BikePacking has become more popular over the last few years, and for a good reason. A lot of people are beginning to ask a ton of questions about what bike packing is and how they can experience the adventure that comes with it.
BikePacking is a style of light loaded bicycle touring, where a bikepacker, along with a few others, typically ride for days across remote places. It is a form of adventure that involves riding on dirty routes many kilometers away from your city, but not on actual roads most of the time unlike touring doe.
There is a lot more to know about bikepacking besides its short definition, especially if you are looking to do any of this yourself sometime soon. As new trails keep getting made, mountain bikes keep getting a continuous drive to travel to even more remote locations.
Of course, you probably love the quick one-hour rides that you embark on once in a while to fill up time slots that life makes available to you, but you deserve more. There is truly something about a getaway from the hustles of the city that bikepacking offers. This is the kind of life that would appeal to your adventurous side, and that is what bikepacking affords you.
In its simplest definition, bikepacking is a blend of minimalist camping and mountain biking all mixed together. It is generally able to evoke the freedom that comes with a backcountry hiking experience, however, also offering the thrills of mountain biking. This blend is what makes it unique and beautiful.
It generally involves an exploration of the less-traveled paths; hence, the need to often travel through abandoned dirt roads, gravel, and singletrack trails, varying only gears that are essential to your trip. It is a triangle of riding, sleep, and eating, then repeating the whole process again.
A few misconceptions about bikepacking has risen over time, but perhaps the most popular one is that it requires a fortune to be able to afford all the things that you will need to have in order to enjoy this. That is actually not true, since all you really need is a good mountain bike, a custom bag, a few camping gears, and a handful of other random items and you are good to go.
Of course, it is not a bad idea to invest in some quality gear, but it is never a necessity to buy everything top notch. You can start bikepacking with the few things you own. Just pick a short route that you can travel overnight in close to home. It is only through your experience that you can discover what your actual bikepacking needs are.
Start with what you already have, go on a short one day or two day trip, and keep notes of what you missed and what you might need for a longer trip. If you own a mountain bike that works perfectly well for you on the trail, then chances exist that with a few modifications here and there, you can turn it into a capable bikepacking rig.
After all, bikepacking is quite different from most other bike touring styles when it comes to the reliance on frames having eyelets for racks and panniers. Alternatively, you can scour the classifieds to find a second hand, cross country hardtail bike. However, if you are ready to get your first bike that is specifically for bike packing, there are a few things that you should consider before grabbing the best for you.
Factors That You Should Consider When Choosing A Bike For BikePacking
If you are going to be choosing a bike that is going to be specifically for long bikepacking trips, then the first thing that you will need to consider is the terrain you will be riding on. Naturally, you will find that bikes built for pavement use are not the best choice when it comes to riding on rugged singletrack trails.
Therefore, you need to think about terrain when picking a bike for bikepacking. Knowledge of the type of terrain that you would be riding own would essentially help you define the perfect bike for your need.
Some of the most common types of bikepacking terrains are:
Mixed Surfaces: These are generally terrains that combine pavement and dirt roads. The perfect options for riding on this kind of terrains are rigid mountain bikes, gravel bikes and cyclocross bikes. With these types of bikes, you would be able to enjoy cushier rides, as well as better traction that comes with the use of knobby tires. It is important to state at this point, however, that most rigid mountain bikes come heavier and slower. However, it would be a better choice if you would spend more time on dirt roads.
Forest Roads and Gravel Roads: Usually, experts would recommend gravel bikes for this purpose. However, hardtail mountain bikes and rigid mountain bikes tend to be great for this purpose too. Rigid mountain bikes are often heavier than gravel bikes, but they can provide more stability on descents that are loose or rocky and they have the added benefit of also being more comfortable.
Singletrack: Rigid mountain bikes have become a popular option when it comes to bikepacking tours that can potentially take you on singletrack. Of course, a lot of experienced bikers recommend hardtail mountain bikes too. In fact, most mountain bikes come with front suspension that can smoothen your ride and make navigation over rocks and roots easier. If you are primarily going to be on technical singletrack, then a perfect choice would be a full-suspension mountain bike. Fat bikes are also great options for this purpose. The massive tires that come with these kinds of bikes will help to smoothen out any ride without the addition of the complexity that comes with suspension.
That brings me to the next thing about the mountain bike that you should consider which is the suspension. This plays a huge factor in clearing the rough parts of some of the trails that you might be passing through.
However, suspensions also add quite a bit to the complexity and weight of your bike, also meaning that there are more things that could potentially go wrong with your bike during your trip. For this reason most bikepackers attempt to match the suspension amount to their terrain with no more, and no less then what they feel they need.
There are three main types of suspension options when it comes to mountain bikes. The first one that is not as common as the other two most of the time is fully rigid, sometimes referred to as just rigid. Fully rigid bikes come without suspension at all.
