Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

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  • Thanks, but hold fire. I might still just buy a rack and throw the tent on the back of my bike. I'm trying to piece all this together in my head which is of course exploding in the form of 200 browser tabs of shite...

  • No worries.

    I always say if your tab counter isn't a smiley then you're not researching enough new kit.


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  • I saw that, but the skinny bars make off-road stuff a hand full already without adding another couple of kilos of stuff swinging off the aerobars. It also probably isn't long enough for the tent components and if I was going to do similar with a sleeping bag I'd just strap drybags under the bars and save the dosh.

  • Fair enough

  • An 8L exped dry bag is about as small as you can get secured with all three straps. I used the middle strap on the Revelate a lot. It lets you hold the bag in the harness whilst you tighten the straps either side of it and you can use the middle strap to hold your jacket with.

  • Yep, making your own might not be the easiest/cheapest/best option, but I like making things every once in a while, it was pretty simple and I already had everything I needed. A pole from broken tent, that I put under a webbing like on the Pronghorn, right where the daisy chain used to be on the Joey. And four velcro straps under that for handlebar attachment. And a piece of webbing for the headtube strap, that was an old strap of a helmet. Three straps for the drybag. Foam padding from a sleeping pad, not much of it so there's more clearance above tyre.

    I don't keep the tent poles in there, as they're so long, they go on toptube or saddlebag.

  • If you're going to buy this, I can save you some pennies

  • The PRO? You have one you're getting rid of?

  • The Pro. No I can just get you some money off

  • Can you get me Mr Shimano's autograph? ;)

    Thanks for the offer. I've no idea about their kit though. I don't think I've actually seen any in the wild.

  • Do they sell that at Sigma too?

  • Oh, you working for Sigma not PRO/Shimano? Awww

    Nah, that's cool. Let me see if I can get some more info about it.
    Can you reveal the level of discount you might achieve or is that sekrets?

  • I have one of the Top Peak bar holster thing I've been too lazy to list. BNIB. PM if it's of interest.

  • Neither :)
    I think it was about £50 after discount

  • Tease, If I PM you will I find out?

    Let me see what @Aroogah is offering. Maybe I just buy one or the other and test it out. If it's shit I can always shift it on.

  • Think it's an older one of these.

    https://www.topeak.com/global/en/products/bikepacking-series/1290-frontloader

    You can borrow it if you want to try it out. Will be up in town again soon. Could post too

  • I see. If those dimensions are right, I think it might be too big at 50cm wide (unless that's a max size). Did you use it on a road bike or flat bars?

  • Just for the sake of options, I've been looking at some of the acepac stuff. Not many reviews of it out there but I like that it had a fully featured handlebar bag which can attack to the harness or directly to the bars, because I would like the extra capacity if I was using a harness, but would like to be able to use some part of the system on day rides etc. Also it looks like the bearbones bikepacking store sells their stuff, which suggests to me it's OK quality at least.

  • i think the 50cm is the dry bag unrolled - i had one on one of my trips and it fits between 40 odd cm drops no problem

    it was a decent bit of budget kit

  • I did have a quick look. Looks interesting but I'm trying to slam together a bunch of kit at once without knowing what the hell about anything so will hold off buying the missus much until we've a better grasp of what she's likely to need/want.

    https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/shop/?product_cat=luggage nothing in stock.

  • Cheers. Will be giving it a go. If that fails I'll be getting the rack back off my mate (that sat out the front of my flat for 10 fucking years unused and of course now I want it back for a weekend) and bungee cord tent yada yada

  • https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/shop/­?product_cat=luggage nothing in stock

    Apparently Stu Bones is expecting more stock in the next week or so.

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Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

Posted by Avatar for edscoble @edscoble

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