What bike do you ride? How is it built?

[Rob]

I'm interested in seeing what kind of bikes everyone rides, and why you chose it?  It appears 29ers are pretty popular for bikecamping.  I'm probably going to get a FS 29er eventually for bikecamping but for now I'm going to use my new Enduro.  I chose this bike because I work at a Specialized shop and I wanted something with a thru axle fork and something with room inside the frame for a custom frame bag.  It also needed to be able to handle moderate drops and jumps.

Frame-2008 Enduro, Large, Black
Fork-2009 Fox Talas 36RC2
Headset-Chris King, Black
Stem-Thomson 50mm 31.8
Handlebars, stock Enduro bars
Grips-Oury Lock on's
Brakes-Formula The One 180F, 160R
Shifters-'09 Sram XO
Rear Der-'09 Sram XO
Front Der-'09 Shimano SLX double specific
Crankset-Shimano SLX 22-36 Double w/e13 clear 36T supercharger bashguard, Chris King Pewter Bottom Bracket is still in the mail...
Chainguide-E13 DRS
Chain-KMC X9SL, Gold
Cassette-Shimano XTR 11-34 M970
Wheels-Specialized Roval Traversee, 1590 grams, Tubeless
Tires-Specialized S-Works 2.3" Eskar front, 2.2" S-Works Captain rear
Pedals-Time Atac XS
Seatpost-Specialized Command Post Height Adjustable with Remote
Saddle-Specialized Alias, White/Black

[Slim]

ob, nice bike!
Maybe you want to put this under personal set-up though?
I think you will like it. If you want a all in one 'play bike' technical riding bike and camping bike it's a great choice.  I used a Prophet for my last multiday trip. similar in the following respects:

• Thru axle fork: for steering precision, nice when loaded down with the extra weight and more likely to slam into stuff.
• Slack angles: stable steering for when you're heading down a unknown trail at high speed with a backpack on.
• Firm pedaling platform : To save energy climbing
• Firm pedaling platform : To save energy climbing
• Long travel: Less agile with the bagage means slamming into more stuff. Far from home means you want to keep yourself and your bike in one piece.
• Lightweight: you're adding enough weight already, no need for more.

-
Unlike the Prophet you get a drop-down on the fork, sweet!

I got a Stumpy FSR 29er now. I get shorter travel but bigger wheels, so the 'roll-over' capability at speed is about the same, but I have better pedaling efficiency. Most important though, 29ers roll better in sand and at low speed over logs and rocks etc. Since many bikepacking trails are less 'manicured' this is an advantage. See also the wheel size forum.

[Twenty-niner]

Spot Brand singlespeed 29er, rigid.  Carousel Design Works bags (and a backpack).  Keep the setup light at about 10-14 lbs in the backpack and 8-10 lbs on the bike (dry). 

[DaveC]

This is my rig after riding 200+ miles from Prescott, AZ to the Grand Canyon in a day and a half.



It's a 3" travel Lenz Leviathan with a 4" Reba.  Tubeless wheels, Bontrager XDX tires, Ergon grips.  Alterations from pictured are a 34t midring rather than a 30, and 14-32 six speed cassette rather than an 11-27.  I replaced the WTB saddle with a Gobi XM, and will shortly be adding a SRAM rear mech and SRAM twist shifters.

And eventually one of Eric's nifty seat packs. 

The frame bag is a mod-ed  Jandd, which works fine.  Pack is a Talon 22, which is superlative.  Full suspension and slack angles are good for the reasons mentioned above, especially when your setup is light enough to ride some very technical singletrack (as I did on that trip) without holding back.

[neve_r_est]

Why the six speed cassette?

DG

[Slim]

I can't speak for Dave-C. But on my new 29er I am using a singlespeed cassette rear hub. This is a dishless hub, creating a stronger wheel at the same weight. The Hope singlespeed cassette body is large enough for 6 cogs at 9 speed spacing. So I lose the 3 hardest cogs, and gain a stronger wheel. A good trade off for me, since I am slow and like rough trails.

[DaveC]

All that was said above.  Though honestly, I bought the wheel not intending to ride gears, and at this point am not inclined to buy another wheel to get a few more speeds.  It'd be nice upon occasion to have the small cogs, thus gaining speed without needing a big ring, but on the whole not a big deal.  I might do it all over again the same if I had the choice.

[FeloniousDunk]

The frame bag is a mod-ed  Jandd, which works fine. 

Hi Dave,  I'm interested in your Jandd pack modifications.  I have one of their frame packs like this one http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FFP.  Which one are you using?  It doesn't look anything like the one I have.  What type of modification did you do to it?  Mine doesn't fit too well and I'm thinking about tweaking it a bit.

[Slim]

I was thinking of doing the same set-up as you: 22-34-bash,because I had 24-36-bash on my 26" bike. But now there is a new bashguard from MRP: , the XCG, that works with a triple.
That way I can also use a XT crankset, otherwise the only 34t middle ring that Shimano makes is a XTR, a bit spendy for me.

[sendoodoo]

I ride a VooDoo Canzo 29 with 4" travel.  Very stiff and great for UL single track riding.

[DaveC]

Which one are you using?  It doesn't look anything like the one I have.  What type of modification did you do to it?  Mine doesn't fit too well and I'm thinking about tweaking it a bit.

Mine's the same one.  Take it, turn it backwards, cut the end off, turn inside out, sew it back together, modify and move the straps as necessary to suit your frame and cable routing, and you're good.

[ScottM]

I was thinking of doing the same set-up as you: 22-34-bash,because I had 24-36-bash on my 26" bike. But now there is a new bashguard from MRP: , the XCG, that works with a triple.
That way I can also use a XT crankset, otherwise the only 34t middle ring that Shimano makes is a XTR, a bit spendy for me.

That MRP bash guard looks interesting.  It only protects one side of the big ring though?  (I hit both sides on mine).  Also, it would increase the number of times you hit  stuff since it makes the big ring even bigger, right?

On the middle ring, why not go with a 32 tooth?  I run a 20-32-bash on my 29ers and am quite happy with it.  If they made 29 teeth middle rings in 4-bolt I'd probably do that.

[Rob]

That Mrp bash does not spin with the cranks, its connected to a plate that mounts to ISCG  tabs and/or takes the place of the 2.5mm spacer between your bottom bracket cups and the frames bb shell.

[Slim]

Scott,
I've considered running just the 22-32. What bothers me is that there's so much overlap in gears, it seems a waste to have only that small of a change, when you can have a bigger jump with the same derailleur.

 I had a 24-26 on my 26 wheeled bike, which is close to 22-34 on 29er. But on my 29er I am going to lose the 3 smallest cogs, becuae of the 6 rear cogs, that gave me the harder gears with a small ring, so going to a 32t front and 6 speed rear would reduce my top-end gear significantly.(Lighter than the 36x5th cog on my 26 inch)


You are right about the XCG sticking out below the 44t, so more chance of hitting stuff, I hadn't thought of that, also a regular bash guard provides more coverage for carrying the bike, if you're so inclined.

[wdlandparker]

Surly Karate Monkey ,Rigid, salsa bell lap cross bars(think fargo) single speed 32x20 ratio