My 2nd Bike converted to carry camping gear

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

EDIT I gave up on this bike build after a couple outing with ~30lbs of gear and water.
DH with a load was not enjoyable to me. Too top heavy slow bike response.
I have decided this is a DH/AM bike and I should leave it that way. Live and learn...

I built this bike (07 yeti AS-x) from parts ordered online back in 2008 and was really into doing the ski resort trails
for about 2 years then it just got old and I lost the passion.
This bike basically hung in the garage for several years and I rode my 04 Azonic everywhere.

Last year I decided to convert this 36# gravity machine to a gear hauler that would do moderate climbing.
I wanted this second bike to be a shuttle bike(Oops there I've said it, hehe) with camping gear used mostly
for down hill sections of the CT. Like Mt Guyot to Breckenridge. CT seg 3,2,1 in that order West to East camping along the way.

I'm probably breaking some holy grail of mtn biking the CT by finding the path of least resistance but heah I'm old and retired.

So, off came the steel spring assisted front fork and on went the air assisted Fox Float.
Off came the XT steel drivetrain and on went the XTR Titanium. I did keep the XT thumb shifter since they aren't much different.
Off came the steel spring assisted Fox DHX rear shock on went the DHX air shock.

The bike now weighs in at 28# without camping gear.
I'm still waiting on Jpaks to send me a couple small items for the bars but other than that
the bike is ready for it's first overnighter.



I want/need to be able to get behind that seat.
So this was my compromise between a seat bag for compactness and bulky flopping panniers.



Front OR Drybag is a 10L with the option to add/strap on a second 10L if gear is needed.
The 10L fits perfect behind the shifter and brake cables.
Rear bag is a 15L safety strapped and fish netted to the rear deck.



I am able to get my complete shelter and sleep system in the rear bag.
Hammock, quilts, 12'x8' tarp, light down jacket hat and gloves for sleeping.

The front bag has spare cloths and rain gear.

My camelbak pack is carrying a 70oz water bladder, water filter, alky cookit, food firstaid and bike repair kit.








 

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

OK so nobody chases gravity and camps along the way....
I get it, I've never seen anyone doing it either except me.
Must be a old guy think... can't make it back to town so I camp. haha

[caseygreene]

Nice setup. How is that freeload rack working out? What kind of hat is that, Integral Designs?

ps. love the DTC stuff sack

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

Nice setup. How is that freeload rack working out? What kind of hat is that, Integral Designs?

ps. love the DTC stuff sack

thanks
I just installed the freeload rack so I actually haven't tried it on trail yet. Still waiting on a couple Jpaks bags
to finish this bike. Hope to get out for a shakedown run real soon.

The down hat is made by BlackRock.

[Area54]

Nice, I like the blend of beef bike and UL gear.

[stumpyfsr]

Wow, DH rig at 28lbs - impressive. And with that much travel must be a plush ride. I really like your rack - will try to make similar for my Stumpy FSR.
Let us know how was your shakedown run

[Slim]

I have been looking for net vert loss routes for a while. In the US I don't see much. It's either ski resort trails or pedal up and down.
I have read about the Sella tour in Italy, 60 km, with about 6 lifts (these numbers might be way off), that would be awesome to do for a few days.

RE bike:

28 lbs? Wow, my stumpy FSR weighs >30 pounds, with lightweight tires!

I would be very worried about a rack strapped on to your swingarm like that. If you are riding hard enough and on rough enough terrain to pick this bike over your other, that rack is going to take a beating, especially as it unsprung.

How is that rear rack+bag any better for getting behind the seat than a seatbag? It still comes up to almost the height of the seat.

The bungee netting is very heavy. If you can keep your bag fairly solid you can have a much more secure and WAY lighter attachment with metal buckle straps, like toestraps but longer.

[mattf]

Love that you put the worthy old ride to use. I have a very solid built Ventana El Terremoto that may just called back into service for some Alps gondola runs next summer.

[Area54]

I have been looking for net vert loss routes for a while. In the US I don't see much. It's either ski resort trails or pedal up and down.
I have read about the Sella tour in Italy, 60 km, with about 6 lifts (these numbers might be way off), that would be awesome to do for a few days.

RE bike:

28 lbs? Wow, my stumpy FSR weighs >30 pounds, with lightweight tires!

I would be very worried about a rack strapped on to your swingarm like that. If you are riding hard enough and on rough enough terrain to pick this bike over your other, that rack is going to take a beating, especially as it unsprung.

How is that rear rack+bag any better for getting behind the seat than a seatbag? It still comes up to almost the height of the seat.

The bungee netting is very heavy. If you can keep your bag fairly solid you can have a much more secure and WAY lighter attachment with metal buckle straps, like toestraps but longer.

