Bikepacking With A Full-Suspension Bike
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- In our latest video, Neil talks about his experience bikepacking on a full-suspension bike. He walks through examples of when he uses one, the upsides, downsides, and offers some tips to help improve your full-suspension bike trips. He also shares thoughts on a few bikepacking-friendly full-suspension bikes that are currently on the market.
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Outline
When To Use A Full Suspension Bike: 1:18
Characteristics (Upside) Of A Full-Suspension Bike: 2:04
Downsides Of Using A Full-Suspension Bike: 4:03
Full-Suspension Bikepacking Tips and Tricks: 6:32
Full-Suspension Bike Options: 10:26
Bike Options
Kona Hei Hei (bikepacking.co...)
Salsa Spearfish (bikepacking.co...)
Revel Ranger (bikepacking.co...)
Salsa Horsethief (bikepacking.co...)
Transition Spur (bikepacking.co...)
Ibis Ripley (bikepacking.co...)
Santa Cruz Tallboy (bikepacking.co...)
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Hosted by Neil Beltchenko
Music by Ben Weaver (benweaver.net)
More at bikepacking.com
Finally someone who promotes full suspension bikepacking ! I do it all the time and even on flat terrain it could be worth it !
We are big fans!
Just upgraded to full suspension, any cons two years later?
Having lockouts for when you're not on the trail is really helpful too
Absolutely, many of those xc friendly bikes or even mid travel bikes have that capability. Thats a huge benefit, good thought there.
Most modern mtbs don’t need a lock out. I’ve ridden literally thousands of miles on my Ripmo and never touched the lock out.
@@SeanKWhite-lk5zf Not needed but it's really nice to have on roads when you are connecting singletrack. I can't speak for the Ripmo but the lockout on the Ripley is pretty incredible and adds a lot of value to that bike in my opinion.
I love my lockouts, I wish they just were full locks. I also wish someone manufactured a replacement rear shock that basically makes the bike hard tail. Some pipe or something. Cause you could always buy a rigid fork.
My full suspension bike is pretty cheap, so if I put her much weight on the front bag the dive while breaking can be unsettling. While on the trail it's worth the compromise, I find on the road the lockouts make me feel a lot more in control. Probably if you have a sick bike that's really well tuned it's less of an issue
Great info as always Neil! From a bag makers perspective one thing I’d add is that since the frames typically have more stand over you can have a custom bag made wider than on a hard tail without worrying much about leg rub issues. One other thing that most people don’t realize is that you can run a rack on a full suspension. There aren’t many, but I’d highly recommend the Old Man Mountain.
Great point Andrew, thanks for the insights. Just for reference to folks, this is Andrew The Maker ( www.andrewthemaker.com/ ), he made that colorful top-tube bag in the intro.
I’d like to add the Ariel Randonneur rack in there. I use it on my hard tail but gives plenty of room for rear wheel travel. Fraction of the price of the old man mountain.
I also suspect that the bags last longer because they aren’t getting ‘hit’ as hard, resulting in lower stress on stitching and fabric/webbing
Thank you for drawing attention to the plight of the vertically-challenged, tiny-frame-riding, singletrack-loving, dropper-post-using bikepacker. I haven’t found a perfect solution for space yet (even on my hardtail, depending on the length of the route, thanks to itty bitty front triangles and low saddle heights), but it sure is fun to experiment!
Check out the "buoy bags" from roadrunner bags. I think that they're 7.75 liters each. In the future if you're getting a new bike smaller diameter wheels allow a bigger framebag,
seatbag as well as have a bit more space for luggage between the handlebars and front wheel.
@@mikekrasovec6390 thanks! I have definitely gotten to the point where I just don't put much on the rear of the bike and pack the front and middle very carefully. I have seat packs of all sizes and designs, but everything rubs some. I just bought a new hardtail last year, and I went back to 27.5" for that (I much prefer a 29" full sus for trail riding). It was certainly the way to go, and I have quite the versatile lineup now! Setting up my bike may not be as straightforward as it would be for a taller person on a roomier frame with a towering seatpost, but it gets a little better each time out!
