What a great video. I've been bike packing for years and you still gave me several great tips. FANTASTIC! Sharing this with all my bikepacking buddies. Thanks
Steve, long time listener, first time caller here: Can I just say give you a massive THANK YOU now for the little tip you gave about swapping out the stock straps for rubber ski straps on the AEROE rack. I just got back from a 2 day winter fat biking trip and the rubber straps made such a massive difference in keeping the bags from slipping and detonating on the ground. Big fan. Keep it up!
The Aeroe rack up front is the first spendy item beside the bike and Garmin I purchased for the my set up. I have a bed-roll type handlebar on my Marin Pine Mountain 1 and the upper slot on the Aero line up perfectly to allow me to zip-tie it in place for a little more support. Seeing you with the Salty Roll here shows me the sizing better, and will be pulling the trigger on one myself now. The planning, and gear acquisitions have definitely been helped by channels like yours. Cheers!
Ortlieb makes some really good bags for touring and bikepacking. Super durable, great mounting, and waterproof. If you do rear duct tape seals them up real well. Oh, and as far as carpal tunnel and general hand numbness I agree that esi extra chunky are the best. If you have to change out levers and shifters it might be worth it to try and Shimano brake with the matchmaker clamps. I’m pretty sure they make adapters for all types of shifters to work with them. The Shimano lever can be taken off without removing the grips.
Brother…so true….your comment “….when you have tons of bags it’s too easy to fill them with heavy things….”. Had me LOL. I also agree with your choice of frame material. I had custom built, a Chumba Stella ti. I went with a suspension fork…I kind of regret that. And I went with a Rohloff hub…and somewhat regret that. I built the bike as a way to get to isolated trout fishing spots in New Hampshire and Maine. It’s a great bike….a real beauty….and this video? Definite value added when looking at distance bikepacking..
Perfect video and timing - I already have the aero rear rack in my Amazon cart, and love how detailed you are in describing your setup. Looking forward to making fewer mistakes than otherwise as I will attempt my first bikepacking trip this year and more next year.
I love bikepacking. I also use a rear rack with small panniers along with handlebar and fork bags. I use a rigid fatbike and I have gone into some very adventurous places such as riding 70km of beach on Haida Gwaii. It’s truly an adventure to travel this way and is only rivaled by canoe tripping
On the edge of my seat in anticipation for that Wren review. I’ve wanted one for my Farley, and it seems like it’s perfect for milder riding and bike packing duty. Especially bikepacking, with being able to keep the weight on the uppers to keep the unsprung weight down.
great video steve! quick thought here. I use my hardtail (a on one big dog) for bikepacking, gravel and trail use, i typically keep the rigid carbon fork on unless I'm riding trails than I swap them out. I have designated a stem and bar setup just for trails (60mm salsa stem with a 780mm SQlabs 30x) and Jones bar setup with a 70mm stem for everything else. its not the prettiest thing but my hands and wrists thank me every time i ride it.
Another excellent production. Recently got into bikepacking and leveraged Steve's recommendations on many aspects of my build. Like all things, he once again demonstrates his technical and application knowledge on the topic. Though it isn't specifically mentioned, balancing the load is huge in terms of ride quality. The smile on my face returned once I got it worked out which helped me understand some of Steve's build choices. Agreed on the perfection of the salty role. While I use a different harness, the 6.5" diameter of the bag is the perfect size. Tent in the middle with quick access items on the ends, and no interference with the front wheel.
I’ve yet to eliminate hand numbness completely, but I find bar sweep to be a big factor for long days. I ride the answer 20*sweep/720mm wide Answer 20/20 bar (carbon) and watch for any strap rubbing. My 2 cents.
Thank you very much for the thoughts of your choices. I am from The Netherlands and I will retire in 2025 and will start my first bike packing adventure, riding the GDMBR. I did several 6 months tours on a recumbent; the TransAm and "some" extra 11.000 km and from Prudhoe Bay to Panama City 10.000 km. I will have enough experience for this coming trip, this will be on an upright bike. All the Bikepacking gear I am gathering now. My recent item is the Aeroe rack for the back. I will reduce the number and weight of the gear very much. But I liked your thoughts about parts of the gear I will use too. Thanks again!
I use the ergon with wings for my bikepacking and gravel bike, pretty happy about them. Ergon gd1 or ge1 for my trail bike. Nice video, keep them coming, they’re far better than Netflix!
Hey! Great reviews! Im a serious bikepack lover, currently on a four month great divide/Baja divide/trans Mexico trip. I’m also a mountain bike rider first, who doesn’t get along with alt bars and experiences hand numbness. I’ve found that the Cane Creek Ergo Control bar ends on a flat bar are awesome. I’m using them with the Wolf Tooth fat paw foam grips, which you won’t want because they’re slide on, but you can also use them with any lock on grip that you can slide a bar all the way through. I’ve found this is the best compromise for downhill control and touring comfort. You can’t use them with Ergon grips out the box, but if you shave the little flange inside the Ergons they work just fine. Then you can keep your favourite grip for MTB and just enhance it with the bar ends. Maybe that will help a bit….worth a try! Love the videos, keep it up!
