Carrying your bike on your back...

[Matt M]

I've seen a few pix and a thread or two, but can't seem to find it now.  Can anyone link me to some design examples for carrying your bike on your back?  Much thanks.

[phil_rad]

Hey Matt,
I don't know if this will help you but check it out, if you haven't already.

http://www.topofusion.com/diary/2005/11/02/290/

There are some pics of Scott carrying his bike through the Grand Canyon.

Phil

[Matt M]

Thanks, Phil.  Tour Divide training going well??

[phil_rad]

Not really, I've been having some health issues. Maybe it's good, because I'll be slightly undertrained by June.

[sean salach]

I would imagine a bag similar to Dave's backpack here: http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,605.msg8517.html#msg8517 could be adapted for carrying a bike with the addition of some straps and maybe padding.

[Eric]

pack with a beaver tail to shove the cranks in, then lace the straps through the wheels stacked on top.
This is an old photo & somewhat ghetto but you get the idea:

Having the bike higher up than this is better since it does not hit stuff and your legs. The main problem is when descending steep stuff.
 Old school frame packs with no pack are awesome for this but not exactly good for biking with.

This works surprisingly well also, just got to remove the frame bag if you have it. The weight is balanced and your backpack helps stabilize it.

[Rob]

Here's another way to carry it, from AZTripper's thread.

[DaveC]

Eric, that's the Gray's/Torrey's stage at Montezuma's I would imagine?

I designed that pack with at least the partial intent of being able to haul a bike with it.  Bike oriented vertically, seat tube in the middle of the bottom, wheels removed and lashed to the daisy chains.  Past experimentation has led me to think this is a viable strategy.  You want to bike away from your back a little, but not too much.

Problem is that much more than 25 pounds in that pack would overwhelm the harness padding, to say nothing of the non-existent suspension.   I've been thinking that for serious, multi-day trips with extensive haul-a-bike, something like the Arctic Dry pack (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/ula_arctic_dry_pack.html) is the ticket.  ULA out of Logan, Utah made the original and is supposedly coming out with a new version next month.  BPL is also supposedly coming out with a new version later this year.

[Eric]

yep, good eye, one of the low points of this life.

Hig gave the original Ula pack an extensive beating and it was toast by the end. It will be interesting to see the changes in this new version. It's cool they are bringing it back.

[frejwilk]

Matt,
Along with what Eric said above about external frame packs - are you planning something specific, and what time/distance riding vs carrying are you thinking?
If this is for a one day endeavor, here's a suggestion:
External frames really are awesome for bike carrying. I made a very simple one for Montezuma. First, strip it down to the frame, shoulder straps, and hip belt. I added two 'long' bike hooks on the cross bar near/above my shoulders. These were the red plastic coated straight hooks from the hardware store. I drilled the frame and screwed them in with a thin nut on either side for reinforcement. So they stick straight out the back. With this setup, your bike frame can be mounted vertically or horizontally (either the seat or top tube rests on the hooks) very quickly, and the hooks stick out far enough for one wheel to sit on each one. Always take your skewers from your wheels and put them somewhere safe! A couple of straps hold everything very securely.
Now this is not the best bike riding pack by any stretch, but for a short (day) ride, a light pack or stuff sack mounts to the pack frame easily. I rode with this setup up to Ruby cabin and back down from the other side fairly comfortably. Say 4-6 hours total with a little more time spent hiking than biking.
For multiple days - forget I mentioned it...

FW

[AZTtripper]

Here's the earlier post

http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,90.0.html

[DoctorRad]

Have done a fair bit of hike-a-bike in the English Lake District. If you have a standard diamond frame, by far the easiest way to carry your bike is to put your head through the main frame triangle as shown above. It puts the centre-of-gravity of the bike over your own c-o-g meaning that the weight of the bike isn't trying to pull you backwards or sideways as it would if it were on your back or shoulder.

If you have a full frame bag - not something I've used yet - this is obviously impractical. One option might be to ride with a mostly empty pack into which you empty your frame pack for the hiking sections. The pack itself should easily strap to the outside of the backpack.

[wookieone]

I've been playing with something for the AZTR, or the rim to rim grand canyon bike portage, I am attempting to make a harness that essentially uses the frame of the bike as the external frame of a pack. Basically added a hip belt and shoulder straps my bike frame. So far I can't say it's too pretty or comfy, but still experimenting, like the ideas out there more please....Jefe

[AZTtripper]

I highly doubt that any of the above ways amount to anything remotely comfy, figure out what works for you. I really liked the duffel bag system I used but the straps did dig in even with a jersey or vest as padding. What really got to me in the end was the pack straps even though all I had extra on that was the wheels I ended up pulling them off and just carried them in my hands for the last half of the third day. Well actually I was using them like walking sticks at one point.

[Emily]

I've had pretty good success with using just a tumpline to carry a bike on occasion.  Just need a low small pack to pad the pointy parts of the crankarm etc.  I haven't used it for longer than half an hour or so but I would think the setup would stay tolerable for a good deal longer than that.  To me, it's much more comfortable than on the shoulders.
Once you find the balance points for the frame you have, and figure out how to position it, just loop the strap through and it sets up pretty easy.  I've used just a strap of canvas about 3in wide.  Nothing fancy, just need it to be wide enough to distribute the pressure across the head.  When you are done using it, it folds up to almost nothing. 

[AZTtripper]

As I recall Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia tried to market a pack with a tumpline back in the 60's, never really caught on obviously. Though I see he is trying again http://www.coolhunting.com/design/patagonia-tumpl.php

[Emily]

I believe the original tumpline pack is the Canadian Duluth Pack, which added shoulder straps to the traditional tumpline-only carry bags for canoe portage.  The tumpline is a pretty ancient technique for carrying unwieldy loads, does not require the complexity of a hip-belt pack.