@@Squirrel_Rides you're welcome. The smaller wheels I was thinking of were actually the old school and somehow uncool 26". I'm still a fan of 26" wheels and I'm tall enough to have plenty of room with 29" wheels at 6'1"/1.86. If I was going to get a custom frame for bikepacking I'd look into a headtube mounted rack which was bolted on. It wouldn't effect steering other than the extra weight. A number of custom frame builders make suspension mountain bikes in steel, aluminum and ti. I know that curtlo uses a steel front triangle with an aluminum rear suspension that they get from ventana. I've ridden some ventanas with their pseudo 4 bar suspension designs and I dug them. I'd also recommend that you look into lightening your load. Backpackinglight is a good resource for ultralight backpacking.
I know that tout terrain used to make a suspension mountain bike intended for touring. It had an interesting rear rack/suspension design. Most of the ways to add a rack to suspension attaches it to the moving parts thus adding to the unsprung mass greatly reducing the performance of the suspension.
@@mikekrasovec6390 yeah 26" makes sense on paper but I just can't do it. Even the 27.5 feels so slow rolling after being accustomed to a bigger wheel. Plus, being a mountain biker first and foremost, I want all my bikes to be modern and aggressive enough to day ride, not just bikepack on. I also haven't jumped on the hipster steel bandwagon - despite some of the valid advantages, I am not the right candidate for a heavy frame that can rust. I've made some changes for this season, and if I still feel I need more support I think I'll add a tailfin rack for no purpose other than to keep a seatpack off the rear wheel and free up my dropper even more. I do try to pack light - so far I don't cook, and my clothing requirements have gone way down. Biggest challenge for me is cold weather packing or longer routes where I have to carry more food. If it's warm and not too remote, I'm golden! I've somehow managed to miss Bikepackinglight so I'll definitely check that out! Thanks!!
Bike packing on my full suspension Trek Liquid that’s 23 years old, I’m using a top tube bike Bro’s bag , gas tank , & 4 bottle carriers with a Rev holster seat bag .Arizona rocks
I used to believe full squish wasn't for bikepacking, until I got passed by a few in the Arizona Trail race (Neil included).
I remember that year, the Arizona Trail is a special place.
Great video. With my Scott Spark I have increased rear shock pressure and carried a bag with 8 kg without touching the tire. Of course the suspension lock is a must.
This also applies to hardtails. Only pack your stuff in bags attached directly to the bike. Do not use piggyback or accessory bags that attach to the bags that are attached to your frame (i.e. only use handlebar and seat bags - don’t attach accessory bags to your handlebar or seat bags). These accessory bags’ straps will loosen over time on rough (e.g. MTB) terrain and rub your tires, which at a minimum, is distracting, and at worst can dislodge and wedge between your tire and fork or frame and send you over the bars.
Just finished the Divide on a Giant Anthem. Having full suspension for the rough parts and front/rear lockouts for smooth/climbing was a game changer for me. Very efficient, yet comfortable.
Nice! congrats, that's a big accomplishment.
I have a Giant Stance and have been wanting to bikepack. What frame size and wheel size do you have? And where did you find frame bags for it?
My frame size was large and the wheels were 29 inches. We had revelate
bags handlebar and seat and used a small front triangle bag that fit in front of the shock. We used hose clamps to put salsa anything cages on the front forks. The set up seem to work quite well as some of the trail was rough enough that I was glad I had Suspension.
@@terrybuccambuso7917 I'm curious how well your fork suspension worked with weight on the forks. Did you notice a significant reduction in small bump sensitivity compared to riding without any weight attached?
I had the fork pressure up pretty high to account for all the extra weight, so tire pressure played into it…high enough to take the extra weight and still give traction. 30 rear and 28# front in 2.4” tires. Small bumps weren’t felt too much because of 29” wheels and reasonable pressures. Still, locked out felt rough…
I found I could use a half frame bag (Apidura) on top of the top tube then used frame space for bottles - worked well.. This was with an S-Works full sus Epic. Toured Tasmania and NZ for three months with this setup, plus Apidura Handlebar and Saddle packs.
