Newbie, bike packing for a week.

[DooMoo]

Hi Forum Folk,

I am taking part in my first bike packing trip (Turin-Nice) very soon and think I have too much kit?! Would folk suggest I took a sleeping bag liner (or omit)? I planned on taking spare bike shorts - is that necessary? Was thinking separate base layer to sleep in. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers,

[Spec44]

Liner is up to you as far as weight vs. temps you'll see, taking into account whether your sleeping bag is warm enough.  If you were just taking it to protect the bag, then you need to weigh it from that perspective (pun intended weight vs. reduced life of bag).

For a week, I'd take a spare pair of shorts.  For 3 days, probably not.  Assuming you have water readily available, you could certainly just take the one and rinse it out when you get to camp and let it dry overnight to eliminate the spare.

I always have clean clothes/socks to sleep in.  How much clothes will be weather (and sleeping bag rating) dependent.

[eec]

I think the idea with spare shorts is to have a clean pair if you can't wash the ones you're wearing to avoid...issues... down there. And like Spec44 said, the liner is dependent on temps. If your sleeping bag is rated to 20F and you'll be in anything above that, the liner is not necessary. Definitely a good idea to have dry clothes to sleep in.

[bakerjw]

FWIW. Even though it is a bit of added weight, I always like to have a base layer pants and shirt just for sleeping.

By bike shorts, I assume that it has a chamois in it? I would recommend a spare no matter the distance. Keep them clean and dry.

[Meadowbolic]

Definitely agree on a separate base layer to sleep in, and I love going all wool for this. Wool boxers and t shirt.

[black_labb]

I planned on taking spare bike shorts - is that necessary?

A pair of bike shorts without the pad (compression shorts do the trick) can be a great as they dry much quicker and take much less space. I don't find bike shorts with the pad beneficial personally and avoid them. Even if you like the pad then think about a second pair without the padding so that you have a spare that doesn't take up much space and dries quickly after a wash in a river.

[bakerjw]

Last June I rode part of the TD route a week after the grand depart. Even though it was cool, I could feel the sweat trickling down my back and into the natural funnel that we all have. I took steps to alleviate the issue but after 3 days I had such an irritated heat rash that I couldn't sit on a bike seat.

In my post mortem (always look back on what went wrong and what to change) I came to a few conclusions.
- The saddle that is great for 7 or 8 hours might not work after 10.
- Pads in cycling shorts are good for a handful of hours but can become salt saturated and wet. (BAD STUFF)
- Keeping things cool can be key.

Actions that I have taken.
I now wear compression shorts when I ride. No padding. Oftentimes I will have a base layer or baggie shorts on as well.
I also ride on a Rivet Cycle Works leather saddle. Mine has a slot down the middle. Yes, it can pinch a bit.

When I ride now, everything is much cooler than before.
As a bonus, 3 pairs of these shorts take up as much space and weigh as one padded bibshort. It is easy enough to stop, wash up if needed and throw on another pair of shorts. They dry fast.

Leather saddles are not for everyone. Mine was like hard plastic when I got it. I put it out in the sun on a very hot day and treated it with mink oil. After several applications, the oils stopped absorbing and it became much more l-pliable.