This type of bikes come with fewer components and therefore requires a little less maintenance. They are mostly lighter in weight than full-suspension and hardtail bikes. However, they do not work as well as suspension bikes on rough and technical terrains and make for a bumpier ride. Most bikepackers prefer to use rigid bikes for trips on mixed surfaces like dirt roads and pavements.
The next and perhaps the most common type of mountain bike is called a hardtail. This one comes with a suspension fork only at the front, and this addition helps you to navigate through trails with rocks and roots, making it more pleasant to ride at high speeds on gravel roads. They are also relatively light and simple, just like rigid bikes. The absence of any rear shock makes for enough room for hauling your gear into a frame pack and makes this a great option for bikepacking.
Finally, the last type of suspension that you will see is a full or dual suspension. This is the type of bike to own if you intend to frequent technical single tracks. These bikes come with shocks on the front and rear to absorb any impact that comes with riding on technical terrain. You should know, however, that the presence of rear suspension on this kind of bikes reduces the space for gear bags.
The next thing that you should look at when trying to pick a mountain bike to go bikepacking with is the gearing. To many bikepackers, this is an essential aspect of biking, however, if you do not fancy something too sophisticated then you can go on with riding your bike with the gears that it comes with.
Most bikepacking bikes come with nearly all the gearing that you need to get to where you want to go. This is almost the same with most gravel bikes and mountain bikes too, but if you desire something more then you can dive into the possibilities presented to you in the gearing world.
When thinking about the right gearing to use for bikepacking, understand that smooth gears win over hard gears all the time. Hence, it would be better to err by having more easy gears than to have more hard gears. Easy gears mostly come handy when you need to ride a loaded bike over uneven terrain or up steep hills.
A lot of bikers prefer to ride a 1x setup. In this setup, the need for having a front derailleur is generally eliminated. This would, in turn, create a simple system that is a little lighter and does not require much maintenance and also has fewer things that might go wrong with it on the trail.
The last thing that you should look at when picking out a bike for bikepacking is the wheel tire and size. Most newbies do not know that the size of your wheel and sure can potentially affect how you are able to navigate through terrains.
As expected, most gravel bikes, cyclocross bikes, and touring bikes are fitted with road wheels of standard size, which is usually 700c. There are a few cases where bike makers make provision of the “road plus” 650b wheels. By their design, the smaller wheels allow the use of fatter tires, making the ride more comfortable.
If you are not riding on pavements, then this is an option worth trying. Mountain bikes offer you a couple of choices, including the 29 in. and 27.5 inch wheels. Most fans of the 29 in. wheel prefer it for the rolling efficiency that it offers, while fans of the 27.5 inch prefer it for its nimbleness and the level of competence that it provides. Each size comes with its pros and cons, and your choice often boils down to personal preference.
When it comes to tire size, you should know that tires come in different sizes, but most of the time bikepackers prefer wider tires because of the extra comfort that it provides. You should note, however, that wider tires can potentially add weight to your bike.
They can also be slower compared to narrow tires. Additionally, you may need to research the clearance of your bike to make sure that it is enough to fit wider tires before going for them. Wide tires are particularly helpful when you run into muddy, sandy, and very rocky terrains. The fatter the tires, the more traction you can gain in sandy or snowy terrains.
Finally, when it comes to tires tubeless tires is another area to think about when considering wheel and tire size. You want to find what is right for your needs between the tube and tubeless tires. Tubeless tires come with advantages like being lighter, and less likely to experience flats. However, they are often more expensive and would require more expertise to install. Bikepackers often choose tubeless tires for their ability to reduce weight, as well and their level of resistance to puncture.
Planning Your First Bikepacking Adventure
Bikepacking is such an excellent way to spend your vacation. It comes with a lot of thrills and memorable adventure, but if you’ve never done it before then it can be pretty intimidating thinking about packing your bags and relying all on yourself.
In this part of the article, I’ll be taking you through a rundown of steps that would help to make your first bikepacking trip a success. Of course, it takes courage, so a good place to start is from building courage. You want to be mentally ready for all the challenges that you would potentially experience on your way before setting out.
Try not to overthinking it or to remind yourself of everything that could possibly go wrong on a long trip like this. Once you are mentally ready for the challenge, these are a few physical steps that will help to make for a successful bikepacking experience.
Step 1 – Plan Your Route Beforehand… But Prepare For The Possibility of Changes
This is, in fact, the most important thing to know before setting out. As a first-timer you don’t want to take a route that would be confusing to you midway or on which you stand a chance of getting lost, therefore you need to plan your route before leaving.
Thankfully, there are a lot of apps and tools today that can help you plan your route successfully. Apps like Google Maps and Strava can be handy for knowing the distance between different areas and paths that can take you to your desired destination. Satellite maps can, on the other hand, sometimes help you see the condition of the roads before setting out.
At least, knowing the state of the road helps you to pick only what is necessary for your trip. Proper planning would always help for smoother trips. Despite your level of preparation, there is still the possibility that something unexpected can happen.
You don’t need to call off the whole trip when this happens, after all, that is a part of the whole adventure. There are times when you might need to take a detour because of unforeseen conditions on some roads. At such times, detour maps and other apps on your phone can be handy, so even if there is a closed road, you can always get around.
