a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

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ton
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a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by ton »

i dont get to ride offroad much nowadays, let alone ride offroad with luggage on my bike. but i have done, quite a lot in the past.
one thing i cant get on with is bikepacking luggage. i have tried a few brands and different piece of luggage.
seat packs just seem too big and bulky, and bounce about like hell.
bar rolls interfere with cables and block the view over the front wheel.
i even had a custom frame fitting bag made for the jones when i had it, and it just rubbed my knees either side. so annoying.
i can see the appeal for multi day rides, like the GDR and such rides.
but for a couple of nights out, i just dont like it.

i ride a heavy plus style bike, not for it's ability to carry luggage but for it's ability to run huge tryes and wider than normal rims. and a good strong heavier tubed frame. suitable of carrying a heavier bloke.

the thought of riding said bike over rough terrain with a load of bags strapped to it is not at all appealing.

my over night kit of a bivi bag, a kip bag and mat fits in a small light rucksack, which is hardly noticeable on my back. and is easier to ride offroad with.
wriggles
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by wriggles »

Polaris style :-bd add sleeping bag in rolled up closed cell foam sleep mat on rear rack for full points.

Think, use what ever works for you Tony. No wrong answer. Im ok with frame bags, but has taken a bit of perseverance to get them right.
jameso
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by jameso »

I think bikepacking kit can work well for minimal, light set ups if you use good gear well. Truth is there's a lot of fairly poorly designed (imo) gear out there that gets packed with enough stuff to really show up the flaws in how it fits to the bike. Booster-rocket seatpacks that sway all over the place, etc.

One of the tours I enjoyed most was on road with a bar bag and rack pack. Easy access to kit, none of that pack-faff where everything has to be in a particular place or rattles about on the descents. Still, worth getting it right for a good off-road trip and if you don't mind a rucksack then why not.
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GregMay
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by GregMay »

Not really had issues. Just depends on how you pack them.
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Lazarus
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by Lazarus »

i even had a custom frame fitting bag made for the jones when i had it, and it just rubbed my knees either side. so annoying
.you either have a very very wide bag or weird pointing in knees [ no offence meant -mine sometimes clip the back of the pivot on my 5 - mainly when standing and descending which i know is my fault but it is annoying.
my over night kit of a bivi bag, a kip bag and mat fits in a small light rucksack, which is hardly noticeable on my back. and is easier to ride offroad with.
not that suitable for a multi day even though but yes its fine for an overnighter

Whatever issues i have are pretty marginal compared to the alternatives to carry enough stuff to last for multi days
My seat pack never sways* and the not able to see the front wheel does not bother me as i have ridden loads of motorbikes with fairings

* Ok they all can move to some degree but my main reaction was amazement at how stable and unnoticeable it was.
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Alpinum
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by Alpinum »

I'd not bother with bikepacking bags if I wouldn't ride offroad. Bumpy offroad.

I don't have the problems you mention with my bikepacking setups, but what ease of packing is worth, panniers, racks etc. are much easier. I use panniers and racks for my (easy offroad) commutes, so believe I have a little ground to compare the different ways.

Go with what suits you most. The luggage doesn't make you a bikepacker. Simply the biking and packing does. No?
Last edited by Alpinum on Thu Jul 04, 2019 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

This is a general observation rather than anything specific about Tony's preference - also, yep, there is no right or one size fits all answer to carrying stuff ..... however(didn't you just know that was coming)

I believe that many people don't want to be 'bikepackers', they actually want to be tourers. Soft luggage generally works better when you're not carrying much and the luggage capacity is sized accordingly. Trouble is, it takes a certain leap of faith to leave all the crap at home and many people simply can't do without what they might view as essentials but we might view as luxuries that add little to our time outdoors.

Some manufacturers appear to have responded to the above by increasing luggage capacity to the point where (as James says) it looks like the bike's equipped with booser rockets plus every possible bag, cage and bracket, thus allowing them to carry all those 'essential' items. In doing so, they've partly removed the advantages of soft luggage and highlighted the drawbacks and limitations, leaving some users a little disappointed with their foray into the grubby world we love.

BTW - bollox to rucksacks. I went for a walk with the dog today, which included a climb of 400m over 1/2km. I had a small pack on to carry water for the dog and it was horrible, my T shirt was wringing when I got back. Winter maybe but not in summer. :wink:
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ton
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by ton »

BTW - bollox to rucksacks. I went for a walk with the dog today, which included a climb of 400m over 1/2km. I had a small pack on to carry water for the dog and it was horrible, my T shirt was wringing when I got back. Winter maybe but not in summer. :wink:
and that is the downside, cos i sweat like a proper fat un....... :lol:


just got my stuff out for the Jennride.

1 x hunka xl
1 x snugpac softie 3
1 x vango mat

that is it.
i am gonna try and lash it securely to the bike.
ScotRoutes
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by ScotRoutes »

Here's the thing, if folk bought well-designed bags and packed them properly, there'd be a lot fewer issues, but go above a certain level of kit, or rule out bumpy, narrow tracks, and panniers come into they're own.

Rucksacks? Only in extremis. Tough, off-road stuff where there is a lot of pushing and carrying, or with a full sus and dropper? Maybe.
lune ranger
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by lune ranger »

wriggles wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 7:12 pm Polaris style :-bd add sleeping bag in rolled up closed cell foam sleep mat on rear rack for full points.
I remember that fondly :wink:

I also remember doing hard off-road riding with two racks and 4 panniers without any problems. If I were to do an extended trip again I don’t think I would hesitate to do the same. I’d just take what i’ve learned about TLS and drop it into different containers.
However i’m More than happy to accept the limitations of soft bags for shorter, fast moving, pared down trips where their diminutive size and unobtrusiveness really come into their own.