If your looking for a nice bikepacking set up for grips i highly recommend adding “SQ Lab 411 innerbarends”. Has worked great to give another position and honestly keep them on for trial rides now for the long climbs
Great video! That rear rack looks very interesting. Got in to bikepacking just this summer when I toured for about 950 km in Denmark. Since then I have got myself a Kona unit x with a few different bags. Been out and about for daytours and weekends in my local landscapes here on the Swedish westcoast.
Great video. I am starting a bike touring build soon (the area where I live is very flat and most roads are paved or gravel so it is going to be a bit different from what you tour with) I'm very excited to get going and can't wait to see the end result. The current plan is to get familiar with my new ride next spring (I hope it is done by then) and commit to a full tour during the summer vacation.
have the Old Man Mountain Divide rack on my honzo. its solid, you can put paniers on it and it works great with dropper posts, not in the way at all. realy like that Aeroe handle bar mount you got, slick
I use my carbon xc bike for bikepacking. It has a matt finish and the bags didn't affect it. It is pretty stiff though, you might want something more forgivable after a long day in the saddle.
3 grips that limited numbness for me: ergon ga2 fat ones, pnw grips and deity supracush. all worth a try. It's a combination of circumpherence and softness that one of them will provide just the right amount for You. For some strange reason the spongey esi ones felt a bit gross on a long ride. Not sure why.
I do like like the ga2fat a lot, it's been my favorite bikepwcking grip so far. I'll try those deity supracrush sometime, thanks for the recommendations!
Love bikepacking, but don’t do it nearly enough…I use my 2016 Kona Wo - most often 27.5 x 3.0’s. Sometimes fully fat. ( yeah, bit odd fatbiking in Australia). Bike is often 30kgs loaded. Agree with grips, I use Ergon GP2’s because they give you heaps of hand positions. Seen these combined with old school bar ends mounted inside the grips for even more hand positions. Had Ulna nerve damage from a multi day race, took about 3 months to go away…Ergon grips and remembering to flex your hands and fingers, never had it since… never use them normal Mtbing though. Love the Channel Steve, thank you!!
I love bikepacking/touring both on and off road. One thing I'm now very wary of though is large top tube bags. First MTB bike packing trip and I had to dab on a techy bit. Jumped forward and, er, "hurt myself" on the top tube bag! 😥 Going to be leaving that behind on the next trip. Other than that I LOVE my Tailfin Aeropack. I bought it for the road bike but it works brilliantly on the MTB even with a dropper. Oh and for frame protection I find 3M helicopter tape is perfect.
RedMonkey has the foam grips as a lock on. The diameter is as big as the chunky as the ESI but not quite as much cushion because if the lock on plastic sleeve. I’ve run them and like them and then moved to a smaller diameter grip.
Awesome video! You should definitely try to get some different hand positions for the longer rides. Something like SQlab innerbarends could be worth trying
About the Advent X cassette. I run the Advent X shifter and derailleur but with a 10-speed Sunrace cassette. The range is a tiny bit smaller with 11-46 t but it works great together and the cassette is pretty light and not as expensive as 11-speed or 12-speed stuff. On my other bike I run the new Shimano Deore M5100 11-speed drivetrain. The cassette runs the HG Driver with a 11-51 t range you only need to add a 1.85 mm cassette spacer otherwise you won't get the cassette thight and it rattles. Ask me how I know 😂 Besides that I'm really happy with the drivetrain. It's lighter and cheaper than the 12-speed stuff the derailleur is pretty much the same as the 12-speed Deore it shifts more or less the same and it runs a thicker chain than 12-speed systems. I know Ritchey makes some lock on grips made out of neoprene called WCS Ergo True. Maybe they feel fairly similar to the ESI grips. Never tried them but maybe they are worth a shot. Also Sram and Crankbrothers make some foam lock on grips.
I know I'm a bit late to this video but knowing your love of wheels, I was surprised to see that you didn't cover which wheelset you were running, what are you running here? I'm prepping for the great divide next year and that's the one piece of the puzzle I haven't put together just yet. I'm leaning towards carbon as I'll be on a ripley AF and I'd love to shave some rotational weight.
I also love the aero back rack. It was perfect for my salsa woodsmoke which doesn’t really have good rear rack mounts. And works well across bikes. I also found the voile straps FAR superior to the nylon buckles that I also had to cut off. I suggested to Aero this change, and they said they now have a voile strap option for their racks at purchase, which is good news. I didn’t but their dry bags, as I already had some others, but I’ve enjoyed having a dry bag backpack for the rear rack, which can be used as a backpack when shopping or hiking excursions while out with the bike.
