With dynamo hubs, lights and chargers becoming better by the day, I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about how to wire up the best hub dynamo system. Now, I won’t be going into the detail about each individual component, rather this resource is about understanding the hub dynamo system as a whole. Here you’ll find information about the plugs, connectors and other products that are designed to build a better hub dynamo system.

Let’s start with a component map to understand how everything pieces together. 

Hub Dynamo System Map

This hub dynamo system map should give you an idea how everything wires together.

Dynamo Cabling

Spade Connectors

Most dynamo hubs spit out their power via two spade connectors at the axle.

There are two different common forms of spade connector – the Shimano design and the Schmidt SON design. Neither design can be said to be ‘better’ – they both do the same job of transmitting power up the cable. Due to the market split of connector types, dynamo lights and USB chargers tend to come without any connector attached to the cable ends.

A less common connector design is the Schmidt SL fork dropout. This is a really neat design; the connection happens between the edge of the hub and a fork dropout plate that’s soldered to the wiring. Unfortunately, you’ll rarely find the Schmidt SL dropout on anything but custom-built forks.

L-R: Shimano spade connector, Schmidt spade connector, Schmidt SL dropout.

Fitting Schmidt Hub Spade Connectors

A crimper tool is an ideal way to fit Schmidt spades to bare wires. With a good crimping, the dynamo cable will look neat and be fixed very firmly to the spade. It’s a really good idea to use a bit of heat shrink over the spades to protect them against the elements (they can corrode). At a pinch, I’ve used a pair of pliers to connect spades, but you won’t get that nice spade curl without a crimper.

A crimping tool will ensure the strongest and neatest spades.

Piggyback Spade Connectors

One advantage to the Schmidt spade design is that you can use ‘piggyback’ spade connectors at the hub. These connectors have a second set of spades built in, allowing you to connect two extra wires (ie. your USB charger) to the system.

Wiring both lights and a charger simultaneously is not a problem provided there is an on/off switch on the light (or charger). This is because piggyback connectors will send power to both your light and USB charger. Unfortunately, there’s not enough power to run your lights at full brightness AND get a decent charge, so you can use the light ‘off’ switch to divert 100% of the power to the USB charger, or you can unplug devices from the USB charger with the lights ‘on’ for maximum illumination.

Splicing Cables

If you’re using the Shimano connector design, the best way to get power to both your lights and USB charger is by splicing the four cables together. This will produce a single set of cables with spade connectors at the end. Again, you’ll want to make sure that your dynamo front light (or USB charger) has an on/off switch because like piggyback connectors, spliced cables send power everywhere.

Dynamo Two-Way Switches

If your front light (or USB charger) does not have an on/off switch, you’ll want to incorporate a two-way switch elsewhere into your system. Two-way switches send 100% of the power from your hub to either your light or charger. Switches also allow the physical size of a dynamo light to be greatly reduced. Check out two-way switch products from Igaro and kLite.

The kLite BAR Switch will allow you to toggle between charging and your light.

Breaking Cables

There are a few ways to ‘break’ your cables. You may need to do this to extend the length of a dynamo cable, or perhaps it will help with removing components of your system when packing a bike into a box. I like to keep my system as modular as possible!

I use the ultra-neat Supernova Gold Connectors (US $16) in order to disconnect my rear light from my front. Alternatively, Schmidt makes some small and highly cost-effective 2.8mm spade connectors for a fraction of the price (US $0.20) which essentially do the same job.

A more recent development are Dyna-Snap magnetic connectors. Using magnetic cable ends, you can disconnect parts of your dynamo system in an instant. An obvious advantage to this system is for easy front wheel removal. As there’s no delicate spade-locating required, the magnetic connectors can automatically find each other when in proximity.

The Dyna-Snap magnetic cable connectors allow you to quickly disconnect cables.

Cache Batteries

The power from a dynamo hub will drop too low for charging when your speed is below ~12km/h. GPS devices tend not to like this, displaying a rather annoying ‘lost external power’ message whenever you stop or slow down. Smartphones also don’t enjoy charging on a varying voltage, so to get the most out of your charging system you should plug a cache battery into the USB charger, and your phone/GPS into the battery.

At higher speeds, the battery will store power which will be used to keep a constant power supply for your GPS/phone at the low speeds or when stopped. A cache battery with power passing directly from input to the device has no loss in efficiency. But when the power is stored in the cache battery rather than being used straight away, that’s where you will experience a loss of ~20%.

There are a few things to note about getting a cache battery. Some batteries will have a minimum current input of 1A, while many USB chargers will be delivering 0.5A for the majority of the time. This renders those batteries incompatible. You will also need to find a battery that can be discharged while it’s getting charged (‘pass-through’ charging). Lots of battery manufacturers will not permit ‘pass-through’ charging because it limits the lifespan of a battery. The best source for pass-through batteries is often through solar power kit manufacturers.

The Goal Zero Flip 20 is a battery with low current pass-through charging suitable for dynamo hubs.

Combined Light and Dynamo Units

There’s a few integrated dynamo lights/chargers which are cost-effective and elegant as they incorporate all of the electronics, including a switch, into the one simple unit. Keep in mind that they don’t include a cache battery – you’ll have to add one to achieve a constant charge at low speeds for smartphones and GPS devices.

AXA Luxx70 Plus (70 lux) – USB charging, amazing value for money (Amazon Special US $139)
B&M Luxos U (70 lux) – USB charging, handlebar mounted switch, great beam shape (US $219)
Sinewave Cycles Beacon (750lm) – USB charging, light assist with battery, very high output at low speed. (US $325)

To learn everything about dynamo lights and beam patterns, I recommend clicking HERE.