I've heard very good reports about the strength of the Freeload racks, certainly up to the task.  Besides that, the load becomes a good bottom out damper against the saddle

[annoying crack]

I've heard very good reports about the strength of the Freeload racks, certainly up to the task.  Besides that, the load becomes a good bottom out damper against the saddle

I really hope 'Colorado Cool Breeze' will honestly report back here with how this worked on trails where you would a long travel bike like that for.
It actually looks dangerous to me. Imagine hanging behind the saddle on a steep downhill and all of the sudden get 'kicked' in the butt by a drybag that's pushed up by the suspension going through it's travel. Not good!

[delete this account]

 

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

Nice, I like the blend of beef bike and UL gear.

Thanks, light weight camping gear is a must even when you are riding down most of the day.
Anyone who has done any bikepacking on singletrack knows
a bike with gear handles very differently so one has to slow down a bit or a lot in my case.

Wow, DH rig at 28lbs - impressive. And with that much travel must be a plush ride. I really like your rack - will try to make similar for my Stumpy FSR.
Let us know how was your shakedown run

Plush is correct. I no longer do ski slopes anymore. It got boring pretty fast once you knew every bump and turn.
The long travel on this bike is now set super plush just to smooth out the bumps nothing more. No speed for me when carrying gear.

I have been looking for net vert loss routes for a while. In the US I don't see much. It's either ski resort trails or pedal up and down.
I have read about the Sella tour in Italy, 60 km, with about 6 lifts (these numbers might be way off), that would be awesome to do for a few days.

RE bike:

28 lbs? Wow, my stumpy FSR weighs >30 pounds, with lightweight tires!

I would be very worried about a rack strapped on to your swingarm like that. If you are riding hard enough and on rough enough terrain to pick this bike over your other, that rack is going to take a beating, especially as it unsprung.

How is that rear rack+bag any better for getting behind the seat than a seatbag? It still comes up to almost the height of the seat.

The bungee netting is very heavy. If you can keep your bag fairly solid you can have a much more secure and WAY lighter attachment with metal buckle straps, like toestraps but longer.

I built this bike mostly for the Colorado Trail. I'm having no problems finding net vert loss routes. Mt Guyot to Breckenridge(seg 6) and Seg 3,2,1 West to East are all pretty much down hill. I had planned to give segment 2 a go this past weekend however we had a cold front move in and got snow so I decided to wait for a little warmer weather.

As for the rack being mounted to the swing arm (unsprung) how is that different than any rear pannier rack mounted at the axle.

On the freeloader vs a seat bag. Some not all seat bags are not horz but actually stickup like a back rest. About 50% of the bike pictures
in the show me your bike has a seat bag that is higher than the seat.
When I get off my seat I don't wipe my butt with the rear tire I just want a little more weigh on the rear to help with braking. Again
I don't race on trails I'm out there to have a good time and enjoy the journey.
 
On the netting. This dry bag is only carrying my down quilts, jacket plus hammock and tarp. All soft bulky stuff.
I could use a couple straps and might try that next. This net really doesn't way very much, couple ozs.

I've heard very good reports about the strength of the Freeload racks, certainly up to the task.  Besides that, the load becomes a good bottom out damper against the saddle

When I was adjusting the shock sag for my backpack fully loaded with water and food
I had to adjust the freeloader back some so the bag clears the seat now. Have not had time to take a new picture to update this thread.

I really hope 'Colorado Cool Breeze' will honestly report back here with how this worked on trails where you would a long travel bike like that for.
It actually looks dangerous to me. Imagine hanging behind the saddle on a steep downhill and all of the sudden get 'kicked' in the butt by a drybag that's pushed up by the suspension going through it's travel. Not good!

Haha, If your bombing down hill on a single track trail with camping gear strapped to your bike your crazy-er than I am.
I'm just an old guy seeking gravity and camping along the way that's it. When my bike is loaded it's more like trials riding than DH.

[Slim]

re rack: you are right, it's the same as a standard rack, however, those do sometimes break, and they are typically not ridden offroad on a 6" travel mtb!

re net: You are right, the weight difference is not so great. I was going of memory from a long time ago. I have the same thing. Mine weighs almost 58 g, two straps weigh about 44 g. However I still think it can be a bit of a weight saver, as I would always use at least one non stretch strap in addition to the net, putting net+1 strap at 80g, vs 44 for just 2 straps. The big benefit of the net is that it contains 'lumpy' loads, like  a bag of apples. For a fairly firmly stuffed sack, the straps are usually sufficient.

RE Colorado trail: how long are those segments?

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

re rack: you are right, it's the same as a standard rack, however, those do sometimes break, and they are typically not ridden offroad on a 6" travel mtb!

re net: You are right, the weight difference is not so great. I was going of memory from a long time ago. I have the same thing. Mine weighs almost 58 g, two straps weigh about 44 g. However I still think it can be a bit of a weight saver, as I would always use at least one non stretch strap in addition to the net, putting net+1 strap at 80g, vs 44 for just 2 straps. The big benefit of the net is that it contains 'lumpy' loads, like  a bag of apples. For a fairly firmly stuffed sack, the straps are usually sufficient.

