Bikepacking - panniers or fancy frame bags?

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 richprideaux 03 May 2018

I have a (reasonably) old hardtail not doing much and Alpkit keep firing stuff at me about bikepacking. It's prompted some thoughts about bikes and wild camping etc.

To those who do such things - is there any real benefit of using dedicated framebags etc rather than the more traditional approach of some cheap pannier/luggage frames and strapping whatever drybags you already owned to them?

 london_huddy 03 May 2018
In reply to richprideaux:

I find that a handlebar bag plus saddle post bag spreads the weight far better than a couple of panniers at the back used to. For off-road backpacking I find that this combo is far more stable! 

MarkM 03 May 2018
In reply to richprideaux:

Yes: for off-road it makes a significant difference having a seatpost bag + handlebar bag (+ internal frame bag if you have room) compared to panniers. The weight is much better located - just feels like a heavier version of your normal bike.  

Alpkit stuff is decent and reasonably priced - lots of other brands to check out too though e.g. Apidura

Lots of good info and reviews at http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/ 

 

 Dave Cundy 03 May 2018
In reply to richprideaux

It's not just the better balance, fore and aft, but the weight of the bags themselves.  I started with a rack and 20 litre panniers, the combination was 2kg empty.  I've ended up with an Alpkit 13 litre dry bag on the handlebars (350 grammes) and an Apidura 13 litre saddle bag (another 350g).

With all the weight at the back back, if you fall to the ground and are still clipped in, it can be a right bugger to unclip the foot under the bike.

 LastBoyScout 03 May 2018
In reply to richprideaux:

I've gone for a half-way house setup comprising an Ortlieb handlebar bag and a dry bag strapped to a rack at the back.

Dry bag is easier to pack than a tapered saddle bag, doesn't swing around as much, is a lot less fiddly to attach and keeps the weight slightly lower. It was also a heck of a lot cheaper - ~£19 for the bag, ~£5 for the straps and I got the rack free, Just need to be a bit careful the rack doesn't wear through the bag - worth a bit of protective tape here and there.

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estivoautumnal 03 May 2018
In reply to richprideaux:

Bikepacking is just a poncey word for touring light. It used to be a pannier rack and  a lightweight rucksack and now it has manifested into a consumer world of dozens of tiny little bags hanging loosely around a frame. It's the off road version of MAMIL's but with small velcro appendages in place of lycra bulging appendages. 

Unless you are spending many hours cycling in deep ruts a good old Ortlieb pannier bag still works. 

These little bags have always been on the market. They are trendy at the moment. Vaude have been making them for decades.

 

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Removed User 04 May 2018
In reply to richprideaux:

You can often buy bikepacking kit on eBay for much less than new. Or buy from Lomo who are ridiculously cheap if slightly heavy.

There was a time when cycle tourists who used big saddlebags would describe low rider panniers as poncey. Who cares. For road touring with camping kit etc it's 4 small panniers and a handlebar bag every time. For mountain bike touring off road, the modern bike packing kit is much better. The bike will feel much more nimble and you won't snag panniers on bushes or ruts.

 TobyA 04 May 2018
In reply to estivoautumnal:

> Unless you are spending many hours cycling in deep ruts a good old Ortlieb pannier bag still works. 

Have you ridden Cut Gate in the Peak District? Pedalling is tricky due to the ruts in parts! 

Ortleib stuff is rather pricey too, obviously very good quality though.

 

Rigid Raider 04 May 2018
In reply to richprideaux:

I've always used panniers and when they are securely attached to the rack then bungeed tight so they can't swing around, you soon get used to the weight distribution. The mounting clips soon begin to wear the pannier rack but I'd rather have a worn pannier rack than frame paint worn away by a fretting frame bag.

 elsewhere 04 May 2018
In reply to Rigid Raider:

> The mounting clips soon begin to wear the pannier rack but I'd rather have a worn pannier rack than frame paint worn away by a fretting frame bag.

Nylon cable ties wrapped around the rack where it gets worn.  Nothing else I tried survived the wear and tear.

 

Post edited at 08:18
OP richprideaux 04 May 2018
In reply to richprideaux:

Thanks for all of the replies - really helpful and it's given me more to think about.

It's good to know that there are viable options than the 'cycling whilst wearing a 40L pack' that has been my way of transporting heavier loads in the past.

I'll root through my pile of drybags and take a look at Alpkit and eBay.

MarkM 04 May 2018
In reply to richprideaux:

Depends as well of course on what sort of off-road biking you have planned. Some of the tougher mtb trails I rode the last 2 years  I really wouldn't have wanted panniers on but for 80-90% of the stuff they would have been OK ...

 LastBoyScout 04 May 2018
In reply to richprideaux:

> I'll root through my pile of drybags and take a look at Alpkit and eBay.

If you already have a pile of dry bags, then all you really need is the right size and a couple of straps and you have a servicable handlebar bag...

 Kimono 04 May 2018
In reply to richprideaux:

I would do anything to avoid panniers myself! And that usually means touring super lightweight but not camping....usually staying in hostels.

This means I can get away with a very small backpack with clothes in and an Alpkit seat post bag with the heavier stuff in....which for some unfathomable reason they didn't even make water resistant, meaning that any spray from the road gets the bag and its contents wet! Hopefully they have addressed this in more recent models?

 dovebiker 04 May 2018

I'm not a fan of panniers offroad - they're not 100% secure, mounting clips can break - my worst experience was an Alpkit pannier getting caught on a tree-stump and breaking the (weak) clips - OK, not terminal but it was -20C at night in the arctic and I got frost-nip faffing around with screwdrivers and screws. Soft luggage forces better discipline in terms of choice of gear / less weight. But anything is better than wearing all but a minimal backpack for extended periods - I put a hydration bladder in my framebag for longer rides, keeps the weight low on the bike and off my back.


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