Effectiveness of Dynamo Systems

At typical cycling speeds, you will not get a good USB charge and have a decent beam lighting the road – it’s one or the other.

Given the latest LED and lens technology, you can now buy dynamo lights that are over 100 lux or 1200 lumens at 20km/h (12mph). That’s more than enough for everything on the road, as well as most off-road stuff too. Some off-road dynamo lights can have power coming in via a battery for slow riding too (Exposure Revo, kLite Bikepacker Pro, Sinewave Beacon).

You can achieve a decent charge at relatively low speeds with many of the USB chargers. This is enough to charge a phone or GPS in a few hours provided your speed doesn’t drop below 15-20km/h.

In terms of electrical resistance, you can expect to lose about 5 watts of pedaling power with your dynamo system on, and 1-2 watts when it’s off (when compared to a regular front hub). Click HERE to read all about dynamo hub efficiency and the effect on your riding speed.

Summary

Building a hub dynamo system takes a little bit of know-how, but it’s quite straight forward once you’ve got the basics.

I generally recommend starting with a dynamo hub, front light (with an on/off switch) and a USB charger. Either splice your cables together (Shimano design) or fit up piggyback spade connectors (Schmidt design) to get everything wired up neatly. Try to put a few cable ‘breaks’ in your system to keep it modular – especially if you’re planning on taking sections off your bike (fork, rack etc) for both flights and general bike mods.

Example system on a budget:
– Shimano 3N80 or Alfine disc dynamo hub (Amazon Special US $89)
– The Busch + Müller Lumotec IQ2 Eyc 50lux light (Amazon Special US $74)
– The Kemo M172N USB charger (from US $50)
– Goal Zero Flip 20 5200mAh (Amazon Special US $39)
Total: US $252

Example all-out system:
– Schmidt SON 28 dynamo hub (US $265)
– Schmidt Edelux II light (US $176)
– Cinq 5 The Plug III USB charger (Amazon Special US $169)
– Cinq 5 Smart Power Pack II 3000mAh battery with variable 100/450/900mA current (US $130)
Total: US $740

There’s so much more to know about dynamo light beam patterns and USB chargers. Have a hunt around the site and you can find out much more information on it all.

Click HERE To See The Different Dynamo Hub USB Chargers Available and HERE To Learn All About Dynamo Lights

The post How To Set Up The Best Hub Dynamo System For USB Charging & Lights appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Eurobike is the biggest bicycle trade show in the world, and is a great place for companies to launch new products. Here’s your 2017 Eurobike roundup showcasing all the touring, trekking, adventure and bikepacking gear from the show. I will update this resource as more photos become available. 

A special thanks to Martin from BikeTourGlobal for running around and taking most of these great photos. 

AcePac

AcePac have had a great looking stand at Eurobike the last couple of years.

You can find tents, bags, mats, stoves, cookwear…

But AcePac actually specialise in making all kinds of bikepacking bags.

The AcePac handlebar roll has the option of a nifty front bag too.

Water bottles fit nicely into their stem accessory bags.

Apidura

The Apidura stand was showing some of their bikepacking bags, new and old.

This old set belongs to Lee Craigie, a former professional mountain biker, turned endurance athlete.

Lee and her bike have just come back from cycling the Peru Divide.

Burley

Burley had a giant touring trailer amongst their child/dog/cargo trailers.

With two panniers at the rear and cargo space on top – it’s positively ginormous!

Busch & Muller

There were no new B&M products this year, but the IQ-X is still the brightest dynamo front light with the best light reflector.

Hilite

This Hilite touring bike was a bit of a show stopper! Weighing in at 9.2kg (20lbs), this titanium bike with carbon forks / rims / fenders, Rotor hydraulic gearing and Schmidt dynamo kit is seriously impressive. Image: CyclingTips

Kindernay

New internal geared hub brand Kindernay was at their first Eurobike.

The Kindernay XIV gearbox lives inside a hub cage. This means you can drop the gearbox out and switch it between bikes.

It also means that it can fit fat bikes, boost bikes and regular frames too.

There is hydraulic shifting to switch through the 14 gears. The gear range is slightly wider than a Rohloff.

I’m looking forward to seeing more from these guys – the hub should be on the market shortly. You can read more about the Kindernay HERE.

Koga

Koga had some Ortlieb bikepacking bags on one of their light touring bikes. These are the size large bags; you can see the small bags below.

Maxx

This Maxx light touring bike was fitted out with Ortlieb’s new Gravel Packs. These are the lightest panniers that Ortlieb have ever made.

Up the front is the Ortlieb Accessory bag which is one of my favourite bits in my bikepacking kit.

On a different bike was this neat dynamo cabling plug system. The dynamo cables are spliced together into a single plug just above the spades.

The single plug then connects to the two spade plugs which can be left permanently on the hub when removing the wheel. A quick and easy solution!

Merida

Merida’s new adventure bike is called the Silex. Along with the new bike release, they’re offering a range of bikepacking bags too. An interesting thing about the Merida Silex is that the bike is designed around a single stem length, fork rake and head tube angle. This essentially results in the same steering feel for every size! Image: Road.cc

Ortlieb

The Ortlieb stand had a 1980s touring bike with 25-year-old panniers and some loud graphic design to match.

These Bike Packer bags from the 1980s still look like they will go the miles today.

Thought frame bags are new? Think again.

The turquoise bags on this Tout Terrain compliment the silver colourway quite nicely.

The latest Ortlieb bikepacking bag range now comes in a smaller size.

The new 11-litre Seat Pack reduces the seatpost required to just 6cm. It’s also 30% lighter than the huge 16-litre version.

