You’ll find a few touring bike creations from Joseph Ahearne’s workshop already on CyclingAbout, but I always have time to feature another. That’s because Joseph goes to great lengths to incorporate fine detail into each of his builds.

This particular off-road touring bike, sometimes known as an ‘Outback’, is a fine blend of modern technologies with classical styling. Everything from the drivetrain to the tyres, rims, lights and handlebars is positively 21st-century; but the bike could somehow go unnoticed between a handful of touring bikes from decades ago.

Let’s take a closer inspection.

The Ahearne Pinion Gearbox Touring Bike

Starting at the front end, the most striking feature to me is the triple plate fork crown. This takes me straight to a particular artefact at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. You know the Wright Brothers who are credited with creating the first successful aeroplane? Well, they started in the bike business, and their most famous bicycle build also employs a triple-plate crown!

While Joseph usually constructs his own racks, this Outback is using stock Tubus racks. That’s no bad thing, the Tubus steel racks are often half the weight of everything else available and offer a 30-year guarantee to boot. You will, however, find a custom fender strut that mounts the ultra bright B&M IQ-X light in a high but forward position above the front wheel.

The wheels are another talking point. This touring bike is using Derby 35i carbon fibre rims. Not only are these rims ultralight (485 grams), but they’re also super stiff and wide, matching appropriately to the Schwalbe G-One 27.5 x 2.8″ tyres. The tyres are pretty special too as they’re one of the only gravel-specific tyres in this wide dimension. A series of micro knobs create a much lower rolling resistance when compared to standard plus tyres that are designed for trail use. That will make this bike perfect for rough roads like the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan or Carretera Austral in Chile!

The frame breaks into two halves to reduce the pack-size for flying. S&S couplers fitted to the top and down tubes permit the bike to fit into a box with regular check-in baggage dimensions (26 x 26 x 10″). This means no oversized baggage fee and makes travel to and from the airport logistically easier.

The Honjo H-95 fenders are wide enough to clear the plus-sized tyres… with space. Over my years of bike travel, I’ve found fenders to be absolutely invaluable – it’s cool to see fenders on fat-tyred bikes too!

That motor-looking component is a Pinion gearbox. This is a replacement for derailleur gears on a regular bicycle. A series of cogs sit inside a weather-sealed container with 18 different gear options. It actually offers a gear range wider than any derailleur system too. You can read more about Pinion gearboxes HERE.

You’ll also notice that the bike employs a belt drivetrain. I’ve been using belts since 2010 and have found that they significantly exceed the lifespan of a regular chain drivetrain. I tend to get over 30,000km on a single belt which can sometimes last the duration of a multi-year tour across continents!

The bike is using Paul Klamper cable disc brakes that fit nicely to the sliding Paragon dropouts. I particularly like the super neat fender strut mount at the top of the dropout. The thru-axles front and rear are another modern feature on this classically-styled ride.

The bike is finished using a Jones Loop handlebar that is quite high in proportion to the seat which should provide a comfortable position for all-day riding. Word from Joseph Ahearne is that the seat and seatpost are only temporary. I look forward to seeing this bike covered in dust and mud!

Head HERE For More Custom Touring Bike Builds

The post This Ahearne Pinion Gearbox Touring Bike Will Blow Your Mind appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Great value light touring bikes are becomingly more and more common as the adventure, gravel and bikepacking categories really take off. The 2018 Salsa Journeyman product range is one of the broadest spanning of any brand, offering sub-$1000 complete bikes with a raft of component options so that you can properly match your bike to your intended use.

Let’s take a closer look at some of these options.

The 2018 Salsa Journeyman Range

Alright, the first decision you’ll need to make is between 700C or 650B wheels.

The reason you have this choice is that 650B wheels with wider tyres closely match the diameter of 700C with narrower tyres. Pretty cool, huh? If you’re sticking to sealed roads or fast-rolling dirt tracks, you’re going to be better off with the 700C option. If you like the rough stuff, the 650B wheels will offer more grip, more comfort and will fit lots of different MTB tyres.

The maximum tyre size is 50mm (2.0″) with a 700C wheel and 56mm (2.2″) with 650B wheels. Keep in mind that fitting the 700x50C tyre will increase the bottom bracket height ~13mm above what’s ideal.

The second decision will be between drop or flat handlebars.

Like a sportier and more aerodynamic position? Go with the drop bars. Want a bike with more control and the ability to really wrangle a front load? Grab the flat bar model. The flat bar option will also be better if you like the idea of fitting a Jones Loop or Surly Moloko handlebar.

There are different frame geometries for the flat and drop bar frames.

The flat bar model works out to be ~60mm longer in the top tube to accommodate for the difference in ‘reach’ between handlebar designs. This comes with another advantage too; it has zero toe overlap in most sizes!

The steering speed on the Journeyman works out to be pretty slow for a drop bar gravel bike with wide tyres. Ideally, Salsa would have opted for a slightly faster steering speed on the drop bar models to accommodate for the 2.1″ tyres. Wide tyres running low pressure require more effort to turn, so it makes sense to increase the steering speed to compensate. That said, I can see why Salsa stuck with their slow steering speed – less steering feedback provides more stability at speed.

You can choose between a carbon or aluminium fork if selecting one of the drop handlebar models.

The carbon fork will come with a ~300g (10oz) weight saving as well as better vibration damping on some road surfaces. Both forks employ a tapered steer tube, so you can upgrade the fork down the line if you’re keen to shed some additional weight. The frame isn’t designed to fit mountain bike suspension forks.

The gear range is the same across all Journeyman models.

This 24-116 gear inch range will allow you to ride in the lowest gear at 7km/h with a good cadence. While this is suitable for the majority of dirt road riding, I’d suggest modifying the drivetrain if you like spending time in the mountains like me.

You can fit a Shimano Tourney 8-speed crankset (42-34-24t), front derailleur and shifter (US $60 total) to any Journeyman models with Shimano Claris. This achieves a sub-20″ gear capable of 5.5km/h at a decent cadence. For the models fitted with Shimano Sora, you can even fit Shimano Acera 9-speed parts (eg. 42-32-22t crankset) which will get the climbing gear right down to 18 gear inches!

Finally, the framesets are decked out with eyelets. You’ll be able to fit full-length fenders, front or rear racks, a fuel bottle under the down tube and cargo cages on either side of the fork. On the top tube, you’ll notice provision for an EXP Series Toptube Bag too!

Right – here are the models, weights and prices…

The 2018 Salsa Journeyman 650B Drop

Salsa Journeyman 650B Drop / Shimano Sora 9-speed / Carbon Fork / 11.8kg / 26lb / US $1099

Salsa Journeyman 650B Drop / Shimano Claris 8-speed / Aluminium Fork / 12.2kg / 27lbs / US $899

The 2018 Salsa Journeyman 700C Drop

Salsa Journeyman 700C Drop / Shimano Sora 9-speed / Carbon Fork / 11.2kg / 25lb / US $1099

Salsa Journeyman 700C Drop / Shimano Claris 8-speed / Aluminium Fork / 11.6kg / 25lb / US $899

The 2018 Salsa Journeyman 650B Flat

Salsa Journeyman 650B Flat / Shimano Claris 8-speed / Aluminium Fork / 12.2kg / 27lb / US $899 

The 2018 Salsa Journeyman 700C Flat

Salsa Journeyman 700C Flat / Shimano Claris 8-speed / Aluminium Fork / 11.8kg / 26lb / US $899

Want To Compare These Touring Bikes With Dozens of Others?

Check out The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide which compares touring bike steering, sizing, gear ratios, specification, pricing and more. This guide is updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost!

The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide helps you compare touring bikes, side-by-side.

Helpful Resources

All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

Touring Bikes Overview

2016 Advocate Lorax
2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2018 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120

The post The New 2018 Salsa Journeyman Light Touring Bikes appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Panniers are the quintessential luggage option for bicycle touring. They’re easy to take on and off the bike, they’re waterproof and they offer a large, easy to access cavity. While almost uncommon on bikepacking setups, panniers can make a really useful contribution to your luggage suite. A handful of bag manufacturers have acknowledged this with the release of some innovative bikepacking panniers.

Let’s investigate.

Recommended:
Where to Best Carry A Load When Bicycle Touring: Front or Rear Panniers?
What’s the Speed Difference Between Front/Rear Panniers and BikePacking Bags? Results

What’s The Deal With Bikepacking Panniers?

Revelate Nano Panniers mounted to a small Surly Krampus.

– They’re smaller and narrower in profile for getting through tighter spaces.
– They don’t get in the way when pushing your bike.
– The smaller frontal area has less aerodynamic drag than more voluminous panniers.
– They’re typically lighter than touring panniers.
– They a great alternative bag option for small bikes with no space for a seat pack (see pic above).
– They offer additional storage for food or odd-shaped equipment.

Pannier Hooks vs. Straps

One of the genius things about most panniers is that you can take them off instantly. That’s thanks to the opening/closing hooks found on the back of most panniers.

But there are a few drawbacks to clip and hook systems:
– They’re noisier on the trail.
– They’re susceptible to damage.
– They’re heavier.

You’ll find velcro and cinch straps on the backside of many bikepacking panniers. This allows for a tighter fit to the rack whereby the soft pannier backplate can mould to the shape of the rack, ensuring there’s no space for the bag to move.

That said, clip and hook systems still work well off-road, and very rarely experience failures. I’ve only ever broken lower anchoring hooks after years of heavy use. You can fit velcro or rubber tubes to sections of the rack to mitigate noise, and a bungee cord around the rack and pannier if it isn’t sitting firmly in place.

Front Profile Width

An important aspect of bikepacking panniers is the front profile width. The narrower the profile, the easier it is to squeeze between obstacles or, in the case of rear panniers, to push your bike. A smaller profile bag also has the benefit of being more aerodynamic too.

The panniers featured below have front profile widths ranging from 7.5cm (3″) through to 14cm (5.5″). Rear touring panniers can are between 17 and 26cm (7-9″) in comparison.

Using Front Panniers On A Rear Rack

Heike (PushBikeGirl) uses regular Ortlieb Sport-Roller panniers on her rear rack.

You might be led to believe that you need bikepacking panniers for your adventures, but the reality is that lots of people use small panniers that were originally intended for lowrider front racks. Ortlieb actually re-named their ‘Front-Roller’ model to ‘Sport-Roller’ to avoid the confusion that they only work with front racks. You can buy lower anchoring hooks as spare parts for many panniers, allowing you to double up for additional pannier stability without the need for bungee cords too.

Right, let’s take a look at the more bikepacking-specific panniers.

Anylander Panniers – US $325

The Anylander panniers are a collaboration between Porcelain Rocket (sewing) and the Anylander workshop (frame+assembly). The panniers use Arkel upper hooks and Ortlieb lower anchoring hooks to make it easy to remove the bags. There’s a unique internal metal frame that gives the bags their shape even when half full and they come in a bunch of unique colours.

Hooks | 30 Litres | 1.6kg | 3.6lb

Altura Ultralite Vortex 30 Panniers – US $90

These well-priced panniers have a large volume while also being some of the lightest. You’ll find some pretty mixed reviews on their function and reliability.

Hookless | 30 Litres | 480g | 1.0lb | 14cm Profile

Arkel Dry Lite Bikepacking Panniers – US $80

The Arkel Dry Lites are well-known for their reliability. I’ve met people who’ve been on long tours who were using them. While they have a front profile width on the wide side, they taper from the bottom providing a little extra clearance.

Hookless | 28 Litres | 540g | 1.2lb | 14cm Profile

Arkel XM-28 Bikepacking Panniers – US $120

These 1.9kg panniers are the heavy-duty, fully-featured version of the Dry Lites. They have a skid plate on the lower section of the bag to prevent damage from rocks.

Hooks | 28 Litres | 1.9kg | 4.2lb | 14cm Profile

Bedrock Hermosa UL – US $300

Bedrock Bags use both X-Pac and ballistic nylon materials to make a light and durable product. They have an excellent front profile width given their volume. Available in five different colours.

Hookless | 26 Litres | 630g | 10cm Profile

Ortlieb Gravel Pack Bikepacking Panniers

Ortlieb is, without doubt, the standard for panniers. They recently released their Gravel Packs which employ a new lightweight material and closing system to shave 20% off the Sport-Roller bags. The bags come with two lower anchoring hooks off the shelf for additional stability and are coloured the same as the rest of the bikepacking range.

Hooks | 25 Litres | 1.2kg | 2.6lb | 14cm Profile

Porcelain Rocket Micro Panniers – US $240

The Porcelain Rocket Micro Panniers have featured on dozens of bikes over the years. The roll closure system is similar to other panniers but Scott has selected a heavier duty material otherwise. These don’t appear on the PR website but you can source them elsewhere.

Hookless | 26 Litres | 868g | 1.9lbs | 12.5cm Profile

Revelate Nano Panniers – US $150

Here we have the lowest volume panniers with the narrowest front profile width at just 7.5cm per bag. Unlike the other pannier options, the Revelate Nano Panniers use a zip to access stored goods. They are optimised for Old Man Mountain racks, but can adjust to most racks.

Hookless | 13 Litres | 465g | 1.0lb | 7.5cm Profile

Swift Hinterland JR Ranger – US $280

The Swift Hinterland JR Ranger panniers have one of the narrower front profiles in the list. Using X-Pac material combined with hooks they’ve come up with a bag that’s closer to a regular pannier in terms of functionality, but a better profile for off-road stuff.

Hooks | 20 Litres | 1.5kg | 3.3lb | 10cm Profile

Rogue Panda Kaibab Micro Panniers – US $150

The Rouge Panda Kaibab panniers use a series of velcro straps to compress to a rack. They use X-Pac waterproof material and are seam sealed. Along the back is a foam pad which provides a tight fit to the rack and protects your gear. Keep in mind these bags are small-batch production only, so shoot an email through to find out when to expect the next run.

Hookless | 24 Litres | 567g | 1.3lb

Click HERE For A Complete List Of The Best Panniers

The post All About The Best Bikepacking Panniers For Off-Road Adventures appeared first on CyclingAbout.

I’ve recently noticed that there’s a lot of discussion around weight when it comes to panniers vs bikepacking bags. These weight comparisons come from a good place: they are often comparing the weight between a typical touring bike setup and a typical bikepacking setup. The only issue is that this is like comparing apples to oranges.

Let’s break this down.

Minimalism

I’ll start by suggesting that minimalism either appeals to you, or it doesn’t. Minimalists have existed in the bike travel sphere for over 100 years, strapping bags to racks or simply selecting two panniers instead of four.

It’s well known that carrying less gear means you can select a lighter/faster bike and therefore travel longer distances with the same effort. In fact, this is a positive feedback loop: reduce bike weight > travel longer distances > carry less food and water > reduce bike weight further. So while bikepacking bags may force you to think twice about what you’re carrying, minimalism as a philosophy is equally applied to all bike luggage setups, panniers included.

I think it goes without saying that someone with a minimalist mindset is unlikely to walk into a bike shop and pick up a 16kg touring bike with 5kg of panniers, bags and racks. This setup will not only offer excess volume, but the heavy-duty components will be superfluous with a minimalist’s load. Similarly, someone wanting to carry a camp chair is unlikely to investigate a bikepacking setup. This is the crux of the problem when comparing a sturdy touring bike with four panniers to a svelte adventure bike with a bikepacking ensemble – these setups appeal to different people who want to conduct different types of adventures.

Iik from UltralightCycling is a well-known bike travel minimalist with lots of tips on his website.

How Should We Compare The Weight Of Pannier Vs Bikepacking Bags?

The only way to truly compare the weight difference between luggage setups is to match the bag volumes. That is, to assume that you’ll pack both luggage setups with the same gear volume. I’ve seen people make weight comparisons where the bikepacking setup has less than half the volume. The panniers are always going to be heavier when extra textiles are used, and racks are fitted to accommodate the sheer volume!

Right, let me show you how panniers can actually be lighter than bikepacking bags.

Sub-1000g pannier setup? No problem. Image: DalesJournal

Panniers That Are 21% Lighter than Bikepacking Bags!?

