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Bikepacking Fun – Part 1 of 3

Well it has certainly been a while since I last embarked on an adventure, let alone wrote about one. While it has been a while we have not been idle that’s for sure. I had decided to take an overnighter and had a process to go through to do it, so sit back relax with a cuppa and have a bit of a read.

Bikepacking

Bikepacking fun through South Gippsland

I had been threatening to go bikepacking for a while but never found (nor made) the opportunity to get out there. Plenty of mates were doing it and the invites were plentiful. I hadn’t been fit enough. I was too busy. The weather looked crap. I had a card to play for any reason, but I finally said “Stuff It” I’ll go too. Bikepacking fun ahead.

I tagged onto a ride organised by one of my riding buddies, Dale Maizels. Dale had organised to head off along the Great Southern Rail trail with a view towards ‘camping’ in a local motel. We would be taking off from Nyora and head all the way down to Port Welshpool. Being just an overnighter, there wouldn’t be much to carry but at the same time I didn’t want to carry too much. So what to take ….. and how to pack it.

So obviously I have left out one very important element – the Weather! It just so happens that the weather forecast was for sunny skies and no rain. While that would mean jackets and secondary kit were an optional extra, clear skies overnight in Gippsland mean chilly mornings. However obviously there were some mandatory elements, but my hairdryer could stay at home.

Stick to the Four Letter Word ….. No not Beer

There are all manner of bags, racks and ‘bikepacking’ fun options these days. Frame bags, handlebar bags/rolls, saddle and seatpost bags. That’s without even without discussions around panniers & racks. Plus a bit of it will be determined by how enabled your frame is to carry bolt on luggage versus strapped on luggage. Essentially I’ll only talk to my Cervelo Aspero5 at this point.

I try to stick to KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid. So straight off the bat I have been utilising a frame bag under my top tube on my longer single day rides. You know the ones where you head out early, but still end up in your own bed at night. Mine is great to carry spare tubes, a few little tools (which I’ll go into a little later), extra food and space to pop discarded arm warmers or the like. I also run the Cervelo feedbag on the top, which is always well stocked. As we would be heading to a local pub or restaurant, I really need to slip a set of thongs or the like in for my formal ‘dining-wear’. So I had to make the decision on a handlebar bag or seatpost bag. My preference in this circumstance was to opt for the seatpost bag from the Pro Discover range. They have good volume to hold what I needed and great straps to hold my formal shoes.

What do I need to take?

So all those baggage decisions made, what did I need to carry versus could carry. I am a big believer in the bigger the bags, the more you will carry. I like to be a minimalist, however I was also testing things out a little here. So I could afford taking a few extra things, such as fresh kit for the next day, rolled up puffer vest, but I still opted to leave the hairdryer at home.

If you are riding in a group, you have the option to share the load. There is no point doubling down on tools, but you should really make sure you have your own consumables. We had a discussion about not doubling up on most tools, recharging capability, sunscreens

 

…… but I draw the line at chamois cream!

Keep it simple?

The best option is to always keep things simple. If you have to make a choice on something, keep it simple and choose the most practical solution. If you are pressed for space, come back to ‘what is the likelihood’ and ‘what is the impact’. Don’t opt for more baggage than you need on the off chance you will need something. If it is not essential its likely you could survive without it.

Now all that out the way we were ready to roll out from Nyora…… coming next week.

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