The new Handlebar Pack S is a much better size for road handlebars. With a smaller roll diameter, there is an extra 4cm of clearance to the front wheel too.

The Cockpit Pack is fully waterproof and is a great location for a camera, phone, wallet or snacks.

The original larger-sized bikepacking bags were on display too.

Restrap

The Restrap stand was looking great, with a fleet of Bombtrack bikes to showcase their products.

Bikepacking on a singlespeed? I wouldn’t do that…

Some nice small details on the Restrap bags up the front of this bike.

A closer look at the rear saddlebag mounts at the seatpost/seat.

With 27+ wheels, this Bombtrack bikepacking setup is ready for some real backcountry riding.

A gravel-ready Bombtrack with full Restrap bag set.

Restrap had a bottle that suits small bikes with a half framebag, as you need very little space to get the bottle in.

Once plugged in, the bottles look really neat on the bike.

Rohloff

Rohloff’s big news for this year was electric shifting for eBikes! The 14 gears integrate neatly with the Bosch head unit.

The E-14 shifting box is connected to the shifter via a cable.

This Rohloff Speedhub was fitted to a DirtySixer bike which has 36″ wheels to suit someone Shaq’s size!

Schmidt

The Schmidt dynamo hub and light colour range is quite extensive.

Ever wondered what’s inside a Schmidt dynamo hub?

Surly

The Surly Karate Monkey 27+ is a trail bike that’s ready for bikepacking adventures.

The Surly Krampus is the 29+ trail bike of choice.

These Surly Moloko touring bars were on the latest iteration of the ECR.

Tern

The new Tern cargo electric folding bike. Here it is with six panniers!

Thule

The Pack ‘n Pedal has been around for a while now. You can fit these spacious panniers to any bike via the clip-on racks.

Tout Terrain

The Tout Terrain X.Over series offers bikes for off-road touring and bikepacking. This model is running a Pinion 18-speed gearbox, Gates Carbon Drive and 2.8″ gravel tyres.

Another Pinion bike by Tout Terrain is the Metropolitan Xpress.

The Tout Terrain Tanami GT is a drop bar 29er touring bike with a Rohloff hub and all of the touring accessories.

Up the front it has a Cinq5 The Plug USB charger, a Cinq5 battery and the drop bar Rohloff shifters.

The Cinq 5 road shifters are designed so that you can have Rohloff shifting on integrated brake levers.

The system has one shifter moving towards harder gears, and the other moving towards easier gears.

The Cinq5 The Plug has been around for a long while now, offering a really neat solution to charging from a dynamo hub.

Van Nicholas

The Van Nicholas Deveron is the top-of-the-range touring bike, complete with a Pinion 18-speed gearbox.

The Van Nicholas light touring bike has provision for a rear rack, but with a full road groupset you’ll need to be careful not to carry too much!

Vaude

Vaude quietly dropped their new bikepacking bag range at Eurobike 2017.

Using front and rear harness systems and drybags, Vaude have kept the design really simple with this range.

The framebag uses a roll enclosure to keep everything water tight.

You slip the green drybag into the rear harness. From here it doesn’t look particularly stable, and it looks like you need a significant amount of seatpost to use the bag.

Velotraum

The Velotraum stand had the usual single-colour touring bike range.

This yellow light touring bike is ready for a rough gravel road near you.

With balloon tyres and a suspension fork, this Velotraum is ready to go touring anywhere.

Want to keep it simple? Velotraum still make steel 26″ touring bikes with rim brakes and Rohloff hubs.

Check Out Previous Eurobike Coverage HERE

The post Eurobike 2017 Coverage: Bicycle Touring, Bikepacking and Adventure Gallery appeared first on CyclingAbout.

If you’re keen on charging electronics, you’re probably already aware of the option to incorporate dynamo hub cache batteries (or buffer batteries) into your dynamo system. As long as your cache battery has some charge, it can provide continuous power to your devices when your speed drops too low for USB charging, such as when climbing a steep hill or when stopping at traffic lights.

Cache batteries will also help you stay off-the-grid for a significant amount of time provided you ride enough, you aren’t a heavy electronics user and you have a little bit of power on reserve.

The best dynamo hub cache batteries have a couple of key characteristics which we’ll cover in this resource.

USB chargers are best used in conjunction with cache batteries in order to supply a constant charge to your devices.

Pass-Through Batteries

Most batteries will either charge up via USB OR send their stored power to your device; rarely will they do both simultaneously. But, there is a special battery feature that makes both possible with some battery models.

Pass-through is the most important requirement of dynamo hub cache batteries. With this feature, the battery can actually send a charge to a device with no loss in efficiency. If your speed drops too low, the battery storage will pick up the difference and keep a constant charge to your device. When your device is full, the battery will be able to charge itself back up.

The reason many battery manufacturers don’t allow pass-through is that it can deteriorate batteries a bit quicker than otherwise. That said, you can expect a minimum of 500 total charge/discharge cycles (empty to full) with most batteries. And yes, two half charges equate to one full cycle.

The Goal Zero Flip 20 is a battery with low current pass-through charging suitable for dynamo hubs.

Battery Storage Losses

When power is stored in a battery, it experiences a storage loss of 15-20%. In order to minimise this loss, it is best to try to charge your electronics either straight from the USB charger or using the pass-through feature of a battery. It’s nice to have that power on tap, but when it means you lose 1-hour of power per 5-hour ride… it adds up!

Variable Current Dynamo Hub Cache Batteries

Some batteries are available with a variable current. What does this all mean? Is it important?