Hey I'm glad your testing the Wren fork. I have one on my Priority 600X and I just can't seem to understand how to set it up properly for me.... I look forward to hearing more about this fork from you. Dude your rig is sick!
@@hardtailparty Another option is Tumbleweed Prospector. I have had one for a couple of years. Most versatile bikepacking bike I can think of (can be set up fat, 27.5 and 29) and handles loads like a dream in the most remote and difficult locations. I have a 29" Rohloff wheelset, which I use for 29 x 2.6 or 29 x 2.8 depending on task. I also have a lighter wheelset with derailleur (Advent X) for lighter duty around home. I shift between a Pike Ultimate 120mm for the local trails and the steel fork for bikepacking trips. The frame has old-school geo (in a good way) and is certainly on the heavy side - and probably overkill for many lighter riders. But to me it's the one bike to rule them all. It's stable, comfortable, versatile and bomb proof. And it looks gorgeous - The Real McCoy!
Love that rear rack I also am not big on seat packs because on any bike I own I want maximum dropper travel. I wonder if you could adapt some outer shell pico panniers or another micro pannier for that rack to reduce that awkwardness of the cylindrical dry bag.
I second the Deity Supracush grips recommendation. They feel a little like the ESI grips but lock on. I also appreciate the wider diameter. For reference, my favorite Ergon is the GA2 Fat
I have never tried bike packing but I do want to dip my toes in with a mini trip like a one night type of ride just to see if I could pack appropriately
That's an excellent way to do it. I should have noted that I don't take a backpack. Taking a backpack for the first two or three trips is a great way to test it out before committing to expensive gear.
Great video Steve! I'm trying to plan an overnighter but having trouble actually finding trails to link up in my area without slogging most of my miles on the road. I'm hoping to get out and do it next year though! Also for grips, if you like ESI silicone but want lock on, check out the Red Monkey Klampz. ODI also makes the Dread Lock with is a hybrid rubber/silicone material that is bot super sticky and pretty cushy. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Wren fork and the PNW Coast!
How would you attach a pocket or bag on top of the drybag/Saltyroll using the Aeroe handlebar cradle? Can you suggest any brands that would fit? Thanks😊
As far as grips, Oury grips from Lizard Skin. I have always used these grips because they are fatter than other grips but are not ghetto like foam grips. They are soft, but not super soft. Not sure how they would work on backpacking. I have been using these grips for 20+ years
Really nice video :), got a new follower. Have some questions. About the Handlebar Cradle, they don't interfere with lights mounted on handlebar? About the grips, I'm using Ergon GP3, they are good in city (I'm from São Paulo/Brazil) and also when travelling because allow me to move my hand around and have a good position in hardest climbs.
With the diminishing amount of available 29x3 tires what would be the next tire you would try. I loved the chronicle but it’s gone and the chupacabras are not quite aggressive enough for azt.
Hey Steve, I run 650 plus on my Pipe Dream Sirius S5 and I’m thinking of ordering a 29 plus wheel for the front to get the stack higher and shorten the reach during bike packing trips. It’s easier than changing the cockpit and tires each time. Thoughts?
@@hardtailparty Fortunately a friend had a full 29 x 3.0 to try and it fit well in the Bomber Z2. Thanks for the reply. Great content on your channel, especially the one about the Sirius :) Keep up the good work!! Can’t wait to check out your local trails someday.
Haven't tried many grips. The pnw loam xl are very comfy but I want capped ones. Seems to be very little choice for good quality, securly mounted (clamps) extra thick 34mm? How about 40mm! I'm thinking about the esi extra chunky though not a fan of no clamp and wish the fattys came in colors and the ribbed chunky came in more colors and that there was wider than even 35mm fattys. Wondering about the revgrips though thicker is always better and not happy with colors or pricing especially with chance I won't like at all. The whole point is the movement yet I can't quite fathom floating grips.
I have about 5 different front harnesses. This aero harness is by far my fsvorite. It's the heaviest, but it's also the most sturdy. It doesn't smash my cables, it's extremely secure, it doesn't flop around, and it has a mechanical attachment. I haven't used revelate's harness yet, but I've used similar ones (oveja negra, ortlieb, and a few more I'm not remembering). Ever since getting this aeroe one, I have no desire to go back to strap and Velcro harnesses. Im spoiled and it's hard to use anything else up front now.
@@Snufkimon I have the Salsa one and it's generally pretty great but I think the arms are a little too long. shorter arms would affect the steering less I think. (that said, I can fit a spare tube in the space between the arms which is handy)
I returned my aero front cradle in favor of the Salsa anything cradle. Not because the aero failed, but I noticed I had to keep tightening the straps (as if they were stretching just a bit). And I was always paranoid that the cradle would edge down and bump/scrape the frame. Whereas the salsa has your standard clamps. I'm still waiting on the Salsa to arrive but it was more of a paranoia thing for me. I was concerned those straps would snap/break or slowly cut through the fabric straps with the little metal sleave inside of the fabric, and the last thing I wanted was for it to lock my wheel and superman away I go.
