Bikepacking: Routes, queries, gear, etc.

Harrybelafonte

Thought I'd start a thread on general bikepacking here. There's been a few queries about routes, less about gear maybe, but every time the idea comes up, much useful knowledge is shared. Personally, I've only done the two canals and the Barrow Way and these have really only been trial runs and had some glitches along the way. I've stayed in hostels, but would rather camp and only managed one night in a forest outside Edenderry the night of a storm which went fine all said. This year I'm hoping to get to the Caringorms, but would also like to find some more routes around the country.

So, play away.

cletus

Great idea. Quick question for you, what's your setup when bike packing? What bags, tents, other gear, do you bring or have

Harrybelafonte

I use a Specilaized Fat Boy, with Apidura handlebar bag and seatpost bag, both large. My sleeping bag is currently too big and drags the handlebar bag donw to the wheel, soakinf it (fat bikes have tiny head tubes), so I'm looking for a Vango Ultralite Pro 100 at this stage. No tent, only a tarp, but probably getting a Quick Hiker two man from Decathlon for future trips.

Harrybelafonte

I got a stove off Alibaba, but it's not great as I also use a white spirits burner and have burned myself on it a few times already. Planet X have a good range of stuff to get started and from associates who have used them, they seem quite good.

Harrybelafonte

As for upgrades, new bars (On-One Geoffs: https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HBOOGBV2/on-one-geoff-handlebar)

Hoping also to get a packraft

nak

Alpkit have some great camping stuff for reasonable prices. My sleeping bag is awesome and small enough for bikepacking, very happy with the tent we got too (only suited to car camping).

iwillhtfu

A great light weight tent for the price. I have one and use it from time to time no issues.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32843362059.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.4b0c78652DuTDP&algo_pvid=d43381d3-aaea-4b29-915b-301889bb54c4&algo_expid=d43381d3-aaea-4b29-915b-301889bb54c4-12&btsid=c3e82a53-b8f2-4eab-b102-ac1c06c1a4dd&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_3,searchweb201603_53

As for stove I had the titanium twig stove and a trangia. The twig stove is great if you'll be cycling by a fuel source and the trangia is very handy but you have to carry spare fuel as they can be thirsty buggers.

DD hammocks 3x3 light weight tarp is very handy to have and can be set up as a shelter.

I usually use a down sleeping bag as they pack up very small although they are expensive.

Carawaystick

I've ortlieb saddle and handlebar packs, I can only get my summer sleeping bag in the handlebar pack, might get a down bag, or maybe a down jacket would be better.

got a bluegaz stove and a small canister, and my pot fits around the sleeping bag in the ortlieb handlebar pack.

Going to try get some of the Barrow this year, and maybe a Grand/Royal loop

davidsatelle100

How was the Barrow way in terms of the quality of the route - do you need a Gravel\CX bike or is it doable on a road bike?

Thanks

CantGetNoSleep

What sort of bags would you need for a long trip but staying in hotels?

I live in France and have a bike that I'd like to bring home so I have it in my head to cycle to the port and take the ferry instead of going to the hassle of putting it on a plane.

Would be about 550km though and can't see me getting that done in less than 5 days. Would a large saddle bag and top tube bag for food do it? Guess I'd just need one evening set of clothes, a rain jacket and maybe spare bibs?

iwillhtfu

davidsatelle100 wrote: »

How was the Barrow way in terms of the quality of the route - do you need a Gravel\CX bike or is it doable on a road bike?

Thanks

Depends on the time of year I cycle parts of it regularly and it's a bit swampy at the minute. Id say gravel bike all year round though as the surface is rough and id say a bit unforgiving.

cdaly_

I've done (hammock, heavy sleeping bag, tarp) or (hammock, light bag, emergency bivvy bag and tarp). My tarp is actually a Lidl 'shade sail' with poles so it's nearly as heavy as a tent. Hammock is a light 'parachute nylon' one, packs up nice and small but you need tree straps also both for reach and to protect bark.