Thanks a ton for the info. Been bikepacking on a 12 year old customized hardtail which works amazing but just bought a Santa Cruz Tallboy. Time for some dual suspension and need to learn more on setting it up. Great video and thanks for your insight! 👍🏻
Used my Hightower on the CL300 last year and it was absolutely the right tool. I wasn't massively scientific about the extra pressure but I did test it with the bags on before I went and it was great. As well as handling the roughness of some of the descents it made spinning along rough Landy tracks much more bearable. Already planning for a honed repeat in 2021.
That's awesome to hear! I'm wanting to use my Hightower for a portion of the Colorado Trail. I was curious if you went with the 27.5+ option or 29er?
@@maxwelljohnston4724 I went 29, but b+ would have worked too with possible more luggage space. It was an ITT so I was travelling pretty light. Happy to give you more details on the setup if that would be helpful.
I'm glad to see someone used a hightower and enjoyed it enough to repeat it. What bags did you use? I have none. I backpack and mountain bike, with a hightower. I am at square one and I would prefer to not purchase another bike for bike packing. I am curious what worked for you.
@@superiorweasel a Wayward Riders Louise dropper harness with an tapered drybag, a top tub bag and a drybag attached to the bar with voile straps. A Blackburn Outpost corner bag fits in the frame too for tools etc but the zip on mine died so I can't really recommend that. Hope that helps.
That blue color is SICK!
I did the Bull and Jake loop in northern Georgia on my 2019 tallboy. It was my first time bikepacking so I didn’t think too much about changing my suspension but I did add some clicks of compression to my fork and put the climb switch on my rear shock to the middle setting and it worked really well with no issue, even with my dropper post down a little I didn’t get tire rub and my front end felt supple and supportive
Totally agree, for some areas like Colorado I couldn’t imagine riding here without a rear suspension. I rock the ovega negra pack with the wolf tooth valais
A lightweight day backpack, such as the Mystery Ranch line of packs, is a good alternative to loading everything on the bike.
Good advice. I learned this over the last 7 years. Nearly all my bikepacking was on full suspension. Trance was first and now a tallboy. I do put on fork cages when route needs it. I'll use hip pack for extra water before a backpack. I seldom carry a shock pump. All things depend on the route conditions and my available gear.
I too have a Trance and was wondering, was the Tallboy a good upgrade as far as bike packing goes? Cheers!
I'd say they are similar to each other, each having their nuanced difference. I went with the tallboy due to my riding style changes and versatility with my cutthroat. Also, the change was influenced by my sequoia being stolen. I was using my trance wheels when it was stolen. Trance is all mountain and tallboy more XC and moved towards XC but trance worked well.
@@plscott2048 Thanks good to know since I recently got a new Trance!
Fullsus bike is great for bikepacking! Neil, thanks for your video. Such a valuable resource for info and guide.
i have only full sus bike and i use it also on gravel roads and paved roads. It is definitely more comfortable than rigid bike and allows me to ride longer distances.
Thank You! I'm going to get my first full suspension for my bikepacking trips after years on a hardtail. Its not that I don't like my hardtail, but I need something more comfortable for long journeys, and I also like to ravage those nasty fire-roads as fast as I can. I'm leaning towards the Trek Fuel Ex 8 cause it has a more travel than an XC bike and you can still lock the suspension if you’re riding in a smoother road.
@off road I have a Fuel and it’s a fantastic bike!!
@@Squirrel_Rides I have to get my hands on one and give it a try, I'm planning so many trips that I need to make a decision now :P
at last a common sense from to many hype gravel bike type
Gr8 stuff, Neil! Thanks a million!
I appreciate this video, thank you! I'm trying to get into bikepacking, but I'd love to use my current full-suspension since I'll only be doing 2-3 nights. Definitely got the confidence to save my money towards new packs and gear rather than a gravel bike. Plus I know my bike very well and know it's rock solid in the middle of nowhere.
I have a gravel bike and a full suspension Mtb. For gravel road riding, the gravel bike beats the mtb. For singletrack, the full suspension bike is the best. This applies both to short rides or bikepacking. The only instance where bikepacking adds another consideration is for super long distance and remote locations, where a simpler, rigid hardtail might be better for durability/repairability..
