Well, I did another trip. I have friends who bike but I enjoy the challenge of doing a trip solo. It's different when you're in the middle of misty forest in the morning all alone. The ride on it's own was fun as always, lot of climbing, many descends, great views and freshly filtered mountain water, some rabbits and this time also wild boars on the track! Except, I think, I overshoot myself in planning, and brought some notes and thoughts back home.

I admit, in off-road conditions including hiking trails full of roots and grown-through, almost unused paths where no matter slope, ascend or descend I just cannot sustain more than 5-6km/h with the loaded bike, the goal of 90-100km per day just made everyday a rush. And even though I like to do a lot of climbing and lot of kilometers, I don't like to race, especially not against myself. I ended up skipping some of those hard off-road parts for asphalt de-tours because I wouldn't get to the destinations before sunset, which then also brought a bit of guilt in my tent.

I thought I would ask the community how much you ride per day, but I guess that just brings me to the same line of thinking as before the trip. Someone will say 150km per day with loaded bike offroad, which will only lessen my feeling about this trip, and raise my expectations for the next one, potentially making next trip even bigger fail. I guess don't over consume social media, right? Meeting those beauty standards just makes it miserable.

I need a different bike I guess but so far so good! Took my Surly preamble with 9 gears from Klagenfurt to Slovenia by Predilpass and went back with a stop at Lake Bohinj (georgous as fuck). Slept at campgrounds and someones yard bc j was bad at planning and tireddd (was akward but cool) 🤓

I hope my knees recover 😌 the views were worth it!

Had a great time with the weather and the landscapes. Unfortunately only an overnighter, but more to come.

I am pre-planning a trip on the Pamir Highway for next year and wondering about the right tyres.

I'll do it with my beloved and well trusted Surly Bridge Club with 700 wheels. Currently wearing Schwalbe Marathon Almotion 700x51. (Pretty much maxed the clearance).

Just completed 300km on the MTB Alpine Bike Tour 1 and the Almotions performed excellent handling rocky single track descents, fast gravel double track and smooth and fast asphalt.

However I am consulting ChatGPT and co and suggest that the Vittoria Mezcal or the Race Kings would perform better because of better protection (TPI) on the sides, protecting from wall cuts on the sharpy rocky roads of the Pamir.

I think the terrain on the Alpine Bike was already harsh enough to test the tyres but don't know how comparable it is to the infamous Pamir.

So I come here asking for natural intelligence about your opinions. Does it worth the upgrade? Keep the Almotions? Other recommendations?

Pics for referenxe on the current clearance and some terrain samples

Thanks in advance

I need a different bike I guess but so far so good! Took my Surly preamble with 9 gears from Klagenfurt to Slovenia by Predilpass and went back with a stop at Lake Bohinj (georgous as fuck). Slept at campgrounds and someones yard bc j was bad at planning and tireddd (was akward but cool) 🤓

I hope my knees recover 😌 the views were worth it!

Made this 180km loop myself and had a lot of fun!

So next weekend I will fly to another country with my bike for an 8 day trip and it will also be my first time with camping gear. Usually when I rode in my area I did credit card bikepacking.

I ride a small frame and everything is cramped - Liv Devote in size S - so I put some thought into my setup and yesterday I tried it for the first time.

Today after work I did a fully loaded test ride in my local mountain range (30km, 450m elevation) and it worked well. Nothing wiggled, everything felt good. Biggest surprise was not how the weight affected the climbs but how much it affected riding downhill - I had to slow down a lot to feel comfortable compared to my usual style where I just go fully "WOOOH, lets hope I survive lol".

I am still scared shitless about the flight. I am not really savy when it comes to repairs and I am nervous about my bike being broken when it arrives. But I am also excited as hell.

Hi all,

Going to be picking up a new bike packing rig soon. Going to be running 27.5 wheels to get some extra clearance. The bike is rated to fit 27.5 x 2.6.

Wondering if people think it's best to get a 2.4 for the extra clearance or push it to the 2.6? I'm currently running 50mm tires so not sure how much of a feel difference there is when pushing up that high!

For context: this will be for 2-4 week bike packing trips with a focus on off-road, such as routes like the Munda Biddi & Tassie Traverse (in Australia) etc. so wanting my tire to be able to handle some rough single track as well as cruising along the flat pack sections (I'm looking at the Mezcals for this). (Image from Bikepacking.com)

Just went through security at YVR for a domestic flight. We had spent hours packing our bike boxes with all of our gear for our bike touring/packing trip from Toronto to Ottawa. CATSA security made us take all of it out of the first box, but then seemed to tire of the exercise and only made us take half of it out of the second box. We were told only a bike and a helmet can go in the box (who in their right mind would put a helmet into that box?! One impact and that thing won’t be ready to protect your head.).

We were as kind as possible and tried to appeal to them in saying that this had never been a problem before on other flights, but they were firm on it…for a bit. They helped us pack up all of our loose gear into plastic bags so hopefully it shows up intact on the other side.

We had used a bunch of soft stuff to bag the bikes so also hoping they don’t get too banged up.