Ultralight Rear Pannier and Drybag Setup (38L)
Arkel Dry Lite Panniers (30 Litres): 540g
Tubus Airy Titanium Rack: 233g
Sea-To-Summit UltraSil Drybag (8 Litres): 30g
Compression Straps: 50g
Total: 853 grams 

Bikepacking Setup (37.5L)
Ortlieb Handlebar Pack (15L): 417g
Ortlieb Seat Pack (16.5L): 430g
Ortlieb Framepack Large (6L): 232g
Total: 1079 grams

Surprised? I was! I always assumed that the rack infrastructure and waterproof nature of the panniers would tip the balance here. But the Tubus titanium rack is about the same weight as a large packet of potato chips and the Arkel Dry Lite panniers less than a small bidon of water. Once you strap a lightweight drybag to the top of the rack, it’s pretty hard for a waterproof bikepacking setup to match the weight.

Ortlieb Gravel Packs fitted to the front and rear racks of a Maxx touring bike.

What About F+R Panniers With Hooks?

Front and Rear Pannier Setup (50L)
Ortlieb Gravel Packs x2 (50L): 2320g
Tubus Tara Rack: 360g
Tubus Airy Rack: 233g
Total: 2913 Grams

Bikepacking Setup (50L)
Ortlieb Handlebar Pack (15L): 417g
Ortlieb Accessory Pack (3.5L): 206g
Ortlieb Seat Pack (16.5L): 430g
Ortlieb Framepack Large (6L): 232g
Anything Bag x2 (9L): 398g
Anything Cage HD x2: 440g
Total: 2123 Grams

When you fit a front rack to a bike or use panniers with hooks (or both!), the weight starts to add up. But the difference with the volumes matched is still under 800 grams (1.8lb). That’s not insignificant, but it’s also a very small percentage of the overall weight of your body/bike/luggage/food/water – probably under 1% of the total.

This Hilite light touring bike will suit the minimalists who like panniers; it’s just 9.2kg (20lb)!

Volume-Weight Potential

BIKEPACKING.com recently suggested that the biggest weight savings are what you can’t fit into a bikepacking setup. While I agree that having less storage space will make you think twice about whether you can take it (ie. if you can’t pack it, you won’t), I don’t think this is a good reason to ditch the panniers (I’ve listed better ones below). That’s because it’s ultimately your choice to fill the space, and if you have a minimalist mentality, you don’t need volume constraints to be on top of that.

How Much Does Weight Affect Cycling Speed?

I took my touring bike with two large panniers (mounted to my rear rack) on a 15.37km (9.5mi) long undulating route which offered 276m (905ft) of climbing. I rode around this course all day with different loads to find out how much each extra kilogram affected my cycling speed. It turned out that each extra kilogram is worth somewhere between 10 seconds (flat) and 90 seconds (hilly) over 100km.

I suggest keeping this information in mind whenever considering matters of weight on a bike trip.

Bikepacking Bags Are More Aerodynamic

Aerodynamics have a very significant impact on your speed, especially when compared to my weight testing. On my hilly test course when carrying 20 extra kilograms it worked out to be 18 minutes slower over 100km. To put that into perspective, that time difference is essentially the same as the difference between bikepacking bags or four panniers with equal weight (17 minutes). That’s a lot!

Summary

I wrote this article to dispel the myth that racks and panniers have to be heavy. I think that matching the luggage volumes is the best way to draw a weight comparison between setups because if you’re interested in bikepacking bags over panniers, you’ll also be the type who can be a minimal packer.

That said, I personally wouldn’t pick either luggage option on weight alone. Bikepacking setups are:
– More aerodynamic (6% in my case)
– Better on rough roads and trails
– Really good at distributing weight (especially frame bags)
– Able to fit bikes without rack mounts

Panniers have their place too. They are:
– Quick to remove from a bike
– Easy to carry off the bike
– Easy to organise
– Better equipped to fit odd-shaped objects
– More protective of laptops

Ok, time to take whatever luggage setup you’ve got and enjoy the ride.

The post Panniers vs Bikepacking Bags: Can Panniers Actually Be Lighter? appeared first on CyclingAbout.

I was feeling like a different challenge this month, so I veered away from my northbound trajectory in favour of crossing La Pampas (the Argentinean plains). This 2000km ride took me from Bariloche to Buenos Aires. What I hoped for was a change of scenery, what I ended up with was dozens of new friends and a new perspective of Argentina!

//////// CyclingAbout The Americas: Southern Patagonia [EP.1]
//////// CyclingAbout The Americas: Carretera Austral [EP.2]

MY BIKE: Koga WorldTraveller Signature
MY GEAR LIST: My 25kg of stuff
MY ROUTE: See it HERE
MUSIC: Tajima Hal Set

The post Video: CyclingAbout The Americas // Crossing Argentina [EP.3] appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Since the Troll was released in 2010, Surly has been creating more off-road touring bikes than you’d have thought imaginable. They make bikes for every wheel and tyre option, in fact, you can find models rolling on 26″, 26+, 650B, 27+, 700C, 29er & 29+. You’re probably confused about the choice, heck – I write about this stuff and I’m sometimes confused!

Now let’s add to the mix the 2018 Surly Bridge Club with 27.5″ wheels.

The New 2018 Surly Bridge Club Touring Bike

There’s no need to beat around the bush here. The 2018 Surly Bridge Club is a better value Surly Troll with 27.5″ wheels and only a handful fewer features.

What’s missing?
– V-brake bosses
– Dedicated trailer mount
– Sliding dropouts for singlespeed use (it will still fit a Rohloff hub with chain tensioner)
– 2 of the cargo cage mounts on the fork (there’s still 3-boss mounts on either side)

The biggest difference to the Troll in terms of frame geometry is the bottom bracket height. The bike employs more bottom bracket drop in order to suit both a set of larger diameter 27.5 x 2.8″ tyres (724mm) or a 700 x 47mm wheelset (716mm). Like the Troll you can even run 26 x 3.0″ wheels (711mm) in the bike if you like. Otherwise, the extra small sized Bridge Club has an ever so slacker head angle to provide additional toe clearance given the larger wheels.

The gear ratios of the 2×10 SRAM drivetrain are ideal for off-road terrain and are lower than almost any other touring bike available. The low gear is 17 gear inches which translates to a climbing speed of 4.9km/h (3MPH) at a pedal cadence of 60RPM. This is about as low as practical and will probably allow you to optimise your cadence even on 15%+ gradients. A SRAM Blaze 36/24t crankset paired with a wide range 11-40t cassette makes this possible.

The rear hub spacing seems to be controversial, but it need not be. The rear end is spaced 3mm wider than the usual 135mm, but also 3mm narrower than the 141mm hub that the bike comes with. This means that the frame will need to flex 1.5mm on either side of the hub to close a quick release lever, should you use a regular 135mm hub. Not a big deal. Surly built this wider rear end to achieve better chainring clearance and wider volume tyres without making the chainstay longer than it needed to be.

The 2018 Surly Bridge Club still has all the braze-ons you need for bike travel. There’s ample space for front and rear racks, fenders and cargo cages. You can find 3-boss cargo mounts above and below the downtube on all but the extra small frame.

The tapered fork has a set of upper mounts to suit Surly’s 8-Pack and 24-Pack racks. You can also fit standard lowrider front racks and a set of full-length fenders (I recommend using the Fender Flute to achieve a nice fitment).

The 2018 Surly Bridge Club is available as a complete bike only in five different sizes. It comes with tubeless ready WTB i29 rims, 27.5 x 2.4” WTB Riddler tires, Promax cable disc brakes and a comfortable 17-degree sweptback Salsa handlebar.

It retails for US $1200 which is a tidy 30% saving over the Troll. You can find the full specification HERE.

Want To Compare This Touring Bike With Dozens of Others?

Check out The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide which compares touring bike steering, sizing, gear ratios, specification, pricing and more. This guide is updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost!

The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide helps you compare touring bikes, side-by-side.

Helpful Resources

All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

Touring Bikes Overview

2016 Advocate Lorax
2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2018 Salsa Journeyman
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2018 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120

The post The New 2018 Surly Bridge Club Offroad Touring Bike appeared first on CyclingAbout.

WIND. MOUNTAINS. HIKING. NATURE. Southern Patagonia is a tough place for cyclists… especially if you’re heading north to Alaska. This is the first photo gallery of many on my 2-year bike tour up towards North America.

Guys – I don’t think I’ve arrived at the right Patagonia because there’s no wind or rain here! Does anyone have some reliable directions or maybe a GPX file which will get me to the REAL Patagonia???

It doesn’t quite feel real yet, but it’s sure liberating to have unshackled myself from a comfortable existence at home. Endless adventures are waiting; the journey north starts tomorrow!!

Alaska ☞ 17,848km. This is probably the most south I will ever stand on Planet Earth and I’m fairly sure I’ll never get closer to Antarctica. Right, north from here!

Well, I promised KOGA that I’d test their bike to the limit.

Before hitting the flat, exposed, notoriously windy plains, it’s a rather pleasant ride through the mountains behind Ushuaia. This was my first day on the road, but for everyone going the other way – it was their last! Most cyclists had been travelling for months and seemed to be pretty enthusiastic about some highway called the Carretera Austral…

20 hours. TWENTY!! That’s the time between the start and finish of my ride yesterday. The first seven hours were ultra slow, as I was moving into a 50km/h block headwind. Unfortunately, the next section was even more notorious for headwinds BUT I had done some wind research and found that once in a blue moon… it can be dead still overnight. So I had a nap, cooked dinner, drank an espresso and launched a 160km/100mi overnight assault. This would save me two days of misery! I ended up cycling non-stop on the rough gravel roads all the way between sunset and sunrise. It was dark, wet, eerily silent and ever so peaceful. Total for the ‘day’: 240km/150mi.

If there are strong winds all day, then you hit one of these signs… good luck staying upright!! Here I am trying my darndest to ride in a straight line.

Living life one dodgy bridge at a time here in Patagonia. Who knows which one will be my last!

I wouldn’t say the wind has broken me – I’m way too stubborn to ever let that happen – but I’m really longing for the cycling to be enjoyable again. To beat the wind you need to accept that you’ll ride all day at a slow jogging pace, then get NO REWARD for all your hard work. There’s no views, no downhill and definitely no freewheeling to help put that smile back on the dial. Out here, you’re relying on determination alone. I’ve been counting down the windy days for the last week, and with another all-nighter under the belt, I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Absolutely loving the splashes of colour everywhere! The flowers make my monotonous grey, white and black getup far less dull (I’m trying not to stand out too much as a 2m tall human).

SENDING IT INTO 2K18!! Wishing you all the best for the next lap around the sun. My plan is to cycle to Mexico – hope to see you somewhere on the way.

Sorry, there’s been no internet for a while. I’m having a great time though!

I’ve been to lots of mountains around the world, and there’s not many that will take your breath away like these.

Computer generated image or real life?

I’ve spent an insane amount of time creating a video story for you over my first month CyclingAbout The Americas. I’m really proud of EP.1; please give it a watch and let me know what you think of it.

Welcome to my pleasure palace.

Don’t want to know what’s in my lungs today.

It’s amazing how quickly the environment changes from valley to valley. One minute you’re cycling past jagged mountain peaks, the next you’re camping in a sparse landscape with not a tree in sight.

Would you believe this is 1130pm?! I was gifted an enormous Carnation Pink sky last night and it charmed me into riding until the curtains were fully drawn. You sleep when you’re dead, some wise person once said.

Monte Fitz Roy. 3405m. 11171ft.

Million . Dollar . Views

I’ve been really getting into trail running over here. Most people think I’m mad, but by running I can complete 2 or 3-day hikes in a single day. I only travel with a daypack, so it works out well to not require a tent, food or cooking gear either.

When I first shopped around for a touring bike, it had to be steel. Experienced bike tourers were touting additional comfort and were selling me on the idea that I could repair my frame anywhere in the world. A few years later, I started researching frame building and metallurgy and was now questioning these perceptions. It no longer made sense to me that steel could be more comfortable because diamond frame shapes are so stiff by design. In addition, a tyre, seatpost and seat already provides centimetres of vertical compliance, so any comfort steel may add would certainly go unnoticed. I also found out that steel frame manufacturing was a pretty specific skill set given the thin tube diameters — it’s really easy to damage a frame through repair! I’m lucky enough to have been given this aluminium Koga WorldTraveller Signature touring bike to test over the next 40,000km. KOGA is certain it will ride as smooth and be as strong as any other touring bike. Let’s see if they’re right!

To see my latest updates make sure to subscribe to my social media pages:
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BIKE: Koga WorldTraveller Signature
GEAR LIST: My 25kg of stuff
ROUTE: View it HERE

Watch My Film From The Southern Patagonia Section HERE

The post Photo Gallery: Bicycle Touring In Southern Patagonia appeared first on CyclingAbout.

MOUNTAINS. GLACIERS. DUST. CORRUGATIONS. I take on the famous Carretera Austral Highway to find out if it deserves its legendary status.

The moment when you realise you’ve really f**k’d up… and you and your bike go tumbling down a steep hiking trail. I WISH this was staged! (My bike and I are fine)

I almost bit off more than I could chew yesterday. There’s a hiking trail around a lake that most cross by boat. People told me it’s “hard, but doable” to push a bike on it for 13km. They made me assume that as a strong, fit and resilient individual that I could do it, without hesitation. But after crossing dozens of rivers, after taking my panniers off 100 times, after falling into thorn bushes, after many knee-deep muddy bogs, after 11 gruelling hours — this hiking trail would be HARD without a 50kg+ bike on your back. My advice: take the bloody boat, whatever you do.

It’s pretty easy to feel the enormity of the steep mountain valleys when you can almost touch them as you cycle along…

The Carretera Austral Highway connects up that skinny stretch of Chile down in Patagonia. It was built by 10,000 military soldiers between the 1970s and 1990s in order to strengthen the Chilean presence in these isolated territories. Beforehand, everything had to arrive in overland via the vast, windy plains of Argentina.

When the day is really nice, I find it hard to pack up. I sit in the sun, make coffee, then lay back down with my book. Repeat this a few times and you’ll find it’s the afternoon!!

Who said you can’t mono a fully-loaded bike up a hill with crystal blue water below!?

AREN’T YOU LONELY? This is such a common question for me, and I think people forget that ‘being alone’ and ‘being lonely’ are two different concepts. Remember that you can still feel lonely with a big family and lots of work colleagues all while living in a city of millions. I’m happy floating in my own thoughts, breathing fresh air, reading books and listening to podcasts. I have conversations with new people every single day, many of whom I will see again. I wouldn’t want to be in this state forever, but for now, it feels like such a luxury. If the idea of ‘being alone’ stops you from travelling, I suggest a re-think. Take a week off, pack some stuff to keep your mind active (books, paintbrushes, movies, podcasts, a diary, a camera) and experience the world in a wonderful way!

As one machine starts a life of service, the other enters retirement.

After 300km (200mi) of corrugations, dust and close-passing traffic — it was an absolute delight to ride up (and down!) the silky smooth Cuesta del Diablo. Can you find me?!

Compare your thoughts, quash any fears and perhaps get some ideas for your next bike trip – these are the 22 questions that I answer every single day.

Praise the mountains! Every time I think the stunning backdrops will end, Patagonia keeps delivering. Cerro Castillo is one of the best day hike loops I’ve ever done…

Just imagine having to suffer through these views every day. Now you know what it’s like to travel with me through Chile.

Hold on to your sense of wonder. It will take you to places like this.

ARE YOU EVER SCARED? It’s my experience that the world is overwhelmingly safe. People often provide warnings about many of the far-flung places I end up, but I’ve found that 99 times out of 100 these are unfounded hearsay – it’s best to keep an open mind. You’ll find that one-in-a-thousand people actually have bad intentions and that the chance of rubbing shoulders with them is slim at best.

Pretty happy with the long series of life decisions that got me to this point!

I test gear, not for a day or a week, but often for YEARS before I form a strong opinion on it. I also make sure to constantly re-evaluate both the gear I use and my methods of travel. By keeping an open mind I can keep progressing, and so can you!

Best friends are like stars; you don’t always see them but they’re always there. Jokes, we’re inseparable. Happy Valentine’s Day, my trusty bicycle. You know all my secrets.

Best time to be on the pedals: GOLDEN HOUR.

Patagonia…. so wildly dramatic, every day!! (Put coming here on your ‘to-do’ list, right after your laundry)

Fun ways to get from A to B: Volume 1. (Sorry KOGA, but it’s part of my testing protocol)

My favourite place to camp is inside a pine forest. I love the sound of the wind whistling through the treetops, yet the perfect stillness at the ground. I love that they’re dark in the mornings, that pine-fresh scent and that pine needles are super squishy to lay on.