Advantage of a hammock is you can hang it anywhere. I've done:

• between trees
• In the crook of a fence on a roadside
• Farm gate to fence with a bull on one side and a railway track on the other
• Railway platform shelter in Carrick on Shannon
• Roadsign to tree in the wilds of Brittany
• Bus shelter in a Breton village
• Railings of a church wheelchair ramp

No worries about soft or stony ground.
Disadvantage of a hammock is the breeze cools the underside. Hammockers typically use some kind of quilt underneath. My solution is to run the hammock through the sleeping bag so there's insulation underneath. I've also used my cycling rain cape hung underneath to insulate from the breeze.

cdaly_

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

What sort of bags would you need for a long trip but staying in hotels?

I live in France and have a bike that I'd like to bring home so I have it in my head to cycle to the port and take the ferry instead of going to the hassle of putting it on a plane.

Would be about 550km though and can't see me getting that done in less than 5 days. Would a large saddle bag and top tube bag for food do it? Guess I'd just need one evening set of clothes, a rain jacket and maybe spare bibs?

Do it, do it...

I did a 6-day 600k trip in france a couple of years ago. Apart from the camping gear, I brought one pannier, a handlebar bag and a phone mount for GPS purposes.

Large bottle small glass

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

What sort of bags would you need for a long trip but staying in hotels?

I live in France and have a bike that I'd like to bring home so I have it in my head to cycle to the port and take the ferry instead of going to the hassle of putting it on a plane.

Would be about 550km though and can't see me getting that done in less than 5 days. Would a large saddle bag and top tube bag for food do it? Guess I'd just need one evening set of clothes, a rain jacket and maybe spare bibs?

If credit card touring, and travel on road. Travel light and fast.

Assuming no major mountain passes that's a 2-4 day ride. Anything over 200km a day is hardship for most but most fit cyclist should easy manage 150km-200km per day.

Cycling, eating and sleeping is all you are doing you'll do a lot in 24hrs!

Seaswimmer

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

What sort of bags would you need for a long trip but staying in hotels?

I live in France and have a bike that I'd like to bring home so I have it in my head to cycle to the port and take the ferry instead of going to the hassle of putting it on a plane.

Would be about 550km though and can't see me getting that done in less than 5 days. Would a large saddle bag and top tube bag for food do it? Guess I'd just need one evening set of clothes, a rain jacket and maybe spare bibs?

A large saddle bag and handlebar bag would be fine. I use Carradice 24 litre saddle bag and 7 litre bar bag. However it probably depends on the time of year as well. We always go away in warm weather so no need to bring long trousers, fleece etc. We just bring a couple of sets of cycling gear and a pair or 2 of casual shorts and a couple of teeshirts. For longer trips (10 or 12 days) we wash everything at the half way point.
We did a cycling trip in France in 2018 (Beauvais to Biarritz) and were surprised by how poorly serviced it was in rural areas compared to Spain/Portugal but given that you live there you probably know that. Good luck.

Peterx

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

...I live in France and have a bike that I'd like to bring home so I have it in my head to cycle to the port and take the ferry...Would be about 550km though and can't see me getting that done in less than 5 days.

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

If credit card touring, and travel on road. Travel light and fast...Assuming no major mountain passes that's a 2-4 day ride. Anything over 200km a day is hardship for most but most fit cyclist should easy manage 150km-200km per day...

For me that's also a 5 day trip. Any more than 100km a day and you are into hardship. I suppose hardship is a piece of string question.

Also leaving very early in the day and arriving early in the afternoon makes for a very pleasant trip.

