Gravel bike packing, its all done wrong IMO

[HourGlass]

Minimalism is all well and good , but where does the beer go?

File with your bike pump under "essentials".

 

[brocklanders023]

That looks really nice.

Could always try and find wider bars so ypu have that if you wanted less time on dropsm or convert to flat bar?

You had a planet x carbon xc bike thing I'd I'm not mistaken? So at least you know what they both ride like to see what bike type suits you

Cheers mate. Yeah, it's a really nice bike so I will try a few more things first I think? Yep, had a Whippet which was comfier in general but defo slower on road. For some reason they kit it out with trail bike kit, rather than XC so it could have been improved but the terrible Sram SX gears and general 'meh' of the bike made me sell that, rather than the Ragley when I decided to build a new hard tail. Didn't need both.

 

[brocklanders023]

As for storage, I still use a Camelbak for big rides but have a few small frame/saddle bags for shorter rides.

 

[Kingswindsor]

While scanning some long distance bikepacking events info I noticed that some people were using Tailfin rear racks - https://www.tailfin.cc/discipline/gravel/?v=79cba1185463 As a rack lover (and not being a lover of bags under the saddle) I'd go for these myself if I did enough mileage nowadays.

 

[Mangizmo]

While scanning some long distance bikepacking events info I noticed that some people were using Tailfin rear racks - https://www.tailfin.cc/discipline/gravel/?v=79cba1185463 As a rack lover (and not being a lover of bags under the saddle) I'd go for these myself if I did enough mileage nowadays.

So now there is an expensive and inferior way to attach a rear rack to a bike with no mounts....brilliant, thats progress thanks for the link, it made me smile

 

[Kingswindsor]

“.. bike with no mounts…” - people may have a bike with no mounts but are expanding their use of it so all well and good. I recall Blackburn racks being fitted with p-clips etc to 531 bikes without enough mounts. Personally I would have mounts all over just in case and Tailfin do a version for mounts too.

 

[Mangizmo]

“.. bike with no mounts…” - people may have a bike with no mounts but are expanding their use of it so all well and good. I recall Blackburn racks being fitted with p-clips etc to 531 bikes without enough mounts. Personally I would have mounts all over just in case and Tailfin do a version for mounts too.

I have just spotted that the bike in the ads has rear suspension in which case I can see that a traditional carrier would be tricky to fit as the rear triangle would move so in that case the solution offered by this company makes sense

 

[KayOs]

So this new trend for "bike packing" with no mudguards, no front or rear carrier and silly bags dangling off the toptube and sprouting out of the back of the saddle, all the weight up high where you dont want it, then you get splattered with crud due to the lack of mudguards. Surely the proper and most efficient way to carry gear on a bike was worked out decades ago by cycle tourists in the likes of the Cyclists Touring Club on bikes like the Dawes Super Galaxy with Carradice bags back and front keeping the weight low, talk about re-inventing the wheel (badly) just my opinion, most gravel bikes dont even have fixings for carriers....why why why, they add no weight, are virtually invisible but add options ?????

Your post shows that you have not understood what the point of bike packing is. It's about riding light where you have no chance with a touring setup. Which are often the paths where the world is most beautiful, where biking is most beautiful, which are technically demanding. If you want to take the single trails through the Alps instead of the mountain passes, have fun with your Dawes Super Galaxy and panniers and a low centre of gravity....

25kgs including bike, bags and gear is what you want on such trips. Do it one time and you'll understand what bikepacking means.
And you don't need a gravel bike for it either. Gravel bikes are a completely different topic anyway.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Your post shows that you have not understood what the point of bike packing is. It's about riding light where you have no chance with a touring setup. Which are often the paths where the world is most beautiful, where biking is most beautiful, which are technically demanding. If you want to take the single trails through the Alps instead of the mountain passes, have fun with your Dawes Super Galaxy and panniers and a low centre of gravity....
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25kgs including bike, bags and gear is what you want on such trips. Do it one time and you'll understand what bikepacking means.
And you don't need a gravel bike for it either. Gravel bikes are a completely different topic anyway.

Well said and great pics @KayOs

 

[Frankenorange]

Check this out. Man goes bikepacking on kids bike!

https://bikepacking.com/news/bikepacking-mini-adventure-video/