“If you’re cycling all the way to Alaska, why did you choose such a bad bike?” – Stranger at a bus stop. I was now sporting my biggest grin. That’s because my Koga is essentially a Rolls Royce with a Toyota body kit. This stranger was referring to the fact that my bike has no suspension, no fancy graphics or glossy finishes. Koga gave me the option to go ‘bling’ with my custom build, but it was my request that the bike looked like any other. For those not ‘in the know’, this tends to be a great theft deterrent. The Rohloff hub even makes it look like the Koga doesn’t have gears…

WHY DO I USE PANNIERS? A common question for me in a world of limitless bag options. I want to start by saying there’s no ‘best’ setup; that depends entirely on a combination of your travel style and what you’re doing. I chose panniers over using my bikepacking/trailer kit for a number of reasons: 1. I can load and unload my bike in 30 seconds flat. 2. I have a laptop and camera gear that is very protected in panniers. 3. I can carry 30+ litres of food if I need, including odd-shaped food like broccoli. 4. My bags can be organised by use, for example, I have a ‘kitchen’ bag that I can whip out in hostels.

I take on the famous Carretera Austral Highway to find out if it deserves its legendary status. Video HERE.

To see my latest updates make sure to subscribe to my social media pages:
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BIKE: Koga WorldTraveller Signature
GEAR LIST: My 25kg of stuff
ROUTE: Carretera Austral Section and Argentina Section

Watch My Film From The Carretera Austral HERE

The post Photo Gallery: Cycling The Carretera Austral Highway appeared first on CyclingAbout.

I was feeling like a different challenge this month, so I veered away from my northbound trajectory in favour of crossing La Pampas (the Argentinean plains). This 2000km ride took me from Bariloche to Buenos Aires. What I hoped for was a change of scenery, what I ended up with was dozens of new friends and a new perspective of Argentina!

Route of the 7 Lakes.

It was at this moment that I made the biggest decision of my trip. Instead of following the mountains and lakes north through Chile, I would start a 2000km journey across The Pampa (desert) to Buenos Aires. Why? Well, I felt like a change of scenery. I’d also like to spend a bit more time with locals, and a bit less lost in nature. It’s easier to do this when I’m not distracted with endless hikes and mountain roads. It’s about time for a new backdrop too, don’t you think?

MY CLOTHES. I wear a button-up cotton shirt in hot and dry conditions. I find they offer unparalleled sun protection, plus you can open them up for an extra breeze. When it’s hot, I soak my shirt in water and let it dry while I ride. I try to pick colours that don’t look dirty when they actually are. I then use swimming shorts combined with padded cycling ‘undershorts’ below. This combo dries really fast and is ultra durable too. I have really long legs, so that’s why they’re so short.

I got my first two punctures yesterday! The thorns can’t penetrate the top of my Schwalbe tires, but they sure can get through the sides. Today I will remove my valve cores and add some sealant to my tubes. Oh, and before you ask, the tyres are Schwalbe Marathon Almotion in 700x50C (29×2.0″) at 59.2179psi and I don’t use tubeless because tubes are the easiest solution for long-term bike travel.

I was deep in thought, crossing the Pampa plains with minimal visual distraction and little evidence of human existence. I was thinking all about how grateful I am to the people who’ve taught me new things and helped me to understand Patagonia. What a phenomenal nook in this world! And then that made me think about how grateful I am to everyone else. So many of you are overwhelmingly supportive of my endeavours! Thanks for encouraging me along and letting me know you like my stuff. That is the magic that keeps these legs turning over, country after country.

285km — That’s my longest day this trip! I did it to carry less water between settlements (I still took 8L) and to put myself in a position to have tailwinds a few days later. Riding into the night provided me with shooting stars, lightning shows, owls and foxes. I love that big desert night sky.

Right now it feels like it takes hours to reach the horizon! With space this vast it can be disorienting too. The only indication that you’re going uphill is when your legs are begging your brain to tell your hands to drop a gear or two.

HOW IS THE KOGA COMPARED TO MY OLD SURLY LHT? I’m really impressed. The WorldTraveller has a near-identical frame geometry to the LHT so the handling was straight away very familiar. I find it rides just as comfortably too, despite many people’s preconceptions that aluminium is ‘harsh’. The most noticeable difference between the bikes is the lateral frame stiffness – the Koga experiences less front-end ‘shimmy’ or wobbling at high speeds, especially with a heavy and potentially uneven load up front. This is something I’ve always been critical of with the LHT (and many other touring bikes) as you can never have enough lateral stiffness, in my opinion! Otherwise, the hydro disc brakes are running nicely still. I really like the 29×2.0″ Schwalbe Almotion tyres. The Rohloff + belt drive has always been easy and maintenance-free for me. The kickstand is so bloody practical; I thought I’d take it off after a while but now I can’t believe I’ve always lived without one. Disclosure: KOGA sponsor me. But I assure you, the things I describe can all be measured/explained with hard data if I ran the tests.

I’m currently in the fertile lands surrounding Buenos Aires, and it’s crushing my soul a bit. All day I see trucks filled to the brim with terrified cows who will all be murdered so that humans can please their taste buds for 5 minutes. This practice is obviously cruel, and I am living proof that it’s unnecessary too. I travel to remote parts of the world, sometimes cycling for 20 HOURS in a single day, all without ANY animal products in my diet. A great way to reduce the suffering is to simply pick the meat-free option whenever you eat. Every meal makes a difference to the lives of the animals that I see suffering when I’m bike touring.

Good morning. Last night I went into a small town, filled up my water bottles, bought some groceries, then rode my bike to the place where the town meets the countryside. This is where I always ‘wild’ camp when passing through farming areas, but I should note that the friendly people here invited me to camp in their gardens!!

Central Argentina BLEW MY MIND!! The people have been so much friendlier than in the tourist hotspots. I felt like the Queen having waved and smiled to so many people! All day I was asked if I needed help, and in the towns, I was invited over for dinner or beers. I’ve probably featured in the majority of selfies taken in Argentina too. I left the mountains to experience the people — and it WORKED. Go Argentina!

I was sitting in a park cooking some dinner. Two police officers came over and asked for my documents. They were straight on the phone, registering my details at the local police station. But after they’d done this, they kept talking. And talking. About me! My Spanish is limited, so I had no idea if I was in trouble or not. They kept assuring me that it was all good! Then one of the big bosses from the police station arrived at the park and invited me to stay with them for the night. So I did!

You may have noticed that my bike is set up a bit different to most touring bikes: the seat is high and the handlebars are low. I actually spend the majority of my riding time in this ‘stretched out’ position. My body has adapted to it over years of road bike use, so I can hold it all day long. With a reduced frontal area (better aerodynamics) this gives me extra speed without the extra effort — one of the key reason why I can ride further and faster than most. Believe it or not, I never get a sore neck, back or shoulders, even after 12+ hours of pedalling!

This 2000km ride took me from Bariloche to Buenos Aires. What I hoped for was a change of scenery, what I ended up with was dozens of new friends and a new perspective of Argentina! Check out my video HERE.

As soon as I prove myself trustworthy, street dogs often assign themselves the task of Chief Protector. While I’m rolling the streets of small towns, they’re busy fending off other dogs, people, cars… everything! This cute pup even followed me to camp one night. We played fetch until it got dark and then it slept in my tent vestibule. If it had its way it would’ve been inside the tent and on top of me!!

It’s my last night in Argentina! The last 3+ months have been wild. My current 1-2 month plan is to ride across Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. I don’t know much about these places; I’ll try my best to teach you all about them too.

To see my latest updates make sure to subscribe to my social media pages:
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BIKE: Koga WorldTraveller Signature
GEAR LIST: My 25kg of stuff
ROUTE: See it HERE

Watch My Bicycle Touring Argentina Film HERE

The post Photo Gallery: Bicycle Touring Across Argentina appeared first on CyclingAbout.

SAND. TRUCKS. HILLS. JUNGLE. It’s been a strange month because my preconceptions of Uruguay and Brazil were so different from the reality. Normally my judgement is spot on, but I didn’t plan to end up here, so I guess I didn’t have time to think about it.

Uruguay is so liberal and so peaceful. It’s amazing how different the culture is to the surrounding countries despite having a similar history. Brazil is ultra busy and hilly. It’s super hard to get away from all the ruthless truck drivers! There are so many wild animals, such beautiful landscapes as well as incredible European architecture to admire.

//////// CyclingAbout The Americas: Southern Patagonia [EP.1]
//////// CyclingAbout The Americas: Carretera Austral [EP.2]
//////// CyclingAbout The Americas: Crossing La Pampa [EP.3]

MY BIKE: Koga WorldTraveller Signature
MY GEAR LIST: My 25kg of stuff
MY ROUTE: HERE
MUSIC: Poldoor Set

The post Video: CyclingAbout The Americas // Exploring Brazil & Uruguay [EP.4] appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Want to minimise your luggage setup by putting together an ultralight bikepacking kit? You’ve come to the right place. 

Lots of people in the ultra-distance bike racing world have shown how minimal you can go if you have the impetus. It still impresses me that some riders complete three-week races with less than 10 litres of total volume (eg. half frame bag + xs saddle bag). While being this minimal gives us a glimpse of what’s possible, this article will add a level of comfort and practicality to ensure the advice is as realistic as possible for self-supported bike adventures.

Right, let’s get stuck into it!

Porcelain Rocket sometimes dabble with custom ultralight bikepacking gear including these cuben fiber bags.

General Advice For Creating An Ultralight Bikepacking Kit

Take only what you need.
It’s obvious, but it’s time to be realistic about the necessity of each item. I learned how to pack less gear by restricting my bag volume. With just 30-litres, you’ll be forced to think super hard about every single item you want to take.

Multi-use items.
Clothes are the prime example. Wear your rain jacket as a warmth layer when it’s cold. Ride in t-shirts and shirts instead of cycling-specific jerseys. Wear running shoes that you can ride and hike in, or clip-in shoes for everything if you’re not the walking type. Another multi-use item is a smartphone because they’re capable of meeting your navigation, communication, photography and research needs.

Food and water are heavy.
You only need to take the food and water you’ll use between each re-stocking point. Eat big in towns and snack in between. Dehydrated foods are obviously a real winner for backcountry stuff. Think pasta, rice, oats, lentils, mushrooms and dried fruit. High-calorie foods go a long way too, I tend to always have a stash of nuts and seeds.

Start reducing the weight of heavy things first as they often have the most weight to lose:
1. Bike (7-12kg)
2. Tent (sub-1500g)
3. Sleeping Bag (sub-1000g)
4. Sleeping Mat (sub-500g)
5. Cooking equipment (sub-500g)
6. Lightweight clothing and accessories (sub-200g, but the total suite can add up)

Bikepacking and Light Touring Bikes

This Hilite touring bike will suit the minimalists who like panniers; it’s just 9.2kg (20lb).

If you’re packing light, your bike is a great place to drop lots of weight. Some individual components offer big savings if you’re savvy enough.

Folding Tyres
The most effective location to reduce weight is your tyres. Tyres come in two varieties: one uses a wire bead to give the tyre its shape, and the other a folding kevlar bead. Many bikes come stock with wire bead tyres which are heavier and use low-grade rubber compounds. Folding tyres work out more expensive, but the dollars-per-gram saved is often excellent. Keep in mind that a heavier tyre may actually have a lower rolling resistance, resulting in faster cycling speeds!

Lightweight Tubes or a Tubeless Setup For 2.0”+ Widths
Tubes can be heavy. A thin, lightweight tube is often only a little bit more expensive than a regular tube but it can be less than half the weight. If you’re running wide tyres, tubeless setups tend to offer the lightest solution and the sealant does a great job of sealing small holes. For spares, the Tubolito tubes are almost certainly the lightest (and most expensive) out there.

Wheels
If you upgrade the wheels on your stock bike, you can likely drop 500+ grams. It’s not necessary to use expensive carbon wheels either; you’ll find sub-1500 gram road wheelsets and sub-1600 gram off-road wheelsets built using aluminium rims. The main benefit of a carbon rim is the increased wheel stiffness they offer.

Mountain Bike Fork
If your bike has suspension, do you really need it? A carbon rigid fork can weigh between 500-600 grams which will be a huge saving from the usual suspension fork weight of 1500-2500g. Aluminium rigid forks are a more cost-effective option, typically weighing between 600-1000g.

Seatpost
Many stock bikes come with very heavy aluminium posts. I recommend fitting a carbon seatpost to save 100-200 grams, but more importantly, to achieve a smoother ride due to the additional flex built-in.

Rack
If your bike came with a rack, the chances are it’s heavy. You can get away with lighter racks with reduced payloads when you’re packing minimally.

For US $1000 you can expect:
– Your road bike setup to be under 10kg
– Your cyclocross bike setup to be under 11kg
– Your mountain bike setup to be under 12kg

For your ultralight kit, aim to have everything under 20kg, including the bike.

Luggage

If you’re currently using four standard panniers, you can get some pretty decent weight savings with a change of luggage. By switching to bikepacking bags you’ll get the aerodynamic advantage too.

Panniers
Arkel DryLite 30 Litre Panniers – 540 grams
Tubus Airy Titanium Rack – 233 grams
Tubus Vega Evo Steel Rack – 440 grams

Bikepacking Bags
Wild Cat Handlebar Harness + Drybag 13 Litres – 214 grams
Lone Peak Handlebar Hauler + Drybag 13 Litres – 325 grams
Ortlieb Seat Pack 16.5 Litres – 417 grams

I’ve written in detail about the bikepacking bag vs pannier weight difference HERE.

Shelters

The Tarptent Notch Li double wall tent is just 779 grams with poles.

Shelters are an ok way to shed some weight, but they can sometimes have a significant effect on your comfort without dropping the grams to match. Double-wall tents offer excellent comfort and are available sub-1000 grams. The tent inner keeps the insects out (especially mosquitos and sand flies) and the fly is a delight to have on those rainy days too.

Pyramid tarps are the lightest 4-season capable shelters. These are often modular allowing you to choose whether you want to pair it with a groundsheet or mesh inner. The tarp itself is around 500 grams, and it’s another 500 grams for a pole, groundsheet and stakes.

Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp. Weighs 179 grams with a carbon fibre pole.

The classic ultralight option is a bivy and/or tarp setup. A bivy is just a waterproof sleeping bag cover which is best suited to cooler climates. You can find emergency bivys are as light as 120 grams, but the weatherproof and featured bivys will typically weigh between 350-600 grams. Tarps with a carbon pole (70 grams) will afford you a bit more comfort, and you can pitch them anywhere too. By pairing a tarp with a tub groundsheet you’ll find it’s an excellent warm weather shelter under 300 grams.

The Hennessy Hyperlite Zip hammock offers insect protection, a sleeping mat and rain fly for under 800 grams.

Hammock and tarp setups are similar in weight to the UL double wall tents. Given you don’t need a sleeping mat, hammocks can work out to be very light. Side benefits to a hammock including being better suited to warm conditions and the fact they double as a chair. In sub-zero temperatures make sure you insulate your hammock from below!

Products we like:
Hyperlite UltaMid 4-Season with pole, groundsheet and stakes – 1060 grams
Tarptent Bowfin 1 tent – 1060 grams
Big Agnes Fly Creek HV1 Platinum tent– 822 grams
Hyperlite Echo II with an inner net – 815 grams
Zpacks Solplex with freestanding tent poles – 796 grams
Tarptent Notch-Li with support poles – 779g
Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid Tent with carbon pole and stakes – 515 grams
Sierra Designs Backcountry Bivy – 386 grams
Mountain Laurel Designs Event Soul Bivy – 340 grams
MontBell Breeze Dry-tec Bivy – 180 grams
Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp with carbon pole – 179 grams
Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp groundsheet with attachments – 102 grams
Hennessy Hyperlite Zip Hammock with rain fly – 793 grams

Sleeping

L-R: Mont Zero sleeping bag, Enlightened Equipment quilt, Thermarest Neoair Xlite mattress.

Sleeping Mats

For a great night’s sleep, I’ve found that a high-quality sleeping mat is key. Modern blow-up mats tick all of the boxes: they’re comfortable, compact and well-insulated from the cold ground. But that doesn’t stop ultra racers sleeping on even lighter pieces of closed-cell foam. For cold conditions, you’ll want a mat with a good warmth-to-weight ratio. Sleeping mat ‘warmth’ (or resistance to heat loss) is measured using an R-value. A pad with an R-value of 5.0 is five times warmer than a pad with an R-value of 1.0. Warmer mats allow you to use sleeping bags with less fill because the ground is such a large source of heat loss.

