Thanks for the podcast link James. I love Bicycle Quarterly’s bike geekiness and the bikes I’ve owned over the 5 or so years I’ve read the magazine have been heavily influenced by what I’ve seen in there. I really didn’t understand planing until I built my first bike where I felt it - it’s an all ci...

+1 here for terra nova.

I got one dirt cheap after seeing someone post a bargain alert here. It’s very light and I can fit a full waterproof and food / tools. It’s also got these two little side zip pockets which are great for keys and phone.

Wow… that is a stunning bike. What sort of warranty do they offer? I’m a tad wary of ti bikes - would prefer steel

Interesting stuff.

A mate of mine who has built a couple of his own frames has suggested before anything else I should have a bike fit. Given the level of investment I think I’m going to to do this first!

Ah damn. They appear to have gone back up now. Perhaps I’ll try again in a few months! Ta.

And of course, if you spec it to ride great loaded, what would it mean the ride is compromised when unloaded, which for me is 90% of the time. I’m glad you’ve joined the post Steven - perhaps this is one to take offline but do you think it’s possible to combine elements of your Bahookie and Stoater ...

Am I being unrealistic with pricing here? £180 new so I thought I’d get some interest at £135

Have we ever discussed Jan Heine’s concept of ‘planing’ on here? So based on discussions above basically you want to overbuild slightly so that you still have a spring in the steel when loaded? I guess tubeset plays a massive factor here.

Thanks for the recommendations. The Stayer UG Looked to be exactly the bike I’m looking for, but after checking bike insights the tyre clearance and geometry is pretty much identical to my Ritchey. One of the main issues with the Ritchey is the low stack so it might be worth me trying some of the ne...

Thanks re: Shand. I guess I’d want a cross between a Stoater and a Bahookie drop bar.

Stu - the Vaya can’t take big tyres though can it?

And I’d be worried an off the peg Salsa wouldn’t feel as nice as my Ritchey which can fit 2” tyres in 650b mode. (Although the Ritchey doesn’t fit me tbf)

Thanks all. Ton - can’t afford £3k for a frame… and don’t trust titanium as a forever frame. Interesting points from James - Am I looking for something which will be difficult to produce? Currently have a Ritchey Outback for mixed surface and a Brother Big Bro for off road bikepacking. I like my Rit...

I’ve always found myself between sizes on a lot of bikes and and am thinking about the bespoke option. Has anyone got experience of this / can offer recommendations. Basically the plan would be to sell my gravel frame and rigid mtb and try and commission a frame that is kinda like a Fargo but with a...

I have owned this for about a year and have only used it a handful of times.

I’ve recently upgraded to a Hammerhead Karoo 2 after finding a great deal on wiggle.

It’s boxed and looks like new - all bits included etc.

Looking for £135 posted in UK

Just testing the water here. I was between sizes on this frame and purchased a small. I test rode a medium at an event this weekend and it’s clear I made a bad decision. I’m going to order a medium when they become available (and probably get the breakaway version for getting on trains easily) as I ...

Cheers Bobcat.

I actually joined retro bike after picking up the bike. I’ve yet to strip the frame but I’ll need a new drivetrain probably, seatpost and some klunker style bars.

@firestarter I am in Southampton

K1100T thank you but keeping the bike rigid.

Have you seen the new Decathlon range? A lot of bang for your buck.

If you like steel bikes the Brother Kepler is a very good looking but tad expensive option.

If they are thumb shifters then very interested. Can you PM prices and spec please?

I only paid £20 for it!

Always wanted a Zaskar…. But now I’m old and wise it’s steel only for me

Ha! You did better than me. Mine was a Halfords Apollo Atomic GT which had a total rip off of the spesh livery. I saved up and got a Saracen Eiger in 1994 though.

I’ve just picked up a very cheap and very knackered Specialized Hardrock from 1988. Intention is to get it to a state where I can ride it and see how bad it is on the routes I ride compared to my Brother Big Bro given I used to ride very similar similar bikes when I was a kid and have loads of fun. ...

I have the copper spur UL2 (non Bikepacking specific) and it’s great for two people as there are two doors and vestibules. It’s very light but a tad bulky as the poles fold to about 42cm. Worth the premium for the bikepack version mainly because you get more options as to what part of the bike you p...

Sorry double post

I did a two day Bikepacking event at the weekend and have struggled to get much done this week. Just daydreaming about the next trip and sleeping under the stars. It’s the life for me.