@@patrickryan9476 it's a fair concern. my aero did rub the head tube. and no matter how much I tightened it, it kept stretching more. I wouldn't used it again.
In 25 years of mountain biking I've seen about 15 fail. It's not common, and not something people should worry about, but everything breaks. When you're 50 miles from the nearest road, reliability trumps lightweight. I absolutely love these brakes. In 20 years they'll still be going strong.
While that may be the case for you, I would have to take a page out of the 4x4ing book. It is much easier to take 100ft of small guage electrical cable verses 100ft of air house for when the actuation method your differential locker goes out. It is so much easier to run a cable and be done with it to get the locker working again. While 4x4ing is not MTBing, they are similar in the fact that you are still going off road, things can and will get damaged/break, and you are out in the middle of nowhere. Carrying 20ft of cable takes up less space and weight over hydraulic brake hose and everything that goes with hydraulic brakes. Just as the saying goes, you prepare for all the reasons you can't think of. With that saying in mind, cable disc brakes make more sense for back packing.
@@knarfis You might also consider that the bicycle has a front and rear brake that operate completely separately, thus having a built-on back-up ready to go.... I just don't see hydraulic disc brakes as this scary risk that everyone needs to avoid, like AT ALL.
What a great video. I've been bike packing for years and you still gave me several great tips. FANTASTIC! Sharing this with all my bikepacking buddies. Thanks
Steve, long time listener, first time caller here:
Can I just say give you a massive THANK YOU now for the little tip you gave about swapping out the stock straps for rubber ski straps on the AEROE rack. I just got back from a 2 day winter fat biking trip and the rubber straps made such a massive difference in keeping the bags from slipping and detonating on the ground.
Big fan. Keep it up!
You're welcome. I agree, it's a huge difference.
The Aeroe rack up front is the first spendy item beside the bike and Garmin I purchased for the my set up. I have a bed-roll type handlebar on my Marin Pine Mountain 1 and the upper slot on the Aero line up perfectly to allow me to zip-tie it in place for a little more support. Seeing you with the Salty Roll here shows me the sizing better, and will be pulling the trigger on one myself now. The planning, and gear acquisitions have definitely been helped by channels like yours. Cheers!
Nice job! Great set up 😀
Ortlieb makes some really good bags for touring and bikepacking. Super durable, great mounting, and waterproof. If you do rear duct tape seals them up real well. Oh, and as far as carpal tunnel and general hand numbness I agree that esi extra chunky are the best. If you have to change out levers and shifters it might be worth it to try and Shimano brake with the matchmaker clamps. I’m pretty sure they make adapters for all types of shifters to work with them. The Shimano lever can be taken off without removing the grips.
Brother…so true….your comment “….when you have tons of bags it’s too easy to fill them with heavy things….”. Had me LOL. I also agree with your choice of frame material. I had custom built, a Chumba Stella ti. I went with a suspension fork…I kind of regret that. And I went with a Rohloff hub…and somewhat regret that. I built the bike as a way to get to isolated trout fishing spots in New Hampshire and Maine. It’s a great bike….a real beauty….and this video? Definite value added when looking at distance bikepacking..
Great video , thanks... Ride safe everyone!
Steve, i just order a Stanton Sherpa 853, complete build. Can't wait to ride it.
Congrats! What a beautiful riding bike.
Perfect video and timing - I already have the aero rear rack in my Amazon cart, and love how detailed you are in describing your setup. Looking forward to making fewer mistakes than otherwise as I will attempt my first bikepacking trip this year and more next year.
That aero rack is awesome. Highly recommended. I wish I had it to start my bikepacking journey.
I love bikepacking. I also use a rear rack with small panniers along with handlebar and fork bags. I use a rigid fatbike and I have gone into some very adventurous places such as riding 70km of beach on Haida Gwaii. It’s truly an adventure to travel this way and is only rivaled by canoe tripping
Great information. Thanks for sharing. Glad I found your channel.
On the edge of my seat in anticipation for that Wren review. I’ve wanted one for my Farley, and it seems like it’s perfect for milder riding and bike packing duty. Especially bikepacking, with being able to keep the weight on the uppers to keep the unsprung weight down.
great video steve! quick thought here. I use my hardtail (a on one big dog) for bikepacking, gravel and trail use, i typically keep the rigid carbon fork on unless I'm riding trails than I swap them out. I have designated a stem and bar setup just for trails (60mm salsa stem with a 780mm SQlabs 30x) and Jones bar setup with a 70mm stem for everything else. its not the prettiest thing but my hands and wrists thank me every time i ride it.
