Help me build a bikepacking bike!

[originsoundd]

Hey everyone,

Later this year I'm cycling from London to Croatia and I'm keen to build a new bike for it. Surface will be a mix of road, gravel and light singletrack. My budget is ~£750 for the whole bike excluding racks and panniers. I've never been bikepacking nor built a bike from scratch before, but my plan is to buy a retro MTB (ideally a complete) , then swap out the bars, stem, saddle and perhaps brakes (Canti -> V-brakes) if necessary. I've had thoughts of putting a more modern drivetrain on it but it doesn't really seem necessary and I'm more than happy with the 3x7 on my current bike. I have an 18" 96 Hahanna, which I've put some swept back bars on and a much shorter stem. It still feels a bit too big for me going by standover height and overall feel, so I thought going down to something 16" would be best.

This Kona is the only retro MTB I've owned (apart from a Hardrock which was 22"!) so I don't have any ideas on what frame to go for, but going off photos alone, something from Orange might suit me. Can anyone recommend me any brands/frames that are available in 16" and would be suited for bikepacking?

 

[Mark Manley]

Hi and if this is your first post welcome,
I would go for a purpose made expedition bike such as a Thorn or a Surly although the former is easier to come by in the UK, plenty of rack and bottle mounts and as tough as old boots. You might get lucky and find a Rohloff hubbed one for that price but more like something with a derailleur and they often come with high quality racks already fitted.
Nothing wrong with converting a retro mtb, I met a chap in Kazakhstan last year who had ridden there from the UK on one from the 1990s and I last saw him heading off to China on it but a ready made model might be better.

 

[originsoundd]

Hi and if this is your first post welcome,
I would go for a purpose made expedition bike such as a Thorn or a Surly although the former is easier to come by in the UK, plenty of rack and bottle mounts and as tough as old boots. You might get lucky and find a Rohloff hubbed one for that price but more like something with a derailleur and they often come with high quality racks already fitted.
Nothing wrong with converting a retro mtb, I met a chap in Kazakhstan last year who had ridden there from the UK on one from the 1990s and I last saw him heading off to China on it but a ready made model might be better.

Thank you. Would you be able to point me to some models? I've looked into Surly but most on eBay seem to be above my budget!

 

[grahame]

Go for a steel frame rather than aluminium alloy or carbon fibre, purely for the "repairability" - you'll find somebody who can weld steel tubes well enough to get you to the next city on almost every farm or in almost every village. Exotic frame materials are much more difficult to get fixed up enough to keep going.

Next advice would be, if you can, go with a 3x9 drivetrain - again, you'll find spares relatively easy to come by, especially if you are happy to use modern "budget" groupset replacements for anything that wears out or breaks. V-brakes will be easier to use than older cantilevers (pad availability), If you can get a frame or forks suitably equipped, Avid BB7 cable operated disc brakes are powerful, reliable and pads are widely available (at least in Europe). If you have a frame that fits, flat bars with bar ends will be just about as practical/versatile as drops.

Get the best racks you can. Blackburn have always been good for me (several european tours and a US coast to coast).

In short, I'd be looking for a steel, turn of century, rigid mountainbike or touring bike.

 

[grahame]

Disregarding at least some of the above (frame material). If you are a shorter chap (165cm to 175cm tall), then this, whilst listed as a women's bike would be on my list to at least try out:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/women-s-gravel-bike-grvl-120/_/R-p-335712?mc=8667851&c=ash blue

 

[Suprachrgd82]

Do some research regarding the parts availability in the areas you will be travelling. A need for replacement parts that are unavailable in the areas you travel will yeild an exhausting walk.

For instance, locate bike shops on your route, what manufacturers distribute in the regions, what size wheels do most cyclists use, what platforms to people buy/sell parts, do people ride XTR or Alivio....

 

[Mark Manley]

Thank you. Would you be able to point me to some models? I've looked into Surly but most on eBay seem to be above my budget!

Their three most popular models are the Raven, Sherpa and Nomad although there are others, some are hub gear specific which is my preference on an expedition bike but particularly if it is fitted with a Rohloff 14 speed can push the price up, I have found the Shimano Alfine 11 speed has enough gear range for touring. Ebay usually has something.
Apart from different frame sizes a lot of models have a choice of two different top tube lengths which gives a better chance of finding something that fits you best.

Here is their website you are presumably after second hand but this should give you an idea of what to look out for and what they come with.

https://www.thorncycles.co.uk/bikes

This is the owners forum which has some bikes for sale and useful touring information.

https://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php

 

[originsoundd]

Disregarding at least some of the above (frame material). If you are a shorter chap (165cm to 175cm tall), then this, whilst listed as a women's bike would be on my list to at least try out:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/women-s-gravel-bike-grvl-120/_/R-p-335712?mc=8667851&c=ash blue

Thanks! Something I should probably mention is that the reason I said racks and bags excluded is because im using the racks (and fenders) that I have on my Hahanna. If I bought something that isn't 26" I'd have to get another set of racks and fenders.

 

[originsoundd]

Do some research regarding the parts availability in the areas you will be travelling. A need for replacement parts that are unavailable in the areas you travel will yeild an exhausting walk.

For instance, locate bike shops on your route, what manufacturers distribute in the regions, what size wheels do most cyclists use, what platforms to people buy/sell parts, do people ride XTR or Alivio....

Ok thanks. Is £750 really a low budget? Apologies if I sound stupid but I'm new to a lot of this!

 

[grahame]

If you have a Hahanna and are comfortable on it, and have suitable racks and mudguards. Then (with a rigid fork and some slick tyres of 1.5" to 2" section), I'd use that.

My next multi-day tour is likely to be on my "gravelised" '92 Breezer Sky.