El Vino

Consider taking the train for a bit of it - to skip the boring bit for example. I do London to Waterford once a year but take train to get out of London.
For bikepacking I use the Planet X stuff, I did Fort William to Inverness last year along the Great Glen Way with my daughter. Great introduction to bikepacking. Hoping to do more this year, I have been looking at new tents as the Vango one I use is around 1.5kg. Alpkit have some good light ones, an American brand Big Agnes have one that would fit nicely on a drop handle bar bike but is a bit $$$$https://www.bigagnes.com/Gear/Tents/Bikepacking

Harrybelafonte

El Vino wrote: »

Consider taking the train for a bit of it - to skip the boring bit for example. I do London to Waterford once a year but take train to get out of London.
For bikepacking I use the Planet X stuff, I did Fort William to Inverness last year along the Great Glen Way with my daughter. Great introduction to bikepacking. Hoping to do more this year, I have been looking at new tents as the Vango one I use is around 1.5kg. Alpkit have some good light ones, an American brand Big Agnes have one that would fit nicely on a drop handle bar bike but is a bit $$$$https://www.bigagnes.com/Gear/Tents/Bikepacking

Check out YouTube and there’s some reviews comparing the Big Agnes to an alibaba version that comes recommended. Much cheaper and a little heavier but seems a decent compromise.

cletus

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Check out YouTube and there’s some reviews comparing the Big Agnes to an alibaba version that comes recommended. Much cheaper and a little heavier but seems a decent compromise.

Have you a name or a link, I did a (very quick) Google, but couldn't come up with anything

Harrybelafonte

cletus wrote: »

Have you a name or a link, I did a (very quick) Google, but couldn't come up with anything

I can’t find now either. But the tent is I believe the NatureHike Cloud-Up

gwakamoley

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

I can’t find now either. But the tent is I believe the NatureHike Cloud-Up

Not sure if its the video you were thinking of, but this video compares a NatureHike with a Big Agnes, as well as some other comparions of expensive versus cheap copies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kb_iW88Mdo&t=698s

iwillhtfu

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

I can’t find now either. But the tent is I believe the NatureHike Cloud-Up

I posted about this the other day with a link

Here it is again https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32843362059.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.4b0c78652DuTDP&algo_pvid=d43381d3-aaea-4b29-915b-301889bb54c4&algo_expid=d43381d3-aaea-4b29-915b-301889bb54c4-12&btsid=c3e82a53-b8f2-4eab-b102-ac1c06c1a4dd&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_3,searchweb201603_53

Resoguy

Had my first go at bikepacking last summer, 4 days cycling around trails in Snowdonia, headed for Wales as its an easy ride for me to the ferry in Dublin and from Holyhead its only 50km to get to the hills. There are plenty of towns on route and around Snowdonia so no worries about finding food/cafes and camping. Rode a mix of road, fireroads, walking trails, UK cycle routes, bridleways and the odd roman road, also managed to make it up the Worlds Steepest Road Climb in Harlech.

I'm heading for Tuscany Trail this year at the end of May, allegedly one of the biggest bikepacking events around, 550km @ ~9000m with 65% offroad, I'm hoping to complete it in 4 days but have a few spare days built into the trip just in case.

My kit is fairly entry level, I got a Aliexpress 12L Newboler saddle bag €18 which was mentioned here in a WAW thread a while back, I use Regatta dry bags in this for waterproofing. I also got a 7L Newboler handlebar roll bag €18, the bag itself is fairly waterproof, the harness straps onto the bars didn't look great so I back these up with some 1mx25mm quick release straps around the whole thing. There's a fair bit of Aldi stuff e.g. frame/toptube bags, lightweight sleeping bag, microfibre towel, bike lights and a few other bits.
See photo below.

My main upgrade for this year will be a decent tent, a Naturehike Taga 2 from Aliexpress which I have on order, it gets good reviews when comparing quality against price.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32992201484.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.5ce64c4dT0ASA0
For Tuscany Trail I'm going to change my shimano 105 chainrings from 50/34 to GRX 46/30, hopefully this is enough with 11/34 on the back.