Well, current increases with your speed. At really low speeds, a dynamo hub will make 100mA current for example, but at high speeds, it can make greater than 1A current. With ‘current limiting’ batteries, you’re able to switch between set charging currents (eg. 100, 450 or 900mA).

The main advantage is that you can charge your battery with a constant current (eg. 100mA) at really low speeds (eg. 8km/h). However, the charging rate at 8km/h is approximately 5x slower than if you are traveling at 20km/h, so you’re not getting all that much power at those speeds anyway.

At higher speeds, the current limiter puts a ceiling on how many watts can be produced (eg. 3 watts @ 900mA). If you are likely to ride at speeds exceeding 25km/h+ then you’re better off without any current limit.

The Cinq5 Smart Power Pack II has a variable current for charging at low speeds.

How Long Will A Battery Take To Charge?

It’s not too hard to determine how fast a battery can charge, but we will need to make a few assumptions first.

A 3-watt dynamo hub will put out an average of around 6-volts at 500mA. Once the power has been converted from AC to DC the output will translate to roughly 5V and 500mA (the USB 2.0 charging standard), which for an hour of riding is 500mAh. Charging a 5000mAh battery will, therefore, equate to 10 hours of riding. However, there are also small losses in the charging circuitry, perhaps around 20% of the total generated power. Adding the 20% extra ride time (10 hours + (10 hours x 0.2)) and we’re looking at 12 hours of riding to fill the battery from scratch.

You can also use the above assumptions when determining how long it will take to fill a phone battery. My Apple iPhone 5S has a 1500mAh battery, so at 500mA per hour, it should take 3 hours. Adding in the circuitry losses and I’m looking at 3.6 hours of riding to fill it up. Other modern smartphones like the Samsung S8 will have 3000mAh batteries, resulting in 7 hour + charge times.

Having said all that, there are products which use special capacitors to achieve almost twice as much power as discussed. There is a downside though: additional dynamo hub resistance. Check out the Forumslader V5 and Dynamo Harvester Plus USB chargers which can achieve 5 watts (1A) power at 20km/h.

The Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus is a cache battery that charges into 4x rechargeable AA batteries.

Battery Capacity

The battery size that you choose will depend on what devices you’re planning on charging, as well as how far you’re cycling per day. With most USB chargers you’ll be able to yield between 2500-3000mAh per 100km. To give you an idea of battery sizes in devices, a GoPro battery is 1220mAh, a Kindle battery is 1400mAh and smartphones tend to be between 1500-3000mAh.

Larger capacity batteries can be problematic to charge as they have more internal resistance in the battery cells. This requires a higher current (eg. 1A) to overcome the resistance. That’s no worries for a wall outlet, but can be hard to achieve with a dynamo hub at normal touring speeds. This can be a reason why some batteries won’t charge from a dynamo hub. So in summary, go smaller where you can, because the battery will likely be better able to match the inflow of current.

If you’re not planning on using battery storage, you can get away with as little as ~2000mAh in your cache battery. Remember that you’ll need more capacity if you’re likely to be dipping below 15km/h often.

Pre-Charging Batteries and Long-Term Storage

I fill up my cache battery from a wall outlet when I can, allowing me to use more power per day than I generate. By knowing roughly how big the batteries are inside my devices, I can ration my power (if required) so that my battery is almost depleted by the next wall outlet.

Many battery manufacturers recommend storing batteries with a 75% charge. This is because the chemicals inside are less active when left unused. To extend a battery’s life, it’s a good idea to discharge and recharge it at least once every 3-6 months too.

Cache Battery Recommendations

Wanna help support CyclingAbout? Grab a battery from Amazon by using the links below & CyclingAbout gets a tiny bit from each sale. No cost to you, easy as pie!

Cinq5 Smart Power Pack II / 3000mAh / 85g – US $130
Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus / 2600mAh / 181g – Amazon Special US $39
Goal Zero Flip 10 / 2600mAh / 70g – Amazon Special US $19
Goal Zero Flip 20 / 5200mAh / 130g – Amazon Special US $39
Goal Zero Flip 30 / 7800mAh / 193g – Amazon Special US $49
Powermonkey Explorer 2 / 6000mAh / 286g – Amazon Special US $99

Check Out Some Of My Other Resources On Dynamo Systems, Dynamo Lights and USB Chargers

The post All About The Best Dynamo Hub Cache Batteries and Buffer Batteries appeared first on CyclingAbout.

These days there’s a wide array of dynamo USB chargers available on the market. While most of them do an adequate job of keeping your electronics charged, different chargers are better optimised for different tasks. The things you will be trading off include charging potential with hub drag, the size and practicality of the charging unit, and of course, the price and overall build quality.

This article will be discussing everything from power at certain speeds, to hub drag, right through to the general practicalities of dynamo USB chargers.

The B&M E-Werk dynamo USB charger. Image: GPSRadler.de

Minimum Charging Requirements

Firstly, let’s quickly cover a few basic electricity units of measurement. Sorry, it’ll take a moment to get your head around this, but the knowledge will help, promise!

Today we will be discussing voltage (in volts or ‘V’) and current (in amps, or ‘A’ or ‘mA’, where 1A = 1000mA). A common analogy for these units of measurement is in terms of a water pipe. Voltage is the water pressure and current is the flow rate. By increasing the water pressure in a pipe, you will increase the flow rate too. It’s the same with electrical systems; increasing the voltage increases the current.

Watts (W) are the total electrical system power, equal to the current (A) multiplied by the voltage. The equation is therefore:
Watts (W) = Volts (V) x Amps (A).