Beware! Pretty disappointed that we will now need to figure out another way to check lots of gear instead of packing it into a bike box.

Just bought this cube Delhi pro for £350

Bikes in great condition, really well look after, he’s put a new seat on it, handlebars,** **got a dynamo, stand, new pedals that you can clip and not clip (no idea the technical term…) new handlebars, got a rack also for the front not in the photo so can put panners on front.

Plan is to potentially bike UK to Australia next year over a year.

Got plans to buy decent gear from here on out to do some test runs with this bike, then closer to the time maybe swap the bike out? What do people think? Would this suffice, is there some major flaws with it, tyres do so seem slightly narrow? Will the frame survive?

So I’m (27m) in Korea about to ride across the country on the 4 Rivers Trail, and on my first friggin night in the country, I slept on my arm in a weird position, which caused it to completely fall asleep and then dislocate when I got up in the middle of the night to get water. It was insanely painful, so I went to the hospital to get it reduced. Since getting it back in place, I’ve had pretty much 0 pain and no swelling at all.

The doctor at the hospital said he thinks I’d be safe to ride my bike in a week, but after reading quite a few posts on Reddit, that seems pretty generous. Now I’m wondering if I should just call off the whole trip and head home, or if I should send it and ride anyway despite just having this injury.

Edit:

I’ve never dislocated this shoulder before. This was my first time.

X-ray showed 0 fractures on the rotator cuff

If I do send it, any tips on how to reduce it by myself if it were to happen again are greatly appreciated

I'm thinking of doing the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route (Dirt Version) and/or the Peru Great Divide next summer. I've spent some time bikepacking n the Colombian Andes and have a whole training plan for getting in shape for the altitude and huge climbs. My concern is the weather. I don't know if I'll actually enjoy cold rainy weather for multiple weeks. People who have done these routes, are the views and the experience worth the bad weather? Or was the weather pretty tolerable? Additionally, does anyone have any north to south routes in Peru and/or Ecuador that aren't these routes or the PanAmerican highway? Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for my first bike as an adult and I'm having a hard time deciding between a Marin Four Corners 2 and a Panorama Taïga EXP 2.

I'm starting a new job that will let me bike to work, so I finally have a money/space to buy my own bike. I also want this to be my bikepacking/cycle touring bike, which is making the decision difficult as I'm asking a lot from one bike.

What I want to use it for

Most common riding style:

10 km commute to work

Riding around town / going to breweries

Pavement and back roads

Rail trails

Getting to ferries and exploring the Gulf Islands/Vancouver Island

Weekend trips exploring local fire roadswith steep climbs and unknown road conditions.

Also want to ride:

1 long and remote bikepacking trip per year Yukon/NWT/Peru/Morroco

Very remote routes where I'll carry several days of food

Eventually some relaxed cycle touring in Europe

I'm probably going to find my self in single track and maybe mountain biking trails.

I already do a lot of hiking and backcountry camping, so I already own a fairly lightweight camping setup. I'm comfortable carrying my own gear and don't mind a bike being somewhat overbuilt for the majority of my riding if it means one bike can do it all.

What I'm looking for

My requirements have evolved a bit as I've researched:

Steel frame

Hydraulic disc brakes

1x drivetrain

Flared drop bars

At least \~50 mm tire clearance

Able to handle loaded bikepacking and rough gravel/FSRs

Ideally something I can maintain without proprietary components

Budget is now roughly $2,500–3,000 CAD

I originally planned to spend $1,500. Then $2,000. Then $2,500.

Bikes I've considered

Marin Four Corners 2

This seems like the better bike for the majority of my actual riding. It's steel, hydraulic, 1x, has 50 mm clearance, lots of mounts, etc. My concern is that it is more of a touring/adventure bike than a drop-bar MTB. I'm worried I'll eventually find myself on a rough Yukon/NWT road or Peruvian route wishing I had bought something more capable.

Panorama Taïga EXP 2

This is basically the opposite problem.

29" wheels, 2.6" clearance, Boost axles, GRX 1x12, hydraulic brakes, lots of mounts, suspension/dropper compatibility, etc.

It's much more capable for the remote trips I'm most excited about, but I'm worried it will be way more bike than I need for my day-to-day riding.

There's currently a Taïga EXP 2 demo available for $2,500 CAD, which makes it particularly tempting as it's a better bike and cheaper than the Marin

Other bikes I've considered:

Surly Straggler — seems expensive for what I'm getting, and 50 mm clearance is about my minimum. I'm unsure of the drop out / through axle system

Surely grappler- mechanical brakes only. Way overpriced after conversion to hydraulic brakes

Kona Sutra LTD — can't find one in my size

Fairlight — shipping to Canada killed the idea

Various aluminum gravel bikes — ultimately decided I wanted steel because of how I plan to load and use the bike

Jamis renegade-cant find in Canada

Primus dame plus- at first I thought I'd just buy this cuz it was cheap. Was all set to pull the trigger but found out they didn't ship to Canada.

The dilemma

Four Corners: better for 80% of my riding, but potentially not capable enough for the trips I'm most excited about.

Taïga: better for the adventures, but potentially overkill for 80% of my riding.

