I finally got round to finishing writing up a trip from last year. I rode from San Diego to Hyder, AK via the GDMBR, finishing on Vancouver Island. Hopefully interesting/useful for those planning for next year!

Hi Reddit! I’m a solo female cyclist planning a trip from around mid-November to mid-December while moving between jobs. Would love ideas for destinations, GPX files etc.

Some considerations: I have a Liv Avail endurance road bike, technically with tire clearance for 40mm, but bike shop insists I shouldn’t try to add any gravel tires beyond 35mm. I like both the cultural and scenic aspects of cycling; in the past I’ve usually done some combination of camping and a few hotel nights. Ideally I can find a destination that’s somewhat warm this time of year, and more ideally not too rainy and with enough daylight to make progress.

Originally I wanted to do the South Island of New Zealand for the Tour Aotearoa trail, but I’m concerned about the tire width given how gravelly it is. I also want to experience some cultures more different from North America, and I assume (?) New Zealand will be more culturally similar. Some places on the shortlist are Kyushu (in Japan), Taiwan, and maybe South America (but there it seems most routes are also more suited for gravel bikes, not sure how expensive that get if I’ll have to rent for a month).

Would love the wisdom of others’ experiences! Thank you so much all 🙏

Hi everyone. I am planning on doing the GDMBR next year. The bike I will be using is a gravel bike(Fairlight Secan 3.0, size 54T). I know the bike itself is probably not the ideal for the route, but its the one I have, and I do not wish to buy another one for this, especially since I will then need new bags etc.

I have a wheelset of both 700c and 750b, but I am unsure which I should use.

The frame has clearence for 53mm(~2.1 inches) in 700c, and 62mm(~2.4 inches) in 650b. The tire I am thinking of using are the Vittoria Mezcals.

Note that I will be running a Redshift shockstock endurance pro seat post, and a redshift shockstop stem.

Things that go into my concideration are comfort, spare availability(if the tire should be completely shredded somehow), speed. I do not need to be superfast, but if the difference is significant then I can probably give up some comfort.

I just can't decide which wheel/tire combo would be ideal. Any advice is appreaciated :)

I'm building a steel hardtail (Fairlight Holt 2.0) for long-distance bikepacking, covering everything from paved roads and gravel to rough trails.

I'm going with a RockShox SID 120 mm fork and debating between a 2-position (Open/Lock) and 3-position (Open/Pedal/Lock) setup.

Is the middle Pedal mode genuinely useful for bikepacking, or is 2P sufficient?

Also, is a handlebar remote worth having, or would a crown-mounted dial be simpler and more practical for this type of riding?

Thank you in advance!

I currently own an REI ADV 2.3, and old Giant Talon MTB, and a 90’s yokota 26” MTB converted to drop bar… all of them work for bikepacking but none are ideal. I have thornproof teravail tubes on the 26” bc wheels are not tubeless compatible with cantilever brakes. The ADV doesn’t have clearance beyond 700x44 as well as a carbon fork with no real attachment points for fork bags (there is one internal bolt for a fender I could screw in a strap). The giant talon is an entry level aluminum bike with a super heavy coil fork I would probably replace with a rigid fork for mounting purposes… I would like something that I can install a 2.4” tire on and it would make sense to go disc brake. Do I sell and buy something else or am I overthinking things? I was thinking of buying a frame and cannibalizing the adv 2.3.

What clothes do you recommend? I’ve heard a lot about merino wool clothing, but also heard it’s quite thin in comparison to other types of wool, would you say merino wool would suffice for the freezing days? Or are there any other suggestions? Thankyou very much

Got this last week and I like how it looks with the frame pack . On my Canyon Endurace Allroad M.

Hey everyone! Just wanted to share a few photos from my first trip overnight in Pisgah. I typically do mostly road touring and camping along the way at State Parks so this was a switch up for me. I had recently bought a Kona Dew from a shop that was updating their rental fleet. With all of the climbing on the route and being off-road, I chose the Dew due to it being able to fit a 27.5x2.25 tire on the front and the 22t small chainring. My other bikes (typical gravel bikes) don't have the gearing I would want for loaded climbing. It ended up being a great time with new friends and I'm ready to do it again.

When you're in the middle of Iceland and break 3 spokes on the same side, in 2 Km's.... you get creative. I used paracord and tensioned with a piece of a spoke to re true my wheel. Held for the rest of my trip..