Products we like:
Thermarest Neoair Xlite (R3.1) – 340 grams
Thermarest Neoair Xtherm (R5.7) – 430 grams

Sleeping Bags and Quilts

Sleeping bags and quilts are an excellent place to shed some weight. I say this because the majority of people I meet use bags rated far lower than the conditions they endure, which makes sense; you can use the same bag for all conditions. But for a weight-optimised setup, you’ll want to use a bag with a ‘limit rating’ a few degrees above your expected overnight lows.

Sleeping quilts typically offer the best weight-to-performance because you sleep directly on the mat. Logically, they make a lot of sense as well because the bottom of a sleeping bag is compressed when you lay on it, offering little extra warmth. But keep in mind quilts are prone to cold drafts if you move around a lot in your sleep. Sleeping directly on the inflatable mat can feel a bit yuck too.

If like me, you find the down feather industry absolutely deplorable, I’d recommend picking a synthetic fill option. While syn bags are heavier for the equivalent warmth, they do have the benefit of being effective if they get wet. Plus you aren’t paying people to make the life of ducks and geese utterly miserable.

Products we like:
Mont Zero Superlight Down Bag (2C) – 427 grams
Mountain Hardwear UltraLamina Spark Synthetic Bag (1C) – 830 grams
Enlightened Equipment Enigma Down Quilt (-1C) – 421 grams
Enlightened Equipment Enigma Apex Synthetic Quilt (-1C) – 639 grams

Headlamps

While you can use your phone or a bike light as a torch, I haven’t found anything that rivals the practicality of a head torch. Some headlamps are 3-4x heavier than others, so this can be another good place to drop 50-100 grams.

Products we like:
Petzl e+LITE – 26 grams

Cooking Gear

L-R: Evernew titanium alcohol stove, MSR canister stove, Evernew 1300ml titanium pot.

While many UL folks don’t take any cooking equipment, for you this might be a deal breaker. The best way to keep everything light is to use a single pot and make it your bowl/plate/cup too. Don’t want to carry a stove and are handy with an open fire? That might be the lightest stove/fuel you’ll find.

Stoves

Alcohol stoves are undoubtedly the lightest and most compact solution for short-term UL cooking. With about 15 grams of alcohol, you can boil 500ml in about 9-minutes. In comparison, a canister stove will use about 7 grams of fuel (at a rate 4x quicker). While the canister system is heavier without fuel, it offers a better fuel weight per litre of water boiled. The canister system is, therefore, lighter overall after boiling ~8 litres of water. Based on weight alone, this means that on trips longer than 4-8 days and you’ll probably be better off with canisters.

Products we like:
Evernew Titanium Alcohol Stove + Stand + Empty Bottle – 57 grams
MSR Pocket Rocket 2 Canister Stove + Empty Canister – 188 grams
Clickstand T-2 Titanium Stand for Alcohol Stoves – 77 grams

Pots, Cups and Utensils

Here’s a great place to apply the ‘multi-use’ principle; use a single pot to act as your plate, bowl and even cup. Some UL folk use plastic cutlery, but aluminium and titanium gear is not significantly heavier and offers long-term practicality. If you like cutting fruit and vegetables, you’ll want a decent paring knife. I’ve found the Victorinox knives to be the best.

Products we like:
Evernew 1300ml Titanium Pot – 162 grams
Evernew 900ml Titanium Pot – 99 grams
KeepCup 340ml Plastic Cup – 47 grams
Victorinox 8cm Paring Knife – 25 grams
Snow Peak Titanium Spork – 16 grams

The Smaller Things

This microfibre towel is just 20g (0.8oz), measures 40x40cm (15×15″) and has an integrated case.

Toiletries

– Soap is soap. Use a small bottle of liquid soap to wash your body, hair, clothes and dishes! You can get environmentally-friendly liquid soaps from most outdoor stores.
– Tiny travel towels work to a great effect after a minute of drip-drying. Don’t expect to dry your hair with them though.

Electronics

– You can do everything with a smartphone these days. It’s your camera, navigation device, research station and mode of communication.
– The Nitecore F1 charger (32 grams) with 18650 rechargeable batteries (48 gram for 3400mAh) is the ultralight USB charging option of choice. You can then bring only the batteries that you need. If you need more than 10000mAh of stored power, it will pay off to use a powerbank.
– The Anker Powercore 13000mAh offers a very large capacity at only 240 grams (54mAh per gram).
– A Kindle eReader (200 grams) is essential for those who like finishing the day with a book. The battery life is incredible too.

Casual Clothing Advice

– Again, it’s all about taking only what you need for the expected weather conditions.
– Combine your casual and riding clothes; there’s no need for both in many cases.
– It’s easy to wash a single set of clothes regularly. Wear them into the shower after a day of riding and give them a clean. In warm climates, your body heat can be used to effectively dry clothes.
– Use a single pair of shoes for everything. If you like being clipped-in and are not planning on hiking all the time, your cycling shoes will be perfect. I’ve done many 20km hikes in my SPD sandals without issue (check out the Japan video for more). Quite a few people also travel with ‘Crocs’. Crocs are under 400 grams, they’re really comfortable and they can dry almost instantly.

Riding Gear

– The rain jacket is one of the best places to shed weight. Lightweight jackets like the Patagonia Storm Racer Jacket (170 grams) can be less than a third of the weight of a standard waterproof jacket.
– When combining waterproof rain pants with leg warmers, you can have a very light and warm setup for sub-zero.
– I use ‘undershorts’ which are mesh padded shorts that fit under my lightweight swimming shorts.

I’ve spent a lot of time testing different weights to understand the effect on my speed.

Putting Weight Into Context

I need to stress the relevance of weight: bike and gear weight is part of a system.

When considering a one-kilogram weight saving from your bike or gear, you need to think of it as a weight saving from your total weight, that is, body+bike+gear+food+water. If you weigh 80kg and your loaded bike is 20kg, that’s a 1% saving from the total.

I’ve done some real-world weight testing and determined that for me each extra kilogram is worth somewhere between 10 seconds (flat) and 90 seconds (hilly) over 100km. If you’re spending $1 per gram saved (not unusual at all), big spending can add up to very little gain in speed.

Just keep this in mind before you go nuts on titanium.

I’d Love To Hear Your Ultralight Tips! What Can You Add?

The post Guide: How To Put Together an Ultralight Bikepacking Kit appeared first on CyclingAbout.

SAND. TRUCKS. HILLS. JUNGLE. It’s been a strange month because my preconceptions of Uruguay and Brazil were so different from the reality. Normally my judgement is spot on, but I didn’t plan to end up here, so I guess I didn’t have time to think about it.

Uruguay is so liberal and so peaceful. It’s amazing how different the culture is to the surrounding countries despite having a similar history. Brazil is ultra busy and hilly. It’s super hard to get away from all the ruthless truck drivers! There are so many wild animals, such beautiful landscapes as well as incredible European architecture to admire.

At dusk last night I turned onto this small road and pedalled a few kilometres. I set up my campsite, made a delicious pasta and then fell asleep… for 12 hours! There’s nothing quite like resting in nature; I feel so invigorated having just been amongst the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires!

Compared to Argentina, Uruguay has slower drivers and big shoulders on all of the roads. These two things make riding here feel much safer than the previous 6000km.

A month ago I had no idea I would be riding with the Atlantic Ocean by my side. This situation was very intentional, however. I craft my life, not just my bike trips, in a way that provides a level of unpredictability. Do you too find life a little less enjoyable when you can see exactly what’s coming?

In the last few days I’ve ridden (walked) over 20km on sand. There are definitely easier ways to see the world!

Trying to ride on sand dunes was frustrating, but not as frustrating as my week! So far: my phone won’t charge properly, my stove pump needs a rebuild, 1x broken sunglasses, 1x broken spoke, 1x puncture, my powerbank stopped charging from my dynamo and I have sand through EVERYTHING. Argh… the ups and downs of bike travel… but up from here, right?!

I’ve never felt a strong tribal affiliation for where I grew up, and I’ve also never found a patch of Earth that feels truly mine. Wherever I am, wherever I have the experience of SUBLIMITY – it could be hiking in Nepal, or cycling in Patagonia, or sitting in the doorway of a train in Sri Lanka… wherever I am, at that precise moment — that’s home to me.

WHY DO I PUSH MYSELF? I find that there’s a freeing aspect to pushing boundaries, not because my body is going through hell, but because there is a mental strain on my body’s desire to quit. When I push past this, my flaws are laid out in front of me, exposing the true vulnerabilities of me as a person. My only option at the time is to accept them as it’s incredibly difficult to think highly of yourself when your body is screaming to stop.

I didn’t enjoy the first 600km of touring in Brazil. This was because the roads were packed with TRUCKS. On one occasion I counted 30 semi-trailers pass me by in one minute! It’s actually quite stressful. But north of Porto Alegre is different. There are ample dirt back roads with zero traffic. They are ultra steep at times but I finally feel connected to nature again.

I’ve been riding in this Patagonia Sol Patrol II shirt for almost 2000km. I bought it because lots of you suggested I get away from my cheap cotton shirts and try something technical and fancy. I tried on dozens of shirts but the synthetic material felt scratchy on my skin, or the fit was super baggy… ’til I found this one. It’s a size small despite my 2m height. The arms are a bit short, but it fits well elsewhere. It dries quicker in mild temperatures and it doesn’t crinkle. It doesn’t feel cooler, but the buttons and materials are WAY more durable and it’s less susceptible to UV damage (the downfall of my regular cotton shirts). If it lasts 6+ months of daily use, I’ll be happy with the high sticker price.

When the backroads turn from dirt to bitumen, you’re in trouble. That’s because these are the steepest sections of the road! I have pretty low gears on my touring bike, but 20% for more than a minute is exhausting!

Last night I was photobombed by a doggo! I was a bit annoyed at first, but then I saw the result and was stoked.

Since my video about the truck drivers in Brazil, many people have commented saying that I should ride on the small country roads. Trust me… I do!! I follow as MANY as possible for obvious reasons. The thing is that Brazil is littered with mountains and rivers. These geographic barriers make it impossible to complete a 2000km touring route without getting spat onto the busy trucking roads at multiple points.

As soon as the sun goes down, I give myself just 15 minutes to find a place to camp — it’s not worth any more time when you’re off again at dawn. I’m normally somewhat hidden so I feel very safe, even in big cities. My main concern is that there is no barking dog within 200m! Recently I’ve pitched in vineyards, industrial areas, soy fields, parks, churches, school grounds, football stadiums and construction sites. I still get a buzz out of how sneaky it is!

Golden hour! Don’t waste it inside!

At the age of 23, I rode 31,000km with my ex-partner from Amsterdam to Australia. These were such life-changing years. I found out the world is an inherently good and safe place. I learned about generosity, prejudices, religion and how to live with almost nothing. I learned that the most fulfilling lives require loving and supportive friends/families, a valued role in society, a sense of community and little risk of persecution or danger. I found the boundaries of my personal relationships. My current trip is so different. Beyond the bike touring, it’s focussed on bringing everything I understand about the world together into one.

I’m currently piecing together my fourth video. It’s been a strange month because my preconceptions of Uruguay and Brazil were so different from the reality. Normally my judgement is spot on, but I didn’t plan to end up here, so I guess I didn’t have time to think about it. Anyway, looking back at the footage, I had a rough, but rewarding time!

Million dollar views without costing a cent! I wedged myself between two Hollywood-style mansions on this vacant lot. I was out by 7am so no-one got upset. The next month of camping is going to be INSANE. Just wait ’til you see my route.

Hey you! My latest monthly video for my ride to Alaska is HERE.

To see my latest updates make sure to subscribe to my social media pages:
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MY BIKE: Koga WorldTraveller Signature
MY GEAR LIST: My 25kg of stuff
MY ROUTE: HERE

Watch My Bicycle Touring Brazil Film HERE

The post Photo Gallery: Bicycle Touring Brazil and Uruguay appeared first on CyclingAbout.

“It’s 6.30am in a remote, rocky location in the High Atlas Mountains, Simon Richardson is waking up from his first ever bivvy. That’s right, a whole lot of chamois time for the former pro cyclist who has often professed his disliking of ‘touring’. Will the experience of bikepacking Morocco change Si’s mind?”

It’s great to see GCN cover this aspect of bike travel to their 1.3 million strong subscriber base on YouTube. However, it sure does make me envious of the fact they use a film crew to capture the moments! Enjoy.

The post Video: Bikepacking Morocco With GCN appeared first on CyclingAbout.

I don’t think there’s a bigger debate amongst bike travellers than that between clipless vs. flat pedals. Most of the time the debate comes down to pedalling efficiency and power, but in this article, I will also be focussing on the less-discussed reasons why I take clipless pedals on all of my bike adventures.

Let’s get into it!

Advantages Of Clipless Pedals For Bike Touring

Better For Steep Climbs
Most data seems to suggest that at a constant power rate on a constant road gradient, there’s no discernable difference between flat and clipless pedals in terms of efficiency. Where clipless pedals really shine in a bicycle touring context is on steep hills with varying gradients. I’ve found that when you need a burst of power to prevent decelerating (eg. after reducing your power to change gears, when the road gradient gets suddenly steeper, or to give your legs a micro rest) you can really use an upstroke or two to roll the crank over, preventing your bike from stalling. The other time when clip-in pedals have a noticeable advantage is on rocky, off-road climbs where your bike may stall on a pothole or large rock – again, that upstroke allows you to kick the rear wheel up and over the obstacle and keep your momentum going.

Short Bursts of Power
For short bursts of power to, for example, get your bike through sandy road washouts, I’ve found that clipless pedals allow me to maintain a higher rate of power. This is purely anecdotal, of course. Check out this footage of me cycling an incredibly sandy washout in Argentina.

Foot and Body Positioning
Clipless pedals allow your feet to be positioned in the same spot every time you jump on your bike. This helps a professional bike fitter to set your seat height with a high degree of accuracy that maximises your riding comfort and efficiency. In addition, you’ll find this precise positioning advantageous for your knees and hips too.

Foot Stability
On rough and corrugated roads, your feet will not move around on the pedals. This means you can spend more time focussing on pedalling and sightseeing, rather than adjusting your feet to that ‘ideal’ position.

Disadvantages Of Clipless Pedals For Bike Touring

Extra Pair of Shoes
If you’re planning to do more than just riding, you will want to take a second pair of shoes for exploring on foot. Shoes are very inefficient in terms of volume, and additionally, come with a weight penalty of 400-800 grams.

Walking Up Hills
Sometimes the terrain gets too steep or rough and you have to push your bike (most commonly on off-road bikepacking routes). This is a situation when a flat pedal and shoe setup may be the better option. I use clipless pedals with a platform on my touring bikes so that I can switch to running shoes when I need (very rarely the case).

Another Thing To Go Wrong
While this is certainly a possibility given the moving parts, I’ve never broken a Shimano XT-level clipless pedal or cleat.

Recommended Clipless Pedals

Platform Clipless Pedals
If you think you’ll be on and off the bike a lot, you can find platform pedals with a clip-in mechanism on just one side. They are weighted so that clip-in side is prioritised. These pedals allow you to do short rides in casual shoes and long days in the saddle in clipless shoes. The Shimano T8000 pedals are what I’m currently using for my two-year bicycle tour (CyclingAbout The Americas) and the predecessor (T780) was what I used for over 50,000km before that.

Check T8000 pedal prices on Amazon (~$108).

Dual-Entry Clipless Pedals
If you tend to ride all day and wander around at night, double-sided clipless pedals are the more minimal pedal option and are a tad quicker to enter. I have found Shimano MTB pedals (especially the M8000) to be the most reliable in the long-term.

Check M8000 pedal prices on Amazon (~$74).

Recommended Clipless Shoes

You can read all about the best clipless shoes for bike touring HERE.
Or THIS guide on the most versatile touring shoes (SPD sandals – what I’ve been wearing for over 10 years).

What Are The Other Pedal Options?

Flat MTB Pedals
Flat pedals that are designed for off-road use come with long spikes and a large platform that maximise the grip with your walking shoe. The downsides are that the pins will prematurely damage the sole of your shoes, and that you need to avoid striking your shins with the sharp pins! I’ve found Shimano Saint MX80 pedals to be the best for long-distance riding (20,000km+). Alternatively, the BIKEPACKING.com crew recommend the Kona Wah Wah at a low price point and Pedaling Innovations Catalyst if you want to employ a midfoot riding position.

Check Saint MX80 pedal prices on Amazon (~$65).