Another excellent production. Recently got into bikepacking and leveraged Steve's recommendations on many aspects of my build. Like all things, he once again demonstrates his technical and application knowledge on the topic. Though it isn't specifically mentioned, balancing the load is huge in terms of ride quality. The smile on my face returned once I got it worked out which helped me understand some of Steve's build choices.
Agreed on the perfection of the salty role. While I use a different harness, the 6.5" diameter of the bag is the perfect size. Tent in the middle with quick access items on the ends, and no interference with the front wheel.
Excellent point about balance and knowing where to put items.
Might wanna try the Ritchey Kyote bar for hand comfort.
Your take on trail usablity of these would be interesting!
Love the bikepacking vids Steve. Keep 'em coming!
Just picked up a 2021 Fuse. I'll be giving bike packing a whirl next spring/summer. Thanks for the recommendations.
I’ve yet to eliminate hand numbness completely, but I find bar sweep to be a big factor for long days. I ride the answer 20*sweep/720mm wide Answer 20/20 bar (carbon) and watch for any strap rubbing. My 2 cents.
Thank you very much for the thoughts of your choices. I am from The Netherlands and I will retire in 2025 and will start my first bike packing adventure, riding the GDMBR. I did several 6 months tours on a recumbent; the TransAm and "some" extra 11.000 km and from Prudhoe Bay to Panama City 10.000 km. I will have enough experience for this coming trip, this will be on an upright bike. All the Bikepacking gear I am gathering now. My recent item is the Aeroe rack for the back. I will reduce the number and weight of the gear very much. But I liked your thoughts about parts of the gear I will use too. Thanks again!
Great video way to share your knowledge much appreciated,
I use the ergon with wings for my bikepacking and gravel bike, pretty happy about them. Ergon gd1 or ge1 for my trail bike. Nice video, keep them coming, they’re far better than Netflix!
Hey! Great reviews! Im a serious bikepack lover, currently on a four month great divide/Baja divide/trans Mexico trip. I’m also a mountain bike rider first, who doesn’t get along with alt bars and experiences hand numbness. I’ve found that the Cane Creek Ergo Control bar ends on a flat bar are awesome. I’m using them with the Wolf Tooth fat paw foam grips, which you won’t want because they’re slide on, but you can also use them with any lock on grip that you can slide a bar all the way through. I’ve found this is the best compromise for downhill control and touring comfort. You can’t use them with Ergon grips out the box, but if you shave the little flange inside the Ergons they work just fine. Then you can keep your favourite grip for MTB and just enhance it with the bar ends. Maybe that will help a bit….worth a try! Love the videos, keep it up!
If your looking for a nice bikepacking set up for grips i highly recommend adding “SQ Lab 411 innerbarends”. Has worked great to give another position and honestly keep them on for trial rides now for the long climbs
😂😂 electrical tape caught me off guard
great video! all these little tips are great. did an overnight bike packing trip about 10 years ago… my setup was pretty ghetto. lol😂
Not a Bike packer here . But heavyweight and Trail riding . I am all in for them Ergon GP 2 long (wings) , solved all my pain and numbness issues.
Great video! That rear rack looks very interesting. Got in to bikepacking just this summer when I toured for about 950 km in Denmark. Since then I have got myself a Kona unit x with a few different bags. Been out and about for daytours and weekends in my local landscapes here on the Swedish westcoast.
Ti frame, Microshift drivetrain… j/k. I’m loving it.
Frame is more important than drivetrain. Microsoft is fantastic.
Great video. I am starting a bike touring build soon (the area where I live is very flat and most roads are paved or gravel so it is going to be a bit different from what you tour with) I'm very excited to get going and can't wait to see the end result. The current plan is to get familiar with my new ride next spring (I hope it is done by then) and commit to a full tour during the summer vacation.
I put Salsa anything cages on my Aeroe Rack so the bags are higher up and more streamline
Bombproof rig
Looking at a hardtail in the future for fun and some bikepacking, and the Maniak just might be the solution.
Great video. I have a banshee Paradox that I use for bike packing. I’m hoping to bike pack the grand staircase escalate loop for my next trip.
have the Old Man Mountain Divide rack on my honzo. its solid, you can put paniers on it and it works great with dropper posts, not in the way at all. realy like that Aeroe handle bar mount you got, slick
Really appreciated this...I broke my clavicle a week ago MTB'ing and am jonesing to get back out there
Oof, sorry to hear about your accident! Happy healing.
Great video. I think the Giant Ergon-style Grips might be softer & I find myself turning them backward.
Use friction tape under bag attachments, protects frame and keeps bags from swinging or shifting around!
I use my carbon xc bike for bikepacking. It has a matt finish and the bags didn't affect it. It is pretty stiff though, you might want something more forgivable after a long day in the saddle.
