Packrafting with bike

[Rob]

I see a few people have mentioned packrafting in their intro posts.  I am very interested in doing this, and also having a bike built to work best when loaded onto the front of an Alpacka Raft. My thinking is that I could use a frame with S&S couplers so that the bike could be disassembled and put into a 26"X26"X12" custom drybag.  Then lay that over the front of the raft and the handlebar bag and saddle bag could go between your legs under the spraydeck. 

I wonder if the drybag bike case could be fabricated as a saddlebag to house the raft when packed on bike, then use a frame bag and a handlebar bag. 

I'd also probably use an Ergon BC3 waterproof backpack.

Anyone care to share their thoughts or experiences on BikePackRafting?   

[SandLizrd]

I can vouch for the S&S Couplers - they are just as good as advertised.  When I pack the bike into a soft case it feels a bit delicate, though, I'm always careful to set it down gently, the clanking can get on your nerves.  And the packing soft-case is heavy canvas for a good reason.  And I must state the obvious - the bike hasn't gotten any lighter. 

I can roll up the canvas bag & anchor it on the rack, but there's nothing small and light about it, either.  It would be hard to go to a lighter bag, because you'd find a frame tube sticking out the side one day!  I've never thought of my dry-bags as durable that way.

They make an S&S suitcase that hauls like a trailer.  Put some Kendas on it?

[Eric]

Welcome Rob,
Where are you located?

For your question - the s&s sounds like more hassle than its worth. You are talking total bike disassembly and reassembly and are looking at a pretty long transition time. We typically do the following - drop the seatpost, take off the left side pedal, loosen the handle bar clamp and slide the handle bar all the way to the left, wheels off. stack the wheels and twist the fork around. Wheels either stacked on one side, with the pack on the other, or with the pack in the middle and the wheels in a pyramid position.

Also you'd need a really heavy duty dry bag to put the bike into all taken apart - lots of pointy things to tear into it.
The water really dosent hurt the bike too much. you just need to re-pack your hub bearings more often. ButPackrafting with your bike just isnt the best the best thing in general for a bike.

packs - that Ergon looks funky, rigid plastic etc. and it is not waterproof, you'll still need drybags. Big difference between waterproof fabric and seam sealed construction. Lots of little drybags are better than one big one too. I prefer super light, no frame, and minimal padding so it does not absorb water. Also having a pack with dry bags inside, rather than a pack inside a large drybag makes it easier to transition and access stuff. some of this might be confusing but will make sense once you think about it a bit.







so anyway, in an ideal world it might be a good idea, it sounds unnecessary, complex and quite expensive.

[Rob]

Cool pics, thanks for the replies.  Eric, I live in Southern California.  I don't plan on packrafting here though...

  Do you guys go down rapids with the bike like that?  How does it handle in the water with the bike loaded that way? 


 

 

[Eric]

Class 2 with bikes, I wouldn't go any more than that although it has been done. Handling is fine, the important thing is making sure you have good paddle clearance so it does not affect your stroke.
so where are you going then?

[Rob]

I'm planning an extended(1-2 years+) long tour of the US, Canada and Alaska with as much singletrack as possible.  Was planning on doing a round the world, but I may be content with just touring North America.

The frame is either going to be custom built with couplers or a stock bike.  I work at a shop as a mechanic, I can get Specialized, Niner, Surly, and Salsa bikes through EP pricing, so I have a wide range of capable bikes available to me so I'm trying to do as much research now before I commit to a frame design.  I may go custom with couplers too. 

Ideally, I'd like to not use panniers or a trailer.  I'm also trying to decide whether to go full suspension or not...Any thoughts as to frame design for this kind of bike?

Thanks

[Eric]

Cool, give the S&S a try then, but I'd lean towards putting rubber plugs inside the tubes than the bike drybag idea. I'd love to see it in action on a boat.
For panniers, a rear rack is fine, but a front rack would get in the way on the boat quite a bit more. if you used the Ortlieb roll down ones then your waterproof issue is taken care of.
Unless you got a Dory, the trailer and bike is out of the question.

[Groundshine]

Eric - what raft is that with the fat bike on it?

[adelorenzo]

Eric, thanks for posting that information. Heading out for a test run with our bikes/rafts on Monday and will try out your bike loading technique.

[Eric]

hey Anthony, here is some updated info on packing if you scroll down a bit: http://www.epiceric.blogspot.com/2011/07/gear-geekery.html
Groundshine - it's a early vintage Alpacka Llama, but the boat should be sized to your body, not the load.