cyccommute 

Because bicycle touring came first. “Bikepacking” is a relatively recent term and is really different from “touring”. They share some similarities but the bikepacking term was coined to describe mountain biking combined with bicycle touring. The bags for bikepacking are different. Rather than being held on racks that stick out to the side, the bags are closer to the frame so that they don’t snag on rocks and branches that you aren’t likely to encounter while touring on a smooth road.

Bikepacking bags for off-road touring are far superior to traditional panniers and other methods of carrying gear...in off-road situations. I’ve off-road toured with panniers in 1986

me old by Stuart Black, on Flickr

It was not the best way to go. The load was a lot heavier than it is now and the panniers were simple hook panniers with a bungee cord to keep them on the frame. They had a nasty tendency to go rolling down hills are random times, usually after hitting a bump at fairly high speeds.

I’ve also off-road toured with trailers. Actually with a couple of different types. I’m not a huge fan of those either. I had one that attached to the seat post and it tended to lift the rear of the bike with braking. On a steep rocky downhill, the last thing you want is to have the rear end lifted. The one below (shown on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon) is lower and attaches to the quick release but it has it’s own issues. It still pushes the rear around and lifts it just a little. The pushing is the problem because it pushes you off the line and makes steering less predictable. Still not a good thing.

Additionally, there is another tire (of a different size) to worry about. This trailer also doesn’t work with the Breezer style dropouts on my current mountain bike.
DSCN0027 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

Bikepacking bags are better then the alternatives but I do have some issues with them. The load is carried very high. That can cause handling issues. The bags attach to the bike very well and don’t bounce off but if they have to be removed, the process is a lot longer and the bags are a very weird shape which makes carrying them more difficult. For example, the bike below was shuttled to the start of my ride on a bus (we have a state wide service through our Colorado Department of Transportation). However, the bike had to go on the front of the bus that was being driven at 65mph. I had to remove the harness, the seat bag and the two leg bags because the driver was afraid that they would blow off. Along with my helmet and a Camelbak, I had to get all that stuff into a narrow bus. The bags aren’t easy to carry as they don’t have carrying straps.

The space is somewhat limited as well. When I’m doing backcountry tours, I carry freeze-dried because I’m not likely to run across a grocery store very often. Because I just need to boil water, I also carry minimal cooking equipment. I’m not going to be cooking meals but I’m also probably not going too be out for more than 5 to 6 nights.



This is a traditional touring set up. If I’m going to be going for weeks on end, this is the bike I choose. I can carry cooking gear, food (I always carry 3 days worth) and clothes that I need...included some off bike clothes (minimal). More importantly, if I have to remove the bags for transportation, they are much easier to remove and easier to carry. The load is only marginally larger but it is distributed better. The load is lower and the bike handles better.

2015-05-03 11.38.54 by Stuart Black, on Flickr