Rucksacks also have their place when the mountains get bigger and the trails get steeper.

I guess it’s a case of choosing your weapons to suit your strategy.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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faustus
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by faustus »

I'd tend to agree with what's been said about the benefits of soft luggage so far, and it's worked for me too. But you do have to be in the mindset of only taking what is necessary and packing light. I do find some soft luggage products to be annoying or badly designed - or I just don't get along with. I don't like top tube bags fixed around the steerer, and i don't like handlebar bags that fix round the headtube. There are plenty of them, but i just can't be doing with having something see-sawing against the bike, and if you tighten it then it also interferes with the steering feel. There are other options and ways round it though.
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whitestone
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by whitestone »

As with a lot of things, what one person sees as a benefit of bikepacking luggage another sees as a problem. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with either view.

Seat bags/harnesses: some "wag" horrendously while others hardly move at all. And that's before you get to the minutiae of how the thing's packed.

The first time Cath and I went "bikepacking" was on an overnighter from Corrour Station (the one in Trainspotting) via Meanach bothy to Spean Bridge. No bikepacking "bags", we used fell running rucksacks along with whatever cooking and sleeping kit we owned at the time and could fit in to them. Coming from a climbing background I'm used to carrying a sack so not really a problem to me.

As Stu says, definitely a different mindset required. On last weekend's "Touring the YD300" (see that thread) we met a cyclist who couldn't believe that we'd got all the kit to camp packed into the bags on the bikes. This included a two person tent so we definitely weren't slumming it. Here be my bike:

Image

That shot was taken on the first day when I was carrying two day's worth of food so by the time we met the above chap it had slimmed down a bit. The only thing not carried on the bike was my camera which was in my jersey pocket for easy access. Personally I wouldn't go much bigger than that seat bag otherwise as James says you begin to look like the Swiss Army's bike mounted division!

Here's how things will be packed for this weekend's JennRide, but might put the waterproof in the seat pack:

Image

I'm not slumming it either - there's stove, fuel and breakfast packed. The bar bag (Alpkit Gnaro) doesn't protrude beyond the front of the Jones bars so no less visibility there.

For me the switch to traditional rack and panniers would probably be for long road/gravel trips where the distances between resupply meant I needed space for food and water.
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wriggles
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by wriggles »

Tony I have a revelate front harness and 20lt dry bag in my van I am not using this weekend you can borrow if needs?
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benp1
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by benp1 »

I quite like using a rucksack, for some trips I actually find it more convenient. I switched a little while back and the first time I'd used a bar harness was on the WRT just gone

I was surprised by how many used a rucksack when I asked about it - viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11113

I find it depends on the trip. I prefer to have less weight on the bars for anything technical

Panniers or firm saddlebags do work really well if the going is easy
Lazarus
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by Lazarus »

rucksack for me is a weather issue - heat not a chance i am taking it formulti days
Winter dont mind taking it but rarely bother , as i tend to put a frame bag on so dont need more space, and tend to ride much less technically demanding terrain

Since bikepacking i find myself taking the camelbak less and less locally and just using a highly fashionable bum bag* with a water bottle on the bike . Only downside is its harder to stash the helmet when just doing long climbs


* i always like to have something i can just pick up and know its got everything in i need and then just pick a bike and ride of rather than pack for every ride.
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by benconnolli »

I used two small ortlieb front loader panniers on a low rider when I did the TNR. I wouldn’t use them on anything too technical, I draw the line at two wheels almost always being on the ground, but with the weight low and over the front wheel I felt solid reliable grip when cornering and could lean the bike far more than with conventional luggage. This was also a benefit being able to climb out of the saddle and let the bike wobble.

They are very handy for when your packing requirements can change lots, such as in the mountains or long times between refuelling.
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composite
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by composite »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 9:01 pm BTW - bollox to rucksacks. I went for a walk with the dog today, which included a climb of 400m over 1/2km. I had a small pack on to carry water for the dog and it was horrible, my T shirt was wringing when I got back. Winter maybe but not in summer. :wink:
The 2014 (I think) BB200 had so much hike-a-bike and not the pushing kind. I was pleased that my satelight image research paid off and I had all my minimum kit in my rucksack. Made carrying the bike so much easier.
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Alpinum
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by Alpinum »

ScotRoutes wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 11:11 pm Rucksacks? Only in extremis. Tough, off-road stuff where there is a lot of pushing and carrying, or with a full sus and dropper? Maybe.
Just as about as much maybe as taking panniers around the HT550 :wink:

It's an easy question of how much time will be spent in the saddle.
Uphill (carrying and pushing as it's too step and/or technical to ride) but also downhill (too steep and/or technical to be able to ride it in a seated position). When route choices become 'in 'extremis', the rucksack (and a lightweight framebag) becomes the most sensible option.
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Alpinum
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Re: a dislike of bikepacking luggage. anyone else?

Post by Alpinum »

benp1 wrote: Fri Jul 05, 2019 12:08 pm I was surprised by how many used a rucksack when I asked about it - viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11113

I find it depends on the trip. I prefer to have less weight on the bars for anything technical

Panniers or firm saddlebags do work really well if the going is easy
That thread's posts sum up the pannier - bikepacking bags - rucksack issue pretty well. Worth (re-)reading it :-bd
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