A few photos from Wales
An old slate quarry near Llanberis, not sure if I had right of access here


Watkins Path


Cycle Route 82 Lon Las Ogwen


Test run up in Cruagh

Harrybelafonte

Anyone picked up a pack raft ?

Arequipa

Evening!
I am looking at touring Mizen to Malin or vice versa this Spring or Summer .
I live in Dublin & plan on getting to the starting point from Dublin... Cycle the route & then get from the finishing point back to Dublin.

I will just be packing my bike, a few frame bags and myself...

Any ideas of how to get there & home?

Thank u!

A

iwillhtfu

Arequipa wrote: »

Evening!
I am looking at touring Mizen to Malin or vice versa this Spring or Summer .
I live in Dublin & plan on getting to the starting point from Dublin... Cycle the route & then get from the finishing point back to Dublin.

I will just be packing my bike, a few frame bags and myself...

Any ideas of how to get there & home?

Thank u!

A

That will be a nightmare if you have public transport in mind. I've no idea how good this site is but I'm sure there are similar apps also. Basically virtual hitch hiking https://getthere.ie/

Arequipa

H! Yea.,. They are x2 fairly remote spots..
An option would be to pay a friend or sibling to drive u to a).... Cycle to b) then cycle to the nearest big town for public transport home or rent a car x1 way....

LennoxR

Is bike packing by definition off road?

Harrybelafonte

LennoxR wrote: »

Is bike packing by definition off road?

Mixed afaik. Road is touring?

iwillhtfu

Arequipa wrote: »

H! Yea.,. They are x2 fairly remote spots..
An option would be to pay a friend or sibling to drive u to a).... Cycle to b) then cycle to the nearest big town for public transport home or rent a car x1 way....

Put a post up here when you've firmer dates I regularly head to the extremities of the country so might be able to sort something out. Something I'd like to do myself one day.

LennoxR

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Mixed afaik. Road is touring?

I see. I mean I've done gravel riding without bags. And I've been touring on both my road and gravel bikes on road with saddle bag. But not touring off road with luggage. So I suppose that counts me out of this discussion!


I mean to ride the length of the Royal canal and back this year though, so that might qualify me. Edit here's a picture of me touring on my gravel bike.

https://dorneythoughts.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/image25.jpg?w=636.

Harrybelafonte

LennoxR wrote: »

I see. I mean I've done gravel riding without bags. And I've been touring on both my road and gravel bikes on road with saddle bag. But not touring off road with luggage. So I suppose that counts me out of this discussion!


I mean to ride the length of the Royal canal and back this year though, so that might qualify me. Edit here's a picture of me touring on my gravel bike.

https://dorneythoughts.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/image25.jpg?w=636.

I mean, I really could have put Touring in the title too, there’s little difference, but touring routes and info are quite easy to come by, bikepacking not so much. Especially long routes in Ireland.

Large bottle small glass

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Especially long routes in Ireland.

Other than a few canals and rivers we don't have any long distance routes for backpacking.

We can't compete with UK and it's bridleways and a long established cycling culture on looking for off road routes i.e. rough stuff fellowship along with the right to roam issue.

If you like to map routes then a combination of back roads with forestry, canals, maybe bog roads does give you options. You need to be comfortable with navigation, rerouting when route has been destroyed by a harvester/flood etc and like to climb a lot.

Harrybelafonte

I can’t deny what you say is true. But I’m hoping this will change over the next few years.

I have done a few trips with a friend in the last few years and he has publicized them quite a bit amongst his friends. So he is now in a position where a number of them want to join the next one. So many that he has to taking planning it out seriously.

KevRossi

To get to Malin, take the train to Coleraine, cycle to Magilligan Point and ferry to Greencastle as an alternative. Or train to Derry, up one side of Inisowen and come back the other.

Mizen : you can take a bike with Bus Eireann for €10. Bantry is about 2 hrs from Mizen, but check to see Bus Eireann haven’t cancelled routes and that they have a suitable bus that day.