3 grips that limited numbness for me: ergon ga2 fat ones, pnw grips and deity supracush. all worth a try. It's a combination of circumpherence and softness that one of them will provide just the right amount for You. For some strange reason the spongey esi ones felt a bit gross on a long ride. Not sure why.
I do like like the ga2fat a lot, it's been my favorite bikepwcking grip so far. I'll try those deity supracrush sometime, thanks for the recommendations!
Love bikepacking, but don’t do it nearly enough…I use my 2016 Kona Wo - most often 27.5 x 3.0’s. Sometimes fully fat. ( yeah, bit odd fatbiking in Australia). Bike is often 30kgs loaded. Agree with grips, I use Ergon GP2’s because they give you heaps of hand positions. Seen these combined with old school bar ends mounted inside the grips for even more hand positions. Had Ulna nerve damage from a multi day race, took about 3 months to go away…Ergon grips and remembering to flex your hands and fingers, never had it since… never use them normal Mtbing though. Love the Channel Steve, thank you!!
wow great bike dude!!!!
I love bikepacking/touring both on and off road. One thing I'm now very wary of though is large top tube bags. First MTB bike packing trip and I had to dab on a techy bit. Jumped forward and, er, "hurt myself" on the top tube bag! 😥 Going to be leaving that behind on the next trip. Other than that I LOVE my Tailfin Aeropack. I bought it for the road bike but it works brilliantly on the MTB even with a dropper. Oh and for frame protection I find 3M helicopter tape is perfect.
I'm sure you know but MRP also makes a fork with rack mounts. One in the gravel version and one for mtbs.
I put the 1x10 Advent X with a 30 tooth Oval on my 10 year old hardtail with about 500 miles on it still no problem.
RedMonkey has the foam grips as a lock on. The diameter is as big as the chunky as the ESI but not quite as much cushion because if the lock on plastic sleeve. I’ve run them and like them and then moved to a smaller diameter grip.
I'll have to test them out sometime, thanks for the info
Awesome. Love people sharing some real experience. Crazy bike by the way, did you bild that?
Awesome video! You should definitely try to get some different hand positions for the longer rides. Something like SQlab innerbarends could be worth trying
About the Advent X cassette. I run the Advent X shifter and derailleur but with a 10-speed Sunrace cassette. The range is a tiny bit smaller with 11-46 t but it works great together and the cassette is pretty light and not as expensive as 11-speed or 12-speed stuff. On my other bike I run the new Shimano Deore M5100 11-speed drivetrain. The cassette runs the HG Driver with a 11-51 t range you only need to add a 1.85 mm cassette spacer otherwise you won't get the cassette thight and it rattles. Ask me how I know 😂 Besides that I'm really happy with the drivetrain. It's lighter and cheaper than the 12-speed stuff the derailleur is pretty much the same as the 12-speed Deore it shifts more or less the same and it runs a thicker chain than 12-speed systems.
I know Ritchey makes some lock on grips made out of neoprene called WCS Ergo True. Maybe they feel fairly similar to the ESI grips. Never tried them but maybe they are worth a shot. Also Sram and Crankbrothers make some foam lock on grips.
I know I'm a bit late to this video but knowing your love of wheels, I was surprised to see that you didn't cover which wheelset you were running, what are you running here?
I'm prepping for the great divide next year and that's the one piece of the puzzle I haven't put together just yet. I'm leaning towards carbon as I'll be on a ripley AF and I'd love to shave some rotational weight.
Awesome
I also love the aero back rack. It was perfect for my salsa woodsmoke which doesn’t really have good rear rack mounts. And works well across bikes. I also found the voile straps FAR superior to the nylon buckles that I also had to cut off. I suggested to Aero this change, and they said they now have a voile strap option for their racks at purchase, which is good news. I didn’t but their dry bags, as I already had some others, but I’ve enjoyed having a dry bag backpack for the rear rack, which can be used as a backpack when shopping or hiking excursions while out with the bike.
Thats awesome mate. Have you got the link to the backpack?
Changing the original straps with these voile straps is genius. How long are these straps you are using?
There straps are expensive. I use Versahunt and get two straps for about 15 with various sizes.
The other benefit is that canvas straps do not break.
Try out the SQ Lab 711 grips - outstanding!
Hey I'm glad your testing the Wren fork. I have one on my Priority 600X and I just can't seem to understand how to set it up properly for me.... I look forward to hearing more about this fork from you. Dude your rig is sick!
I hope to review a priority 600x sometime soon
@@hardtailparty Another option is Tumbleweed Prospector. I have had one for a couple of years. Most versatile bikepacking bike I can think of (can be set up fat, 27.5 and 29) and handles loads like a dream in the most remote and difficult locations. I have a 29" Rohloff wheelset, which I use for 29 x 2.6 or 29 x 2.8 depending on task. I also have a lighter wheelset with derailleur (Advent X) for lighter duty around home. I shift between a Pike Ultimate 120mm for the local trails and the steel fork for bikepacking trips. The frame has old-school geo (in a good way) and is certainly on the heavy side - and probably overkill for many lighter riders. But to me it's the one bike to rule them all. It's stable, comfortable, versatile and bomb proof. And it looks gorgeous - The Real McCoy!
