I think it all depends on the route you want to ride. Frame bags, saddle bags and bike bags in general are preferred if you don't have too difficult terrain. However, if the terrain requires you to work with your body a lot, you won't be able to ride if your bike frame is loaded with bags. Then you have to carry your gear on the back. This makes your bike more agile and allows you to ride very technical trails. In most parts of the USA mountains are wide and biking trails are more sloping, while in the European Alps the terrain often is much more steep and craggy. That's because the Alps had a different formation process than the Rockies.

However, if you carry more than 10 kilos of weight on your back, biking will become more difficult too. Which means, you have to reduce your equipment very thoroughly. I know a lot of mountain bikers who simply have problems carrying more than a small backpack over a longer time. So it also depends on the individual person.

Since I ride mostly in the Alps, I always use backpacks. Depending on the type of tour, my backpack usually weighs between 5 and 10 kilos. I use water-sealed backpacks only, so I don't have to worry about bad weather.

Thanks @all for your motivating feedback! If this video makes you want to go on a bikepacking trip, I achieved more than I would have expected.

[English subtitles can be activated!]

Hi guys,

my latest video of an 8-day trip across the Alps is finally finished. The movie is about 45 minutes long and I spent most of the nights (but not all) outside in my tarp. It was a very challenging and exciting trip which I want to share with you. Have fun watching! I'd be happy about your feedback.
English subtitles can be activated!

Wild East - Crossing the Alps from Salzburg to Trieste

How are you doing fellow bikepackers? I'm just working on a video documentation of my bikepacking tour of this year. While editing will probably take another 2 or 3 months, I provided a short trailer. A detailed trip report with photos is also available on my website. Have fun watching!

Transalp 2013 Trailer

I know various books that contain GPS routes. However, I prefer to not ride on the popular routes but to put together my own route. My routes are more experimental, more challenging but also much more difficult. I've been mountain biking and hiking in the Alps for two decades, so I know how to read and interpret maps. However, I still make mistakes sometimes, cause I try to never ride the same route twice. Preparing the route is a process which takes several weeks and is part of my adventure.

Do you have a GPS / GPX of the route?

I deliberately don't publish GPS data. My routes are often very challenging and require Alpine experience. I want to avoid leading bikers into situations wher they may get into serious trouble. Those who are experienced enough can easily extract all route information from my trip report (if you click into the report you will find maps from Google Earth) and put together the route by themselves using maps or GPS tools.

- Which camera are you using?
- Editing software?
- When it comes all of these different shots/angles, how did you get it done on your own?

I was using the Canon Powershot G12 and the GoPro HD Hero2. In 2013 I updated to the Sony NEX-6 and the GoPro HD Hero3.
I tested various editing programs for Windows and I think Magix Video Deluxe has good quality and a fair price.
There are various mounts available for the GoPro, so you can attach it almost anywhere. For the G12 I used a mini tripod with flexible legs.

You can find details about my equipment on my homepage.

I cannot warn enough from using painkillers during endurance sports. I've written something about it here:
About Painkillers

Last year I made a very simple and ultralight tarp for using in mild climate. It was very easy to make and the material cost me around $60 (€50). I've been using this tarp for weeklong mountain bike trips through the Alps. I put a detailed description on my homepage:

Self-made ultralight tarp

Maybe this link will help you a little:

GPS Navigation with the Mountain Bike

Thanks for the feedback, I corrected the links.
It took a lot of time to film this, but I had a lot of fun doing it. It is one reason why I travel alone.
The transalp racers actually were much faster than me uphill, but they mostly used ultralight hardtails while I traveled with a relatively heavy enduro bike.

[(I created English subtitles which you can activate in Youtube!)]

Hello fellow bikepackers!

Winter is back and many of us spend less time on the bike and more time at home. That's a good opportunity to fill the void with 50 minutes of extreme mountainbike bikepacking entertainment.

I finally finished editing my video footage. From almost 350 video sequences I created a video documentation about my 2012 Transalp adventure. The footage was so extensive that it resulted in a 50-minute video, which I split up in 2 parts. But not only editing was a lot of work. I filmed the whole thing by myself since I traveled alone. I tried to give a good impression of my adventures like bad weather, eerie noises at night, meeting a viper, crossing two insanely extreme passes and much more. Anyway, take a look and have fun!
(I created English subtitles which you can activate in Youtube!)