Great video and the section on sag is to me the most important aspect to consider.
Get this wrong and you also risk increased pedal strike for suspension systems where the BB height changes - I ride a Cotic FlareMax for example that uses a drop link approach. Btw, it's a steel full sus bike and AWESOME!
My issue is, because of my weight, I'm already close to the max pressure that the shock will take. Adding weight will push me beyond, and your comment about having litres of water on your back is something I'd not thought of before so thanks for that.
Will experiment and see if I can get away with loading up but your video is super helpful.
I took my Ibos Ripmo on the Oregon Timber Trail last year and just came back from another bikepacking trip in the Oregon high desert. I have it rigged with Revelate Designs Vole in the back, Sweet Roll in the front, plus top tube and bottle bags. The bike does great, but I wish it had a bit more space. A possible solution is to add a rack like the Thule pack n pedal.
Very informative, thank you for creating this video !
My oooold second hand canyon mr10 in 26' is a great lightweight+- 11.4kg xc bike but also an amazing travel bike. But the greatest feature is that you can 'fold in' the rear triangle, making it very compact to pack for flights.
Thanks for the video. I'm "new generation" and started riding Enduro bikes as my first and only choice. I want to approach bike packing and wondering if I can just go with it or I should consider changing bike? To say the full truth, I already passed on e-MTB and wondering if anyone is bikepacking with motors? The European Alps have charging stations everywhere
Just install some cross country tires on it to get less rolling resistance, and lock out your rear suspension when the road is nice.
And bring lightweight gear with you, no problem at all.
great stuff, full suspension looks so damn cool too, thanks man
this summer I rode a 700km gravel road in Iceland for big trucks/jeeps with 35 inch tires.... and the stones where big, like
cobblestones. I had no suspension.... got down to 1.2 bar with full load on my bike most of the way I rode around 20km/h but on the big rock parts 10km/h or few parts walking .... had no flats but some burps and had to pump my tires a few times because of it
suspension should make that ride a lot beter
I'm 5'2" with an xs Pivot Mach 5.5 trying to get into bikepacking with my one bike. No seat or frame bags for me, bit I can fill a 20L dry bag and strap that on top of my handle bar bag without much trouble. I also use a small top tube bag and a down tube joey bag.
Nice, and a backpack? If you go with someone, share the weight of a tent or stove kit, thats always a good way to distribute gear if you don't have much space to carry.
Hey, great video. I’m setting up for bike packing on my full suspension bike, I ride a Scott Genius 950 trail bike with 5" travel both ends. I was not expecting to bike pack with this bike when I purchased it. This is my first FS bike and I wanted to bridge the hard trail/full suspension gap. When I found the Scott Genius and the twin lock remote activated suspension lockout I got really interested. After purchasing and riding the bike the first time I was amazed at how it climbed like a hard tail with the suspension locked out or set to the reduced travel setting, and then I could immediately switch to full travel for a decent. I have now got a Aeroe Spider rear rack with two cradles and bags, and my initial tests are indicating that this will be a fantastic bike packing rig as it behaves like a hard tail/ XC full suspension bike/ trail bike all in one. It would be great if you could review the Scott Genius for a bike packing rig, I’d like to know what you think.
Cool video, use my MERIDA One-Twenty FS as my primarily rig for bike packing, good stable and comfortable, surely that's the point of bike packing?
I can confirm Neil IS as crazy as his hair.
Sounds like a great option for Souther Patagonia... if we add a backpack!
Trek now has internal frame storage on AL full sus bikes - could be a game changer in the long run.
What about front or back panniers/ racks and carriers? Is it doable?
Neil’s hair! Love it
Angry Catfish Bike & Coffee shop 10/10
A+ statement!
What about the Scott spark?
New to bikepacking and own a SC Megatower. Don’t feel like I’m ready to invest in yet another bike already owning a dedicated downhill rig. Anyone has good frame bag options to suggest?
Call me crazy, but I just bought a burley coho xc trailer to be used with my 2010 intense Socom bike. I'm planning on going on a few bike camping trips with this set-up, but if I can find a X-country full suspension bike I will switch, but for now my intense downhill bike is all I have.