Aero said they are working on pannier bag mounts for their rear rack. Just for your info.
That'll be awesome, I love panniers
Love that rear rack I also am not big on seat packs because on any bike I own I want maximum dropper travel. I wonder if you could adapt some outer shell pico panniers or another micro pannier for that rack to reduce that awkwardness of the cylindrical dry bag.
I second the Deity Supracush grips recommendation. They feel a little like the ESI grips but lock on. I also appreciate the wider diameter. For reference, my favorite Ergon is the GA2 Fat
Excellent, thanks for the tip. I'll have to check them out.
Oh dang! I'm going to need to try those too. My favorite grips for long days are Wolftooth Fat paws. But they are a f'n pain to install/remove.
I have never tried bike packing but I do want to dip my toes in with a mini trip like a one night type of ride just to see if I could pack appropriately
That's an excellent way to do it. I should have noted that I don't take a backpack. Taking a backpack for the first two or three trips is a great way to test it out before committing to expensive gear.
RE: ESI Chunky(s), Alcohol on, air pressure off. They never move on me and I'd think they'd work easy enough for you to do your swapping...
Check out pnw loam grips in the larger size. I love how those feel.
My wife has some. Not quite what I'm looking for, but thanks for the suggestion.
Try some stuff from Stealth Bike Bags in Wellington NZ
There’s something about raw metal frames and or natural finishes
Great video Steve! I'm trying to plan an overnighter but having trouble actually finding trails to link up in my area without slogging most of my miles on the road. I'm hoping to get out and do it next year though!
Also for grips, if you like ESI silicone but want lock on, check out the Red Monkey Klampz. ODI also makes the Dread Lock with is a hybrid rubber/silicone material that is bot super sticky and pretty cushy. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Wren fork and the PNW Coast!
Awesome, thanks for the tips!
If you haven’t checked them out the Meaty Paw by Sensus is a great option for an oversized grip!
all i know about those is that kyle strait uses them. :) I'll have to give 'em a closer look.
I was wondering how you attach your Chuckbuckets™ to your short stem? I am trying to put a few on a bike with a 40mm and looking for good ideas. ty.
How would you attach a pocket or bag on top of the drybag/Saltyroll using the Aeroe handlebar cradle? Can you suggest any brands that would fit? Thanks😊
those tips are right on time for me!
great video !!!
Does anyone know if Aeroe has some sales for black friday?
Hi steve, can you share a link for the lower water bottle?
As far as grips, Oury grips from Lizard Skin. I have always used these grips because they are fatter than other grips but are not ghetto like foam grips. They are soft, but not super soft. Not sure how they would work on backpacking. I have been using these grips for 20+ years
Those used to be my go-to grips 25 years ago. I'm so glad they still make them
Interesting to know your thoughts on that front small bag you say you were missing.
I like it. Oveja negra lunchbox. I'm a fan.
Really nice video :), got a new follower. Have some questions.
About the Handlebar Cradle, they don't interfere with lights mounted on handlebar?
About the grips, I'm using Ergon GP3, they are good in city (I'm from São Paulo/Brazil) and also when travelling because allow me to move my hand around and have a good position in hardest climbs.
With the diminishing amount of available 29x3 tires what would be the next tire you would try. I loved the chronicle but it’s gone and the chupacabras are not quite aggressive enough for azt.
Super interesting video! I just got a Banshee Paradox and was thinking of trying to bikepack on it, I was wondering if you have ever tried to do that?
I didn't, but it'd be fine.
Do you put greas on the body of the cassette
Hey Steve, I run 650 plus on my Pipe Dream Sirius S5 and I’m thinking of ordering a 29 plus wheel for the front to get the stack higher and shorten the reach during bike packing trips. It’s easier than changing the cockpit and tires each time. Thoughts?
That, or you can swap a riser bar with more backsweep. Make sure your fork fits 29+. Also, 29+ will slacken it out and raise the bb a bit
@@hardtailparty Fortunately a friend had a full 29 x 3.0 to try and it fit well in the Bomber Z2. Thanks for the reply. Great content on your channel, especially the one about the Sirius :) Keep up the good work!! Can’t wait to check out your local trails someday.
Haven't tried many grips. The pnw loam xl are very comfy but I want capped ones.
Seems to be very little choice for good quality, securly mounted (clamps) extra thick 34mm? How about 40mm!