Alpine Divide - A Bikepacking Adventure Part 1

Alpine Divide - A Bikepacking Adventure Part 2

Has anyone ever used bear spray on a bear and got away with it? I am curious since everyone recommends it but I never read a story about anyone ever having used it.

Thanks for the feedback!
I did consider a handlebar bag. However, since I am riding very technical and steep trails I wouldn't want to influence the balance of the bike too much, and I want to avoid constraining its mobility.

Hey fellow bikepackers,

in July I crossed the Alps (again) with my full suspension bike and ultralight bikepacking gear. The route was quite extreme in some parts, the bike sometimes had to be carried. Reducing weight of my backpack was quite a challenge. Have fun reading!

Trip Report - Transalp 2012



P.S.: I'm also working on an extensive documentary video, but it will take some time until post production is completed.

Rather than categorically saying that racing "makes you push your limits beyond reason or health", I'd say we oughta just leave it up to the individual to A) know what their personal limits are, and B) know how to avoid maxing those limits, or to know what to do to remedy the situation when one does max those limits, and C) to be sufficiently prepared to remedy a maxed-out situation.

I didn't want to be judgemental. From my own experience, racing makes ME push the limits much more, because the race itself is a huge motivational factor. Also, the OP himself said that "one of the ways we are seeing faster times still is by riders forgoing sleep". Which clearly isn't healthy.

Nope, sub-xero, you're not the only such crazy I'm sure there're many more around
I know that pack was HUGE. But I have an excuse - that's m first time. Hope my report will help others not to repeat my mistakes. I've could go a few pounds lighter if throw away some things I didn't even use. Had no idea what to expect there and packed a lot for "just in case" situations. Badlands is a true wilderness and nobody around to rely on except yourself.
Anyway, I wanna say that I'd love to ride in Alps. I've read a lot aboun Megavalanche and saw pictures. You are so lucky to enjoy those  breathtaking views.
Have fun riding and share your impressions

I hear you. My equipment has improved a lot over the years. The true wilderness is what I really would like to ride in. Here in Europe you're never too far away from civilization, the Alps have a very dense net of hiking trails and mountain shelters. You're never further than a 4 hour hike away from a shelter or a village.

I am already sharing my impressions on my website (link see below).

Heh, and I thought I was the only crazy person doing bikepacking trips with a full suspension bike and a heavy backpack. But 42 lbs? Man, that's A LOT of weight! Mine has 22 lbs, but I admit that I do not carry cooking equipment with me.

Anyway, thanks for the report and the photos, it looks like an awsome trip! I ride in completely different terrain (European Alps) and I hope that one day I will have the chance to make a long bikepacking tour in the wilderness of the USA.

I really consider it a great service to the community sharing your experience in such detail. Thank you!

I'm quite aware that putting off sleep is one of the most dangerous things you can do. There's a reason why preventing prisoners from sleeping is used as a method of torture.

I personally never ride races because competition makes you push your limits beyond reason and health, and that's never a good thing. I don't have to prove to myself that I can win anything. I ride only for pleasure, to enjoy nature and to be by myself for a couple of days. It's like meditation. Also, in the extremely rough and dangerous terrain of the Alps it would be unaccountable to put yourself into danger.

On my this year's Alps crossing tour however I accidentally got into a MTB race (by incredible coincidence the organizing board had chosen exactly a part of my individual route for one of their stages, and the race happened just at the day I was riding there). So I (had to) ride among the field of racers for one day, which caused me riding much faster and twice as far as I actually had planned. I hadn't expected that I'd have that in me. It was quite an experience to ride with pros, especially since neither of them carried a 10 kg (22 lbs) backpack and rode a full suspension bike with downhill tires. On this day I hardly spent time to enjoy nature, take pictures or make films. Which is a pity. It was kindof a confirmation that racing is nothing I want to do. So next time I will check the routes and schedules of TransAlp Challenge Races beforehand.
(You can read the full story on my website if you like.)

On my 2012 Alps crissing bikepacking trip: