…continued from page 2
I also forked out (excuse the pun) for a pair of Gorilla Cages to affix to the front forks of the bike – these were paired up with couple of DOM Dry bags to stash my clothes and wash kit in.
Re-configuring the load on the bike this way allowed me to reduce the backpack requirement to almost nothing – just a dryback backpack which contained those important items I wanted with me at all times – phone, passport etc…
My next consideration was weight. not mine = I like pies and beer too much to compromise much there, but I did strip all luxuries from my load. The only exceptions to this were a flask of Jameson’s whiskey and my Kindle. To me those fit the “essentials” bracket, not luxuries at all.
Now happy with my loadout, I was ready to head to France to put it all to the test in my first bikepacking adventure.
As I said at the start of this article – I don’t think there is a “right” or “wrong” in this – unless you load up so much that your raft sinks. It has been a bit of trial and error for me. Lots of reading of other peoples ideas and just figuring out what works for me, what I am comfortable riding and paddling.
Great setup! I opted for the Salsa Anything Handle Bar Cradle, very similar to your Specialized handle bar harness. I am looking forward to your future posts.