A 3-watt dynamo hub will put out 6 volts at 500mA (3W = 5V x 0.5A) in AC power. Once the power is converted to DC it’s more like 5V and 500mA; the power required for USB 2.0 charging. While some USB chargers will start charging at lower rates, most devices like to charge above 2-watts to ensure the charging level is stable.

2-watts can be reached by dynamo USB chargers at speeds between 12-16km/h. Travelling at speeds below this, and you’ll need to use a cache battery (topped up with power) to make sure your devices can make up the power difference for a stable charge.

Most dynamo USB chargers use chipsets with a current limit to prevent overheating (eg. Sinewave Revolution is 1A, therefore the maximum power is about 5W (5V x 1A)). It can be said that any USB charger that puts out high watts will also be putting out a high current.

The Most Powerful Dynamo USB Chargers

The Fahrrad Zukunft crew have conducted some really extensive testing to determine the amount of power (in watts) that can be produced by various dynamo USB chargers. The two below charts compare eight different models, some with different cache batteries or capacitors wired in.

Horizontal Axis: Cycling speed. Vertical Axis: Maximum output power at the USB. Image: Fahrrad Zukunft

What you’re looking at is the maximum output power at the USB charger at various cycling speeds. You’ll notice that most power curves are rather linear from 5km/h until they plateau somewhere between 20-40km/h depending on the model. The exception is the Forumslader V5 and Dynamo Harvester Plus. These chargers use special series capacitors to boost the power potential of a dynamo hub.

Power at different speeds:
1 Watt –Most chargers will achieve 1w between 9-11km/h.
2 Watts – At 12km/h the highest performing charger hits 2w. Most other chargers will hit 2w between 14-16km/h.
3 Watts – At 15km/h the highest performing charger hits 3w. Other chargers hit 3w between 20-30km/h.
4 Watts – At 18km/h the highest performing charger hits 4w. Three other chargers hit 4w between 27-28km/h.
5 Watts – At 20km/h the highest performing charger hits 5w. Three other chargers hit 5w above 35km/h.

You’ll notice The Plug III has an odd curve. This is because it’s hooked up to a current-limited cache battery on two different current settings (400mA and 900mA). With a current limit and a dynamo hub that produces 5V, that’s why it’s limited to either 2-watts or 3-watts power. If you were to plug it directly into a device you can expect a more linear curve like the rest. In fact, according to the chart by Cinq5 found in my review, The Plug III should hit 2.5-watts at around the same time as the Forumslader V5 thanks to its power amplifier.

A smartphone consumes around 3-4 watts in navigation mode with full-screen brightness. Therefore, just to keep the battery at the same level will require cycling speeds between 15-30km/h. Even then, there’s only a handful of products that can achieve that kind of power. If you’re a heavy smartphone user for your navigation you’ll want a charger with series capacitors. But powerful chargers like these have their downsides too…

Dynamo Hub Drag

Sorry, but there’s no such thing as free energy. Do you want a powerful charging system? That’s fine, but you’re going to have to pedal a bit harder for it! Let’s take a look at dynamo hub ‘drag’ from using different charging systems.

Horizontal Axis: Cycling speed. Vertical Axis: Power at the USB charger when a buffer battery is full. Image: Fahrrad Zukunft

The charts above show the power at the USB charger (via a full buffer battery). The efficiency of a high-quality dynamo hub at low power (eg. cycling at 10-20km/h) is typically 50-60%. This means that when the charger is making between 1-3 watts you can probably double that figure to work out the drag at the hub.

Therefore, when making 2.5 watts for USB charging you’re probably taking about 5 watts of your pedalling power. That drag equates to ~0.4km/h slower riding speeds than if you weren’t charging at USB specification (80kg rider / 15kg bike and gear / 150 watts / flat road). Or a ~3-minute time penalty over a 100km ride.

The efficiency increases to 70-80% at high power (ie. cycling at 30km/h). This means that a charger like the Forumslader V5 will be taking 15-watts from your pedalling power while charging at 10.5 watts. That drag equates to ~1.1km/h slower riding speeds than if you weren’t charging at 10.5 watts (80kg rider / 15kg bike and gear / 150 watts / flat road). Or a ~9-minute time penalty over a 100km ride.

While efficiency increases with rates of power, the more power developed, the more drag at the dynamo hub.

Charging Into A Power Bank (External Battery)

Once a 3-watt dynamo hub has been converted from AC to DC the output will translate to roughly 5V and 500mA (the USB 2.0 charging standard), which for an hour of riding is 500mAh. Charging a 5000mAh battery will, therefore, equate to 10 hours of riding. However, there are also small losses in the charging circuitry, perhaps around 20% of the total generated power. Adding the 20% extra ride time (10 hours + (10 hours x 0.2)) and we’re looking at 12 hours of riding to fill the battery from scratch.

Most people with USB chargers like to save their power for use later. But this is not the most efficient way to charge because there are energy losses through the additional circuitry. When power is stored in a battery, it experiences a storage loss of 15-20%. In order to minimise this loss, it is best to try to charge your electronics either straight from the USB charger or using the pass-through feature of a battery. It’s nice to have that power on tap, but when it means you lose 1-hour of power per 5-hour ride… it adds up!

You can read my detailed resource on external batteries HERE.

The Goal Zero Flip 20 is a battery with low current pass-through charging suitable for dynamo hubs.

The Neatest Dynamo USB Charging Systems

I don’t know about you, but I really appreciate a neat and integrated charging solution. The steerer tube mounted systems have got to be the neatest option – I personally use the Cinq5 The Plug III. But this dynamo USB charger has downsides too – the USB plug is exposed and can deteriorate over time.

Ortlieb has a handlebar bag called the Ultimate 6 Pro E which has connectors built into handlebar bag mount. This allows you to keep your USB charger and devices inside your waterproof bag, and take the handlebar bag off without unplugging anything. That just leaves a few wires on your bike – very neat!

The Sinewave Reactor sits neatly above the stem but is exposed to the elements.

Dynamo Light USB Chargers

There’s another neat charger design. A few dynamo lights actually incorporate a switch which directs power away from the light to charge your USB devices. This creates a nice integrated and cost-effective light/charging system with less cabling. That said, it can be said that chargers built into lights are often less efficient than separate dynamo charging devices because they are not optimised for the purpose.

The Sinewave Beacon offers both a dynamo light and USB charging.

Testing Your USB Charger

If you’re having issues with charging, a cheap USB LCD Voltmeter can help diagnose whether your USB charger is making the right amount of power. If you’ve determined you’re getting the right voltage and current for your device, you may be having issues with the particular cache battery you’re using.

You can use a USB LED voltmeter to determine how much power your charger is making.

A List Of Different Dynamo USB Chargers

Take a look at my list of the hub dynamo USB chargers options HERE.

Summary

Dynamo USB chargers are almost all excellent these days. You’ll be able to generate USB specification or over 3-watts of power at 20km/h with all of the chargers mentioned above. Many are waterproof, some are super neatly mounted on the bike, some are integrated into a dynamo headlight.

If you’re happy with an increase in dynamo hub drag, you can generate additional power using USB chargers with integrated series capacitors. This is going to be the best option for heavy electronics users. That said, if you just want to keep on top of your phone or GPS, any of the regular USB chargers should work absolutely fine.

Learn About Dynamo Hub Systems HERE, About Cache Batteries HERE and Dynamo Lights HERE

The post All About The Best Dynamo USB Chargers For Bicycle Touring and Bikepacking appeared first on CyclingAbout.

If you like the sound of fresh feeling legs, easier hill climbing and quicker cycling speeds (with the same effort) – it’s time to understand pedalling cadence.

Pedalling cadence is the speed at which you spin your cranks. It’s measured in the number of full crank revolutions that occur in one minute. As we all have slightly different body compositions and muscular strength there doesn’t appear to be an ‘optimal’ pedalling cadence for everyone, but a cadence of between 70 and 90 RPM seems to work best for most.

Over the years, I’ve been increasing my cadence naturally which I’ve found not only makes me a bit quicker but more importantly: my legs feel much less fatigued at the end of every day.

Understanding Pedalling Cadence and Power

Like a car or motorbike, our bodies have an optimal power output and rev range (cadence).

Our power output can be measured accurately through power meters that incorporate strain gauges that can be fitted aftermarket to our bikes. While power meters are the most accurate training tool for athletes, there’s not really any reason to use one on a bike tour. A more simple way to measure your effort is based on how heavy you’re breathing. When you’re working harder, your body has to take deeper and faster breaths to absorb more oxygen. By maintaining a consistent rate of breathing you can roughly maintain a consistent effort.

Pedalling cadence can be measured with a basic bike computer. Most long-term cyclists will agree that anywhere between 70 and 90 RPM is good for all-day riding, perhaps a little higher for a harder effort, and maybe a little lower if you’re an ultra-endurance athlete. For reference, I pedal at about 90 RPM on my bike trips, whether I’m riding 50km, 200km, on the flat or up a steep hill.

Cycling Up Hills With Ease

Road gradients, wind resistance, rolling resistance and weight impact your ability to maintain power at a certain cadence. With an increase in any of these variables, your power output also needs to increase to maintain your cadence.

But don’t worry, hills and the wind don’t actually necessitate extra effort!
That’s because we have gears.

The aim of the game is to use your gears to keep your power (effort) and cadence (RPM) the same at all times.

Switching to a lower gear increases the mechanical advantage, reducing the power required to maintain your cadence. The steeper it is, or the windier it is – the more you will need to flick down through your gears until you find a gear that affords you both a 70-90 RPM cadence and an effort you’re comfortable with.

It’s time to use your gears to keep your effort and cadence the same at all times. Image: TheRadavist.com

Learning To Maintain Cadence

The easiest way to learn how to maintain your cadence is to get a bike computer with a cadence sensor. They are not particularly expensive and will allow you to keep track of your pedalling habits. If you have a smartphone, you can get Bluetooth cadence sensors that will display your cadence via a smartphone app. The Bluetooth sensors aren’t the best for everyday use (get a dedicated speed/cadence bike computer) but are definitely the cheapest and easiest to fit for learning gears.

My favourite Bluetooth sensor is the Wahoo RPM II for US $39 on Amazon. You’ll need to spend just a bit of time each ride to get comfortable with using your gears to maintain a 70-90 RPM cadence. Try to do it at a location with varying road gradients. In a really short time, your brain will automatically maintain cadence and change gears while you daydream away!

The Wahoo RPM II cadence sensor attaches to your left crank and will connect to a smartphone to display your cadence.

Calculating Your Bike Gears

Now that you’ve been practising maintaining cadence and changing gears, you may find that your gear ratios are not quite adequate in the hills. With no smaller gears left you may be forced to turn an inefficient cadence! And by turning over a gear that’s too big, you quickly fatigue your muscles. That’s why I advocate for really small gears on touring bikes, not just to get up a hill, but to do hills repeatedly, day after day. After all, hills are NOT harder than cycling on the flat with the right gear ratios.

I have been building a resource library over the past few years to help set up gear ratios on touring bikes. A great place to start is by understanding gear ratios, especially how to calculate and compare them.

