Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

I have that saddlepack; it works very well, even with heavy loads. Keep the weight towards the seatpost or it'll swing around, though.

Bikepack.pl stuff is great. Reminds me I must dig mine out to commute with when it finally gets warm.

^ & ^^ either of you in London? Can I check the saddlepacks out?

I have one too, very good, very basic too (the design is pretty common/old), and you may need a drybag to keep some of your content dry but that's it.

If you need one, just order it, I can vouch for them.

Personal best is Revelate Designs thought.

I'm looking to the May bank holiday as a potential weekend to get out into the wilderness for a night or two, I'd want to go sooner, though at present the temperatures look there would be a fatality sleeping ouside at night.

Would anyone else be interested in attempting a group bikepacking trip somewhere in the UK (I have no real ideas as to where yet...) over the May bank holiday weekend?

Yeah maybe, so long as you mean the 27th rather than the 6th.

Yes! But the Isle of Wight Randonee is on that weekend and I was thinking of doing that again.......

I am super keen to do some loaded weekend rides as I'm planning on cycling the Danube this summer and a bit of practice is going to be a good thing I think!

My current plan (lose as it is atm) is to get the ferry to Dunkerque then cycle up to Brussels and Amsterdam (mainly to visit friends). From the Dam I'll probably train to Munich to catch up with another friend before getting on the Danube in Passau. It's a week to Vienna, then a week to Budapest, then 3 to the Black sea.

Leaving 2nd week of August. Company for the entire thing, or legs of the trip more than welcome!

Heh, a month earlier and I could've joined you - a mate and I are cycling from Le Havre to Esbjerg in late June/early July.

In Bratislava there is a traditional restaurant which serves the worst food ever made; I love eating but even I found it inedible. Budapest was the home of some of the best, and cheapest, food I've ever eaten, though. It's one of my favourite cities to visit, actually - there are so many different things to do that you couldn't not be impressed by it, I think.

I'm going on a tour with a friend starting in Trieste and riding back to London over a period of 2 weeks. We intend on essentially riding between hostels so no camping. Would it be better to carry panniers or a saddle bags? Also what would you advise in terms of what to pack?

Also, padded undershorts or bib shorts?

Many thanks in advance.

Bibs and you need cardice saddle bags it's the only way... Unless you go over the alps in which case ortlieb roll bags are a necessity.

Bibs every time.

Carradice or bikepacking saddlebag.

two clothes - one for riding, one for walking.

Why are panniers necessary if I go over the Alpes? Also which saddle bags specifically do people advise? I am probably going to try and avoid going through the Alpes if at all possible though.

Getting a frame bag made up by alpkit, can't decide on a full frame bag or partial one, its mainly for a 2ish week tour of Iceland. Also the frame is massive, 65cm so a partial frame bag would still be quite big, what do people think?

Will also have an archies saddle bag and handlebar bag.

Read the small print on his comments.

What's your reasoning forgoing against a full frame bag?

Bottles are easier than hydration system
might be too big a bag, even with a divider in it the sections could be very big

Suppose I could get the full bag and get the divider put where I would have the bottom on a partial one and just cut off the bottom if its not needed

I'm going on a tour with a friend starting in Trieste and riding back to London over a period of 2 weeks. We intend on essentially riding between hostels so no camping. Would it be better to carry panniers or a saddle bags? Also what would you advise in terms of what to pack?
Also, padded undershorts or bib shorts?
Many thanks in advance.

Knicks or padded undershorts unless you're doing more riding than touristy stuff. Walking around in bibs is wrong.

This is all I carry..

http://danhendu.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/img_84452.jpg

a photo of a man holding a credit card?

It's not a picture of a man holding a credit card you fool. It's clearly a URL. I never leave home without it. #win

q: which url shortening service is best for carrying large urls on bikepacking trips?

More importantly hippy always takes someone else's credit card with him.

Why are panniers necessary if I go over the Alpes? Also which saddle bags specifically do people advise? I am probably going to try and avoid going through the Alpes if at all possible though.

How much in litres are you going to be packing and how much are you willing to spend on luggage?

As for bib shorts... Some people even ride in clothes without padding! Crazy huh?

q: which url shortening service is best for carrying large urls on bikepacking trips?

I've run into trouble with some of those like tinyurl - they don't always work in forrun. So, I make a point of taking the full thing to be on the safe side. Some people mock me for it but I've even been known to take along the url scheme (or 'protocol' as some of these young whipersnappers call it).
Nothing quite like unfurling that after a hard day in the saddle.

More importantly hippy always takes someone else's credit card with him.

Bottles are easier than hydration system
might be too big a bag, even with a divider in it the sections could be very big

Fair enough, the hydration system would be more convenience for riding but not so for filling it up, I've yet to try it out properly.