rivers

This is just a little post to highlight what works for me, as someone who's 5'2" and rides a 46cm gravel bike, with drop bars. I've tried a few different variations over the past couple of years, and is based purely on my own experience.
A run down of the bikes I've used:
46cm Orro Terra C gravel bike ( main bikepacking bike)
46cm Sublime Zoku (aero road bike)
47cm Felt F40x CX bike (sadly stolen and replaced with the Orro).
As with anyone riding a small or XS small bike, on bike storage is a major issue. Small frame triangle with maybe only one bottlecage, short headtube (no matter the style of bike), limited clearance between the saddle and rear wheel, narrow handlebars, etc.
I'm lucky with my saddle height due to long legs for my height (31" inseam), so can just about run a 15 litre saddlebag bag if I pack it just right. However, packing it just right is a ball ache. Alao, it sways like a mofo if packed poorly.
prior to trying a 15 lotre, I found a 12 litre altura vortex worked really well clearance wise. It also didnt sway noticeably. However, once I started camping, I didn't have enough on bike storage for everything.
I've opted to run a Tailfin Aeropack with 5 litre mini panniers. Everything I used to put in the large saddlebag, I now split between the aeropack and mini panniers. I could fit everything in the aeropack, but I have a dropper post and want to be able to have full use of it. So, if you're struggling finding a saddlebag, look into something like a Tailfin or just a standard rack and pannier bags. Several companies are now making smaller, more off-road oriented panniers. If you don't have rack mounts, there are a few companies making a more budget friendly racks for bikes without mounts than Tailfin (Ortlieb Quick Rack and an Aeroe Spider spring to mind).
For my main triangle, I opted for a custom made full frame bag from bike-bag UK. I tried a few different frame bags, but none fot quite right, so went for custom. I chose bike-bag uk because they offer a fully custom bag for a very good price, cheaper than a lot of mass market bags out there. Instructions are on their website, but the crux of it is, you post them a template of your frame bag, place an order on their website with what features you want, pay, and they make and ship the bag to you. It was less than a week turnaround and cost me around £55 for my bag. It's just over 3 litres in size and fits my apidura 3 litre frame bag hydration bladder and a few smaller bits around it.
I've tried several different handlebar bags over the years. I started with a 5 litre altura vortex. It's just a fraction too small to fit my sleeping bag and mat. Last year I used a 13 litre alpkit deluge with a roo pouch (quick access needs like food, layers, etc), and this year I've opted for a restrap small bar bag/harness with the 1.5litre food pouch. With 40cm bars, the capacity is nowhere near 14 litres, much closer to 8 or 9, which is perfect for my sleeping bag and mat.
Now, I have a very short head tube having a 46cm bike. There are a few different options for pushing your bar bag up and away from your handlebars. Restrap make their bump bar, but at £40, it's not exactly cheap. However, for around £10 off Amazon, you can buy a handlebar extension. Instead of mounting it above your handlebars, mount it below so it's parallel with your headtube. This will push your handlebar bag up and away from your wheel and eliminate rub.
I've tried anything cages on my forks, but I wasn't a fan, but it also is another option for storage if you need it. when I used the anything cages, i stored a tent in one side, and various lightweight spares in the other.
As for top tube bags, my tob tube felt crowded with one on, so I've rarely used one.

PedalingWalrus

I thought the solutions was to get a tall boyfriend who carries everything ;-)

indyfabz

Worked for my 5’ tall ex-GF. (I’m 6’ 2”.)

Seriously…She pulled a BOB trailer. With the dry bag it came to 18 lbs. before gear. She was only 105 lbs. soaking wet. I carried a lot of the weight, including the heavy tent and virtually all the cooking gear. Only time I could beat her up climbs.

PedalingWalrus

We got a tandem. Each gets 2 panniers and we both pull the same weight with the Watts we can provide. :-)

PedalingWalrus

Anyway, sorry to hijack this, kinda, sorta... btw the OP made a nice thoughtful post with great information.

For me, it was just a crazy day and I could barely see straight when I was replying and I suppose the depth of my response reflect how I felt. :-)

Cheers.

Polaris OBark

That is exactly what I was going to recommend.

There come a point (or a time in life) when piling everything high becomes counter-productive.

(The last time I toured (with a conventional rig), I had to re-pack so I had almost nothing on top of my rear rack in order to get on the bike. I can't use those wag-the-bike seat bags at all.)

Bike-packing definitely favors those who can fit larger frames.

Tourist in MSN

Where did all those 26 inch wheel size bikes go?