Diagonal Pedal Straps
These straps will fit many different pedals with reflector mounts. You can enter the straps at a 45-degree angle, and the diagonal straps tension when you straighten your foot, allowing you to pull on the upstroke on those steep climbs. Pictured below are the Restrap diagonal straps, but Power Grips are even more popular for touring.

Check pedal/strap prices on Amazon (~$41). Or the strap prices alone HERE (~$23).

Horizontal Pedal Straps
For those that want straps, but prefer the horizontal style – look no further than Fyxation. Their pedals are pretty-well indestructible and so are their straps.

Check Fyxation pedal/strap prices on Amazon (~$56).

Ergon Pedals
These pedals have a concave design which allows your foot to sit nicely in them. They’re better for sealed road use because they aren’t particularly grippy, but they do have a ridge on the inside which prevents your feet from moving inwards towards the crank arms.

Check Ergon PC2 price on Amazon (~$75).

Summary

If you haven’t tried clipless pedals, I recommend starting out with something second-hand. You might not initially like the feeling of being ‘locked in’, but I can guarantee that after a few weeks of use, unclipping becomes second nature. By spending a few days or weeks with clipless pedals you’ll be able to decide whether or not they are for you.

The biggest advantage of clipless pedals is in the hills. I use the pedalling upstroke after changing gears, through gradient changes, and when my rear wheel stalls on rough terrain. The clipless setup also results in a saddle height to millimetre precision, which is important to me because my muscles and ligaments have adapted to this over hundreds of thousands of kilometres.

If you’re bikepacking off-road, you may want to consider using flat pedals because carrying walking shoes robs you of packing volume, and if the route is rough enough, you may encounter long sections where you have to push your bike.

But everything considered, it’s my experience that clipless pedals offer a decent advantage for all bicycle travel.

*This article was originally published in 2012, but has been updated in May 2018

The post Clipless Pedals: A Look At The Advantages And Disadvantages appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Dynamo hubs are becoming more and more common on bikes used for bicycle touring and bikepacking. This can be attributed to advancements in LED technology, improvements to the dynamo hub itself and the fact that we all have USB powered devices that we like to charge along the way.

This article will delve into what you should know about dynamo hubs.

Dynamo Hub Types

Axle Sizes

The most common size for a touring bike is still 9mm quick release, but with axle standards changing both on-road and off-road, we’re now finding touring and bikepacking bikes available with as many as six axle variants.

1. Quick Release 9mm – 100mm
2. Thru Axle Road 12mm – 100mm
3. Thru Axle MTB 15mm – 100mm
4. Thru Axle MTB Boost 15mm – 110mm
5. Fat Bike Quick Release – 135mm
6. Fat Bike Thru-Axle 15mm – 150mm

Connectors

There are two different common forms of spade connector – the Shimano design and the Schmidt SON design. Neither design can be said to be ‘better’ – they both do the same job of transmitting power up the cable. Due to the market split of connector types, dynamo lights and USB chargers tend to come without any connector attached to the cable ends.

A less common connector design is the Schmidt SL fork dropout. This is a really neat design; the connection happens between the edge of the hub and a fork dropout plate that’s soldered to the wiring. Almost every Schmidt hub is made in an SL version. Unfortunately, you’ll rarely find the Schmidt SL dropout on anything but custom-built forks.

L-R: Shimano spade connector, Schmidt spade connector, Schmidt SL dropout.

Power Specification

There are three common watt outputs from dynamo hubs: 1.5W, 2.4W or 3W (all at 6V). Given that touring and bikepacking is often conducted at speeds below 25km/h, the most powerful option (3W) is 100% necessary if you’re planning on charging USB devices, and it’s also the best for lighting too. According to the lab testing, there is almost no difference in terms of drag between a 2.4 and 3.0W dynamo hubs. It is worth noting, that 2.4W hubs offer enough power if you’re touring with smaller wheels (16-20″).

Spoke Count

Dynamo hubs come with anything from 20 spoke holes for a lightweight carbon wheel builds through to 48 holes for the strongest tandem wheel. Most touring and bikepacking bikes use between 28 and 36 spokes. While spoke count makes some difference, evenly balanced spoke tension across the wheel and a stiff touring rim tend to matter most in terms of strength.

Dynamo Hub Efficiency

If you’ve ever picked up a dynamo hub and tried to spin the axle, you’ll know that they feel incredibly ‘notchy’. This is the result of a series of powerful magnets passing a coil and in turn, creating an electric charge. Interestingly, dynamo hub drag only has a small effect on your speed because of the flywheel effect of a rotating wheel. In THIS article, I calculated the drag to result in an extra three to six minutes riding time over 100km, all while getting a good charge to your electronics (or powering your lights).

Dynamo hubs in conjunction with USB charging units can also provide USB power (5V/500mAh = 2.5W) from 12km/h. The most powerful chargers will even put out more than 5W at 20km/h! The brightest dynamo lights are around 1300 lumens, or more than 100 lux – click HERE to read all about dynamo lighting.

Schmidt SON Dynamo Hubs (3W)

Schmidt is the industry standard for dynamo hubs in terms of efficiency and reliability. These German-made hubs are also the most expensive. Despite this, they’ve been my dynamo hubs of choice since 2008. The bearings are not expected to need servicing until well after 50,000km due to a combination between robust weather sealing and the high-quality SKF sealed bearings – in fact, I’ve never had to replace the bearings in any of my hubs. Included with Schmidt hubs is a five-year guarantee.

Schmidt hubs have been tested to have just 0.25-1.25 watts of resistance (@ 10-30km/h) with a light switched off, which makes them incredibly efficient even when compared to a standard hub. And with a light switched on, they generate the lowest drag of any 3W dynamo hub at speeds over 20km/h.

Quick Release
SON28 non-disc – 32, 36h
SON28 disc – 28, 32, 36h
SON28 Tandem – 40, 48h
SON28 disc 135 – 32h
SON28 disc 135 VR – 32h

Thru Axle – Disc
SON28 12mm – 28, 32, 36h
SON28 15mm – 28, 32, 36h
SON28 15mm Boost 110 – 32, 36h
SON28 15mm 150 – 32h

Shutter Precision SP Dynamo Hubs (3W)

SP dynamo hubs offer very similar performance to Schmidt (in fact, they can be more efficient at low speeds), but without the premium price tag. These hubs are also typically reliable (ok, there’s the odd bearing issue), with the exception of the first generation PD-8X 15mm which has had a 100% electrical failure rate in my circles. Almost all of the disc brake hubs are available with 6-bolt (eg. PD-8X) or a centerlock (eg. PL-8X) brake rotor mount, and the quick release hubs are the only 3W models available for wheels of with low spoke counts, including carbon road wheels (20-24h).

Quick Release
PV-8 non-disc – 20, 24, 28, 32, 36h
PD-8 disc – 20, 24, 28, 32, 36h

Thru Axle – Disc
PD-8X-M 12mm – 32, 36h
PD-8X 15mm – 32, 36h
PD-8X-110 15mm – 32, 36h
PD-8X-150 15mm – 32, 36h

Shimano Dynamo Hubs (3W)

Shimano makes the majority of the world’s dynamo hubs, so it’s safe to say that they know a thing or two about them. The lab testing shows 0.50w-2.50w drag (@ 10-30km/h) when a light is switched off, and 3.50w-7.50w drag when a light is switched on. This is only marginally higher than the Schmidt and SP hubs which are often more than twice the price. The Deore LX and Alfine hubs are essentially the same, while the Deore XT hub sheds 56 grams thanks to an aluminium axle and coil. Shimano dynamos are only available in quick release as of 2018.

Quick Release
Alfine S501 disc – 32, 36h
Deore LX T670 non-disc – 32, 36h
Deore LX T675 disc – 32, 36h
Deore LX 3N72 non-disc – 32, 36h
Deore LX 3D72 disc – 32, 36h
Deore XT T8000 disc – 32, 36h

Other Dynamo Hubs (3W)

Biologic Joule 3 Disc – Re-branded 32h Shutter Precision PD-8 hubs in silver or black.
Exposure Disc – Another re-branded 32h SP PD-8 hubs available in a package with the Exposure Revo dynamo light.
Love Mud Juice Disc – More re-branded 32h SP PD-8 hubs!
Neco Rove Disc – The claims are pretty lofty for this 933g dynamo hub with built-in USB charger – 15W of charging potential (5V@3A). Unfortunately, the testing has shown that you need to be going 50km/h to achieve that figure and that it isn’t at all competitive below 25km/h.
Sanyo H27 Non-Disc – This is one of the best value dynamo hubs going around. Unfortunately, it has a lot of drag compared to other hubs with a light or USB charger switched off.

Learn About Dynamo Hub Systems HERE, About Cache Batteries HERE, About USB Chargers HERE and Dynamo Lights HERE

The post How To Choose The Best Dynamo Hub for Bicycle Touring and Bikepacking appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Last month I cycled through what I think is some of the most stunning scenery… in the world! Have a look through this gallery from Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, and let me know if you agree.

MY BIKE: Koga WorldTraveller Signature
MY GEAR LIST: My 25kg of stuff
MY ROUTE: HERE
MY CAMERAS: Panasonic GH4 and GoPro Hero6

It’s so great to be back in the Andes! Last night I slept at 3000m — do you guys have the WEIRDEST dreams at altitude too, or is it just me?

Chasing Alfredo up into the mountains…

It’s hard to imagine a place that is more diverse than Argentina. This country has every type of landscape!

Yesterday I was cycling at almost 5000m elevation. It’s been a while since I’ve been this high! My brain was struggling to process the most basic information and I was slurring all my words. I felt like I’d drank half a bottle of vodka I was swerving around that much. What a weird phenomenon!

Carving my way through the red and white mountains of northwest Argentina. And no, I don’t have a personal photographer! To get these shots I have to sit my camera on a tripod a few hundred metres away from where I’m riding. I either get my camera to fire a shot every few seconds, or take a video and grab the screenshot I need. It’s hard work, but I think the results are worth all the extra miles!

One of my favourite campsites this trip! Nestled in a small canyon with very little wind or noise. It was at an altitude that didn’t wake me up in the middle of the night, plus the temperature wasn’t minus-10! And the stars were absolutely wild.

This is about as sci-fi as natural landscapes get!

The landscape between Argentina and Chile changes instantly as you cross the border. After cycling across the arid, high plains, you enter a volcano complex that is so big and beautiful that you can’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed.

It was a shock to find that the famous Sico Pass is now a sealed road! I prefer smooth roads though crazy landscapes like this, as I can focus more on the scenery, and less on the impending potholes and sandy washouts.

Cycling past Laguna en Salar el Laco.

The wild rock formations of El Laco, Chile.

When sleeping at over 4000m, the overnight temperatures are well into the negatives (-10 sometimes). I made the mistake of dribbling onto my pillow one night; argh… frozen slobber! But look, I will cop an icy pillow for million dollar views like these.

The bald hills near Laguna Aguas Calientes.

Right. I’m off to Bolivia! I’m hoping to ride up the highest road in the world (almost 6000m/19,700ft – there’s less than 50% oxygen up there). My next update and YouTube video will be in a couple of weeks, when I should have discovered the worst roads in South America.

5815 METRES • 19,078ft. That’s the highest you can ride a bike… in the WORLD!! Here I am standing near the end of the road with Mt Uturuncu looming in the background. How did I feel this high? Honestly, I had no negative effects. My body is now crushing it with a full haematological (blood) adaptation to altitude. Super stoked on this and can’t wait to show you the next video!

When you cross from Chile into SW Bolivia, you end up at Laguna Blanca. The water appears whiteish as it has a high amount of minerals suspended in it. I wish the background showed a nice morning fog, but that’s actually dust kicked up by dozens of tourist 4x4s screaming between photo opportunities.

The sky is a stunning blue at altitude! Or perhaps it’s just the high contrast to the white dusty landscape. Either way, your eyes are bowerbird-level mesmerised as you cycle through these otherworldly landscapes.

This is me in full-flight, riding into a strong headwind! I was reluctant to interrupt my day with a tailwind, so there’s at least 1000 watts running through my cranks to get this photo over and done with. Tailwinds are an ultra-rare commodity for me, OK?!

I can always find the time to stop and take in my surroundings. I’m not in a rush to get anywhere, especially on the super sandy Bolivian roads! Even if I don’t make my planned destination, all I need is 3L of water and some food and I will stop practically anywhere that’s wind protected. After a -10 degree night one thing is guaranteed: warming my fingers and toes with my stove in the morning.

Beautiful colours surround you as you cycle through Eduardo Avaroa National Park.

Climbing up towards the Sol de la Manana Geyser.

Laguna Colorada is a sight to behold — it’s filled with red water due to the sediments and pigmentations of the residing algae! It’s also famous for the being home to three types of flamingos.

You’d think that the Bolivian Altiplano is just volcanoes and salt lakes, but it is also home to some of the craziest rock formations! When you visit, you too will ride past these big, bold rock sculptures that take your breath away.

My latest VIDEO is ready for you! It’s been the hardest month yet for me, which always makes for good viewing. If you’ve been blown away by the crazy landscapes, dust storms, high-speed winds, sub-zero temps and are also keen to watch me ride up the highest road in the world (5815M).

The post Photo Gallery: Cycling The Highest Roads In The World appeared first on CyclingAbout.

In this episode, I ride up Mt. Uturuncu (5815m/19,078ft) which is regarded as the highest road in the world. You can skip to 12 minutes if that’s what you’re here for… BUT this will probably be the most picturesque episode of my two-year trip, so maybe just start from the start!

//////// CyclingAbout The Americas: Southern Patagonia [EP.1]
//////// CyclingAbout The Americas: Carretera Austral [EP.2]
//////// CyclingAbout The Americas: Crossing La Pampa [EP.3]
//////// CyclingAbout The Americas: Exploring Uruguay and Brazil [EP.4]

MY BIKE: Koga WorldTraveller Signature
MY GEAR LIST: My 25kg of stuff
MY ROUTE: HERE
MY CAMERAS: Panasonic GH4 and GoPro Hero6
MUSIC: 97special Set

Mt. Uturuncu is the highest road in the world – 5815m or 19,078ft.

The post Video: Cycling Up The Highest Road in the World [EP.5] appeared first on CyclingAbout.

I was close-minded about kickstands for a long time.

I intentionally left the kickstand box unchecked on the order form for my Koga Worldtraveller-S touring bike. I hadn’t needed one for the previous 10 years of touring, so why would I need it now? But when I picked up the bike there was one fitted. Koga said, “just try it Alee, if you really don’t like it, you can throw it away”. I reluctantly accepted their request.

Skip forward a few months into my trip and I broke a bolt on the kickstand. I had to remove it for a while, and it was then that I realised how much I missed having it. I use it every time I get off the bike; to snack, to take a video or grab something from my bags. I’m now a complete convert and I don’t think I’ll go on another long-term bike tour without one.

Ok, it’s time to fill our brains with kickstand knowledge!

Why Should You Use A Kickstand?

Firstly, they help you to load your bike. There’s no leaning it against yourself or another object while you mount your panniers or bikepacking bags. It’s pretty much like you have a personal assistant holding your bike for you. They’re also super quick to deploy! I often stop abruptly, flick my stand down and take an opportune photo. Or sometimes I grab my rain gear from the top of my pannier just as the drops start to pelt.

Look, you might have the same view of kickstands as I had six months ago: they’re simply unnecessary. Or maybe you had a bad experience with a kickstand previously; perhaps it deployed itself while riding, snapped it half, damaged your frame or banged into your pedals.

Those things suck, but I can assure you the best kickstands listed here are out of the way, silent, durable, quick to use and will add just 250g (0.5lbs) to your touring bike.

Stabilizing The Front Of The Bike

Before I get into the kickstands themselves, it’s important to understand how to stabilize a touring bike, especially with a front load. On almost every surface your front wheel will want to tilt as the bike leans, and this results in the handlebars turning as much as 180-degrees, or worse, your bike falling over! Here are some options to ensure you get the best bike stability with your kickstand.

Steering Locks
SteerStopper makes a really neat component that’s designed to stop your handlebars from turning. By all accounts, the people who use them, love them. A side benefit of this device is that you can push your bike up a hill without touching the handlebars. Alternatively, a neat solution called the LockLink was specifically created for Surly LHT and Disc Trucker bikes (by LongHaulTruckerBuild.com), but the website has been down for a while now, so I’m not sure if they’re still in production.

The Steerstopper allows you to lock your handlebars to stabilize a touring bike with a kickstand.

