First bikepacking trip – Took my commuter for an overnighter out of Sydney

It was a goal of mine to try bikepacking for the first time this year, and a few weeks back I got to tick that goal off – completing my first bikepacking trip, an overnighter out of Sydney.

To keep things somewhat budget-friendly, I brought most of this gear from FB Marketplace over the last six months, rode the commuter bike that I've had for about four years, a Specialized Sirrus X2.0, and used a lot of equipment I already had from hiking.

The route was based on an existing route published by a local bike shop here in Sydney: https://omafiets.com.au/blogs/routes/two-pub-tour

I shortened the route from 2 nights to 1 and camped instead of staying at pubs per the original route.

Here's a link to the route as we did it:

Day one

Day two

For anyone local, it's a great route with a challenging climb up the Watagans, a good amount of smooth gravel and plenty of tarmac to round it out.

My setup worked well enough but needs some refinement. 45 mm tyres (the most I can get in this frame) are enough for the route except for a couple of sandy spots where they just didn't have the volume. If you've got a bike that can take 50s or larger, run them.

Additionally, my Marketplace wheels were great, but the rims were way too narrow to run the tyres at low enough pressures for the tougher sections – something to amend for next time.

Overall, great experience, great ride, no mechanicals, highly recommend. Can't wait to plan another trip.