My Curve road bike drivetrain uses 50-34t front chainrings and an 11-42t cassette.

Cadence + The Right Gear Ratio Is The Secret To Uphill Cycling

If you find hills HARD you have the most to gain through optimising your cadence and gear ratios. That’s because hills aren’t actually harder than cycling on the flat.

Get yourself a cadence sensor to master both gear use and pedalling cadence. It will take you a very short time to learn this skill, and soon your brain will set a great cadence and will even complete the gear changes for you. That’s pretty cool, huh?

You may need to swap out some parts if you find that you’re in your lowest gear and your cadence isn’t high enough. Check through my low gear resources HERE and drop a question below if you need any help.

Once you keep your power (effort) and cadence (RPM) the same at all times, I can promise you that uphill riding will be as delightful as the rest.

The post Pedalling Cadence: The Secret To Cycling Easily Up Hills appeared first on CyclingAbout.

This is my complete gear list for the next two years as I cycle from Argentina to Alaska.

– I intend to camp most nights, so I’ve packed to be self-sufficient for days on end.
– I’m not going as light as I can because I’m on the road for a long time.
– The temperature range could be as wide as -20 to 40 degrees Celsius (-4 to 104f).
– I will switch out my winter gear for summer gear as I near the Equator (summer tent, mat, clothing is ~5kg less).
– You’ll notice I’m using a lot of computer/camera gear for your viewing and reading pleasure!

Gear List: CyclingAbout The Americas

CLOTHING & SHOES: 5956g / 23% of total gear

Casual Shirt x2 – Shirts for cycling and generally looking rad – 161g + 255g
T-Shirt – For cycling and or casual use – 137g
Light Jumper – Will be one of my most used items I’m sure – 212g
Down Jacket – To keep warm in temperatures below five degrees celsius – 693g without case
Rain Jacket – Used for both cycling and as an additional clothing layer – 536g
Shorts x2 – Cycling shorts that are also good for casual use and swimming – 174g + 204g
Pants – Rain and stain resistant slim pants – 273g
Waterproof Pants – Just cheap plastic pants, nothing fancy – 167g
Underwear x3 – Obviously – 179g
Socks x2 – For running and occasionally the SPD sandals – 94g
Warm Socks – Thick socks I will save for sleeping – 83g
Beanie – For keeping my noggin happy – 120g
Casual Hat – A packable cap to keep the sun off my nose – 45g
Neck Buff – Keep the wind out – 32g
Leg Warmers – Full-length thermals for cycling – 106g
Winter Gloves – For sub-zero cycling temperatures – 103g
Undershorts x2 – Padded lycra shorts for additional comfort – 131g + 125g
Cycling Headwarmer – A thin thermal layer for my skull – 37g
Running Shoes – For hiking and casual use – 693g
SPD Sandals – The best shoes for bike touring, especially in hot conditions – 1083g – Review HERE
Waterproof Booties – I’ve opted for some insulated booties for negative temperatures – 162g
Stuff Sack – Waterproof compression sack (everything fits inside except down jacket) – 151g

TOILETRIES: 773g / 3% of total weight

Toothbrush & Case – Not the biggest fan of gingivitis – 34g
Floss – My dentist told me I had to – 14g
Toothpaste – Lubricant for my toothbrush – 40g
Deodorant – To prevent people from running away when I approach – 50g
Towel – In the pursuit of dryness – 140g
Exfoliating Glove – For baby soft skin – 13g
Shaving Razor + Blades – To look respectable when I’m shaking hands with presidential figures – 34g
Tweezers – Less monobrow, more eyebrow – 8g
Lip Balm – Chapped lips suck – 10g
Sun Cream – Opting out of skin cancer – 50g
Nail Clippers – Imagine my nails otherwise – 37g
Electric Beard Trimmer – Trying not to look too homeless – 170g
Toiletries Case – A home for the above – 173g

CAMERAS AND ELECTRONIC GEAR: 5163g / 20% of total gear

MacBook Pro 15″ Laptop + Charger – Heavy, but I already had it and needed something powerful for video editing – 1995g + 429g
Panasonic GH4 Camera with 14-140mm Lens (Not Pictured) – So that you can see what I see in 4K – 899g
GoPro Hero 6 Action Cam + Chest Strap – POV footage and it will allow me to film myself in hectic storms – 345g
Rode Lavalier Microphone – Because in-camera microphones suck – 21g
Rode SmartLav Microphone – A separate microphone for sound recording – 17g
96gb of SD Cards – Enough storage for a bunch of GH4 footage – 3g
96gb of MicroSD Cards – Enough storage for long GoPro scenes – 3g
1TB HDD – Weekly computer backups – 226g
Camera Chargers and Spare Batteries – Needed with the camera – 230g (GH4 x1) + 86g (GoPro x2)
Gorillapod DSLR Tripod – As I’m riding solo I need a tripod to take shots – 183g
iPhone + Charger + Case – My navigation device, place for my apps and note keeper – 190g
8000mAh Power Pack – Portable power in between towns – 216g
Headphones – Podcasts, audiobooks, music – 20g
eReader – Kindle Paperwhite – 209g
Power Adapter – My plugs are all from the Land Down Under – 91g

SLEEPING GEAR: 4530g / 18% of total gear

Mont Moondance 2 Tent – Freestanding tent with 4-season inner – 2064g
Macpac Sleeping Bag + Sheet + Drybag – Will maybe just be warm enough in the mountains with all of my clothes on – 1102g
Sea-To-Summit Comfort Plus Mat – The most comfortable mat, like sleeping on a cloud – 1030g
Exped Pillow – I love the shape and feel of this insulated blow-up pillow – 222g – Review HERE
Head Torch – For seeing in the dark – 82g
Eye Mask – Day sleeping adventures – 20g
Ear Plugs – Snoring sucks – 10g