RE Colorado trail: how long are those segments?

The Yeti As-X has 7.1 inches of plush rear travel and 6.3 inches up front.
I have the sag set to 2 inches with pack on other adjustment are
very little damp and a touch of propedal to reduce bobbing when climbing.

The Colorado Trail segment mileage is a little different for each one but a rough guess on the 4 I've listed is ~20 miles each.
Which is about all I want to bikepack in a day remember I'm not racing.
I day hike from a basecamp, kickback and read a good book from my hammock with an awesome overlook.maybe do a little fishing.
That kind of stuff.

This is about as rough as I ride these days when hauling camping gear. Your basic rock gardens.
The second picture is my planned test site for the Freeloader rack.
With all my gear in the OR dry bag the darn thing only weighs 5 lbs.
Should not be an issue even with a little speed. I will report my finding good or bad.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

Working on the Winter Bikepacking Kit

I decided to start putting my winter camping kit together and seeing if I can get it all on the bike.
Here are some shots of the clothing additions I add when the weather is predicted to go to ~20F
But in Colorado that can easily mean 0F with wind...haha O yah!

Helmet is swapped for an insulated one with ear flaps.
Balaclava and down hat. I put the hat on when I remove the helmet.
Winter Ski gloves, knee and elbow pads for added warmth and protection from (((ICE))) on the trail which can pop up any time.
Heavier down coat with hood and insulated over pants.
These are used once I stop for the night and to sleep in which gives me an additional 20 degrees of protection from the cold.



Still working on the bag layout.
Slim if you're reading this, I don't know about the strap idea. It looks kind of unsupported on the back end. Still a work in progress.
Down quilts, hammock and tarp fit in the 15L rear drybag with room to spare. Weight 5.2lbs.





Same 20 degree down top quilt but the bottom down quilt is a 20 degree full length.



Remember I sleep in a hammock, yep even in winter, so two quilts are required.
I've also added a single layer of 1.1 breathable ripstop nylon to the underside of the hammock.
It helps hold in the heat in the bottom quilt on windy days. Kind of like a wind breaker jacket but for the hammock...



All of this added gear is carried in my Aarn MARATHON MAGIC 22 backpack when not worn.
http://www.aarnpacks.com/products/marathon_magic.html

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

Oh I forgot a really important tip.
When the day and night are above freezing i like to use an MSR MiniWorks water filter because I have
yet to find a filter that makes the water taste better. However this filter uses a ceramic filter element
that can freeze and crack.


So in colder weather I switch to an MSR Hyperflow.

[delete this account]

 

[stumpyfsr]

ColoradoCoolBreeze, thank you for sharing all this info. I never camped in winter myself (planning to try this season) and here's a question: wouldn't it be more compact and insulated to use a tent+pad+sleeping bag? Or hammock is just your personal preference?

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

wow, a yeti with a fox fork and them damn skinny ass pinned flat pedals - coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool
boy, it must 'really' get cold out there - so, do you wear bike riding shorts under long johns, sweatpants - how do you go about keepin the legs warm and your bum padded on the saddle. thanks!! also, what gloves do you prefer?

Those pedals were custom CNC'd right here in Colorado by a fellow mtn biker who lives down the street from me.
They are super sticky but can eat your calf or shred your pants if you come off them.

As for riding cloths in winter I'll wear;
Under Armer calf length underwear
followed by Cabelas silk long underwear tops and bottoms
then a heavy micro fleece 1/4 zip shirt. Keep a wind breaker handy if required.
Pants are Railriders heavy nylon.
http://www.railriders.com/men-weatherpants-with-insect-shield-p-973.html?cPath=104_110

Gloves are your basic ski gloves waterproof with a good grip.
Med heavy wood hiking socks with light hiking shoes.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

ColoradoCoolBreeze, thank you for sharing all this info. I never camped in winter myself (planning to try this season) and here's a question: wouldn't it be more compact and insulated to use a tent+pad+sleeping bag? Or hammock is just your personal preference?

You are welcome. I'm glad you found them useful and thanks for joining in the discussion.
I look forward to reading your first winter camping trip report.
Winter camping is very fun but you always need a fallback plan or way to bail if things go badly.
I always practice with any piece of new winter gear in my backyard before trusting my life to it in the woods.
Here I am testing a new tarp for winter snow loads. The woodstove was just for fun so I could have some hot coffee outside. haha



On Tent vs Hammock:
I have both and use both. Where I bike in Utah there are no trees.
But if I can, I will always bring a hammock since they are just too comfortable.

I have weighed both sleep systems and the tent, pad and sleeping bag weighs about 3oz more than my hammock system.
Both are ~ 3.5 lbs.