate 2ft to my right was totally untouched. Foolishly we forgot bug spray but I don't know if it would have fended off the swarms that chowed down on my skin. Is there a way to keep them away overnight without carrying loads of additional kit?

Bug net?

Get a bivvy that zips up completely like mine and shut yourself off from all the midges, swearwolves, and haggis that lurk at night.

That's why I got my fly bivvy. Worked a treat in the US, save for the few minutes of frantically trying to get it setup in the middle of a bug-ridden field :)

+1 bug net.

Hahaha... Trying to persuade the few that made it inside to please leave in an orderly fashion! :)