My current mount is a rigid Grammo Toa carbon 29er, I will be adding a suspension fork to it this year, but last year it served me well enough in it's rigid form. 








 As much as I do love this bike and will keep it forever, there is a Ti version that is just sooo sexy it's difficult not to have a wandering eye.

 





Lynskey builds the Ti frames for Grammo and can be ordered through Grammo's site  http://grammo-bici.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=FR066&type=1&eq=&desc=Toa-Titanium-29er&key=it  I think I'm going to have to start saving my lunch money....

I have some questions?
Did you carry a lock and chain for the bicycle?
As far as the ranch dogs, what was that like and how did you deal with it?
Did you have to treat your own drinking water?
I get shook up by road traffic too, I encounter it alot, did the mirror really help?
Did you do any night riding?
Did you carry bike lights?
Do you carry pepper spray?
Do you carry a knife?
What tools did you take, despite your current bike mechanic limitations?
Did you get any flats? (you didn't post that you did, I know)
Did you ever get weirded out or disoriented, and if so, how did you reintegrate and ground yourself and continue on your merry way?
Did you buy a bike yet?
Do you regret not riding on flat pedals?
OMG you ride fast, I'm a slow poke, always have been, thanks for your post and your thorough blog entry, really cool man.

I did not bring a chain or lock, I didn't have the space for it.
As for the dogs, only one seemed aggressive and I just kept riding, claimed my space, oh and I did give it a gnarly snarl a few times.
I brought a water filter but never had to filter any water.
The mirror was a HUGE help.  I relied upon it for many, many miles.
I did not do any night riding but I did bring a light just in case it was needed.
I also brought pepper spray, but never felt the need to use it.  Dogs don't bother me.
I did bring a knife and a standard cycling multi-tool.
I got two flat tires.
I never had any strange events happen but was somewhat concerned about getting lost.
I haven't bought my own travel worthy bike yet, but I think I have one on the line.
I do not regret not riding flats, the SPD pedals make for way more efficient pedaling and that is invaluable on a long ride.

On your next trip, I would be very interested in, what equipment changes additions or subtractions you might make.
For example, your bivi sleeping system looked very uncomfortable and I wondered if it would have protected you in a storm.

I borrowed the bivy from my brother and while it should protect a person well enough, I think I would go crazy zipped up tight in that thing and it may get hard to breathe in.  But if it were to storm I guess you'd have to do it anyway.  Luckily for me the skies were clear and I only had the screen portions zipped.

The Revelate bags I had worked great.  I will be buying one of their gas tank bags before my next outing.  Also, I will mount my sleeping bag properly to my bars.  I just used some compression straps to strap it on, which worked but occasionally would flip up over my computer and I had to keep pushing it back down.  It became annoying after awhile.

A few months ago I began to plan a trip, not by car but by bicycle. It was a first for me.  Some people I was bouncing ideas off of told me about this site and it has been a huge help.  I already had to do a promotional write up and did one for my own blog http://backcountryjournal.blogspot.com/2012/10/free-range-human.html  if anyone is interested.  It was the most difficult thing I have done, SO MUCH CLIMBING!  But I am so glad I did it.  Already scheming my next.

Cheers!

Looks like a great trip.  The best ones always are the ones that don't go as we planned.  In retrospect anyway.
Cheers!

Good read.  I've got my fist trip coming up in 2 days and it will be a bit like yours with my wife coming along a couple of days into the trip in the SUV with the supplies that I cant carry on my week long tour.  I will be documenting it and do a full writeup with video upon my return........that is if I return.

Amusing discussion, especially since this is all pretty new to me.  So, as a newb I my thoughts/ assumptions are or were, that there was a difference between the two.  I thought that tourers stuck to the pavement primarily and that bikepackers stayed in the dirt trails primarily.  Not that anyone is necessarily better than the other, it's just preferences akin to trail running or road running, some choose one or the other and some do both.  Am I all washed up?

I do plan a shakedown ride next weekend, and then I hope to tackle the first leg of the trip, 45 miles mostly uphill but all tarmac.
I did a long road ride 40+ miles last weekend, but on a road bike, mainly to see how my a$$ would do, OUCH!!
It was a horribly uncomfortable saddle and by mile 30 or so, it was done.  I found creative was to ride without sitting for more than a minute or two.

Yeah, part of my decision to go with these bags is so that I can use them on pretty much any bike.  Ultimate flexibility was key because the bike I'm going to use on this trip is a carbon loaner bike that I would have to have expensive OMM racks made for it.  No one else had anything that would work for it, and I thought, "why buy stuff for a bike that isn't mine and can't use on my own bike."

Thanks guys that helps.  I'm feeling more confident already and, even though I haven't taken the trip yet, the bug has already bitten....I'm hooked.
Now.......how do I get my wife hooked?  Hmmmm....

In Sept. I'm going to embark on my first bikepacking tour.  Unfortunately it will be mostly pavement this time.
For some frame of reference http://backcountryjournal.blogspot.com/2012/07/230miles-to-unreal-adventure.html

The question I have is; Not being able to trail a whole lot (super busy at work) I may get 60mi/wk in, and really only having a month left to train, is pushing for 230-250 miles in 4-5 days a foolish idea.  What can a guy like me expect physically from my first trip, not super fit but not out of shape either, 6'1 185lbs.  I know not an easy question to answer, but if you would just share some of you experiences from your first ride.
Thanks.

Thanks Toby I just checked your blog out and gleaned some good info.  Thanks again.
I'm leaning towards a Revelate Viscacha seat bag with a bar bag and a small frame bag at this point.

What are the pro's and cons of seat bags vs. racks panniers.  I am totally new to all of this, I'm ready to pull the trigger on some gear but not until I feel I'm confident in it.

Thanks!

["Oh.....bikepacking?"]

Hi!  My name is Kirk and I been mountain biking for only about 4 years and currently ride a 2010 Titus FTM. 
I've been an avid backpacker for much longer and recently thought about combining the two (what a novel idea!!)  I thought I was being original and when I told my twin brother about a trip I was planning for Sept.  He said  "Oh.....bikepacking?"   "yeah.....sure.  Hey that's a pretty good name for it."
His response, "No, that is the name for it.".  "Oh it already has a name?". "Yeah dude.  Sorry, you didn't come up with that one."

He then told me to check this site out, so here I am.