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i put this list together to share with friends who want to ride together on a
[bikepacking] route! also to think out loud what i am planning on bringing on
my next trip.
huge caveat: i once met some people who had biked from boston to santa barbara
on cruisers with giant plastic square buckets attached via bolts to their
frame. they stuffed their belongings in black plastic bags and that was
waterproof enough. so while i want to write down some of my own personal
thoughts on gear that works well, you definitely don't have to buy a bunch of
fancy or expensive gear in order to ride a bike a long distance.
* skinnier if its more paved
* fatter/knobbier if its more offroad
* a crescent wrench if your wheel requires it
* tire irons (levers)
* a patchkit (make sure the glue isn't dried up)
* an extra tube
* a tire pump
* generally i only end up using my hex/allen wrenches
* while its rare, last ride we broke a chain!
* we had no extra links to repair the chain sadly though
also, before embarking, make sure to lube your chain!
(Photo: Jules Verne Times Two / [julesvernex2.com] / [CC-BY-SA-4.0])
some of the major advantages of this type:
on the other hand:
the other type is more suited for paved, road based routes - where the bags
(called panniers - from the french for "basket") are mounted on racks and
usually much closer to the ground:
(Photo: Keitheronearth / [Wikipedia] / [CC BY-SA 3.0])
advantages to me:
another common approach is just to get a cheap basket! the washington area bicycle
organization posted a [good article]
on carrying things on a bike which shows an example of how a few of my friends use baskets
instead of racks/bags to hold their stuff:
baskets like this can be found for very cheap and also don't require any type
of mounting points on your frame, which make them attractive as a quick and
affordable option.
advantages:
disadvantage:
personally, my gear is bit of a mix. i have bags on my front forks,
a frame bag, a handlebar bag, and rear paniers. so it is totally up to you to
figure out what feels best on your bike. if you wan to read about what i
specifically have on my bicycle, you can see more about my [bike].
regardless of what you chose, you'll
be more comfortable riding if you distribute the weight somewhat evenly on the
bicycle - some in the front and the back, and some on each side of the bike.
this ends up making you feel a lot more balanced, and avoid a silly fall when
you're tired at the top of a hill.
usually when planning a ride with friends, i try to coordinate at least a few
things so we don't end up having a full copy of everything. for example, we
usually only need to heat one or two cups of water at a time, so one stove for
heating water is enough. we also often don't need to have a bike pump for each
person, some people share tents, etc.
Gemini Links:
Web Links:
https://metasyn.pw/resources/img/dithered_mixed_touring_bicycle.png
https://metasyn.pw/resources/img/dithered_touring_bicycle.png
https://metasyn.pw/resources/img/dithered_bicycle_basket.png
