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This is a great style of setup for rough but non-singletrack adventures!

How old is your headlamp? The 2025 model HM65R has a longer strap to accommodate bigger helmets.

@kurt.refsnider Mine is from Aug 2023. I suspect the longer band was a change in response to your suggestion. Nice work!

The combo feels great - no different than GRX levers mated to GRX calipers aside from maybe the XTR calipers offering what feels like *slightly* more power (or maybe that's the 180mm rotors).

The handlebars are 500mm wide. I run some Pro Discovery drops on my gravel bike that are 440mm wide, and I wanted to try something notably wider than that for this bike so I could hopefully ride rockier terrain on the hoods with decent leverage, and these proved to work nicely for that.

@@kurt.refsnider Appreciate the response! This is my conundrum as well on a similar style build. On my Gravel bike i've run 440s and I have no idea how it would feel to have such wide bars. I'm guessing it didn't cause you and discomfort in the wrists or shoulders using the wide bars? Likewise did you go for the bigger flared version or the road style 10 degree and how did you like it? Most of these wider gravel bars are 20+ degrees these days vs your Pro Discovery which are on the more conservative end.

@@ColoradoGooner I like something more like a 20 or 30* flare so I can really tilt my hoods inward for a hand position there more like what I get on a flat bar. That's similar on both these Red Shift bars and my narrower Pro Discover 20* bars.

@@kurt.refsnider Cheers, thanks for the explanation. I'm getting wrist pain from inwards angled hoods/levers (~24 degrees) but perhaps it would be less of an issue on even wider bars. You've given me something to ponder and try.

@@ColoradoGooner Dang! More angled hoods *helped* my wrist pain, but our bodies certainly are all quite different. I hope you get that sorted out!

Both work - some just have a USB charging input on the battery itself so you can charge the battery on its own

As far as I understand, they're not designed specifically to dissipate the additional heat from that, but in my experience with this handlebar light, it does indeed work...maybe just not as well on warmer nights?

My understanding is that they're not designed with that in mind (specifically to dissipate the additional heat), but in my single quick test, the handlebar light can do that.

Yup, that kind of versatility is so nice to have on long tours

I think you'll love that pair you bought!

Seriously!!

They sure are, and you can easily swap out for fresh batteries on the fly if you're carrying spares.

Yup, that's the same setup! I didn't do a lot of night riding on that trip until the final few weeks in New Mexico since the days were so dang long for much of it (and I was sleeping 8 hours most nights!). I didn't carry any spare batteries, but I did used an 18650 cell in the handlebar light (instead of the bigger 21700 cell) with the ALF-15 battery adapter so that I could swap batteries between headlamp/handlebar light just in case one died completely. That did come in handy once.

Yes, I used these on my tour to Nome and through the -40F night at Fat Pursuit last winter, and they worked great. The run times definitely aren't as long in the cold, but they were still quite reasonable (maybe 60% of what you get at temperatures above freezing?)...and the beauty of night riding in the snow as you know is that you need so little light, so running these on low was more light than needed!

@@kurt.refsniderThanks Kurt! Might have to get these two lights!

Agreed. I've got a wheel with a dynamo, and I rarely use it on any trips. But for longer trips with a lot of fast miles, dynamos can indeed be a great option for charging if that's something that's needed.

Haha! I love it - I've never heard someone pronounce it that way, but it makes a heck of a lot more sense.

On the Toronto island ferry the other day I heard it pronounced “paneer” (like the Indian cheese). So not all Canadians say it correctly..

No, I've never actually used a front rack, so I can't offer any advice on those.

Well, my take is obvious to *me*, but it's likely not obvious to you, eh?

I use the Old Man Mountain Divide and Elkhorn racks. They're bombproof, something I need for what I put them through.

Ha! can't say I have much left for TD goals these days - I've raced it three times, was the first to Antelope Wells on one of those years, and managed to finish on a tandem another....

@@kurt.refsnider Well what's next ? Race across America? You are limitless my friend 👍😁

@@tmayberry7559 Something bigger than any of those races...

@@kurt.refsnider wow. What race is that

Sleeping beneath trees and avoiding topographic lows can definitely help reduce how much dew accumulates on the outside of a bivy or tent (cool air settles in topographic lows, and dew can thus be heavier). Bivies are quite prone to condensation on the inside. Truly waterproof bivies are the worst for that; more breathable ones can be a bit better, but they're not as reliable if you're out all night in the rain, so it's definitely a compromise. That's why I prefer a mid-style shelter or a tarp over a bivy for most trips.

@@kurt.refsnider thank you!

That's a great way to put it!

This was a couple big days and one day out - Packer Saddle, Spencer Creek, back to Big Boulder to D'ville, up to Chimney Rock, back to D'ville, and back up to Packer Saddle.

I just like pedaling a whole lot!

It folds up to fit in the frame bag's map pocket

It's in my handlebar bag with my sleeping bag and pillow. See the video description for more on all that

Check out the Wolftooth Valais 25. You lose a little of your drop, but it works great.

Yes, some work fairly well if you have enough clearance between the bag and your rear tire when you have the seat dropped. You can limit the drop with the WolfTooth Valais clamp, too. I use the Revelate Designs Shrew, Stoat, and Terrepin 8L all on my dropper posts.

On this trip I had sandwiches, snacks, and grabbed dinner in Downieville when I passed through.

I seem to never be able to pack light lol!!

Keeping it light helps keep it so fun!

Nope, you probably won't! Fortunately, there are some other great options out there 🙂

I use a seatbag on my dropper all the time - check out some of the smaller Revelate Designs seat bag options. They work great so long as you have enough space between the saddle and rear tire.

Get Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT Velikost R value 7.4 and 7.5 cm thick. The best option.

I'll see what I can do!

Good point! I had a small bag on the bars on this last long tour (the new Revelate Designs Pitchfork bag), but it's obviously not on there in this video. That bag probably only had 3 pounds in it, though. Distributing the weight across the bike definitely is important, but I find it much less so on road/gravel than I do on trail. Shifting my own body weight forward/backward on the bike when cornering makes a much bigger difference for traction than a small bag does.