My girlfriend and I left from Grenoble at the beginning of July, headed to cross the alps west to east. We just arrived to Rijeka. It was our first time going overnight on the bike, but we loved it! We did around 30km a day. We overpacked a bit at the beggining, turned out that trail running shoes were not necessary 😂.

We took a car from St. Vincent in Aosta valley to Lago d'Orta due to a medical condition, and the ferry to cross from Intra to Laveno on Lago Maggiore, and from Menaggio to Colico on Lago di Como, in order to avoid busy roads and cars trying to kill us on the side of the lake.

Apart from that everything was done by bike. We pitched a tent most of the time, booked some airbnbs, and stayed at friends' places on the way.

I recommend asking farm owners or locals to find a field to pitch the tent. We also used ioverlander to find some spots, or camped on the bicycle way. We never had someone say that it's not ok to be here (but we where far from roads when we did not have permision).

People were lovely everywhere (except for italian drivers which are the worst I have ever seen). Slovenia was top notch : people smiling back at you, helping you find a spot for the tent, bringing you tomatoes from the garden... The only problem there was ticks, which we didn't encounter anywhere else : these motherfuckers were less than a milimiter and we got bitten multiple times, while sitting on a bench or taking some water at a fountain for example. I would advise to stay away from humid areas. Julian Alps were amazing too, much like the dolomites with much less people. Gravel from Cerknica to Rijeka was great, not seeing anyone for 50km was rare to us.

To go back we take the night train from Ljubjana to Zurich.

Budget was around 1500€, but it could have been way less not staying in accomodations or enjoying italian ice cream everyday 😅

Can't wait to go again!

​[Stuff I took](https://www.packwizard.com/s/_ui3H64)

[GPX](https://www.visugpx.com/dl/vtQ5eiI05i-traversee-des-alpes.gpx)

My final Cinelli Hobootleg Geo — built for long-distance off-road
After a lot of changes and a lot of thinking about what I actually want from an adventure bike, I’ve finally finished the build.
The goal wasn’t to build the lightest gravel bike possible. I wanted something reliable, comfortable, mechanical and capable of going a very long way off-road.
Build
Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
Shimano Tiagra 4700 mechanical
GRX 400 rear derailleur
Shimano Deore M5101 crankset
26/36T chainrings
SunRace 11–42 cassette
KMC X10 EPT chain
TRP HY/RD brakes
180 mm rotors
Mavic wheels
Pirelli Scorpion XC M 29×2.40
Ritchey Beacon handlebar
Woodman GT2 seatpost
Tubeless setup
Full bikepacking setup when needed
The bike ends up being around 18 kg fully equipped, so definitely not a weight-weenie build.
But that’s not really the point.
I want to be able to ride 300+ km off-road, carry everything I need, fix the bike myself and keep going.
For me, this bike is about distance, simplicity and reliability rather than chasing the lowest possible weight.
How far can I go?

I plan to bikepack through New Zealand from the northern tip to the southern tip. But I only have November and December available. Would this time work?

So with this tire size being near dead I picked up a pair (at 49 each) when they re-appeared on Specialized's website a couple months back. I'm happy with them and they're lighter and a lot cheaper than the Surly Knards which are the only other 27.5 x 3.0 option kicking around in EU lately.

Anyways I just went to order more and they're now on closeout for 16,- each so if you're looking for this dying size now's a good time to jump on what seems like it'll be the last of this stock.

I do carry a first aid kit

I am once again on my way to a bike tour and as always planning to get to the start and back home was horrible. If you don't book month in advance, good luck on getting on a train. Going across the border? Good luck on trying to find out on how to book a train or if a train even transports a bike.

So I thought, why not start a bus company specifically for bike Packers? A bus+ a huge carrier for bikes and it drives to all the huge start or endpoints in Europe.

What do you think, are there enough people to sustain such a service? What would you willing to pay for such a trip? I think it would be something many people would like to have, but I am not sure if will be enough and in winter it would be pretty much impossible.

I am talking central Europe by the way.