Polaris OBark

Are you suggesting my 700C x 55mm Rene Herse tires on my touring bike was not the finest decision I have ever made?

indyfabz

When I dragged her into the touring world we disused panniers. She was worried about supporting and controlling the weight attached to the bike, so we went with the trailer. Made her feel safe bombing long descents. At the top of passes, I would take the pump from her in case I flatted when she was way down the road. Being on blood thinners, a fearless descender I am not

saddlesores

trailers are great for heavy or bulky loads on pavement and well-packed and graded dirt.
not so sure if this would be suitable for bikepacking, as the general idea is going off-road.
yes, i know.....but the perception is higher/thinner/lighter load for better handling on narrow, rutted trails.
bob does have the ibex version with suspension..........so i guess it is possible.

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/revie.../bob-ibex-plus

https://u7q2x7c9.stackpathcdn.com/ph..._12058_XL.webp

rivers

A trailer doesn't make sense for the places I ride in the UK. You can't lift a bike w/trailer over a fence or stile (of which there can be many). A trailer would be cumbersome on some the trails, river crossings, and hike-a-bike sections. Plus I often take the train to and from wherever I'm going and trailers aren't generally allowed on UK trains.
there are definitely times when a trailer would make sense, but in much of the off-road in the UK it doesn't. Roads, rail trails, and more family oriented routes for sure.

djb

rivers, very good points to bring up about smaller frames. My wife rides an XS frame and while she has no interest really in bikepacking and less volume carrying, we can very much relate to how you run into space constraints with smaller frames.
Ive only recently started playing with bikepacking setups and I'd have to say that while I've noticed the shift back to racks and small rear panniers over the last few years, it does make sense to me and I don't see a real downside to it unless one is really going to be super critical about overall weight and pushing daily distances or average speeds if that is your thing.
Seems to me that for most people, going some sort of rear pannier route makes things easier for more average storage volume (less extreme minimalism) and making things easier like front end aspects--- I have used fork cages and smaller drybags, but did notice that I didnt like how taller drybags touch the frame in very slow, see-sawing handlebar maneuvers. On my bike, the fork cage mounts are facing towards the back of the bike, so make the bags more likely to touch the frame unless I made the drybags short by rolling down them more so they clear better.
What width bars are you using? I switched my dropbars from 42 to some 46cms that I bought used a few years ago, and using a Revelate harness, I can fairly easily put in a 10L drybag and my tent, but as I am using Gevenalle shifters, not STI , on this bike, it is easier as I dont have to make room for the shifters moving inwards like regular sti .

your custom frame bag seems to be the best option for water access. Thanks for the referral, I'm sure this could be helpful to others with small frame triangles.
On the water bottle topic, with drop bars I still really like using the tops as a reflex hand position when going over rough stuff, and when climbing steep hills, so having water bottle bags hanging near that area would be annoying to me, not to mention getting out of the saddle and having knees going there---caveat, I havent ridden my bike with bottle bags there, so don't know if they would be okay, I could be wrong.

all in all its kinda fun playing with and figuring out different ways to pack stuff isn't it?

Polaris OBark

Sorry, I was just thinking in general, not your use case (which I took to be solved -- it looks great, BTW). Some types are single-wheeled and more suited to off-road. Also Spork makes a carbon fork that will enable attachment of full front panniers. Again, just general suggestions, not aimed at your use case.

I've got a book called "Great British Gravel Rides" sitting on the coffee table. Hopefully this will get some use in the future.

FWIW, Even though I am 7 or 8" taller than you, my legs are 1" shorter.

rivers

My handlebars are 40cm c-c, with a 16° flare. They're about as wide as I'm comfortable with. I don't have a problem with shifting now that use a handlebar extension to take the bar bag up and away from the headtube and front wheel.
A hydration bladder in the framebag is ace. I used it this weekend on a gravel sportive as it was absolutely roasting. We're in the middle of our first heatwave of the year. Apparently we're in for a long, hot summer so may just keep the hydration bladder on the bike.
my set-up for my next trip will once again be completely different as im taking my 18 month old son in his trailer. The terrain will be a bit easier however

djb

ya, 40 is pretty narrow, but that extension thing must help a bunch. Here in Canada we regularly get 30c weather, so having lots of water capacity is so important. Seems to me I read that it was 30c in London last week, and I know you guys dont really have a/c.
Its been eons since we pulled kiddies in trailer, but as you know, it's bonkers how much stuff we end up schlepping along when doing things with kids--but thats ok, just a different activity and more important to have all the stuff to make life easier for both you and more fun for the munchkin.

RCMoeur 

As a member of the Compact-American Community, I can certainly empathize.

In the late 70s, I wore a hole thru the bottom of a saddlebag due to the lack of clearance between the saddle loops and tire - even with a metal bag support underneath.

I've had to be careful in underseat bag selection on my fast bike in order to avoid tire rub. A few years ago, I got one of those longer underseat bags often used in bikepacking, but I had to rig straps up to the top of my J.A. Stein "Seat B.A.R." (and water bottle holder) in order to keep the bag from rubbing when carrying items.


On most other bikes, I just use racks & baskets/panniers.