Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

Quality stayed the same tho :)

Edit: not quite

Bikepacking is shit.
Panniers next time.

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That biek has been places!
Why is bikepacking shit?

Which bit of Epping Forest is this?

Lost the dangling mug, and had to cycle far and wide in search of it. Won’t get much gram action without it.

Because most of your time is spent packing, and you can’t pick up cool things to take home with you.

You look like you have a miserable time.

On an unrelated note, I’m interested in purchasing your beater.

Think that regent canal.

not quite the same but extremely cheap https://www.decathlon.co.uk/fabric-bottle-cage-id_8487122.html

They look great, just pulled the trigger on an Alpkit one! Supporting British industry I guess.

Finally picked up my Topeak Frontloader to match my Backloader, first foray into bickepacking kit. Will get some loaded up pics

Quick jaunt to Norfolk: https://instagram.com/p/BmHMceNgKA-/

First proper ride loaded up with bikepacking bags - side entry bottle cages are now on the shopping list.

Are there good ones/bad ones?

Looks like a great little adventure. Great Ambre Solaire product placement too, hope you were well imbursed for that ;)

Specialized Zee are the best ones i've tried.

Damn. No. I wasn’t. I should tag them.

side entry bottle cages ... Are there good ones/bad ones?

I've got Blackburn Wayside cages. They don't strike me as particularly good for getting bottles in. This strikes me as a key area in which side entry bottle cages need to perform well.
On the upside: once in, the bottles haven't fallen out, and they're available in a wide range of colours for bike tartification.

Looking at Zefal WIIZ - seem to be both side entry and come with adapters for lower mounting - for £3.95

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zefal-Wiiz-Reversalable-Bottle-Cage/dp/B002BWPKYQ

https://advntr.cc/first-look-zefal-wiiz-side-exit-bottle-cages/

Spesh ones are a few grams lighter though. All about saving those grams after climbing FoD hills all weekend.

I was trying not to buy plastic so got a pair of the Cube HPA sidecages.
Advertised as anodised aluminium, well, they are not, they are painted and they're really harsh on the bottles. I haven't got fancy bottles but they are all scratched up.
Not that easy to get the bottles in, it was easier with the Blackburn Chicanes I had fitted before and they are not even side entry.
They hold the bottles securely though.

Yeah I've got a Zefal spring cage on another bike which was bought as 'cheap and cheerful' but is actually pretty good. Only concern is if the design works as well sideways.

Awesome

Just picked up the large restrap frame bag to carry my tools/pump/basics on the commute.

Is it utter folly to consider trimming the straps down (not the velcro ones obvs), there's about 5" of excess on there just flapping about and i think it's going to get old quickly trying to fold it under the little elastic band to hold it in place every time I put it on the bike. There's little chance I'll be changing bikes any time soon and resale value is not a primary concern of mine.

I almost immediately lost the little elastics on my apidura frame bag, and had to make new ones from inner tube. I should probably trim my ones down, never gonna need a bigger frame

Absolutely not, the excess is there because it’s easier to shorten than lengthen.

Work out a functional length for your bike, add an extra inch then cut and seal with a lighter.