Bring a bin bag to cover the chain. Clean the bike a bit and you’ll be OK.

Carawaystick

Has anyone cycled along the BnaM railways?

Some of the twin track routes crossing roads look like theres enough ballast to cycle along
Do Bord na Móna mind?

cdaly_

Carawaystick wrote: »

Has anyone cycled along the BnaM railways?

Some of the twin track routes crossing roads look like theres enough ballast to cycle along
Do Bord na Móna mind?

They probably do mind, particularly if you set the bog on fire...

iwillhtfu

cdaly_ wrote: »

They probably do mind, particularly if you set the bog on fire...

Why would he set the bog on fire?

I believe most of the midlands sites are closed or closing so I can't see it being an issue although I'm not sure where you'd end up. Perhaps the furnace

TGD

LennoxR wrote: »

I see. I mean I've done gravel riding without bags. And I've been touring on both my road and gravel bikes on road with saddle bag. But not touring off road with luggage. So I suppose that counts me out of this discussion!


I mean to ride the length of the Royal canal and back this year though, so that might qualify me. Edit here's a picture of me touring on my gravel bike.

https://dorneythoughts.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/image25.jpg?w=636.

I don’t think there’s any agreed definition of ’bikepacking’. Around 30 years ago the expression ‘credit card touring’ was used for a while to describe fairly fast touring on regular bikes with minimum stuff. I used to do some of that but without all the specialist stuff that is a prerequisite now to fit into any of the multiple genres that cycling has become. I don’t see and difference between ‘credit card touring’ and ‘bikepacking’, apart from the different nature of the stuff. Much of that supposed difference is driven by marketing - you don’t belong unless you buy the stuff. If this thread descends into ‘you must do or have X, Y and Z to be a bikepacker then I’m outa here.

Harrybelafonte

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Why would he set the bog on fire?

I believe most of the midlands sites are closed or closing so I can't see it being an issue although I'm not sure where you'd end up. Perhaps the furnace

May be a reference to lighting a fire if camping at night?

Harrybelafonte

TGD wrote: »

I don’t think there’s any agreed definition of ’bikepacking’. Around 30 years ago the expression ‘credit card touring’ was used for a while to describe fairly fast touring on regular bikes with minimum stuff. I used to do some of that but without all the specialist stuff that is a prerequisite now to fit into any of the multiple genres that cycling has become. I don’t see and difference between ‘credit card touring’ and ‘bikepacking’, apart from the different nature of the stuff. Much of that supposed difference is driven by marketing - you don’t belong unless you buy the stuff. If this thread descends into ‘you must do or have X, Y and Z to be a bikepacker then I’m outa here.

I really don’t want an argument about the definition of what each is. I have what I feel was a rough definition and explained why I didn’t include ”touring” in the title. I don’t care who does what, I just wanted to start a positive thread on a subject that might interest people and open some to another prospective part of cycling.

Whether we’re talking touring or bikepacking or whatever you yourself want to talk about, we’ll probably all benefit from some knowledge about a possible route or a good sleeping bag, or stove or cooking gear, etc.

I’ve already found the thread useful and I’d rather it continued in that vein that fall foul of some odd “traditionalist” vs “upstart” purity debate.

Harrybelafonte

Has anyone ridden the Miners Way in Sligo. Think you can mix it up with the Heritage Trail there to make about 130km. It’s about 50/50 road and off road.

Large bottle small glass

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Has anyone ridden the Miners Way in Sligo. Think you can mix it up with the Heritage Trail there to make about 130km. It’s about 50/50 road and off road.

I hadn't heard of it but have trying mapping and riding East Munster Way and Tipp Heritage Way (St Declan's Way is also interesting).

