I have been using a Black Diamond Bipod bivy on my shorter tours and overnighters for the past year or so. Works well in cold and wet conditions, the fabric is definitely waterproof! Major gripe with mine is that it's too tight to allow side sleeping.. everything else is perfect except for this issue, and for this reason I'm ditching it and looking at other bags.

Shimano XT Tubeless ready. Good 29er wheels. Had a set for a few (2+) years now. Tour on 'em, rough off road mtb on 'em, jump 'em.. basically everything. Set and forget. Great value.

G'day mate,

I had a 1x1 that I did several remote area bikepacking tours on in the Northern Territory (near Uluru). I was using a full set of Epic Designs bags I had custom made for the 1x1, carried alot of water and was riding on soft sand so used a low 32x20 out there. I found low was good as you can always spin but can't always push a larger gear.

I'll try and dig out a shot for you.

Benny

Rain gear not required in the Northern Territory! Rains perhaps eight times a year?

Couple of singlespeed touring pics from two trips I made in the Northern Territory last year. Yulara to Pirrapakalarintja and Yulara to Kata Tjuta returning via the Sedimentaries.

Hey Mate,

I've done alot of singlespeed and fixed gear touring, from sub24s to multi day trips, on mountain bikes and road. One gear is great as very little can go wrong with the drivetrain, perfect for remote areas. Thing is, pack light and expect to walk the steepest of inclines, which is fine when your touring as you shouldn't be in a hurry. I run 'dual single' on a couple of my bikes so that I've a general gear and one for the steep ups. Pick the right cogs and the chain lenght stays the same. Run a lower gear than you would usually use to compensate for the weight of your gear and the longer days. Go for it!

Benny

Ok, decided to look harder at a bivy as an option. Thus far I think the 'poled' bivys tick a number of boxes for me (bug proof, head room and in some cases room to read a book). Which of the poled bivys are good, pack small and lighter than say an MSR Hubba tent?

I've been looking at the Black Diamond Bipole and Tripole bivys, the Big Agnes 3 Wire bivy and a Mountain Hardware number. Any feedback on these bivys?

A year ago I bought a Eureka Spitfire 1 for bikepacking duties.. it's seen only minimal use and allready it's falling to bits. Dud tent.

Apart from being crap the main draw back was the packed sized.. at 5" x 22" it is looooong and didn't fit in my frame bag on comfortably in my backpack. Looking for a replacement solo tent and one that packs down alot smaller. Any suggestions?

Wife is due any day now so no bike riding for her and hence the reason I can only do day missions. Rode a section of the Trail near Judbury on my CX bike last weekend.. 14kms of steep uphill but well worth it, desecended a section of singletrack called the 'Bracken Ridge Fire Trail'. Pure awesomeness.

Cool shoot me an email and we'll go for a ride.

No worries.

Benny

Hey Mate, currently in Tassie until early February(wife is having a baby). Have been riding on alot of the firetrails and forestry roads in Southern Tasmania.. See: http://www.bottlesandchains.com/?p=2070 for more. I'm based in Margate (south of Hobart) and would be keen to join you for a day ride on some of the southern sections from Ouse/New Norfolk down. Flick me an email if ya keen to meet up for a ride eh: benjamarn@hotmail.com

Benny

Yep. I use a Surly Crosscheck with 1 x 10 drivetrain with MRP 1x chain device, full set of Epic Designs bags and trod with Kenda Small Block Eight 32c tires. Works great. Currently in Southern Tasmania riding the Sthn Forest firetrails, forestry roads and singletrack. Had a few punctures (pinch flats) on some of the more 'extreme' rocky trails. Considering trying tubeless (either Hutchinson Piranha or Bulldog 34c UST tires) or perhaps going even more extreme end of the scale and trying the Panaracer Fire Cross 45c's.

On the hunt for a new sleeping bag with bike packing and general camping in mind.  Basically I'm after the lightest, smallest, warmest bag I can get

Hey Chumbox, also in Australia (Yulara, NT) and also going thru the same predicament. My current bag is a HUGE synthetic number that I've had for years.. and it's at the end of it's lifespan. So I'm looking for a new down bag to compliment my bikepacking kit. I'm needing a bag that'll handle zero celcius.. it gets really cold at night in the desert (winter time).

Thus far I've looked at Mountain Designs sleeping bags but the shuttle ($150 aus) is only rated to 5c.. and the Ultra 300 is rated to -5c but cost $400aus which is outside of the budget.. but the advice I've been given is to hunt for a half lenght zip mummy bag as it'll be lighter than a full lenght bag and pack down smaller.