Some of us see a bike as a means to go camping, other see camping as a means to ride more. Our kit choices reflect this.
We all do a bit of everything i guess but its the motivation rather than just "bike class" that interests me, brought up by the "enduro packing" post.
I loved bikepacking early on because we couldn't drive and our trails were a days ride away, born out of necessity i guess. Nowadays its different.
Im becoming more of a trail rider everyday and singletrack is my goal, minimal kit is essential for this. Give me a road bike though and my goals are very different and pack for comfort (still without needing panniers thank you)
Are you sleeping in a ditch and cooking on meths? Or building a home from home out of something more than silnylon and a jetboil?
Or do you just live in wales where it takes 3 days to carry a pint of milk home
. WADR to the supplied options I'll just fall back on Stuart's never-been-bettered 'two-wheeled tramp'. Just get out there and see what (or indeed who) happens. As far better philosophers than me have pointed out, bike travellers are seen as less threatening, more approachable, easier to offer a kindness etc, so random and often eccentric and surprising stuff happens. Faster than walking but still slow enough to absorb. As for the 'packing' part, less and lighter stuff means less distraction, less faff, encourages outward rather than inward lookingness, and yes a certain perverse pleasure in hair-shirtedness. And, controversially, by less stuff I include 'mental baggage' over-doing gear, times, calories etc, albeit they can be fun to try and to discuss - of course. In summary, the 'bike' and the (minimal) 'packing' - both physical and mental - are the means to the end experience whatever that is or may be to individual ones of us. Oh alright, I guess riding-metrics are an experience themselves 
but just not one for me, and by definition this is a 'selfish' (and great fun) thread. Let random and wierd stuff happen to you. Right, as predicted my brain now hurts so that's enough self-analysis I think. 
To me it's all just widening the scope of what I can do with a bike, for seeing more places or the personal/mental experiences that go with it.
, but wouldn't be my only or even major focus.
Certain gents would pass through the village at different times of the year. I remember listening to their tales while my dad shared his fags and a brew with them on the wall outside our house. To me, they seemed to embody the true essence of freedom, they weren't begging, they worked for what they had or took charity when it was offered but very importantly, they weren't burdened by the expectations and restraints of society.