Steering Stabilizers
A steering stabilizer connects a spring from your downtube to your fork crown. They offer a self-centering action to the front wheel which prevents it from turning more than 45 degrees. This also makes it easier to load your front porteur rack or basket. Velo Orange ($15 on Amazon) and Hebie are the most common aftermarket brands for steering stabilizers.

The Hebie Steering Stabilizer will prevent your handlebars from flopping.

Tubus Lowrider Rack Kickstand
If you decide not to use any of the locks or stabilizers mentioned above, this kickstand provides additional stability to the front of your bike. They fit the Tubus Tara, Duo, Ergo and Nova lowrider rack models.

Tubus Lowrider Kickstand will fit any of the Tubus front racks.

Integrated Steering Limiter
Some touring framesets like my Koga Worldtraveller-S have components inside the headtube that prevent the handlebar from turning more than 45 degrees in either direction (see my Koga bike video @3:49 for an example). I think these are the neatest solution for helping to stabilize your bike, but they’re limited to only a handful of touring bike manufacturers.

Brake Bands
It’s not a bad idea to stabilize your bike with something that pulls the brake lever(s). Click-Stand makes some neat brake bands, but you can also use hair ties or sections of inner tube.

The Click-Stand Brake Bands will pull your brakes for uneven surfaces. Image: VeloZen

Kickstand Weight Limits

If you’ve broken a decent quality kickstand, it’s likely that you’ve exceeded its weight limit. Most kickstands have a maximum capacity of 18-25kg, which is pretty easy to exceed with double leg kickstands in particular, given the rear load is suspended from the ground. Determining the weight capacity for a single leg kickstand is a little more difficult, so I’ll recommend the following…

Total bike+gear+food+water weight:
Under 40kg – 18kg capacity kickstand
40kg or higher – 25kg capacity kickstand

If you’re planning on going on a bike trip where you need to carry 10+ days of food and a decent amount of water, you may be best served with the 35-80kg capacity models.

Rear Mount Kickstands

As most touring bikes have a decent amount of weight over the rear wheel, this kickstand type is undoubtedly the most stable given its ultra-wide stance. If you’re a front-loader with a minimal rear load (eg. front panniers with a rear bikepacking seatpack), you’ll want to skip to the double leg kickstands below.

Integrated KSA-18 Mount
This has got to be the neatest rear kickstand option for a touring bike. The rear dropout or chainstay is designed with two mounting holes which sit 18mm apart. The best frames will use a nut and M6 bolt design so that if you accidentally snap a bolt, you can easily remove it from your frame. Unfortunately, many KSA-18 frames have an M5 thread built into the mount, so you’ll need to constantly check bolt tension to ensure the bolts don’t bend and eventually break inside your frame.

Touring brands with KSA-18 mounts: Koga, Santos, Tout Terrain, Trek, Van Nicholas, VSF
Recommended: Pletscher Comp 18 (25kg capacity), Comp 18 Zoom (18kg capacity) or Comp 18 Flex (50kg capacity)

The Vivente World Randonneur touring bike with a KSA-18 kickstand mount.

Integrated KSA-40 Mount
This is an older, and therefore less common standard with the mounting holes spaced 40mm apart. There are still ample kickstand options available, in any case.

Recommended: Pletscher ESGE Comp Zoom 40 (18kg capacity, $27 on Amazon), Comp 40 (25kg capacity) or Comp 40 Flex (50kg capacity)

This custom Victoire Voyage has been built with a KSA-40 kickstand mount.

Adjustable Rear Kickstands
If you don’t have the KSA mounting points on your frame, here is your alternative. Adjustable rear kickstands will fit most rim brake touring frames (careful if you have a spoke holder) but will only sometimes clear a disc brake caliper that’s fitted inside the rear triangle (seatstay mounted disc calipers are fine). The Pletscher ESGE Multi kickstands tend to fit bikes with chainstay disc calipers a little better; I’ve annotated a photo with the potential bolt locations HERE. But ultimately it will depend on the brake mount, brake model, chainstay diameter and dropout shape.

Recommended: Pletscher ESGE Multi Zoom (18kg capacity), Pletscher ESGE Multi Flex (50kg capacity)

An adjustable rear kickstand fitted to a bike without KSA mounts.

Centre Mount Kickstands

Centre mount kickstands are probably the most common kickstand type, in fact, many touring frames come with an integrated kickstand plate so that you can fit one up nicely. If your frame lacks a mounting plate, you’ll need to be EXTREMELY careful when tightening your centre kickstand to your chainstays – many frames have been destroyed from overtightened kickstand bolts.

Single Leg Kickstands
Single leg kickstands aren’t quite as stable as rear kickstands but are a great option for bikes with a kickstand plate. They’ll work very well when deployed on uneven surfaces, but keep in mind that you should have a load over the rear wheel for maximum stability. The main downside to single leg kickstands is that you can’t spin your cranks backwards (for lubricating a chain, for example).

Recommended: Pletscher ESGE Zoom Adjustable (18kg capacity, $23 on Amazon), Ursus King 79 (35kg capacity) or Pletscher Optima Flex (50kg capacity)

This Ahearne custom build uses a Pletscher ESGE Zoom Adjustable center mount kickstand.

Double Leg Kickstands
These stands are typically the best option for front-loaded bikes, as well as tandems. For the best stability, the rear wheel should lift off the ground rather than the front; you can achieve this with a heavy front load relative to your rear. Try not to exceed the weight limit on a double leg stands because they tend to be a little more prone to breaking. Double leg stands also have a narrow stance, so the location where you deploy the stand should ideally be flat, and your panniers should be as evenly balanced as possible. A side-benefit to double leg kickstands is that they make a great repair stand for tuning your gears!

Recommended: Pletscher ESGE Twin (25kg Capacity, $42 on Amazon) or Ursus Jumbo 80 (80kg Capacity)

The Pletcher ESGE Twin mounted to a centre kickstand plate. Image: Johnny Issak

Other Bike Stands

Click-Stand
These tentpole-esque stands get rave reviews. They’re stable and ultra lightweight. I’ve spent a fair bit of time playing around with them and they do work effectively. I do find the assembly and disassembly to be a little inconvenient when compared to a spring-loaded kickstand, however. Still a great option if you don’t have a centre kickstand plate or room in your rear triangle for an adjustable rear kickstand.

A Click-Stand holding a bike up at the Salar de Uyuni salt flat. Image: Click-Stand.com

Kickstand Parts

Surly Long Haul Trucker Mount Plates
After years of condemning kickstands fitted to Surly LHT and Disc Trucker frames, Surly started manufacturing kickstand plates to fit centre kickstands.

Got a Surly Long Haul Trucker or Disc Trucker? Surly got you covered with these new mount plates. Image: BikeRumor.com

Surly Kickstand Adapters for Troll, Ogre, ECR
This is a really cool set of two 3D printed stainless steel parts that will mount a KSA-18 kickstand onto Surly Troll, Ogre and ECR dropouts.

The post All About The Best Kickstands for Bicycle Touring appeared first on CyclingAbout.

If you’ve ever shopped around for a touring bike in AUS/CAN/UK/USA/NZ, you’ll know how hard it is to find anything but touring bikes with drop handlebars. The interesting thing is that it’s literally the opposite in European countries – Europeans love flatbars, and so do I! This article will be taking an in-depth look at the best touring bicycles with flat handlebars.

I’ve found that flat handlebars offer the best bike control, especially on the dirt, because they have a higher steering leverage. This reduces the effort required to change the bike’s direction with a front load (panniers, handlebar bag, porteur bag, bikepacking handlebar pack). I typically recommend flat handlebar bikes to beginner riders because more bike control results in more cycling confidence.

The main downside to flat handlebars is that they put your body in a less aerodynamic position, but with the alternative handlebar shapes available these days, this really is a non-issue if you’re trying to optimise your speed (check out my Velo Orange Crazy Bars).

I’ve selected the following bikes as the best examples of modern flat bar touring bikes. You’ll notice these bikes have quite a mix of frame materials (aluminium and steel) and brake types (hydro disc, cable disc and hydro rim).

But what these bikes have in common is:
– A wide gear range, including low enough gears to get you up most mountains.
– The ability to fit 2.0″ tyres which I find to be comfortable, grippy and capable on dirt roads without being too slow on the road.
– Many come with dynamo hubs/lights and the ability to easily connect up a USB charger to harvest power while you ride.
– Most have kickstands or the ability to easily mount one (I’m a recent convert).

Right, here’s my list of the best touring bicycles with flat handlebars, taking into account design, geometry, price and specification. You can check out the best touring bikes with drop handlebars HERE.

Giant Toughroad SLR 2: US $899

The 2018 Giant Toughroad SLR 2 touring bike.

The Giant Toughroad aluminium touring bike is begging for a set of wide slick tyres to turn it into a long-distance touring machine. As Giant is the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world, the Toughroad is priced super competitively for what you get – the carbon fork is a nice touch! The low gear of 19 gear inches is lower than most bikes in this list and will permit a climbing speed of 5.4km/h with a decent pedalling cadence. A relatively slow steering speed provides ample stability, especially on looser surfaces. You’ll find the Toughroad available in five sizes.

You can read more about the Giant Toughroad HERE.

Cube Travel EXC: 999€ / US $1150

The 2018 Cube Travel EXC touring bike.

This aluminium touring bike offers incredible bang for your buck! With fenders, it even has a very generous 29×2.25″ tyre clearance. The gear range is 21-121″ which tends to suit most touring terrain, that said, by fitting an 11-36t cassette you’ll drop the low gear to about 20 gear inches. The fitted dynamo lights, fenders and a rear-mounted kickstand make this bike ready to tour from the shop floor. The only downside to the bike is the lack of upper mounts for the rear rack. While the hidden mounts look great, they generally don’t last the distance long-term. For a big bike trip, I’d recommend fitting up a Salsa Rack-Lock seat clamp and Tubus Logo rack. The Travel EXC comes in five sizes, plus three sizes with a step-through frame design.

Koga WorldTraveller: 2199€ / US $2500

The 2018 Koga WorldTraveller touring bike

Despite its relatively high sticker price, I had to include the WorldTraveller because I’ve been super happy with mine on my 40,000km ride from Argentina to Alaska. The Koga triple-butted aluminium frames are the stiffest I’ve ridden, and they have a frame geometry that handles exceptionally across all terrain thanks to the relatively slow steering and long wheelbase. You’ll find the 20-116″ gear range will tackle most climbs, but a switch to an 11-36t cassette will get you a lower gear again (19 gear inches). This bike is priced a bit higher than most partly because it comes with many accessories fitted, including Tubus racks, dynamo lights, bottle cages, a rear-mounted kickstand and even the awesome Topeak Road Morph pump! Given the advancements in disc brake technology, I’m not the biggest fan of hydraulic rim brakes, but this can be overlooked for the quality and specification of the bike. The WorldTraveller is one of the only bikes available as a step-through frame across the full size range too, which gives you the option to make it easier to get on and off with panniers.

Surly Bridge Club: US $1200

The 2018 Surly Bridge Club touring bike.

This recently released off-road steel touring bike has all of the frame features of a long-distance touring bike and is significantly cheaper than the Troll and Ogre models. The gear ratios of the 2×10 SRAM drivetrain are ideal for off-road terrain and are lower than almost any other touring bike available. The low gear of 17 gear inches translates to a climbing speed of 4.9km/h (3MPH) while maintaining a pedal cadence of 60RPM. This is about as low as practical and will probably allow you to optimise your cadence even on 15%+ gradients. You’ll also find the slow steering speed exceptionally stable on the rougher terrain. Fender mounts, rack mounts and multiple 3-boss cargo cage mounts give you flexibility for luggage types. For smoother road surfaces you can switch the 27.5×2.4″ knobby tyres for some Schwalbe Super Moto-X 2.4″ or Schwalbe Almotion 2.0″ slick tyres (these tyres will even drop the bottom bracket height by 10mm for more bike stability). The cable disc brakes on this bike are generally better for bike trips in more remote locations as they’re easier to maintain than the hydraulic options. The Bridge Club is available in five sizes.

You can read more about the Surly Bridge Club HERE.

Salsa Journeyman 650B Flatbar: US $899

The 2018 Salsa Journeyman 650B Flatbar.

The aluminium Salsa Journeyman is a great buy, but it requires a few modifications to match other bikes on this list. While the gear ratios as standard don’t quite cut it for touring in the hills, you can fit a Shimano Tourney 8-speed crankset (42-34-24t), front derailleur and shifter (US $60 total) to this bike to achieve a sub-20″ gear (capable of 5.5km/h at a decent cadence). For smoother road surfaces I recommend fitting Schwalbe Almotion 2.0″ tyres to reduce the rolling resistance significantly. The top tube bag mount and 3-boss mounts on the fork are a nice touch for alternative luggage options. You’ll find the geometry is also really decent for touring; the relatively slow steering speed helps to make this bike nice and stable. You can get the Journeyman Flatbar in five sizes.

You can read more about the Salsa Journeyman HERE.

Contoura Brandmeister Tour: 1299€ / US $1500

The 2018 Contoura Brandmeister Tour touring bike.

Contoura bikes are made by German bike wholesale company Hartje. The steel Brandmeister Tour is the pick of the bunch for bike travel as it can fit some wide 26×2.2″ tyres with fenders mounted. The 30-speed Shimano Deore gearing provides a gear range of 21-113″ but with an 11-36t cassette swapped in, you could drop the low gear to under 19 gear inches. This bike comes with dynamo lights, a Pletcher kickstand and a rear rack as standard. The biggest downside to the Brandmeister is that it’s only available in three sizes, so it may not fit all riders.

Ridgeback Expedition: £999 / US $1300

The 2018 Ridgeback Expedition touring bike.

The steel Ridgeback Expedition has improved a lot in recent years. It’s very well suited to long-distance touring because it fits some wide 26″ touring tyres and fenders, it has low maintenance cable disc brakes and a 27-speed drivetrain (9-speed parts are typically easier to find in developing countries). The 19 gear inch low gear is decent enough for steep terrain and heavy loads. You’ll find the Expedition available in five sizes.

VSF TX-400: 1549€ / US $1800

The 2018 VSF TX-400 touring bike.

VSF Fahrradmanufaktur offers incredible value touring bikes, and the steel TX-400 is no exception. The bike comes stock with Tubus racks, fenders, dynamo lights (plus an SP hub) and a rear mounted kickstand. The low gear of 20″ can be reduced to under 19″ with the fitment of an 11-36t cassette. The main downside to this bike is that it’s only available in three sizes (two sizes are available as step-through) so it may not suit all rider heights.

Marin Muirwoods: US $769

The 2018 Marin Muirwoods touring bike.

This is technically not a touring bike (it is more a commuter bike) but given the Muirwoods’ frame geometry, gearing and eyelet mounts (fenders, racks, 3x bottle cages) – it would make a great budget steel travel bike. The frame fits 2.0″ tyres without fenders and the 27-speed Shimano Acera gearing provides a decent 21-116″ gear range for most riding conditions. You’ll find the Marin Muirwoods in five sizes.

Stevens Randonneur Disc: 1299€ / US $1500

The 2018 Stevens Randonneur Disc touring bike.

The aluminium Stevens Randonneur makes a pretty decent flat bar touring bike. The long wheelbase and slow steering speed contribute to a feeling of stability with panniers. The gear range is good (21-122″) and the bike offers many accessories (dynamo lights, kickstand and rear rack) as standard. Like the Cube Travel EXC above, I’d recommend fitting up a Salsa Rack-Lock seat clamp if you’re going on a long bike trip. The Randonneur Disc is available in six sizes plus four sizes in the step-through style and will fit 2.0″ tyres without fenders.

Genesis Tour de Fer 20: £1499 / US $1950

The 2018 Genesis Tour De Fer 20 touring bike

The Tour de Fer 20 is a full-optioned steel touring bike with Tubus steel racks, cable disc brakes, fenders, dynamo lights and a nice wide gear range (19-109″). There are three bidon cages to carry all the water you need plus fuel. While the bike doesn’t come with a kickstand, there is a centre-mount kickstand plate behind the crankset. You’ll find the Tour de Fer in four sizes and it will fit 2.0″ tyres without fenders.

You can read more about the Genesis Tour de Fer HERE.

Vivente World Randonneur: AU $2699 / US $2000

The 2018 Vivente World Randonneur Anatolia touring bike.

