Mine just got here. Pretty good size bag - just about what I needed. It seems really odd that they didn't include a third strap, though. Still, I think with a bit of sewing I could right something up. I think just a simple velcro strip would be fine - enough to wrap it around the rails to hold to the saddle in a more stable way. I don't plan on putting anything too heavy in there and I bet that would work fine.

I don't know that I'd be ready to pay for it, though if it were a fairly low price, like under $50 US for a year subscription or some flat fee for a lifetime subscription, I might. I do think the whole model of paid access to websites is inherently limiting - even if it sucks to have a site riddled with ads, the potentially much greater user base and viewership may make up for it.

However, if it really had all that I wanted - a comprehensive map showing dirt roads and singletrack, with elevation and distance info, and the ability for users to add information on trail conditions and the like (wiki-style), I might find it in my stingy, stingy heart to pay a subscription fee.

Since I don't know anybody in my area who does bikepacking, it would be really handy to have info to an easily-accessed list of good trail options in my area.

I have the Topeak Mini 9 multitool, two tire levers, a patch kit, and a Topeak Road Morph pump. That's basically all the tools I need for most rides...

Good idea...I wonder how well electrical tape would work? I'll give it a shot this evening and report back

Hey all,

Just got back from a great weekend outing...not quite a S24O, but maybe 27 hours. It was my first time using some Two Fish water bottle cages I'd just ordered (these things: http://www.twofish.biz/pdf/StainlessCages.pdf)

The cages held the bottles quite firmly, but the grip of the cages onto the fork legs left something to be desired. This was an almost all pavement trip, but even riding on the roads had the bottles sliding backwards around the fork legs, and then on singletrack, they slid all the way back until they were rubbing the tires.

I imagine there's something I could insert between the rubber grip and the fork leg that would prevent this from happening - preferably without damaging the paint, though I also have tape I can use to cover it.

Has anybody used these cages and dealt with a similar issue? Or, anybody know of any items that might work as inserts to keep this movement from happening?

Sure am jealous of all you guys with your snowfields, Andean volcanos, and New Mexican skies...anyway, I just got back from a not-quite-S24O (more like 27) on roads to a state park and back, but with my most recent bikepacking-style setup...it handled OK on the bit of singletrack I explored.


My setup...Surly Troll with Revelate Designs handlebar Sling and Pocket, and frame packs by Bolder Bikepacking Gear (Greg Wheelwright).

The orange roll up front is my tent (Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1), and the green drybag has a down quilt, Thermarest, down jacket, and a few other clothes. The pocket on top of there holds odds and ends. The gas tank in front has snacks, the one behind (which is an original prototype Greg whipped up for the Troll - I have to send him a few suggested tweaks, I just remembered!) has personal hygiene stuff. The frame pack has my pot, stove and food, and the small side pocket on the other side has bike tools and maps.

No backpack required with this setup. The bottles on the fork and the the one in the cockpit give me about 2 liters of water capacity, which is plenty for perfect weather like we had this weekend (low 70s, sunny and light breeze!). Which brings me to the Two Fish bottle cages...the bottles are quite stable in the cages, but the cages themselves don't stay firm in place. I originally had them facing more toward the front of the bike, as seen here, but in riding they worked their way backwards. That's OK, except that when I got onto singletrack, the bumping caused them to shift backwards even more, almost into the wheel. Anybody have any solutions for getting them to stay clamped in one position?












Full trip report and photo album: http://www.julianbender.net/bikepacking/frenchcreek2013

I have one of these. It's a decent general bag and holds on alright. I got creative and threw it in my triangle as a toolbag on my failed tour of the Erie Canal in December.

It does have a strap to attach it to the stem/seatpost, right? Seems like it should work decently as long as it's got that and you don't put too much weight in.

They have a few other things on clearance too. I picked up a 2.5 liter "bike bag" that can supposedly go on the handlebars or saddle...not sure exactly how it attaches or how stable it will be as a small saddlebag for bikepacking, but it was under 10 bucks with shipping...I'll report on it once I get it

I wish so much I could get down to join this trip. That area is probably my favorite in the entire world. As it is I'll be doing a short out-and-back overnighter in Southeast PA...not quite the same as the Blue Ridge Mountains...but hopefully somebody from your trip will post photos and a trip report!