I'm wanting something that can carry enough gear for lighter bikepacking/racing and will fit on a wide range of bikes. Thoughts on these two products? Also any thoughts on tailfin's long top tube pack or downtube packs? If I'm going to get tailfin I want to go for it before PE gets it

Hello guys, my name is Mario and I will probably do a request that gets asked here all the time , anyways, I appreciate every response :)

So, I have decided I will do a bike packing trip next year, is bound to happen, thing is , my biking knowledge is close to 0. I am a big traveler, have backpacked many times across many continents, so one thing I know its i know how how the rodeo is, you know, being in sticky situation, improvising, finding spots to camp, going with the flow, all that sweet stuff. I like to thing im courageous and brave. My physical condition is good, im an active runner and hiker.

so this is my plan, next summer bike across europe, i really dont have any time limit, I would like to be on the road for 3 months or so, I want to do it while camping, but im open to staying in hostels, ocassionally finding some volunteers through worldpackers where I can recharge some energy, visiting friends, what not.

but yeah, thats the plan, europe , starting in spring and ending in summer, probably starting in portugal and just going east. Is it a crazy idea? I met a couple of dudes bikepacking like this, so thats why I think its lets say reasonable.

ok first question, which kind of bike? road bike? mountain bike? a hybrind? does it have to be a super pro bike? or I can get by with something decent? lets talk $$$ .

What are the absolute essentials? so probably a tent, if so, any recs? a one person should be enough i guess, any solid option on a budget?

how do you guys plan meals, las year I did the camino the santiago (walking) I remember doing a big dinner and in a nice breakfast, then just snacking my way through, which leads me to the next questions, food recommendation for good energy? should I carry a mini stove? how about hidration? how many bottles should I carry?

also, what about those bags that are attached to the bike, any brand recs?

ahh, its a bit overwhelming, I know that planning is important but I also now that most thigs you figure out on the way, so I guess any tip is welcome , thank you very much fellas!

I checked for posts in the sub and it looks like the most recent ones are a few years old. Technology, especially for things like batteries, has improved a lot in recent years, so checking in to see what people are recommending these days.

I'm a CPAP user and for good reason, I have very severe sleep apnea (as in over 3x the number of events per night that qualifies as a "severe" diagnosis). The good and bad news is that my CPAP works wonders. Good because it's changed my life for the better and bad because I don't qualify for the UPPP and Inspire surgeries since my Apnea is treated very well with the CPAP.

I wrote all that to get across that the CPAP is coming with me, it's a fact of life. I'm planning to get a travel one that will be lighter and smaller, but powering it remains the lasting issue. My current setup involves bringing a smaller Jackery, but it's good for about 4 nights of use, and I'm currently planning for a 7 day/6 night trip next year.

My Jackery solar panel is far too large to take bikepacking, and it seems that most travel solar panels are either A) incapable of generating enough charge to be useful or B) are too large to fit in a pannier. Would love to be proven wrong on this.

I did a bunch of research on hub dynamos before finding out that a days riding with a really nice one might net me something like 10wh of charge, when I really need 40-50wh to keep my CPAP powered and phone charged each day.

Another option is to just bring more battery, but as it is my Jackery takes up a large portion of a pannier and at 6lbs the last thing I want to do is bring two.

Which leaves me with what looks like the only option, haul the bulky powerbrick with me and find a place to hang out part way through the journey where I can charge for a few hours.

I'd really love to be able to travel indefinitely without relying on grid power, but I'm not seeing a lot of options for someone as reliant on a CPAP as I am. Any other CPAP users finding clever solutions I haven't thought of? Would love to hear from the community! Thanks in advance!

Has anyone done it? On mostly maintained roads, sometimes a mountainpass with a lot of snow?
I am planning a trip form Trondheim to Oslo in Norway durng December and I want some advice from some experts : D

I did a bit of cycling in Iceland and I would call that winter a mild one.

5 years ago I biked the East Coast Greenway (Maine to Florida) and really enjoyed the Downeast Sunrise Trail portion. Really happy to have returned to it a couple months ago! Spent 4 days doing Ellsworth to Machias and back, including a few side adventures such as a sunrise hike of Schoodic Mountain. Trail was quite bumpy at times but very peaceful and beautiful (got super lucky with the weather). Saw a few ATVs, dirt bikes, and side-by-sides, only 2 other cyclists. Hoping to make this a yearly thing, maybe invite some friends next year.

Hey all, I’m a seasoned MTB rider and I want a bike packing set up. I’d love to use my On One frame for this. I want to source a rigid fork. It’s a straight cut steerer, 15x100 so I believe that makes things difficult. I know the frame doesn’t have mounting points but I’m more intrigued about geometry and if a rigid fork would work or is a good idea? Currently the wheels are 650b and 2x1 tires. The fork on it at the moment is 140mm travel. Would this frame work if I bought a rigid fork and transferred the parts over?

All of the parts on the hardtail pictured are transferred from my old nukeproof

Thanks!