You probably haven’t heard of Vivente. They’re a small company from Australia making steel touring bikes with all of the small details. The Anatolia comes stock with a Tubus rear rack, a KSA-18 kickstand, a steering stabilizer and an AXA dynamo light with USB charging capabilities(!). The lowest gear is 21 gear inches as stock, but you can fit a 12-36t cassette to drop that right down to 18 gear inches (5km/h @ 60RPM)! The frame will fit 29×2.0″ tyres without fenders, and these bikes come in six sizes – the XS (26″), S and M come in a step-through version. Vivente will air freight their bikes globally for AU $200 (and minus the local taxes, so it’s actually cheaper than buying locally).

Flatbar Conversions

The Surly Disc Trucker frame is ideally designed for drop handlebars. Image: The Radavist

If the above bikes don’t appeal to you, a flat bar conversion to a drop bar touring bike is not out of the question. The thing is that flat handlebar frames are typically longer for each given size due to the shorter reach to the controls (brakes and gears). That generally means it’s best to go up a frame size when doing these conversions (check you can stand over the top tube though). Otherwise, the result will be a shorter and more upright position on the bike, which you might prefer in any case!

Want To Compare These Touring Bikes With Dozens of Others?

Check out The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide which compares touring bike steering, sizing, gear ratios, specification, pricing and more. This guide is updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost!

The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide helps you compare touring bikes, side-by-side.

Helpful Resources

All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

Touring Bikes Overview

2016 Advocate Lorax
2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2018 Salsa Journeyman
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2018 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Surly Bridge Club
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120

The post The 12 Best Touring Bicycles That Use Flat Handlebars appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Bikepacking has become rather popular over the last couple of years, and lots of custom bikepacking bag manufacturers have popped up all around the world looking to assist you with your adventures.

Bikepacking bags are great for a number of reasons:
– They will fit almost any bike. Just strap it on, fill it up and you’re away;
– They’re super lightweight. A full system of bags is generally under 1000g, less than the weight of one pannier; and
– They encourage you to pack light. Packing light means going uphill faster and reducing the wear on your bike parts.

I’ve created this list to showcase all of the bikepacking bag manufacturers as well as their prices, in order for you to make the most informed purchasing decision possible. The only problem is that there are so many great products out there! It’s worth noting that you often do get what you pay for (to a point). The more expensive products are made with top-notch materials, a choice of colours and are often custom tailored to your bike.

Click HERE for my Complete List of Bicycle Pannier Manufacturers.

Bikepacking Bag Manufacturer List By Country

Updated July 2018 – please leave a comment or send an email to request any changes to the models, prices or photos.

Argentina

Asgard Equipamiento (ARG)

Top Tube Bags // 0.5L, 1.5L – US $9-20
Stem Bags // 1L – US $23
Seat Packs // 4L, 14L – US $18-46
Frame Bags // Custom – US $23-29
Handlebar Harnesses // 20L – US $29

Asgard bikepacking bags.

Australia

Bike Bag Dude (AUS)

Top quality bikepacking gear from Down Under, they’re constantly producing new designs to make bikepacking easier for you.

Top Tube Bags // One Size – AUD $120
Stem Bags // One Size – AUD $60
Frame Bags // Two Custom Sizes – AUD $200-340
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – AUD $80
Handlebar Packs // Three Sizes – AUD $200-240

Bike Bag Dude BikePacking Bags

Old Bag Cycling (AU)

Frame Bags // Custom – from AU $150
Seat Packs // Custom – from AU $180

An Old Bag Cycling custom frame bag.

Terra Rosa Gear (AU)

Frame Bags // Custom – from AU $210
Handlebar Packs // Custom – from AU $150
Seat Packs // Custom – from AU $190
Top Tube Bags // Custom – from AU $75

Terra Rosa bikepacking bags.

Canada

Arkel (CAN)

Arkel, famous for their great panniers, have started making bikepacking gear for 2016! They will be releasing a ‘meatpacker rack’ which allows you to use 25L packs on the front or rear.

Seat Packs // 9L, 15L, 25L – CA $239-299
Handlebar Packs // 15L, 25L – CA $239-259

Arkel BikePacking Bags – BIKEPACKING.com

Porcelain Rocket (CAN)

Another of the more popular bikepacking bag manufacturers. PR are always putting together new products, colours and designs!

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – US $40-50
Stem Bags // One Size – US $140
Frame Bags // Custom – US $160-220
Seat Packs // 5L, 13L – US $125-185
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size (inc pocket) – US $125

Porcelain Rocket BikePacking Bags

Phantom Pack Systems (CAN)

Phantom Pack Systems do any kind of bikepacking bag at a typically lower price than others on this list.

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – CAD $63-67
Frame Bags // Custom – CAD $115-189
Seat Packs // 6L, 8L – CAD $110-115
Handlebar Packs // One Size – CAD $100

Phantom Pack Systems BikePacking Bags

Chile

Akatanga Custom Bags (Chile)

These bags are handmade in Chile and are available directly through their Facebook page.

Frame Bags // Custom
Seat Packs // Custom
Handlebar Packs // Custom
Accessory Bags // Custom
Top Tube Bags // Custom

Akatanga Bikepacking Bags

Choike (Chile)

Frame Bags // Custom – from 55000 CLP
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – 23000 CLP
Seat Packs // 10L, 15L – 55000 to 65000 CLP
Stem Bags // One Size – 12000 CLP
Top Tube Bags // 1.2L – 23000 CLP

Choike bikepacking bags.

China

AZUR (China)

Handlebar Packs // 9.5L – US $45
Seat Packs // 8.1L – US $60

Azur Bikepacking Bags.

Newboler (China)

Seat Packs // 10L, 12L – US $19-29
Handlebar Harnesses // 7L – US $19
Frame Bags // Half, Full – US $10-25
Top Tube Bags // S, M – US $11-13

Newboler Bikepacking Bags.

RockBros (China)

Seat Packs // 14L – US $56
Frame Bags // 8L – US $10-25

Rockbros bikepacking bags.

Rhinowalk (China)

Seat Packs // 10L – US $53
Frame Bags // Half – US $27
Top Tube Bags // 0.8L – US $20

Rhinowalk Bikepacking Bags

Roswheel (China)

Handlebar Packs // 9.4L – US $59
Seat Packs // 10L – US $79
Top Tube Bags // 1.5L – US $35

Roswheel bikepacking bags.

Czech Republic

AcePac (CZE)

New manufacturer AcePac were showing off their gear at Eurobike this year, and they look great. Watch this space.

Top Tube Bags
Frame Bags
Seat Packs
Handlebar Harnesses
Handlebar Packs

AcePac BikePacking Bags

Author (CZE)

Frame Bags // Five Sizes
Seat Packs // 12L
Top Tube Bags // One Size

Author Bikepacking Bags.

EverBike (CZE)

EverBike makes handlebar packs and seat packs out of the Czech Republic.

Handlebar Packs // 12L, 15L – €76-84
Seat Packs // 8L, 12L – €76

EverBike Bikepacking Bags

Germany

Burgfyr (Germany)

Made in Hamburg, these bikepacking bags look super fresh. I particularly like the custom “slotbag” framebags!

Frame Bags // Three Sizes + Custom – 58-99€
Seat Packs // One Size – €120
Handlebar Packs // One Size – €109
Stem Bags // 1.7L – €48

Burgfyr Bikepacking Bags

Fellow Bags (GER)

Newly established brand FLLW put together a solid-looking seat pack only at this stage, available in six different colours.

Seat Packs // 6-14L – €169

Fellow Bikepacking seat pack.

Ghost (Germany)

This large bike company has started to put together bikepacking bags for their new adventure bikes. They will be available in 2017.

Handlebar Packs // One Size
Accessory Bags // One Size
Seat Packs // One Size
Frame Bags // Three Sizes

Ghost Bikepacking Bags.

Gramm (Germany)

Seat Packs // 8L, 12L – €80-200
Handlebar Packs // 7.5L – €300
Frame Bags // Custom – €180-220
Top Tube Bags // 0.4L, 1.2L – €60-120
Porteur Bags // 10L, 11L, 12L – €300-340

Gramm bikepacking bags.

Ortlieb (Germany)

Bicycle bag specialists Ortlieb have finally dabbled in bikepacking bags, piecing together a really impressive waterproof bag range. I’ve been using these bags over the last few months and have been really impressed. My Ortlieb Handlebar Pack review can be found HERE and my Seat Pack review HERE.

Seat Packs // 11L, 16.5L – US $160
Handlebar Packs // 9L, 15L – US $130
Accessory Bags // 3.5L – US $75
Frame Bags // M, L
Top Tube Bags // 0.8L

Ortlieb Bikepacking Bags

Parsley Bags (Germany)

Seat Packs // Two Sizes – €177-197

Parsley seat pack.

Italy

Kicking Donkey (ITA)

Stem Bags // 1L – 37 € (for two)
Framebags // Custom Half or Full – 70-120€
Handlebar Harnesses // 43 €
Handlebar Packs // Custom – 45-55€
Seat Packs // 6L, 12L, 17L – 48-89€
Top Tube Bags //1L – 39€

Kicking Donkey Bikepacking Bags

Miss Grape (ITA)

Frame Bags // Three Sizes – €97
Seat Packs // 13L, 20L – €139-149
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – €109

Miss Grape BikePacking Bags

Rusjan (ITA)

Fork Bags // Two sizes – 55-60€
Framebags // Custom – 150-180€
Handlebar Packs // 15L, 17L, 20L – 185-195€
Seat Packs // 12L, 17L – 185-195€
Stem Bags // 1L – 40€
Top Tube Bags // 1.4L – 90€

Rusjan Bikepacking Bags.

Japan

Fairweather (JAP)

I really like Fairweather’s panniers, and the bikepacking gear looks just as nice. Fairweather select their colours well too.

Frame Bags // Two Sizes – US $49-77
Seat Packs // 6L – US $138
Handlebar Packs // One Size – US $128

Fairweather BikePacking Bags

Wanderlust Equipment (JAP)

W.E make quite a nice half-size frame bag, made in Japan.

Frame Bags // One Size – ¥8800

Wanderlust Equipment Frame Bag

New Zealand

Cactus Outdoor (NZ)

Handlebar Harnesses // 15L – NZ $129
Seat Packs // 10L – NZ $169
Top Tube Bags // 1L – NZ $69

Cactus Outdoor bikepacking bags.

Dancing Moose (NZ)

Handlebar Harnesses // 20L – NZ $188
Seat Packs // 15L – NZ $222
Frame Bags // Custom – NZ $230
Top Tube Bags // 0.8L, 1.5L – NZ $89-96
Accessory Bags // 2L – NZ $76

Dancing Moose bikepacking bags.

Robo Kiwi (NZ)

Handlebar Harnesses // 12-20L – NZ $169
Seat Packs // 14L – NZ $179
Frame Bags // Custom – NZ $149-169
Top Tube Bags // 0.8L, 1.9L – NZ $54-69
Stem Bags // 0.9L – NZ $54
Accessory Bags // 2L – NZ $59

Robo Kiwi bikepacking bags.

Stealth Bike Bags (NZ)

Michael started Stealth in 2014, making bags out of Wellington, NZ. The majority of the materials are sourced locally and are waterproof, although Michael doesn’t go through the full process of waterproofing his bags (it’s too expensive and complicated).

Top Tube Bags // One Size – NZ $75
Stem Bags // One Size – NZ $60
Frame Bags // Custom – NZ $130-230
Seat Packs // 8L, 10L – NZ $160-170
Handlebar Packs // 7.5L, 9L – NZ $135
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – NZ $120

Stealth bikepacking bags.

Poland

BikePack (POL)

This Polish bag manufacturer has a reputation for making excellent quality handcrafted bike bags.

Top Tube Bags // One Size, Custom – €21-24
Frame Bags // Custom – €78-91
Handlebar Packs // One Size – €71
Seat Packs // 5L, 9L, 12L – €45-77

BikePack Poland Bags

Triglav (Poland)

Triglav is another Polish bikepacking bag business, available directly through Facebook.

Seat Packs // One Size
Handlebar Packs // One Size
Frame Bags // Custom
Fork Bags // One Size

Triglav Bikepacking Bags

Russia

Kailer (RUS)

Frame Bags // 3.5L, 5L, 6L, Custom – US $41-63
Handlebar Harnesses // 16L – US $52
Seat Packs // 8L, 15L, 20L – US $44-60
Stem Bags // 1.5L – US $13

Kailer Bikepacking Bags

Kravets Bikepacking Gear (RUS)

Handlebar Harnesses // 12L – US $68
Seat Packs // 14L – US $77

Kravets bikepacking bags.

Notnee Bikepacking (RUS)

Seat Packs // 14L – US $30
Handlebar Harnesses // US $35
Frame Bags // Custom – from US $37
Top Tube Bags // S, M – US $15

Notnee bikepacking bags.

Packrat Moscow (RUS)

Handlebar Harnesses
Seat Packs
Frame Bags
Top Tube Bags
Accessory Bags

Packrat Moscow bikepacking bags.

SENNA (RUS)

Frame Bags // Custom – US $35-40
Handlebar Packs // 17L – US $36
Seat Packs // 5L, 12L, 17L – US $25-50
Stem Bags // 1L – US $13

Senna Bikepacking Bags.

UralTour (RUS)

Mike and Olga live in the Ural region of Russia and make super affordable bikepacking gear. They make the gear as you order it and almost anything can be custom to your needs.

Frame Bags // Custom – US $40-50
Seat Packs // 11L – US $45
Handlebar Packs // 14L – US $40

UralTour BikePacking Bags

Spain

Geosmina (ESP)

Top Tube Bags // 0.6-1.0L – €37-42
Cargo Cage Bags // 4L – €45
Frame Bags // 2.5L, 7.5L – €35-40
Handlebar Packs // 10L – €49
Seat Packs // 10L – €80

Geosmina Bikepacking Bags

Inuvik Studio (ESP)

Inuvik makes some nice looking gear out of Spain.

Frame Bags // Three Sizes
Top Tube Bags // One Size

Inuvik Studio BikePacking Bags

Sweden

Endless Trails Outdoor Equipment (Sweden)

Edvin makes all kinds of waterproof outdoor gear out of Gothenburg, including bikepacking bags.

Handlebar Packs // One Size – US $121
Accessory Bags // One Size – US $62
Frame Bags // Custom – US $167
Seat Packs // One Size – US $122
Stem Bags // Two Sizes – US $50-72
Downtube Bags // One Size – US $44

Endless Trails Bikepacking Bags

Switzerland

Spok Werks (SWI)

Spok bags are made out of Switzerland by Michael and his partner.

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes
Stem Bags // Two Sizes
Frame Bags // Custom
Seat Packs // Two Sizes
Handlebar Packs // Four Sizes

Spok Werks Bikepacking Bags

Taiwan

Birzman (Taiwan)

Frame Bags // 2.5L, 3L – US $47-59
Handlebar Harnesses // 9.5L – US $59
Top Tube Bags // 0.8L – US $39
Stem Bags // 0.75L – US $29
Seat Packs // 6L – US $79

Birzman bikepacking bags. Image: Quasiout.de

Giant (Taiwan)

The world’s biggest bike manufacturer is now dipping into the bikepacking market. Their Scout line of bags is waterproof and affordable.

Frame Bags // S, M, L – US $75-85
Handlebar Packs // One Size – US $80
Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $30
Seat Packs // One Size

Giant Scout Bikepacking Bags

Merida (Taiwan)

Cargo Cage Bags
Frame Bags
Seat Packs

Merida Bikepacking Bags.

Woho (Taiwan)

Frame Bags // 2.75L, 4L, 4.7L – US $60-70
Handlebar Packs // 13L – US $100
Seat Packs // 12L – US $100
Stem Bags // 1.2L – US $35
Top Tube Bags // 1L – US $35

Woho bikepacking seat pack.

Thailand

Conquer (Thailand)

Conquer have been around since 2014, their bags all made in Thailand.

Top Tube Bags
Stem Bags
Frame Bags
Seat Packs
Handlebar Packs

Conquer BikePacking Bags

Vincita (Thailand)

Frame Bags // 2.6L – US $35-75
Handlebar Harnesses // 5L, 9L – US $115-122
Seat Packs // 9L, 15L, 24L – US $79-139
Top Tube Bags // 0.8L – US $39

Vincita Bikepacking Bags

Ukraine

Bag4Bike (Ukraine)

Dmitry from Bag4Bike loves bike touring with a minimal load. Needing more storage than his small daypack, he created a 7L seat pack to take a bit of weight off his back.

