Hey!
I am thinking about getting or making a frame bag for my hardtail. The bag would’ve used for bikepacking but see most of its time on day rides… I find it hard to justify not having a normal bottle accessible and was thinking maybe going with a wedge and leaving the seat tube bottle… but I do see that most people seem to go full frame. I prefer not to have bottles in bags on my bars for normal day rides. Too much bouncing around. Are people just using water bladders for all their rides with a full frame? Anyone got any reason they picked one over the other? Thanks .
by SmoothPollution7055
8 Comments
Yes I use a bladder in a full frame bag but it kinda sucks because of gravity and all. But the full frame bag is a necessity for bikepacking.
You’re going to need as much bag as you can get. That’s a very small frame.
If you’re going to make the bag, try making both. It’s nice to have flexibility. It doesn’t take a lot of fabric to make a frame pack. Sometimes I put my bottles just loose in the full frame bag. On a your I carry them in a top tube because carrier. Similar to the fish ski designs one.
I have a half bag but my frame is quite a bit bigger than yours. The setup I have below is good for an overnight trip, or if I’m doing to be doing full days between refuels I will add some handlebar feedbags. This is assuming I can find a river or something to refull my water bottles with (water is abundant in NZ).
https://preview.redd.it/u4hpgndeyg7g1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7768d0dac1fae361b499116f62e24bad36550add
Just based on your frame size I’d probably go full frame bag.
A revelate ranger would fit that frame pretty well i imagine.
When I bikepack I typically carry h2o on a hip pack.
I’ll *always* go full frame bag. It’s unquestionably the most efficient way to pack for bikepacking.
I carry an XL 1.5 liter nalgene under my downtube, and a standard 1L nalgene on either side of my stem when I’m bikepacking. If I need more than that 3.5L for Arizona/Utah routes it’s usually on my back, the desert is tough.
If I’m just day riding I toss bottles in the frame bag. They don’t need a cage. Or, I sometimes wear a fanny pack that I carry a camera in and put a bottle on the side.
The way I pack lets me go bikepacking without a big seat bag or rack, so I can still get rowdy and hit jumps and throw whips. Big seat bags suck on singletrack.
I use a bladder in my frame bag for all rides. I have a 50oz for shorter rides and a 100oz for all day rides. Works well for me.
Thar triangle is pretty small its probably pretty easy to go with a full frame and just pack it enough that the bottles don’t bounce.
Or use soft sided bottle.