Description says twist shifters, but pictures show and manufacturers website says trigger shifters for the aluminum frame/discs/29s. Which is it
the seat posts protection clamps can be accomplished with an old damaged inner tube and some electrical tape. Cut a short section of tube that will wrap around the post a few times and then wrap it in electrical tape. Cheap(free), easy and discreet.
this can be done on any straps for packs. I do it to protect my frame and it also makes the packs more secure because the rubber provides a little friction keeping packs more stable in rough terrain.
Great video: can you review the Topeak Tetraracks ??
I've got an Orbea Oiz TR on order, 120mm travel front and rear and a pretty decently sized main triangle, could make for a good bikepacking bike at some point. On a slightly related note, Bianchi just announced their new e-bike lineup including the FT which is a full suspension tourer with an integrated rear rack...
Just ordered a Riese Müller Superdelite Gates/ Rohloff.🥳
Fully with front& rear rack. Oh, and it has the Bosch CX motor& two! integrated batteries.
Awesome as usual. Yes always bring shock pump. QQ: is one of the downside features to full suspension bike packing the lack of drive that a hard tail provides? Especially on the flats or incline? I use a full suspension bike for bike packing and fortunately it has “lock out feature” which helps a bit but I am not sure as good as a hard tail. Thoughts??
I've thought about making this switch but water has been a major concern to me. I hate carrying anything on my back, but obviously you can't fit a ton of water on the actual bike with any of these. And I fly through some water here in VA in the summer.
Hydration bladder in the frame bag can make a big difference! An oversized, underfilled one allows it to really conform to the space the bike provides
I've got a full setup on a carbon Santa Cruz Hightower thanks to Joe @ JPaks
That's awesome to hear! I'm wanting to use my Hightower for a portion of the Colorado Trail. I was curious if you went with the 27.5+ option or 29er?
@@maxwelljohnston4724 29er. I'm doing the Koko in May and several segments of the CT this summer(family man with little ones can't justify a through ride for a while).. and I wanna hit that 77 mile loop outside boulder.
Great video. My thoughts exactly on not discounting a full suspension bike for bikepacking. Have you tried rear racks like Topeak Tetrarack or Thule Pack'n'Pedal?
I use the thule rack and love it.
@@gordonwatt7813 Thanks. Do you have a dropper seat on your bike? If so, are you able to use it with a pack on the Thule rack. I am thinking about using a tetrarack or thule with a smallish drybag on top and hoping that I'll be still able to use a dropper and rear suspension.
@@marioged4601 no I don't have a dropper post. But if you have a small bag you should be okay. I use I think a 20L dry bag and I think it would be hit with a dropper post.
@@gordonwatt7813 have one myself, will be using it on my first bikepack over night in a few weeks, can't wait to put it all together.
thanks for the video... how about the actual front bags? which is the lowest weight system that you would recommend for the bags on a fully? are u planning a full review of bags?
What about adding a trailer?
What would most people consider "too" much travel for full suspension bikepacking? The options are slim these days, but the most likely contender that I've been able to find is the giant trance x adv pro 29 (150mm front 135mm rear).
I bet you would get different answers depending on who you ask. Bikes in 130/150 range tend to be made with more of the focus of going down, so your climbing capability are put on the back burner a bit, that's not to say they might not climb well, all bike and pivot designs are different, but from my experience, thats what I have found. So I ask you, are you getting it to exclusively bikepack or to ride mostly and bikepack some, If thats the case, I bet you could get by with the Giant Trance X.
@@BIKEPACKINGcom The latter - too much internet research can lead to weird expectations. Appreciate the level set :)
@@snowboardbmx75 Thanks for checking us out!
I'm a little ignorant of suspension setup. Have just left it the way I got it, chicken to change it. Do you have how to vids on suspension set up with, and without bags?
Hello, what dou you think about bike packing with Scott Spar RC, Trek Fuel 8 or Specilized Epic Evo? Congratz for the amazing channel!
nice video. I have question. would you dare to put thule pack'n'pedal rack on seatstay on that carbon full bike?
I do not like those huge saddle bags so I am looking for some alternatives 🙂
Hyder, AK....I've been there!
