Just came back from a 750 km ride over 6 days in France, following the Véloscénie route (from Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel) and the Vélomaritime (along the northern coast of Brittany). The landscapes and roads were incredible, and the weather was generally nice – though, as expected, it's hard to completely avoid rain in Brittany…
I was riding a Giant TCR Advanced (a road bike), which limited my off-road options, but I really enjoyed covering long distances each day (around 125 km). I wanted to be fully autonomous on the road, so I carried a cooking kit and all the necessary sleeping gear, in addition to the usual cycling kit and some civilian clothes.
Overall, I’m happy with the trip and my setup (Ortlieb saddle bag + Zefal frame bags). Here are a couple of tips I found useful:
- Hydration bag: This seems to be a debated topic among bikepackers, but for me, it’s the best way to stay hydrated while riding. Plus, it offers extra space to store a rain jacket. I used a trail running decathlon bag I owned with 1L hydration bladder
- Cooking kit placement: Avoid putting your cooking gear in the saddle bag. I split mine between the frame and the top of the saddle bag. This saved me a lot of time in the morning, as I could pack the tent and my gear while cooking breakfast. (By the way, I’d love to hear your best breakfast recipes!)
The one thing I wasn’t satisfied with was the handlebar bag. I used a Decathlon harness + dry bag combo, and had only 2–3 cm clearance between the front wheel and the bottom of the harness. In dry conditions, it was manageable—though I had to tighten the harness throughout the day—but in the rain, the harness often touched the wheel (see pic n°2). I ride a size 52 bike with a 40 cm handlebar width.
Do you have any recommendations for a handlebar bag that would better fit my setup?
by VDD78