I think I may have seen a post of yours about this over on MTBR...anyway, I'd still be potentially interested if a trip like this happens, as it seems like I can take my bike on Greyhound from Philly to Harrisburg and back.

Another thumbs-up for Greg Wheelwright/Bolder Bikepacking gear. Dude needs to get a proper website together so he can get the same attention PR and Revelate get...I have a frame pack and two gas tank style bags from him, I haven't exactly put them through the kind of abuse that some people have but they've served me well and he is great to work with.

I also have the handlebar Sling and Pocket from Revelate, which work great as well. The Sling is really small, light and simple, but I'm able to get a really large volume of stuff lashed to the handlebars with it and stability has been just fine. Too bad it's not sold anymore.

I have no real experience on this front, but :

1. From the Adventure Cycling Association. Or you can get the maps used. In any case, ACA publishes a comprehensive set of maps for the GDMBR.
2. No idea, though the Marathon Extreme tires are supposed to be more suited for dirt, I believe.
3. Don't know, but in the northern parts, you should be able to filter water from plentiful streams along the way.
4. I've always thought south to north was more appealing - you end with the most spectacular scenery, and have the sun at your back rather than in your eyes - but most do north to south for whatever reason. It's probably not a huge deal.

There's a somewhat maintained list of bikepacking gear-makers here: http://forums.mtbr.com/bikepacking-bike-expedition/bikepacking-gear-bags-who-makes-em-766873-6.html

I have a full frame pack, which maximizes (I think) the amount of stuff I can carry inside the frame. For quick water access I use a King Cage bottle mount on top of my stem and Two Fish bottle cages on the fork.

Good to know Platypus bags fit the filter. I'll have to grab a large one next time I have a chance

For everybody that's used the Sawyer squeeze filter, I got a question...I have the filter but haven't actually used it in the field yet (hopefully this weekend if the weather isn't too bad).

The reviews I've seen universally agree that the stock bags which come with the filter aren't at all durable and usually start leaking after a few trips. Fine, I'll use them for now...but assuming this does happen to me, does anyone know of any other water bladders that are compatible with the filter?

I just bought a flash 18 from rei for $34 super light weight but does not have a ton of pockets.it hasn't been delivered yet so I can only comment on price and the marketing info on the site.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

I use this pack. It's probably the cheapest of the options discussed, only weighs 10oz, rolls up real tiny, and is quite comfy. I recommend it.

You are probably better off in the Southwest... but a location in the eastern US that might fit the bill would be Asheville, North Carolina.  Elevations only go to slightly above 6,000'.  There are nearby National Forests with free camping.. one stipulation is that you can't camp for more than 2 weeks in the same spot.

Agreed that you're probably better off somewhere in the West, but as an East Coast boy I have to put in a vote for some of our mountain ranges. A ways north of Asheville you'll find George Washington National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains, where again, you can do dispersed camping anywhere as long as you're not in the same spot more than 2 weeks. There's a ton of trails and very legit mountain climbs; you're also near a few small cities (Harrisonburg, VA is great - I went to college there) and a beautiful national park (Shenandoah) as well as the other end of the Blue Ridge Parkway that he mentioned. You're right next to the Shenandoah Valley, which is full of beautiful, pastoral scenery and tons of quiet backroads - fantastic for road cycling, as long as you're ready for lots of hills.

There will also be more groundwater available for purifying than there would be in, say, Arizona. Elevations will be only in the 3000-4000 foot range, though in March and April you'll get some pretty chilly nights (but that's true in all the places suggested so far at high elevations, I think). Daytime weather in April and especially May should be perfect.

Surly Troll cockpit. Surly Torsion bar, Ergon GR2 grips, King Cage top cap bottle mount also serving as a cue-sheet-holder. Computer on the right side, Garmin eTrex 20 on the left side. Revelate Sling holding my bedroll, Revelate Pocket around it holding other odds and ends. Handling was not adversely affected by the several pounds of stuff lashed to the handlebar, I was pleased to find.

I'm all about the REI Flash 18. It weighs 10oz, including a small sit pad which you could probably remove to save another ounce or two, costs like 35 bucks, and rolls up tiny if you're not wearing it. I don't know if it's the most comfortable for carrying a lot of weight on a bike, but I try to keep little to nothing on my back while riding whenever possible.