Ive got a Kone 153 Process AL, is that a bike you'd ride bikepacking ? tia
I have a Precept and I'm taking the risk! I haven't done it yet but I'm going to!
Does this bike fare well against snow?
Good for its intended use - I'm trying to cool 1,000 sq ft and it's not working great for that...
Think the YT Izzo Blaze would make a solid bikebacking bike?
Can you supply a small list of frame bags (manufacturers, models, etc.) that are suitable for at least some full-suspension mountainbikes. I have a Canyon Lux, that I`d like to equip with a frame bag. Thanks in advance.
Here ya go! bikepacking.com/gear/custom-frame-bags/
My Giant Anthem Advanced 29ner 2019 has a carbon front triangle but has an aluminum rear triangle with bearing pivot points. When it's fully loaded with bikepacking gear--two Ortlieb Gravel Panniers on an Old Man Mountain Divide rear rack at the back and two Ortlieb Fork Packs and a Salsa EXP handlebar cradle and dry bag up front--I can feel both the rear triangle and even the headset bearings slightly flex and twist when I have to lay the bike against on a wall or at any angle that isn't perfectly perpendicular laterally to the ground. Is this normal or should I be concerned?
I’m on 2’6 width tyres.. what do you recommend for something like the Highland 550?
Thanks for the video. I’ve been contemplating whether to use my Fezzari Abajo Peak as my first bike packing bike or build up a new hard tail. This has given me some things to think about.
What are your thoughts on using the Revelate Spinelock 10L as a seat at with a dropper? Too big?
It depends on how high your seat is. A shorter rider with short legs is going to have less room than a taller rider with longer legs.
Hey Neil, what aerobars do you use on your other bike at 1:30?
Profile Design T2 with a custom carbon cross bar, they worked, but they are now retired, need some new ones, any suggestions?
@@BIKEPACKINGcom Cheers for that! I'm looking for bars myself, which can be adjusted in all directions and on which the armrests can be moved behind the handlebars.
I'm gonna need suggestions too :p
Great video, informative for me planning to go on a bikepacking trip on my new Specialized Epic fs. I like to keep the frame triangle free for two water big bottles.
Looking for a saddle bag and steering rol. I don’t want a swaying tail so looking at the Revelate Spinelock €€€€ model. These come in 10 or 16 liters.
I am in doubt what size to buy. My frame size is XL and I have enough tire clearance for the big bag, but thinking a smaller sized bag will effect handling less.
Not planning loading it with heave stuff but 16 liter seems big. Besides steering rol I am planning to use a light backpack. (Maybe frame tank).
Do you have any tips on saddle bag size? How to distribute load between front and back to optimize handling.
Thanks, great channel and content.
If you can avoid a backpack, I would - 'fanny' pack at worse matbe.
Do you have videos on shock pressures I am struggling, a lot o videos are complicated. It does not need to be perfect but it would be nice if it was close. Hope you can help.
this is a good guide: www.worldwidecyclery.com/blogs/worldwide-cyclery-blog/how-to-setting-suspension-sag
🤣 been bike packing since mid 80's and by mid 90's on full sus.
legend!
Hey :) first of all well done for this video, it is so informative, kindly can you share some details about the frame bag please? I think soon I am going to order Orbea Occam and I would like to find a bag which fits similarly to your setup :) thanks a lot!!
This is a custom Rock Geist frame bag, but there are a whole lot of custom frame bag makers out there, where do you live, I would first check to see if you have a maker locally.
@@BIKEPACKINGcom thanks a lot for your quick response, I live in Malta and I have already checked locally but nothing was available :/
What about carrying water on a full suspension bike packing trip?
Water bladder in a backpack 😉
Will the Shark Fin rack work? Thanks.
Great video, unfortunatelly only one you dont list how to equip this.. I am struggling to find good bags options for my 19' Trek Fuel Ex. Can you please describe what are the bags on your bike please?
Check out the live playlist. Neil goes through his full setup and options there
In general for a full suspension bike you will need a custom frame bag. But, I have been able to fit a Revelate Tangle half-frame bag in some of my full suspension frames.
