Me and my friend are going on our first bikepacking trip, This is my bike, an old claud butler "mountain bike", I have made alot of modifications to it hence it's funny appearance. How can I kit this out to carry the gear for a 500km journey? I am planning to do it over around 7 days (I think it could be achieved in 2 or 3 days but i want to explore and enjoy it) I want to know what kind of kit I'd need, and how much it will cost. Thanks!
by GigiNewt
3 Comments
Hmm….
1. Fork cargo cages to mount dry-bags or water bottles. You can attach them to the forks using hose clamps
2. Cargo cage on down tube for bottle
3. you could attach a dry bag to handlebars as well
4. the frame has enough space for a frame bag and two water bottles
5. there are some rear racks for bicycles without attachments if you need more space.
6. a top tube bag maybe for phone and wallet
7. small rear panniers (like ortlieb gravel pack) if you believe you’ll need more space.
Have a good time on your trip and upload the final results.
PS. Weird fitting, but hey, it’s your bike man! If it fits you, who am I to say otherwise!
The bike is clearly a bit small for you – I get it, I also have a bike like this! However you will really start to feel this when you get into the 60km+ range – have you cycled that far on this bike before?
Personally, my priority would be to increase the comfort of the bike before worrying about how to carry stuff with you. Have a look at ways to increase the handlebar height and maybe some new handlebars with a bit of sweep.
Get a rack and panniers. Most cargo capacity without making your steering all doughy and slow.