Seat Packs // 7L – US $59

Bag4Bike bikepacking seat pack.

Fast-N-Light (Ukraine)

Seat Packs // 13L, 17L – US $45-50
Handlebar Harnesses // 8L, 15L – US $32-35
Frame Bags // Half, Full, Custom – US $28-40
Stem Bags // 0.75L – US $12

Fast-N-Light bikepacking bags.

KasyBag (Ukraine)

Seat Packs // 15L – US $36-51
Handlebar Harnesses // 10L, 15L – US $33
Frame Bags // Custom – US $25
Stem Bags // 0.9L, 1.5L – US $16
Top Tube Bags // 0.4L, 1.0L – US $14-16

KasyBag bikepacking bags

Seven Roads Workshop (Ukraine)

7R workshop has an impressive list of bags and harnesses for a reasonable price.

Frame Bags // Two sizes – US $50-95
Handlebar Packs // Four Sizes – US $80-105
Seat Packs // 5L, 8L, 13L, 18L – US $50-115
Stem Bags // 1L – US $25

7R Workshop Bikepacking Bags.

United Kingdom

Alpamayo Designs (UK)

Paul and Sam met in Equador while bike touring. After getting along so well, they rode down the Andes together and then went on start a bikepacking bag brand! This gear is all made by a small workshop in the Peruvian Andes.

Seat Packs // One Size – £85
Frame Bags // Three Sizes + Custom – £55-115
Handlebar Harnesses // 10-20L – £60
Top Tube Bags // 1L – £29
Stem Bags // 1L – £25

Alpamayo Bikepacking Bags

AlpKit (UK)

AlpKit is a UK-made, direct-to-the-public outdoor gear company. They have been putting together a huge line up of bags over the past few years.

Top Tube Bags // S, M, L – £18-29
Stem Bags // One Size – £18
Frame Bags // S, M, L, Custom – £40-100
Seat Packs // 3L, 13L – £15-65
Handlebar Harnesses // Two Sizes – £12-45
Handlebar Packs // 13L, 20L – £11-14

AlpKit Bikepacking Bags

Altura (UK)

Frame Bags // 5L – £49
Handlebar Bags // 12L – £49
Seat Packs // 6L, 12L – £49-59
Top Tube Bags // 1L – £29

Altura Bikepacking Bags.

Apidura (UK)

Apidura is now one of the more common bikepacking bag manufacturers, sponsoring lots of ultra-endurance athletes and bike travellers.

Top Tube Bags //0.5L, 1L – £25-39
Stem Bags // 0.8L, 1.2L – £29-35
Frame Bags // 3L, 4.5L, 5.3L, 7.5L, 12L, 14L  – £55-118
Seat Packs // 9L, 11L, 14L, 17L – £77-110
Handlebar Packs // 9L, 14L, 20L – £64-86
Accessory Bags // 4.5L – £33-41

Apidura BikePacking Bags

Bike Bag (UK)

Bike Bag put together quite affordable frame bags in the UK, all custom.

Frame Bags // Custom – £40-55

Bike-Bag UK Frame Bag

Lomo (UK)

Seat Packs // 13L – £33
Handlebar Packs // 3L – £17
Frame Bags // 4L – £23

Lomo bikepacking bags.

Mack Workshop (UK)

Jon at the Mack Workshop makes high-quality bags at reasonable prices. As it’s all made to order, you can get any of the bags custom tailored to your needs.

Handlebar Packs // Two Sizes – £30-60
Seat Packs // One Size – £75
Frame Bags // Four Sizes + Custom – £40-62

Mack Workshop Bikepacking Bags

Restrap (UK)

Restrap have a really nice line of bikepacking bags. I especially like their seat pack holster which allows you use different sized dry bags.

Frame Bags // S, M, L – £39-59
Seat Packs // 13L – £89
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – £55

Restrap BikePacking Bags

Wildcat Gear (UK)

Based in Wales, Wildcat make some top quality handmade stuff which you can buy in bundles for a reduced price.

Frame Bags // S, M, L, XL, Custom – £65-160
Seat Packs // 5L, 8L – £70-75
Handlebar Harnesses // Two Sizes – £65-75

Wildcat Gear BikePacking Bags

USA

Andrew the Maker (USA)

Andrew makes his custom bikepacking gear in Missouri, USA. The ATM logo is rad to boot! I think the frame bikepacking bag with a beer window says it all really…

Top Tube Bags // Custom – US $65
Frame Bags // Custom – US $160-220
Seat Packs // One Size – US $35
Handlebar Packs // One Size – US $65

Andrew the Maker Custom Frame Bikepacking Bag – Singletrack.com

Banjo Brothers (USA)

The Banjo Brothers gear has got to be some of the most affordable out there. The bags aren’t huge, but combine it with other brands and you will have a cost-effective setup.

Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $15
Stem Bags // One Size – US $19
Frame Bags // S, M, L – US $32-40
Seat Packs // 6.5L – US $49
Handlebar Packs // 4.5L – US $29

Banjo Brothers Frame Bikepacking Bag

Becker Gear (USA)

Becker is a custom manufacturer, testing all their gear in Fairbanks, Alaska. What I love most about this gear are the custom colours and designs.

Frame Bags // Custom
Seat Packs // Custom

Becker Gear Frame Bag

Bedrock Bags (USA)

Bedrock makes their gear out of Colorado, USA. The gear is clearly top-notch, and I really like the ‘railwing’ system which stabilises the seat pack.

Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $65
Stem Bags // One Size – US $49
Frame Bags // Custom – US $160-200
Seat Packs // 12L – US $175-190
Handlebar Packs // Two Sizes – US $150

BedRock BikePacking Bags – BIKEPACKING.com

Blackburn (USA)

Blackburn, who make all kinds of bike accessories, recently brought out a rad range of bags at great prices.

Top Tube Bags // S, L – US $20-45
Frame Bags // S, M – US $59-65
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size (inc. DryBag) – US $99
Seat Packs // 11L – US $119

Blackburn BikePacking Bags – BikeRumor.com

Boulder Bikepacking Gear (USA)

Boulder Bikepacking Gear have been making custom bags since 2010. They are also happy to modify bikepacking bags from other manufacturers.

Top Tube Bags // S, M, Custom – US $50-90
Frame Bags // Custom – Start US $75
Handlebar Harnesses // Custom – Start US $70
Seat Packs // 6L, 10L, 12L – US $110-130

Boulder Bikepacking Bags

Broad Fork Bags (USA)

Josh entered the Tour Divide with just two weeks before the start. He didn’t have a bike or gear but cobbled it all together just in time. Although Josh didn’t finish his ride due to a sad achilles, he fell in love with bikepacking and now creates mostly custom bags.

Jones Handlebar Packs // One Size – US $60-70
Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $45
Frame Bags // Custom Two Sizes – US $75-145

Broad Fork Frame Bag

Carousel Design Works (USA)

Carousel has been making really nice custom bags for about a decade!

Top Tube Bags
Frame Bags
Seat Packs
Handlebar Packs

Carousel BikePacking Bags

Carsick Designs (USA)

Handlebar Packs // One Size – US $240
Seat Packs // 10L – US $125
Stem Bags // Two Sizes – US $35-40
Fork Bags // 4L – US $45

Carsick Designs Bikepacking Bags

Cedaero (USA)

Frame Bags // Custom Half/Full – from US $149
Seat Packs // One size – from US $119
Top Tube Bags // from US $55

Cedaero Bikepacking Bags.

Cleaveland Mountaineering (USA)

Jeremy makes all kinds of bikepacking bags at pretty decent prices.

Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $40
Frame Bags // Custom – From US $110
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size (inc Pocket) – US $75

Cleaveland Mountaineering Frame Bag

Crater Packs (USA)

Rich makes his bags out of vinyl or cuben fibre if you care about the grams. They are made in Colorado, USA.

Frame Bags // Custom – US $125-140
Seat Packs // Two Sizes – US $80-120
Handlebar Packs // One Size – US $120

Crater Packs Frame Bag

Defiant Pack (USA)

Defiant Pack are based in Colorado above a brewery. They’ve been making bikepacking gear since 2014.

Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $43
Stem Bags // One Size – US $34
Frame Bags // Custom – From US $160
Seat Packs // XS, S, M – From US $115
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size (inc. pocket) – US $113

Defiant Pack BikePacking Bags

DirtBags (USA)

Frame Bags // Custom Half/Full – US $90-175
Seat Packs // 12 Litres – US $95
Stem Bags // 1.2L – US $40
Top Tube Bags // 1.6L – US $50

DirtBags Bikepacking Bags

Endless Trails Outdoor Equipment (SWE)

Edvin makes all kinds of waterproof outdoor gear out of Gothenburg, including bikepacking bags!

Handlebar Packs // One Size – US $121
Accessory Bags // One Size – US $62
Frame Bags // Custom – US $167
Seat Packs // One Size – US $122
Stem Bags // Two Sizes – US $50-72
Downtube Bags // One Size – US $44

Endless Trails Bikepacking Bags

eoGEAR (USA)

Seat Packs // 6.8L, 8.2L, 12L – US $63-119
Top Tube Bags // 1.1L – US $26-39

EOGear Bikepacking Bags.

Fun Bags (USA)

Since 2011, Fun Bags have been putting together custom bikepacking kits for riders. They believe that their knowledge for bag making should be shared, so they have information on their site for how to DIY too.

Seat Packs // One Size – US $100
Handlebar Packs // Two Sizes – US $80-90
Frame Bags // Custom – US $110-165
Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $45

Fun Bags Bikepacking Bags

Green Guru (USA)

Holy colours! Green Guru use factory scraps to construct their bikepacking bag range.

Seat Packs // 7L – US $100
Frame Bags // 7L – US $40

Green Guru Bikepacking Bags

Gryphon Workshop (USA)

Gryphon Workshop mostly specialises in making kilts, but they’re now doing some really nice frame bags and panniers.

Frame Bags // Custom

Gryphon Workshop Frame Bag

Jandd (USA)

Jandd makes super affordable accessory bags which can be used in conjunction with other larger bags on this list.

Top Tube Bags // Five Sizes – US $19-29
Frame Bags // Four Sizes – US $42-49

Jandd Frame Bag

J.Paks (USA)

The JPaks stuff looks really nice. They clearly use really high-quality materials for all their bikepacking gear.

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – From US $60
Stem Bags // One Size – From US $50
Frame Bags // Custom – From US $150
Seat Packs // 5L, 14L – From US $110
Handlebar Packs // One Size – US $180

J Paks BikePacking Bags

Lezyne (USA)

Handlebar Packs // 7L – US $49
Seat Packs // 7.5L – US $69
Stem Bags // 1.3L – US $26
Top Tube Bags // 0.8-1.2L – US $25-29

Lezyne Bikepacking Bags.

Lone Peak Packs (USA)

The Lone Peak gear is mostly cost-effective accessory bags to use in combination with other bikepacking options.

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – US $25-35
Frame Bags // Three Sizes – US $37-79

Lone Peak Packs Frame Bag

Moosetreks (USA)

Frame Bags // 6L, 6.5L, 7L, 8.5L, 12L, 14L – US $37
Stem Bags // 1L – US $25

Moosetreks bikepacking bags.

No Logo Bikepacking (USA)

No Logo is a small-scale custom manufacturer making quality bikepacking products.

Top Tube Bags // One Size
Stem Bags // One Size
Frame Bags // S, M, L, Custom
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size

No Logo BikePacking Bags

Nuclear Sunrise Stitchworks (USA)

Nuclear Sunrise make lots of great looking bikepacking bags. A full matching set looks the business.

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – US $40-50
Stem Bags // One Size – US $35
Frame Bags // Custom
Seat Packs // Two Sizes – US $145-155
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – US $95

Nuclear Sunrise Stitchworks BikePacking Bags

Oveja Negra (USA)

One of the more popular brands, Oveja Negra is high quality and has a good reputation for a reason.

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – US $45-50
Frame Bags // S, L, Custom – US $75-200
Seat Packs // 10L, 20L – US $120-125
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – US $50

Oveja Negra BikePacking Bags

Outer Shell Adventure (USA)

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – US $38-55
Stem Bags // 1L – US $55
Frame Bags // Three Sizes – US $80-90
Seat Packs // 10.5L, 16L – US $160-165
Handlebar Harnesses // 5L, 10L – US $40 + $25-35 (drybag)

Outer Shell Adventure Bikepacking Bags

Portland Design Works (USA)

Seat Pack Racks // 14L – US $88
Handlebar Harnesses // 12L – US $99

PDW bikepacking bags.

Revelate (USA)

Revelate is one of the most widely recognised bikepacking brands; you’ll find their gear in shops all around the world. The updated Terrapin dry seat packs look really nice!

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – US $38-55
Stem Bags // One Size – US $39
Frame Bags // Three Sizes – US $90-165
Seat Packs // 12L, 14L – US $90-125
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – US $75

Revelate BikePacking Bags

Road Runner (USA)

Cargo Cage Bags // 8L – US $50
Stem Bags // 1L, 1.5L – US $40-60
Frame Bags // 2L, 4L – US $75-120
Porteur Bags // 15L – US $140
Handlebar Packs // 10L, 29L(!) – US $140-200

Road Runner bikepacking bags.

Rockgeist (USA)

Custom bags out of the USA. Their gear looks pretty top notch.

Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $48
Stem Bags // One Size – US $48
Frame Bags // Custom – From US $100
Dropper Post Seat Packs // 10L – US $85
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – US $66

Rockgeist Bikepacking Bags.

Rogue Panda Designs (USA)

Started in 2014, Rogue Panda makes bikepacking bags out of Arizona, USA. Their bags are almost always custom made to fit your bike and Nick can even do amazing patterns like the Arizona flag below!

Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $40
Down Tube Bags // One Size – US $40
Stem Bags // One Size – US $40
Frame Bags // Custom – US $75-140
Seat Packs // 13L – US $105
Handlebar Packs // 10L, 14L, 18L – US $80

Rogue Panda Designs Frame Bikepacking Bag

Salsa (USA)

Adventure bike brand Salsa has just dropped an awesome looking EXP bikepacking bag range. I especially like the handlebar cradle which creates a handy gap from your bars.

Handlebar Packs // One Size – US $99
Accessory Bags // One Size – US $50
Frame Bags // Multiple Sizes – US $119
Seat Packs // One Size – US $119

Salsa Bikepacking Bags. Image: BIKEPACKING.com

Specialized (USA)

Another big bike brand making bikepacking bags for their adventure bikes. The Burra Burra range is all waterproof and has some innovative features like a seatpost mount to stop the seat pack swaying.

Seat Packs // 8L, 10.5L – US $130-140
Frame Bags // 3L, 5L, 8L – US $90-110
Handlebar Packs // 13L, 23L – US $130-135
Top Tube Bags // 0.75L – US $50
Fork Bags // 1L – US $40

Specialized Burra Burra Bikepacking Bags

Switchback Bike Bags (USA)

Switchback make their custom gear out of Colorado, USA. It looks to be great quality.

Top Tube Bags // Custom – From US $40
Frame Bags // Custom – From US $99
Seat Packs // 12L – From US $109
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – US $99

Switchback Frame Bag

Timbuk2 (USA)

Frame Bags // US $69
Seat Packs // US $79
Top Tube Bags // US $35

Timbuk2 Bikepacking Bags.

Topeak (USA)

Component manufacturer Topeak has just released a bikepacking bag range which is not all that surprising given their long history with bike bags.

Seat Packs // 6L, 10L
Frame Bags // 3L, 4.5L
Handlebar Packs // 8L
Accessory Bags // 3L
Top Tube Bags // 0.75L

Topeak Bikepacking Bags

Vagabond Bicycle Bags (USA)

Vagabond make all their gear in the USA and use the motto, “make any bike, an adventure bike”. They offer a lifetime warranty on their gear.

Frame Bags // One Size
Seat Packs // One Size
Handlebar Packs // One Size

Vagabond BikePacking Bags

Wanderlust (USA)

Made in Virginia, USA, Wanderlust have a neat range of bikepacking gear.

Stem Bags // One Size – US $40
Frame Bags // Custom – From US $125
Seat Packs // 12L – US $140
Handlebar Packs // One Size – US $135

Wanderlust BikePacking Bags

Bikepacking Bag Manufacturers with Limited Details

Barking Bear Bag Works (USA)
Lone Mountain Innovations (USA)

The post A Complete List of Bikepacking Bag and Frame Bag Manufacturers with Prices appeared first on CyclingAbout.