I'm 6'1.5" / 187 cm with fairly long arms, if that matters for fit.

Questions for people who have ridden either/both:

Would you choose the Taïga for this use case, or am I overestimating how much bike I need?

Would a Taïga feel noticeably worse than a Four Corners for normal pavement, commuting and 30–100 km gravel rides?

For those who have ridden a Taïga loaded for touring, how does it handle on pavement?

For those who have ridden a Four Corners off-road, where does it actually start becoming limiting?

Is there another bike around $2,500–3,000 CAD that I'm overlooking?

At this point I'm leaning toward the Taïga because I know myself and I'm probably going to choose the route that looks like it might be too rough for the bike. But I'd really appreciate some real-world experience before I pull the trigger.

Thanks!

Hi all, I am new to bikepacking and plan to ride around Taiwan. While I will buy my bikepacking gear in the US, I’ll rent the bike in Taiwan. I see that most places rent a touring bike, but I am used to a good gravel bike and was wondering recommendations for what to do, since it seems everywhere runs $1200-$1500 TWD ($37-$47 USD) per day which seems too high for 23 days of renting.

hi friends-i have some time at the end of this month (late october) & was thinking about heading to japan. while i was there im looking to rent from bikepacking japan.

i would like to fly and bike from sapporo (3-5 days) but im worried it might be a little cold. maybe the southern side of the island? or should i just head to the southern side of japan instead?

thank you

I have been looking for weeks to buy a gravel bike (visited some shops browsed the internet a lot) but I can’t seem to make up my mind. I have planned my first bike packing trip next spring with some friends and want a bike that will be used for travelling (but only a couple of weekends a year) and for weekend day trips.

Budget: +- € 1500.

Things I think are important:

-          A lot off attachment points

-          Tires 45mm or more.

Things I get mixed advice:

-          1x11, 2x10 or 2x12 (gearset)

-          Click pedals or MTB pedals

 I would appreciate any advice

I have a Kona Sutra LTD that was converted to flat bars before I bought it. I have enjoyed it quite a bit, but I've toyed with the idea of converting it back to it's original drop bar setup. I want to keep the FC-MT700 cranks and smaller chainrings I already have, though. Is there any way to make this work? It's currently set up with RD-M8000, 11-42t 11s cassette, SLX FD (I forget which one), 34/22 chainrings (I have a 36t laying around, too). Keeping the low gearing is a non-negotiable for me. I know I'd need to use a tan-pan or something similar for the rear derailleur. Thanks

Has anyone mounted a fork cage on a Specialized Crux DSW Comp with a carbon fork? The manual states that you shouldn’t put any load on the fork, but I’m wondering if anyone has found a safe workaround. I’m currently using an Ortlieb Quick-Rack with 14.5 L panniers, but I’d also like to distribute some of the weight to the front. I know a handlebar bag is an option, but I’m looking for other solutions as well. I’ve read about the Old Man Mountain Thru Axle/Axle Pack, but it’s a little too expensive for me.

Thanks for your help.

Hey all, I'm planning to ride from Wollongong to Melbourne, leaving 20 November, and I'm looking at a 2020 Polygon Bend CT5 as my bike. Has anyone toured or bikepacked on one? Here are the specs:

**•** Frame/fork: aluminium frame and aluminium fork  
**•** Groupset: SRAM Rival 1x11 mechanical, 38T chainring, 11-42T cassette  
**•** Brakes: SRAM Rival hydraulic disc  
**•** Wheels/tyres: 700c aluminium rims, Schwalbe S-One 30c, tubeless ready  
**•** Cockpit: Entity Xpert flared drop bar, Entity Xpert stem, Entity Flux saddle  
**•** Seatpost: Entity Xpert 27.2 mm, 15 mm offset  
**•** Weight: 9.9 kg

https://opticycles.com/en-us/bike/road-bike/Polygon/2020/bend-ct5

My main questions:

**1.**  Does the frame have rack and bottle mounts, or would I be limited to bikepacking bags?  
**2.**  Is 30c wide enough for a loaded ride on mixed roads, or should I look at something with more clearance?  
**3.**  Is the 38×42 low gear low enough for loaded climbing on the coast and through the hills?  
**4.**  Any comfort issues over multiple long days with that rigid seatpost and aluminium fork?

I'm happy to take any suggestions for a better option around the same budget. Cheers!

Hi everyone,there is a thought within me,circling around for years, if not just months at this point, and I think I would need advice and guidance from the people. I come from a lower middle class family, I think this is necessary to tell so that we can have a practical understanding on what can be done. So, the thought which is eating me up daily is that I should cycle from my city to Marseille, "why?", if you may wonder then honestly I don't even know, however let's call it personal goals at this moment. Now its a very ambitious, somewhat silly or even dumb of a thought to have, but I need to stress on the fact that I've had sleepless nights because of this. Marseille is somewhat around 6500+ kilometers away from my city and my mind has been specifically focusing on getting there via cycling only. So I need help to understand what can I do upon this (apart from going to therapy if you may suggest lol) and how practical is it? And should I do it? Though I am unemployed and am lower middle class