What I found, and I suspect from description on
https://www.irishtrails.ie/Trail/Miner-s-Way---Historical-Trail/23/

is that some sections off road i.e. bogland or crossing fields will be completely unsuitable to a gravel type bike and rerouting around most of these sections to make them more bike friendly is probably best bar in the best of summer weather(I think I'm pretty much on the far end of spectrum of where I'll ask a road or cx bike to go i.e. pretty unforgiving). From my experience it was a lot of work to reroute ones close to me(but very rewarding).

If it's just yourself and a few liked mined friends you don't need to be very exact(if you can roll with the punches so to speak) but if handing out to unknowns there will be issues.

Given our unrivalled network of byroads, upland forestry, river and canal paths etc we do have a brilliant resource for "quite" road cycling especially with modern gps/mapping technology.

Word of warning though it is completely fcuking addictive. When driving anywhere now (and I drive around most counties over course of a typical year) I'm constantly looking at by roads, playing with car gps, looking for adjacent forestry and reaching for my OSI map collection the minute I get home!

That irishtrails.ie site is a brilliant resource for getting ideas for a particular area. When mapping an audax route I thought I was a great lad finding all these lovely quite roads until I realised someone in the 70's or 80's had it all done before and even the odd signpost survived!

Harrybelafonte

Agree, should have mentioned Irish Trails earlier.

I'm also trying to collect all the OS Discovery maps to have at hand for planning.

cletus

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Agree, should have mentioned Irish Trails earlier.

I'm also trying to collect all the OS Discovery maps to have at hand for planning.

Probably of no direct benefit to you, but I have access to the complete OSi digital map, free of charge, through scoilnet.ie, as I'm a teacher. Great resource, with multiple layers and a resolution down to 30m.

I'd still like to have a full set of printed maps though...

smacl

cletus wrote: »

Probably of no direct benefit to you, but I have access to the complete OSi digital map, free of charge, through scoilnet.ie, as I'm a teacher. Great resource, with multiple layers and a resolution down to 30m.

I'd still like to have a full set of printed maps though...

East West mapping also have some really nice independently produced maps if you're a mapping geek. See https://www.facebook.com/EastWest-Mapping-693816783963064/

I have Open Street Maps on my Garmin 810 which is pretty good for the price of free

cletus

smacl wrote: »

East West mapping also have some really nice independently produced maps if you're a mapping geek. See https://www.facebook.com/EastWest-Mapping-693816783963064/

I have Open Street Maps on my Garmin 810 which is pretty good for the price of free

Interesting. I have the 520plus. Would there be any benefit in having Open Street Maps over the stock turn by turn navigation/maps already on the system

smacl

cletus wrote: »

Interesting. I have the 520plus. Would there be any benefit in having Open Street Maps over the stock turn by turn navigation/maps already on the system

The stock maps on the 810 were rubbish as they covered the whole of Europe in low detail where I wanted Ireland and any other country I was about to visit in high detail. Don't know what the current maps on the 520 are like but maybe try zooming into the area around Laragh and see if you get comparable detail to this; https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/53.0122/-6.3070 From memory, you're also interested in gravel and OSM has most of the Coilte trails and other more obvious off-road stuff. My original 810 map didn't even have many of the l-roads.

cdaly_

Dunno about on a Garmin but it's very nice on the phone using OsmAnd app. Download openstreetmap, contours, points of interest and so on.
Can you get the OpenCycleMap onto the Garmin?

TGD

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

I really don’t want an argument about the definition of what each is. I have what I feel was a rough definition and explained why I didn’t include ”touring” in the title. I don’t care who does what, I just wanted to start a positive thread on a subject that might interest people and open some to another prospective part of cycling.

Whether we’re talking touring or bikepacking or whatever you yourself want to talk about, we’ll probably all benefit from some knowledge about a possible route or a good sleeping bag, or stove or cooking gear, etc.

I’ve already found the thread useful and I’d rather it continued in that vein that fall foul of some odd “traditionalist” vs “upstart” purity debate.

I agree with you in every respect

TGD

This is by far the best on-line resource I have come across - https://ridefar.info/