Hi everyone! I’m interested in getting into bikepacking, but I’d like to try it out before I invest in a bunch of gear. This is the only bike I have… I know it’s not ideal, I only really use it now on bike paths and around the neighborhood. But do yall think there’s any way I could rig it for a night or two trip? Or any modifications that could make it work? It’s an SE Bikes Monterey 3.0 7 speed that I bought secondhand a while back. TIA!
by arcaeopteryx
6 Comments
Sure, it’s your bike so you know it fits.
Lack of gears could be a problem. Don’t go anywhere too hilly before building up some legs muscles.
Have a think about where you’ll put bags and what you’ll take. That bike’s not got too many ways of mounting stuff – I’d be looking at a rack on the back + panniers but you can also have a bar bag or a frame bag.
As long as it’s all mechanically sound (brakes, gears, chain lubed etc.) then the only things you need to consider are.
– Comfort
– Luggage
Quite how much of either you need depends on how far you’re going, climate and terrain.
For comfort you will want to make sure the saddle is still OK on a long journey. It looks like a more casual cruiser style, which is nice for short distances but could cause pressure points over longer journeys. Only you will know for sure, but a few test rides can help you get a feel for it.
Related to this is saddle height. Too low and you’ll feel terrible knee pain after any distance and not be using the full strength of your leg (too high and you’ll feel unsafe and struggle to fully extend the peddle. Check out some guides to getting saddle height right, it makes such a difference.
Last point on comfort is hands. Again there’s no reason you couldn’t do a bike pack with these bars, but bear in mind for longer journeys riders often prefer bars with more ways to hold their hands to prevent soreness, cramp or more serious nerve pressure issues in the palms. One tip here is to find some cheap Ergon style grips to reduce the pressure on your palms. (Ergon is the expensive brand but there are cheap and decent knock offs on alixexpress / eBay / Amazon).
In terms of luggage, again distance & weather are your main concerns. You can probably pop a rack on the back and strap down some sleeping gear and a tent.
Yes, absolutely you can bikepack on this bike.
Practically, this bike is a tad limited for super-long tours or heavy off-road, but otherwise, it should be fine.
Give it a good service, put some bags on it/you, and head off for an overnighter. Review your experience, make adjustments, then do a 2-nighter.
This is, without a doubt, THE BEST way to find out what does and doesn’t work.
Every bike works dir bikepacking, as long as it rides and brakes
That’s a fine bike. I would look into changing the seat unless it’s perfect for you right now (but be open to changing it if you only ride short distances right now). If your bikepacking includes dirt, i would look into getting wider tires but you may be limited a bit. Have fun!
No disk brakes