Step 2 – Pack Light
I cannot overemphasize the need to pack light. If you are willing to cover more kilometers and do more camping on the road, then there is the need to pack light. You don not want to weigh yourself down with things that you don’t need and ruin your trip with the extra stress that comes with carrying excess luggage.
The rule of thumb is to pick only what’s essential for your survival within the number of days you intend to spend on the road. Remember, this is an adventure, not a vacation in your countryside. So, go with the few things that are essential for your trip. An excellent way to save yourself from packing excess luggage is to eat in roadside restaurants and sleep in hotels, rather than setting up roadside camps and cooking when hungry.
Finally, you also want to keep in mind that the more you put on your bike, the slower you will be because you will have to carry around more weight. Also, more weight puts more strain on your bike, potentially making some things break which you will then have to stop and repair.
Step 3 – Bring Only Good Friends Along
While it is unlikely that you will always agree even with the best of friends, you need to realize that you would be spending the most of a few days with these people, hence the need to bring friends that you get along with. You don’t want to ruin your first bikepacking experience with numerous quarrels and unnecessary arguments.
Before setting out, ensure that the people in your crew are people that you love to eat with. Let them be people that share most of your interests with you. This way, you won’t have people glaring at you when you decide to do certain things. With a like-minded team, you would find that you are almost always hungry for the same thing, making the ride more stress-free for all of you.
When picking who to take along with you it is also essential to select people that can complement your inadequacies without complaining. For instance, if you find it difficult to read and understand maps, going with a team that understand how maps work and what each contour on the map means is a great idea.
Step 4 – Remember To Eat Real Foods
When you set out for a long, slow ride, you can expect to get hungry every once in a while. You will be burning calories like crazy, so you literally might get hungry after every 20km. It is your first time on the road, so you want to have enough to eat when you are hungry.
Don’t be scared about the potential of picking up everything that you would need to eat throughout your trip. Just pick what you would need for a few days. Occasionally, you will likely ride through small towns, so stop at their market and restock what’s necessary for another few days.
While doing this, remember the golden rule of packing light. Hence, you should limit your packing to only what is very important. If you plan on stopping to eat in roadside restaurants, then it is essential to note that you will occasionally come to areas where shops don’t open until 9 or 10 in the morning. You therefore might want to buy food for breakfast the night before.
Essentials To Have For Your First Bikepacking Adventure
With the incredible momentum that bikepacking has gained over time, comes the incessant drive to travel further to even more remote locations. There is something about leaving everything behind and pursuing adventure hundreds of kilometers away with your bike and a few friends.
As I’ve stated earlier, there is a need to have the right gear if you want to enjoy your first bikepacking adventure. That ultimately involves packing light and packing rightly. One of the biggest tips that any bikepacking professional can provide you is advice to pack light. Irrespective of who you are or the distance you intend to cover. using ultralight gear is very important during any bikepacking adventure.
Thankfully, a few companies have done an excellent job of creating storage solutions for gear on bicycle frames. However, additional gear weight would still create a riding experience that differs from the feeling of your daily bike ride and this can take some time to get used to.
Here are a few things that you might need to think about:
Dehydrated food: Today, several companies make dehydrated dinner packs that are not only ultralight but also more delicious than anything you would cook from scratch. They also help to make cleanup easier, considering that you only need to heat water in your pot.
Limit the luxuries: This is not a picnic table campground gathering, so you should learn to limit your load. Ask yourself if you really need a pillow when you can roll up your extra clothes unto a sleeping bag.
Water: Beyond food and any other thing, water comes as the biggest necessity for your trip. Before setting out, ensure to take all the water that you would need throughout the duration of the trip unless you are sure that you will find refill locations along the road.
Clothing: If you would be riding through rough terrains for days, then you need to have the right clothing. Remember that you can’t have control over the weather, hence the need to bring the proper clothing for each weather even if you checked the weather forecast before setting out.
Sleeping Necessities: Once in a while, you would need to take short or long naps. It doesn’t have to be too complicated. Just a few things that will make your sleep comfortable.
Hygiene Items: Some of the things that you do not want to forget to take with you are the things that you will need in order to stay clean. This includes soap or some form of a hand sanitizer that does not require water, but it also includes underarm deodorant, toothpaste and a toothbrush, a hairbrush, and some extra hair ties to keep your hair back with if you have longer hair.
First Aid Kit: This one is an obvious thing that you will need to take, and what you pack in it is entirely up to you and how prone you know yourself to be when it comes to injuries. However, at the very least you should pack some antiseptic wipes, band aids, tweezers, and antibiotic ointment. If you know that you are allergic to bee stings then an epi-pen is also a necessity.
Bike Repair Kit: This is something that you will definitely need to pack. Make sure that you have at least one spare tire, everything that you would need to change your tire or to patch up a whole in it, a spare chain, spare brake pads, and anything else that you think might possible go wrong with your bike while you are on the trail.