@@tjb8841 I finally gave up and equip myself with smaller seat bag (compatible with dropper) and flexible roll bag on the front, rest gear goes to my Talon 22 backpack. I am able to get away with both tent and Hammock setup, after all I am only weekend mountain warrior :-)
I'm new to bikepacking with a FS, and I am usually on a size small frame. So, with a lot less space on the bike to carry items, I expect to have to carry more in a backpack. I'm wondering if the rear suspension and the added weight of the pack cancel each other out in terms of saddle area discomfort?
I try and keep the backpack very lightweight. Start with a lightweight pack (not a Camelback!) and fill it with high volume but lightweight items, like a sleeping bag or cook pot. Keep heavy, small and dense items in the bike bags: things like tools, food and water.
If you can keep your backpack light, I think you are correct, saddle and back comfort will indeed be better with a full suspension bike, especially on rough trails.
Hi. What tent have you got on the handlebars in the video and how is it attached? Looks very slick. Thanks.
That is the Big Agnes Tiger Wall Bikepack 2p. It's a really slick tent with attachments to mount around your bike. We should be posting a review of the tent soon.
With dropper and remote lockout, cable routing to accommodate the handlebar roll is driving me nuts
Have you looked at the Salsa Anything Cradle? The bracket that mounts the cradle to the handlebars pushes the cradle out a couple/few inches. This leaves plenty of room for cables between the cradle and the bars. Good luck! 🍻
Hey Neil, id love it if you could do a video comparing the various apps people use for bikepacking. Im pretty new, and so far i have no idea what apps i should have, which ones to pay for, which ones do the same things etc. Do i need ridewgps to build routes if i have strava which also builds routes. Its a battle of the apps
Love it, thanks for the idea, I'll add it to the list, lot of experience with Gaia, Strava and RWGPS.
And Komoot!
@@BIKEPACKINGcom awesome!
I’m looking to have my first bikepacking experience in September on a Revel Ranger. Any suggestions for a good fitting frame bag? Thanks!!
A custom one will be your best bet. Lots of bag makers out there, I always suggest buying local. Where do
You live?
@@BIKEPACKINGcom Thanks, I live in the Denver area.
Hey great video. What frame bag are you using on the Spearfish?
Thanks so much. This is a custom Rock Geist framebag - rockgeist.com/custom-framebags/
I ride an Orbea Oiz TR that I plan to use for bikepacking. It's the 120mm version of their XC bike. Do you have any recommendations for a custom frame bag manufacturer?
Sooooo many out there, not sure where to even begin. Where are you located, maybe I can help you find a local maker?
@@BIKEPACKINGcom I live in Luxemburg (tiny country in the middle of europe) so I'm mainly looking for european ones.
What is that yellow front rack on the bike? I would love someting like that on my XC bike.
Which are you referring to, at the intro?
@@BIKEPACKINGcom yes :)
I don't think carrying that little gear is realistic if you want to have a good night. (Re: the thumbnail bike). Maybe if you're only out for 16 hrs. But where's the beer go? Seriously. And the food and water for that matter? I'd be interested in seeing how much can be carried on a full sus.
I wouldn't produce and publish a video to present a falsehood. This is indeed a very realistic way to bikepack. I've spend more days bikepacking on a full-suspension bike than any other bike and while you may not be able to fit everything on the bike in every situation, you can get close and I've found that a small backpack or hip pack is a great way to accommodate those extra items including beer, although, I'm more of a whisky person for bikepacking... less weight. Anyways, you bring up a good point. Perhaps I should publish a packing list to show what I bring and where I put it. I'll do that the next time I take out the full-sus rig. Thanks for watching and for the comment.
@@BIKEPACKINGcom I didn't mean to say that you were being misleading, just that it looked like a rough night. But I didn't realize you would carry a backpack, so I'd watch a video on that for sure, the how and the why. And the load and range capabilities of the full sus/backpack setup. I always try to put everything on the bike, so a backpack seems counterintuitive to me, but that's why I'm interested. Cheers!