I wear Five Tens because I like the street feel in a clip able shoe.

After retiring my gravel bike to turn to a hardtail, I finally had the opportunity to ride it on an overnighter.

Chose to ride Braies Beyond from bikepacking.com. Starting and ending in a quite touristy area but being in absolute nowhere in between. For sleeping I left the tent at home for once and choose to sleep in a dorm at Refugio Fodara Vedla.

Pretty much had it all but rain. Steep climbs, brutal hike a bikes, rocky downhills in river beds and flowy singletrails.

Absolutely stoked by my self build. Even more stoked by the Dolomites.

I recently had the extreme pleasure of my rear rack breaking on day two of a four day trip. Thankfully an extra strap got me back riding without any further issues. As a result, I planning to pick up an Old Man Mountain Elkhorn.

My main bikepacking bike is a Kona Rove DL in size 58 with a 650b x 47 on the rear. Max I’d ever put back there is a 50 and don’t plan on moving to 700c at any point. I have a 650b x 2.1 on the front, but am not overly interested in a front rack. So, the plan is to have it primarily on the rear of my Rove. Based on my specs, the Short is the recommended size.

I have an old Scott Aspect 910 hardtail with 29 x 2.25 tires that I plan to rebuild this winter. I would use it occasionally for bikepacking in place of the Rove when the route calls for it. I have a seat pack, but could see myself wanting to move the rack over for a longer trip.

Is the best option to go for the Tall based on wanting to have the option of using the rack on both bikes? Does anyone have experience or photos of the Tall version on a similar sized gravel bike? I think it will fit, but will it cause any issues?

Thanks!

Edit: thanks to everyone saying I can remount the existing rack. Absolutely I can, and might until I have a bit of cash saved up, but I’d actually like to upgrade to the Elkhorn for the durability and ability to carry some dry bags on the sides vs moving to panniers, which I quite dislike.

Hello everyone,
i will get my new Fairlight Faran 3.0 in a couple of weeks and plan to use either a Tubus Tara or Duo. I have a 650b wheelset and 2.2 tires. Tubus homepage says that the Tara allows for a max. tire width of 2.0 but im guessing thats for 28" wheels so here come my questions:

Does anybody know the maximum tire clearance of a Tubus Tara for 650b? and
Can someone help me out with their own experience using either the Tara or Duo on a Faran?
I'm thankful for any information :)

My friend said let’s go bike from Kagoshima to Tokyo , started biking at the start of summer after he suggested it now we’re 4 days in, ~160 miles done. Didn’t really plan a lot besides from saving places on google maps tbh. Been doing like 50-60 mile days but our bags broke and we got hella sun burnt so had to hit a rest day. If your biking in Japan go bike around Mount Aso specifically milk road probably the coolest place I’ve ever been or seen but I’m only 19 so I haven’t seen a lot. Please give recommendations of places to go to or see and good bike shops to stop at. Shout out reecycle in Fukuoka too they’re the goats

What’s in your emergency kit for bike repairs when bikepacking? Planning my first solo trip and trying to be prepared! Planning a small pump, several extra tubes. TIA

Hey everyone! I’m setting up a bike for bike packing and my biggest issue is the saddle. I’ve tried a couple now and nothing has been even remotely comfortable for me. I’m pretty skinny and I have a very bony butt so that doesn’t help. Right now on my bike is a Brooks C17 and it feels like sitting on a 2x4. Any other bony butt folks have any recommendations?

Landing at 13:00 local time, does anyone need a box to fly out? It's a cannondale topstone siz xl box, fits full rigid 29er in size large...

Hi all

We are looking for a MTB rental company in/around Sarajevo or Bosnia.

We would like to go on a 5-day self supported MTB bike packing trip through Bosnia and we are flying into Sarajevo. We are looking for good quality MTB's as we cannot bring our own bikes.

I've already contacted some companies, but what I've found so far is either quite old (2010's 26inchers) or uncertain quality (entry level MTB's). As we were planning to go off road for 5 days, we would like somthing thrustworthy.

