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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.
- a helmet
- lights
- a lock
- water bottle cages
- appropriate tires for your route
- skinnier if its more paved
- fatter/knobbier if its more offroad
- repair kit
- flats
- tire irons (levers)
- a 15mm crescent wrench if your wheel requires it for removal
- a patchkit (make sure the glue isn't dried up)
- extra tube
- a tire pump
- wheel
- extra spokes
- drive chain
- a chainbreaker
- a small bit of extra chain
- brakes
- extra brake pads
- general
- a multitool
- zip ties
- duct tape
- superglue
- straps / bungee cords
- tent
- sleeping pad
- sleeping bag
- headlamp/light
- fuel and flame source
- spork/spoon
- knife
- coffee making device
- mug/plate/bowl/spork
- firestarter
- sunscreen
- toiletries & bug repellent
- lol i'm sure you've gone camping
- why am i even listing this stuff >\_\_
(Photo: Jules Verne Times Two / [julesvernex2.com] / [CC-BY-SA-4.0])
some of the major advantages of this type, to me:
- no racks needed, which is less weight and gear
- no works much better for bikes with suspension
- doesn't require mounting points
on the other hand:
- no racks is less flexibility for carying bulky or large boxy objects
- center of gravity is high, which causes some instability when riding
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:
- lower center of gravity, which makes me feel more stable going fast
- overall more room to bring more things, tools, snacks, clothes etc.
- good racks can hold a lot of weight and awkward sized objects - for example, we once put my friends bicycle on my rack, and she sat on my handlebars, so we could get back to where we were fixing her bicycle - much harder to do without a rack
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:
- works great even for doing random stuff
- adding a cargo net over it can expand the space
- any bag works as basket bag
disadvantage:
- somewhat higher center of gravity
- your bag might need to be waterproof?
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