I'm thinking about the esi extra chunky though not a fan of no clamp and wish the fattys came in colors and the ribbed chunky came in more colors and that there was wider than even 35mm fattys. Wondering about the revgrips though thicker is always better and not happy with colors or pricing especially with chance I won't like at all. The whole point is the movement yet I can't quite fathom floating grips.
I'm not a fan of floating grips
Voile straps are out of stock, Amazon suggest a few alternatives are they good as?
Hey Steve, did I understand correctly- that with shorter cranks you need to ride in easier gears? Or did I misunderstand?
In order for it to feel the same, yes, you need a slightly easier gear when running shorter cranks.
Perhaps it explains why I feel I am missing an easier gear after switching from 175 with 1-11 to 170 with 1-12. Hope it pays off when bikepacking.
Why not to run a regular rear and maybe front rack, like eg Tubus's?
Most front racks dont work with a suspension fork, especially an upside down fork. And most mountain bikes don't have rack mounts for the rear.
Why not use the front harness from revelate designs? Is the aero better, lighter, or cheaper?
Because he already had the Aero harness. Why by another of something you already have?
I have about 5 different front harnesses. This aero harness is by far my fsvorite. It's the heaviest, but it's also the most sturdy. It doesn't smash my cables, it's extremely secure, it doesn't flop around, and it has a mechanical attachment. I haven't used revelate's harness yet, but I've used similar ones (oveja negra, ortlieb, and a few more I'm not remembering). Ever since getting this aeroe one, I have no desire to go back to strap and Velcro harnesses. Im spoiled and it's hard to use anything else up front now.
@@hardtailparty@ hardtail party, The Salsa one is very similar and it's a bit lighter.
@@Snufkimon I have the Salsa one and it's generally pretty great but I think the arms are a little too long. shorter arms would affect the steering less I think. (that said, I can fit a spare tube in the space between the arms which is handy)
Have you tried the Salsa cradle? Wondering how that compares to the aeroe cradle
Not yet
I returned my aero front cradle in favor of the Salsa anything cradle. Not because the aero failed, but I noticed I had to keep tightening the straps (as if they were stretching just a bit). And I was always paranoid that the cradle would edge down and bump/scrape the frame. Whereas the salsa has your standard clamps. I'm still waiting on the Salsa to arrive but it was more of a paranoia thing for me. I was concerned those straps would snap/break or slowly cut through the fabric straps with the little metal sleave inside of the fabric, and the last thing I wanted was for it to lock my wheel and superman away I go.
@@hardtailparty Have you tried the Salsa yet by chance? I just returned my Aero cradle - details in previous reply.
@@patrickryan9476 it's a fair concern. my aero did rub the head tube. and no matter how much I tightened it, it kept stretching more. I wouldn't used it again.
Can the binary maniak fit 29 x 3 in the back?
It depends on which rim/tire combo you're running. See my first look vid
Stamp a number on your cassette’s
What do you think of the Geryon made by trxstle in Montana?
I haven't used one yet
@@hardtailparty what do you think of the design itself?
@@tylerranes9391 perhaps for a FS it could be useful, but it seems overly complex to me, especially for a hardtail
@@hardtailparty thanks for the opinion. I was thinking similarly. 🤙
The heroics bikepackers will go through to avoid having a normal rack and pannier
Most mountain bikes dont have rack mounts.
that bike i so sick.
Binary, their so hot right now
“Cody had to wait for me a lot”. Doesn’t Cody have to wait for everyone? That guy is incredible. So are you, but I’m just sayin’…
Yes, he always has to wait. He's a world class athlete.
@@hardtailparty seems like a world class friend too. Caught him on the Dusty Betty bike packing trip…
@@Mikemalone7873 absolutely, he's a great guy. one in a million
In 12 years of mountain biking, I've never had, nor have I ever seen, a hydraulic disc brake fail on the trail.... Just saying.
In 25 years of mountain biking I've seen about 15 fail. It's not common, and not something people should worry about, but everything breaks. When you're 50 miles from the nearest road, reliability trumps lightweight. I absolutely love these brakes. In 20 years they'll still be going strong.
While that may be the case for you, I would have to take a page out of the 4x4ing book. It is much easier to take 100ft of small guage electrical cable verses 100ft of air house for when the actuation method your differential locker goes out. It is so much easier to run a cable and be done with it to get the locker working again. While 4x4ing is not MTBing, they are similar in the fact that you are still going off road, things can and will get damaged/break, and you are out in the middle of nowhere. Carrying 20ft of cable takes up less space and weight over hydraulic brake hose and everything that goes with hydraulic brakes. Just as the saying goes, you prepare for all the reasons you can't think of. With that saying in mind, cable disc brakes make more sense for back packing.
@@knarfis You might also consider that the bicycle has a front and rear brake that operate completely separately, thus having a built-on back-up ready to go.... I just don't see hydraulic disc brakes as this scary risk that everyone needs to avoid, like AT ALL.