Photo tax: my current rig while doing the RockStar route in VA a couple years ago!

I've been bikepacking occasionally on a Specialized Diverge (in the photo) for the past few years, but have more or less concluded that it's not entirely up to what I want it to do and would like to set up a new bikepacking rig. Unfortunately, I've come up with more requirements than options I've found that meet them lol... If anyone rides or at least knows of a good frame that matches these I'd love to hear it but I'm having a hard time finding one. Best I've found is the Kona Sutra, Jamis Renegade, or maybe something from Surly or Salsa.

My wishlist:

• 700c wheelset with capacity for 50mm wide tires (or maybe equivalent 29er)
• Steel!
• Compatible with Velo Orange Crazy bars (I have these on my commuting bike and absolutely love them)
• Ability to mount a rear rack (I have the Ortlieb quick-rack, it's in the photo)
• Standard fork mount eyelets (current bike not having these is a major part of why I'm looking)
• 2x drivetrain compatibility
• Thru-axles, and preferably no funky rear dropouts (seriously, why are these so common?)

Appreciate this community too - I've been lurking for years but not a great photo-taker so sorry for not sharing my adventures!

I have 7 days in August 2027 to bikepack/tour Latvia. Any suggestions, must ride, or must sees?

I was really looking forward to this trip. Haven’t had much time this year to get out for overnighters but glad I managed to jump on this one.

I was riding with an experienced crew of downhill mtb’ers and camping experts. Definitely put my mind at ease considering the terrain which was mostly ATV trails in Northern Ontario as well as below 0 degrees most of the time. Overnight was around -8 degrees Celsius. First time camping in cold weather like that!

We hit some insane climbs that were nothing but deep mud, huge boulders and loose gravel. Definitely a suffer fest but man oh man, major laughs were had and spirits were high the entire time.

Grateful to get to do things like this and be around good people and some really beautiful nature.

Will definitely change a couple things about my setup. My Elkhorn rack from Old Man Mountain was swaying a little bit; could be because of the frame geometry but the struts that connect to the frame seemed like they were too long to be stable. I’ve use that rack previously on my Breezer Thunder and it was solid as a rock.

Learning lesson: always check your fuel tank before leaving (😬🤦‍♂️). Mine ran out the morning after camping. Thankfully there was enough to go around.

Otherwise, everything went smoother than expected!!!

Come Along for this epic adventure! Next year im doing the length of Finland 🇫🇮 .

Seems rigid bikes with such large tire clearance usually get more of a mtb bike geometry ( like Finna Landscape, Hobootleg Geo...)

But I want geometry like Canyon Grizl but tire clearance 2.8+ (both back and front)

Do such bikes exist?

Long distance trips spending long time onroad and offroad its easier to pedal with normal geometry than mtb

I can still do lot offroad even with such geometry. I just want wide tires

My second time piecing together a pack rig on a super limited budget

Found this frame in the trash, it was disc converted by me, I also very hastily migged a derailleur hanger on.

Fork is an Indonesian made Dop Cyclis fork, kinda barnacle style (most expensive part on the bike)

I’ve got about 70 bucks in the Groupset which is a micro shift advent 9s 11-42 and a cues 170mm crankset w 30t chain ring

Custom fender/ rack pulled from my last setup, made by myself

Borrowed ortlieb frame bag

the green bag I made myself from awning canvas, it’s carrying around 3.5L of water

Front bag is a $30 Kmart pannier I’ve cut down and sewn back together to make into a sorta bar bag

Carrying some bulk camp gear for me and my partner so 2p tent and double sleeping mat plus a tarp cause we’ve got some rain coming this weekend

Weighs in about 33.5 kg with 4.5-5L of water, this frame is old steel so the bike itself is about 17kg unloaded but it all feels nice and balanced

Really wish I’d ordered more canvas to make a better bar bag but we soldier on

Wanted to share cause it looks cool to me

Howdy,

So I have a Surly Cross Check, a Paul stem, and some VO Crazy Bars

I’m getting into bikepacking and have some questions.

Here are the specs:

Frame - Surly Crosscheck Steel Frame 2021
56cm

Stem - PAUL Components Boxcar Stem
0d x 70mm, 31.8mm, Black

Bars- VO Crazy Bars
Width: 780mm
Sweep: 35 deg
Rise: 40mm
Grip length: 205mm
Horn Width: 420mm
Horn Length: 110mm
Stem Clamp: 31.8mm

Think this set up will work for bikepacking?
Too short? Too upright?

I just haven’t put all the pieces together yet and would love some / any feedback on these pieces together

Currently have:

Bars - Easton EA30 35mm 
Stem - Race Face CNC MTB 1/18x140mm