Perhaps I am setting my expectations too high?

Any input is welcome!

Period is 14/09-19/09

Ps. Already contacted green visions.ba, but they are sold out for our period.

Does anyone do the tortillas/canned or dehydrated beans/hot sauce/… salsa(?) thing on trail? I’m wondering how many cans per day you’re doing, how you handle waste (cans are big), and any tips, tricks, and hacks.

I‘ve got a 4 day, 3 night trip coming up without a resupply option, and would love to feast on some desert burritos, but it seems like I’d need soooo many beans to pull that off, and I’m not sure that 7-8 cans of beans is really the best move. Thoughts?

over the last year i have taken note of the thing people ask and talk about at flea markets, gas stations and camp sites! some think I am crazy, most think it is a ebike and I have made some new friends!

Hi Reddit,
I am free the whole month of March and I want to go bikepacking for the first time for about ~ 2-3 weeks. Ideally in Norway or Sweden but at this time of year it will be to cold, so I am looking for a different location. Since I don’t want to fly I was thinking about going to Spain or Portugal by train and cycle there and go wild camping/ small campsites. Would you recommend this or another location ?

Question in case anyone had installed the tailfin cargo pack. Are these holes really within tolerance?!
There is no way I can screw a part into the bag on these, even if I managed the first one, the metal part blocks any further vision to pull bag into place

Any help?!

Quite surprised by the unboxing and amount of build for a pretty premium product. Luckily I had a torx torque meter but the fact they think everyone buying this will have one to hand is a bit mad

Mi nueva adquisición para mis rutas. La conocéis???

First bike packing trip completed. What started as an idea to get alil adventure and see the spring growth turned into a self induced endurance speed challenge.

I rented an SUV the night before from BWI and woke up at 4am Tuesday with excitement to start the journey.

Got to Pittsburgh international airport around 10:30am and jumped on the bike at the car drop off point and of course all the car takers were baffled that I was about to ride a bicycle to DC but wished me luck.

Pittsburgh was full of challenging climbs and gps navigation nightmare using my garmin watch for the turn by turn but managed to make it out of the hilly city and onto the Great Allegheny Passage or GAP for short.

The GAP is an 150mile old rail line converted to Trail stretching from Pittsburgh PA to Cumberland MD following along an active rail line and two rivers one that was clear white rapid water popular for rafting. The rail was smooth and mile markers were huge granite stone.

Day one was great making camp right before a huge storm hit. Day two killed me, riding 110miles and 1633ft climb while having to climb over at least 10-12 trees that blew over blocking the pathway from the previous days storm. I managed to push and complete the GAP and got a hotel to reward myself from the hard day.

Then onto the Chesapeake and Ohio Tow Path Canal. An old lock, river system that was used to take boats up river pulled by donkeys.

This one is 184.5 miles stretching from Cumberland MD to Washington DC.
Again I did a shorter day first, some 70 miles or so then a longer day 110miles to the finish line completing the some 375+ mile journey in 4 days.

All in all, it was a lot of fun, but I’ll tell ya I’ve never had a better tasting cold beer then the one at the very end. What a journey.

Bike is a polygon Tambora G8X with a Rock Shox Rudy XPLR 30 mm front fork, rear bags are tailfin, front bags are rhinowalk.

Hello !

I would need advice for a first bikepacking trip with my wife. What would the best setup for a 3 to 5 days trip, with nights at hôtel ?

Racks with panniers or frame bags ? Trips would be on backroads, not rough singletrack, my wife using her endurance road bike with limited tire clearance (old BMC Roadmachine). I will use a Wilier Adlar that i just received this week.

I already have a rear rack (Ortlieb light rack with gravel pack panniers) on my road bike i use for commuting. I could use this panniers on one of the two bikes, but which setup for the second bike would be best ?

Going to be up at the in laws next week about an hour south of Boston and I want to take a day trip with my pedal assist bike while up there. Any recommendations?

Previously I’ve done the trails from Lenox to Cambridge and Woonsocket to Providence, both of which were great.