Show and tell! Cycle touring setup

[Paul_B]

Simply put I've done one proper cycle tour and got the setup wrong. I'm looking for inspiration from what others have worked out. If you are willing to share your solutions ideally with photographs I'd be very grateful.

I know it's far from bushcraft but we do camp and bushcrafters setup is often talked about on this forum so I'm thinking there will be cycle tourists / cycle campers on here too.

 

[shindig]

It's great to see someone who's into both cycling and bushcraft. I've combined the two into what I call bush-biking. Here's my current setup. I prefer taking the bike as I can carry more and go further.

You can see more on my Facebook page Facebook/Doric diversions, or on my blog http://doricdiversions.com

 

[Paul_B]

Where did you get your frame bag from? Custom made i reckon.

The bags on the forks look interesting. I've just started thinking i could get away with them on my carbon forks perhaps. Gravel bike so not strictly bikepacking but I'm having to go that way as a halfway house between it and traditional touring. Are those dry bags in a gorilla cage attached to a monkey bracket?

 

[decorum]

... I know it's far from bushcraft ...

Curious. Why do you consider bikes to be a less bushcrafty method of getting out there and doing than others?

 

[Paul_B]

Because i wasn't asking about anything that is typically used in bushcraft activities. Bicycles can be used as a mode of transport but so can trains, buses, taxis, cars, etc. Although I reckon getting into the outdoors to practise bushcraft (not sure you can define that, it's more a personal opinion as to what counts) is more likely by foot, canoe, bike, 4x4 or campervan/motorhome.

The one thing this thread was started for was more road touring than off road touring. I never made that clear, although the way I'm looking is towards a hybrid form of bikepacking and traditional touring. So it's all good when it's about the gear and we all have unique takes on what works. I'm hoping to get inspiration from others. The fork bags interest me. How do they affect steering and how much weight is in them?

 

[decorum]

Because i wasn't asking about anything that is typically used in bushcraft activities.

Ah, right

TBH I see no real difference between loading a trailer, a rucksack, or a bike .... Do it wrong and your journey can be the pits

 

[CLEM]

Double post

 

[CLEM]

It's great to see someone who's into both cycling and bushcraft. I've combined the two into what I call bush-biking. Here's my current setup. I prefer taking the bike as I can carry more and go further.

You can see more on my Facebook page Facebook/Doric diversions, or on my blog http://doricdiversions.com

What sort of bike is that?

 

[Paul_B]

It's a Surly but which one i don't know. Check their website out. Their forks are all very interesting IMHO. Absolutely loaded with attachment points.

Having realized it's a Surly my earlier question about monkey clips to attach to the forks is redundant. You can put on any bottle cage style cargo holder and AFAIK at a few different heights up the fork too.

Cracking bike. I once wanted tree disc trucker. Or the crosscheck in a touring setup. I think you could put a fork on the crosscheck like on the disc trucker to take those fork bags.

 

[Paul_B]

It's not a full fat bike like the Wednesday, although it does look like one. Krampus?

Might be some time, I'm off for another look at the surly website. Time i had a good look at their touring forks. Crosscheck or straggler forks perhaps.

 

[Paul_B]

Duplicate post.

 

[Paul_B]

Shindig - i spotted your Alpkit bag. Would you consider getting their custom frame bag if you needed a new one?

What make is your frame bag?

 

[shindig]

CLEM, my bike is a surly pugsley ops fatbike. Great bike with heaps of attachment points. In the photo I have Salsa anything cages bolted onto the forks and expend dry bags. I've now changed them for Gorilla cages with custom made storage bottles. I'll hopefully get them installed this weekend.

Paul_B, if I was buying again i would definitely buy the alpkit frame bag. My existing one is a Revelate designs, but in the UK it's almost twice the price of the alpkit one. However, it is a great bag and I don't think it will wear out anytime soon.

If I lived in the US, I'd probably get a rouge panda one. I have a set of their micro panniers to try out. Hopefully this weekend.

If you load the fork cages up they do slow steering down. I've learned that the hard way.

The large dry bag is an alpkit bikepacking 35l. Very rugged. https://www.alpkit.com/products/airlok-xtra-35-litre

That's pretty much been my setup since June. I do occasionally use my bob trailer with my e-bike if I'm feeeling lazy or decide to head out at the last minute and time is short.



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[Paul_B]

Pugsley? Didn't spot the little bar near the seat post. What is that reinforcement for?

 

[CLEM]

Very cool bike Shindig 👍🏻

 

[shindig]

Pugsley? Didn't spot the little bar near the seat post. What is that reinforcement for?

I think couple of the first pugslys had issues with the seattube cracking, so they added a brace.

Unfortunately surly no longer offer the pugsley as a complete bike, but you can buy it as a frame only and build your own. You could buy the Wednesday or hunt around the internet for a 2016 model pugsley. I'm very happy with mine.



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[Paul_B]

I prefer the straggler and Crosscheck myself. Can't get by with flat bars. I've a few activity related aches that appear within an hour of riding a flat bar bike. Well I claim activity, could be age related but I'm only 40. Crunchy elbow and painful wrists which only drop bars prevent with their positional options.

Right now I'm a roadie with brief track, trail and towpath digressions. My bike is made for that being a gravel bike of sorts. I'm tempted by flared drop bars though i suspect it's a fashion thing right now.

 

[shindig]

I prefer the straggler and Crosscheck myself. Can't get by with flat bars. I've a few activity related aches that appear within an hour of riding a flat bar bike. Well I claim activity, could be age related but I'm only 40. Crunchy elbow and painful wrists which only drop bars prevent with their positional options.

Right now I'm a roadie with brief track, trail and towpath digressions. My bike is made for that being a gravel bike of sorts. I'm tempted by flared drop bars though i suspect it's a fashion thing right now.

I'm just the opposite. I'm an off-road rider dabbling with a cyclocross bike - a Genesis CDF 20. On the subject of flared bars, I have a set of salsa cowchipper flared bars and really like them. I found it difficult coming from MTB riser bars to standard road drops. Still do but I'm slowly getting used to drop bars.


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[Paul_B]

A few years back I got back into cycling with a passion. Commuting most days. Before starting i realised my ancient road bike wasn't safe, steerer issues but it will be fixed one day. I got a specialized crosstrail hybrid. I thought i wanted a halfway between road and mtb. I had it for a year and realized i would never get over the painful wrists and elbows after an hour of riding. So when it got nicked i got a drop barred bike. I was home again! Even bar ends would not tempt me back to fiat bar bikes. Trekking bars are just too ugly / oap for my liking. However I still wonder if the Jones bars or Alpkit Confucius bars might be ok.

Now I'm wondering what flared drop bars would do for me. Also the other variations in drop bars. There's a few subtle changes in shape that can be made as well as the obvious flared shape.

 

[srod]

Trailer is always a good option. Easy to get at your gear. Can leave it behind if taking a detour off the main route. Also can share the load around if travelling in a group.

Loaded with all the gear for a group of 4, weekend trip...