A few months back I was dithering around buying a new bike. I had some spare cash after we downsized and thought I should save it for a rainy day. Luckily I have the best wife in the world and she told me to just buy the bloody thing. So I have done and am looking forward to picking it up from Shona and Rich in a few weeks. This got me thinking about the rest of my kit and if money really was growing on trees what else would I get?

So if money really was no object what bikepacking setup would you put together?

Carbon checkpoint or something similar (ok, not quite the money-no-object but you get the point) and then spend the rest of the money (once new sleep mat and shelter has been bought) on flights and use the money-no-object money on a trip abroad instead touring coffee shops, cake shops and pubs

Edit - or a carbon hardtail fatbike and tour Iceland

was in shona and rich's on saturday.
very nearly came away with a xl black fargo.
did come away empty handed after part paying for a new straggler for my good lady.

a ti fargo would be my choice i reckon tho

A steel Jones plus
No point in getting anything fancier (i.e. a ti one) as I'd just break it

Salsa cutthroat or ti Fargo, I’d keep my wtb carbon rims and carbon raceface cranks plus add another two pairs of wheels, both narrow for a set of nanos and a road set.
Of course all the fronts would need son dynamo hubs! Rear hubs would be onyx, I like the idea of a totally silent hub. Lights and charger by klite and gearing would need to be a custom mashup of xx1 eagle 12speed and di2, it’s money no object so I’d pay someone to make it work..... all the time.

I’ve thought about this......

I want a bike butler as well. On arrival home Jeeves will take my stead round the back for a jolly good cleanup. And then bring me a tray of beer, crumpets and Texan bars.

I'd value the time to use it more than the blingest bike.......

Having said that I bought a Spesh Epic a few months back, and now need new lightweight wheels and tyres, and other bits to trim a kg or so off it. Then a frame bag and a better charging setup.....

Bike-wise I'd fit hydro brakes and 2*11 to my Amazon. Maybe a Ti fatbike.

Kit I'm not so sure of. There's nothing much I'd like to change but it would be great to try other tarps, tents, bags etc to find out if I'm missing something.

Dave Barter wrote:I And then bring me a tray of beer, crumpets and Texan bars.

"When a man`s gotta chew a mans gotta chew"

Ooh, so what have you gone for Dave? Bombtrack?Cutthroat? FargoTi with Rohloff? When are you treating it to a Spanish holiday?

Dave Barter wrote:I want a bike butler as well. On arrival home Jeeves will take my stead round the back for a jolly good cleanup. And then bring me a tray of beer, crumpets and Texan bars.

That sounds like my Son! (not a dynamo hub but a child) bought him an inbred from stu, spent loads on shorter cranks etc l. First ride he jumps off and leaves me to clean both bikes while he warms up and eats, not silly my lad

I'd go for some proper custom luggage, all the ways of fitting and pack size variation you need and made to fit the general size of bike you ride so it's not specific to one bike.

And a very neatly wired full F+R plus charger SON dyno set up. The wiring might include getting a frame adapted for it.. so may as well have it adapted for the bags attachment while I'm at it. Maybe a micro rack to hold the f light too.

Quite partial to one of those MAP randonneurs actually, but expect it'd be a bit hopeless off road.

Oh just another thought I’d like the forks fitted with son’s dynamo connector ( an actual dynamo connector not one stolen form my child) , it’s built into the drop out so no wires to connect. Also internal routing for all the charging and light wires

pistonbroke wrote:Ooh, so what have you gone for Dave? Bombtrack?Cutthroat? FargoTi with Rohloff? When are you treating it to a Spanish holiday?

I went for the Cutthroat Duncan. There are life complications preventing a Spain trip presently but it will happen one day!

A nice custom steel frame, Shand or Swarf, two sets of forks (one rigid carbon, one fox 100mm), eagle x01 or new XTR for shifting. Hope brakes and hubs. Custom wildcat luggage.

Similar to above, but a custom steel gravel bike with 700 x 50c clearance, by the likes of Field, Saffron, Donhou or a local lad August, that could take 46/30 chain rings up front, hidden dynamo wiring in fork, with custom light mount to mount a k-Lite somewhere so it doesn't foul bags on front, plus mounts to bike luggage didn't need to use velcro straps, but hidden so frame didn't appear to be covered in holes...

And Shimano to catch up with SRAM when it comes to this sort of bike, much prefer Shimano but they seem slow when it comes to new trends these days, would love to be able to run 46/30 front and 11-36 rear with Di2 shifting..

I would keep the money and just do up my existing bike.

Only joking ti Fargo with Son and Rohloff.

slarge wrote:I'd value the time to use it more than the blingest bike.......

This.

The price of bike stuff that I’m happy with, isn’t insane (pricey in some cases, but not so insane that without a bit of saving/planning I can’t obtain it). If I had more time, I’d have custom manufactured my own front harness as I have a design idea/s knocking about in my head. Bike wise, I guess I may spend a bit more on odd bits and bobs, but I’m not far off the money no object – and tbh I probably could afford the money no object bits if I really really wanted them, but I just can’t bring myself to stomach the cost!
Money no object, I may also build (or I guess commission as I have money, but unlikely to have time) a manual box BMW E61 M5 (or maybe Alpina B5 – also E61… and in both cases update some of the older infotainment stuff with more modern stuff, and a few other custom tweak to make it an A road weapon) – or maybe even mate it to the latest ZF auto box coz I’m impressed by those – thus allowing me to waft across the country/abroad in great comfort and speed, under the radar, to go on bike trips.

As it stands, I’m not too far off these things, it just requires a fair chunk of effort, and sometimes something has to give somewhere as I’m not in a position to throw money at problems….

/ramble over.

Dave Barter wrote: if money really was growing on trees

I think there's a chance this may happen with your latest endeavour

Zippy wrote:I think there's a chance this may happen with your latest endeavour

He's joining the DUP?

Zippy wrote:

Dave Barter wrote: if money really was growing on trees

I think there's a chance this may happen with your latest endeavour

Hahhahhahahhahhahhahhahhahhahahahahahahaha!

I'd earn more on a milk round currently

A Salsa Cutthroat mtb for fun in the mud and hills and a Bombtrack Hook ext-c or a carbon Warbird to go with it for more "lightweight, speedy" fun.
And a Salsa Bucksaw for fat fun on the beach, you did say money no object yeah ?

So if money really was no object what bikepacking setup would you put together?

I really wouldn't buy owt. Don't want owt, don't need owt.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:

So if money really was no object what bikepacking setup would you put together?

I really wouldn't buy owt. Don't want owt, don't need owt.

Not even curious to try something? That's my style. Take Jones Bars for example; one could be perfectly happy with other bars but, without trying something different, there's no way of knowing for certain if something else is better or worse. That could apply to tents, tarps, bags, clothing etc etc etc too. if money really was no object I'd be more open to experimentation.

Money isn't the problem for me, I could potentially fund anything I wanted. Value is though. If I spent £5k on a dream bike set up it wouldn't be good value as I still have the same amount of time and almost the same amount of fun as my current setup.

At the moment I want memories, not more stuff. I've definitely cut down on the amount of kit and stuff I've been buying, it still trickles through but these days I have everything I need and pretty much everything I want

My main problem is balancing work, family and life in general

(I've got a bike in bits under my work table that I haven't used in about a year. I was thinking of moving it on... N-1, sacrilege I know!)