I bikepack on my full suspension bikes. (The only mtb’s I have, not buying a second mtb). It’s a bit easier for me because I ride very large frames, but my wife does it as well, and she is not very tall. It is totally doable. Bring less stuff, but just enough to be safe and comfortable.
We have even done a bikepacking trip with our girls when they were 2 and 5 , had them in a trailer and a Tagalong behind our full suspension bikes. Definitely didn’t skimp on gear for that trip.
@@tjb8841 I just noticed that all the bikes in this video had fancy custom frame bags and basically no gear on them at all. I know they even make racks for full sus bikes so I'm sure it's totally doable. I bought my only nice bike just for bikepacking with my dog, particularly for heavy loads, low speeds, and rough trails, but also for really long trips where ease of packing is a big deal, so a ht plus bike with a rear rack was a no brainer for me personally. I couldn't live without my rear panniers. If someone's bikepacking is more like mountain biking than touring, a full sus is probably perfect.
What really surprised me about this video (which is very cool overall), that in no way it was talked about all the efficiency lost with full suspensions bikes due to poorer pedalling performance / power transmission. I mean with every pedal stroke the suspensions is compressed a bit from pedalling and you are loosing pedaling energy, especially on paved surfaces. I have a few years old fully, so things may have changed, but surly not all suspension systems today are that good, that this is no issue anymore. or are they?
That was true 20 years ago, but they are much more efficient now. Being able to be seated and smoothly pedal can also offset getting bumped around and interrupted pedal stroke on a hard tail.
Once you hit rough enough terrain, the efficiency loss from pedaling is more than made up for by the efficiency gain of not being smashed around for hours! I find the largest efficiency loss is the tires you need for full suspension riding, as with a full load you're not really going to be hitting speeds where aero is a problem unless you have a headwind.
As Morgan said it depends on the terrain. Yes, big tyres, suspension etc. are not as efficient on pavement. But things change when you hit rough terrain. I mean there is a reason why pro downhill riders don't ride fully rigid bikes with skinny tyres. I know that's a far fetched example but it's kinda the same thing really just on a different scale. Getting bucked around while pedalling a hardtail on a rough flat dirt road is less efficient (and less comfortable) than pedalling a full sus on that same flat road where the back of the bike is absorbing the bumps constantly.
And yeah, comfort is an important thing that Neil talked about as well. So many people only focus on speed, efficiency etc. but a lot of us ride bikes for fun. Even if on certain smoother terrain a full sus bike might not be as efficient in terms of speed and power transmission, personally i'll trade that in for being more fresh at the end of a long mixed terrain ride.
IMHO suspension is all about traction. Better traction will help climbing, more than the pedal bob will hinder. With new-ish bikes anyway...
@@mathewcampbell8479 yep, in fact many XC racers pick full suspension bikes for uphill traction, not downhill ability. Another expose for that efficiency is a recent test by a German Mtb magazine, where they swapped out the heavy, grippy, slow rolling tires on a Mtb, and to their surprise, they were slower, and used MORE power, for the climb than before. Their thought was that the faster, lighter tires were slipping and spinning more on the steep rough climb, causing the loss in efficiency.
So I suspect a 2018 Scott Genius 940 is in the category of a bike that will work against me, eh?
Yeah, thats a big bike, but if it's the one you have, it should work and it could be a really fun bike on those descents. Nice frame bag space too.
i dont use a tail bag because you cant do real mtb with it no matter the bike, because it prevents you from going behind the saddle. you can actually do real mtb bike packing once you get rid of it :)
Yeah, some bikes are better than others I've found. Seat tube angle play a big part and obviously rider hight and frame size as I mentioned. Some times you just need to wear a backpack to carry the extra goods to have a fun time :)
If you're on a MTB with modern geometry and you're behind your seat you're doing it wrong.
hardtail always better for bikepacking for sure. When you are carryng bags you don´t go down fast because of the changed balance.
“Always and never are seldom true”
Pros: Plush ride, all day comfort. Flatbar.
Cons: less mounting options. Also, flatbar.
"3 liters of water on your back". Just no.
👶🏻
That was a great video. For full suspension bikepacking would the Santa Cruz Blur TR be a good bet? thanks Richard
Thanks for watching. It would be, Absolutely.