COOKING GEAR: 1741g / 6% of total gear

MSR Whisperlite Stove + Bottle – My multifuel stove of choice – 483g – Review HERE
MSR Quick 2.5L Pot – I don’t know how people get away with anything smaller – 264g
MSR Quick Dry Plate – I’ve used these for years; they’re the best in the business – 64g
Simmer Ring – To control the heat on my non-adjustable stove – 65g– Read why HERE
KeepCup – A mid-sized cup that suits all beverages – 47g
Airspresso Coffee Maker – Delicious, strong, morning caffeine hits – 206g – Review HERE
Water Bottle – Hard Plastic 1-Litre for soaking beans and lentils – 140g
Kitchen Bag – The package for all my kitchen bits and pieces – 79g
Detergent Bottle – Squeaky clean dishes – 47g
Cutlery Bag, Fork, Spoon, Knife – Titanium, of course – 83g
Chopping Board – This small GSI board is a great plate and place to cut veggies – 71g
Cigarette Lighter – Let’s get that stove going while I’m freezing on the altiplano – 20g
Pocket Knife – Mostly use this thing for the pliers and the bottle opener – 123g
Universal Silicone Plug – These are super handy for all sinks – 25g
Dish Cloth – A quick scrub – 6g
Steel Wool – I burn things to my pot all the time – 18g

TOOLS, SPARES, ESSENTIALS: 3088g / 12% of total gear

Daypack – Storing my laptop when riding and for hiking adventures – 450g
Wallet – For cards and cash – 50g
Passport – You need this for international travel – 65g
Sunglasses – Let’s keep light and dust out of my eyes – 28g
Elastic Washing Line – So good for quickly hanging up my wet gear – 46g
Topeak Road Morph Pump – Seriously, there is no better pump – 208g – Review HERE
Multitool – This one does most things mediocrely – 159g
Tyre Levers – The Pedros levers are great – 42g
Spare Tubes x2 – The more you carry, the less you get punctures – 363g
Spare Belt – I’m not planning on snapping a belt, but just in case – 60g
Spare Brake Pads x2 – So that I can stop coming down the monstrous Andean mountains – 38g
Patch Kit + Tyre Boots – 12 pre-glued patches and 2 boots – 8g
Bike Lock and Case – Theft prevention 101 – 1149g – My lock guide is HERE
Helmet – The Kask Protone helmet is meant to help with aerodynamics in headwinds – 289g
Water Filter – Sawyer squeeze bags are time-consuming but effective – 133g

LUGGAGE: 4446g / 17% of gear total

Handlebar Bag – My office and place for camera and electronic bits – 600g
Front Pannier Set – Waterproof and reliable Ortlieb bags – 1440g
Rear Pannier Set – Ortlieb bags are the shit – 1680g
Rackpack Bag – A 31L drybag for the top of my rear panniers – 726g

GEAR TOTAL: 25.697kg / 56.50lbs

***Will be putting together a medical kit in South America with a selection of bandages, painkillers, throat-spray, gastro-stop and rehydration tablets.

The post 25kg Gear List: CyclingAbout The Americas Over Two Years appeared first on CyclingAbout.

I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect tent for some time, with the intention of taking it on my two-year bike tour: CyclingAbout The Americas. Having used dozens of tents over the years, I feel like I’m getting closer to a tent that is suitable for my needs. This will be an in-depth Mont Moondance tent review, offering a tour of all of the features, as well as my thoughts after six months with the tent.

For bicycle touring I prefer the following tent characteristics:
– Freestanding (you can’t use pegs on concrete)
– A tough floor (for protection against the elements)
– Brown or green in colour (camouflage)
– Two-person (so that I can sleep a friend or fit my gear inside)
– Dual vestibule (so that my friend can escape without sitting on me)

Note: I discuss these characteristics in more detail in my resource about buying a bicycle touring tent.

All of these things led me to Mont, an Australian outdoor gear manufacturer. I sent them an email informing them that their Moondance 2 tent looked, on paper, perfect for my needs. They were confident that I would love their tent, so they sent one out to test on my month-long trip in Japan, as well as a handful of winter nights in the Australian backcountry. If it passed these tests, I would take it on my trip from Argentina to Alaska…

Mont Moondance Tent Review

Let’s do a bit of a tour first…

The Mont tent including the inner, fly, poles, pegs and guy ropes weighs 1.93kg (4.25lbs). It packs into its neat triple-compression bag very easily.

The pegs are light but also super space efficient. They tend to organise themselves together even when you don’t intend to pack them that way!

Like many modern freestanding tents, the Moondance uses pole ‘hubs’ on either end to achieve a higher degree of rigidity.

The pole clips are made by DAC and are very easy to clip on. Despite being made of plastic, they have a very solid feel and I, therefore, can’t see them failing.

The poles are all DAC Featherlite aluminium. I can see these wearing out over time, but a full replacement pole set is available aftermarket for US $120.

DAC ball-end clips quickly and easily attach above the tent doors.

The fly is reinforced around the pole contact point above the door. There is a secondary clip that can further secure this section but I haven’t found it necessary.

You can internally velcro the fly to the poles too, but again I haven’t found this necessary.

On one side of the fly is a small roof vent. It is accessed via a zip on the tent inner.

The roof vent is opened on the fly with a zip, and once open offers a large overlap to not let rain inside. A short rigid pole lifts from the bottom and velcros to the top to keep the vent open.

The vent from the outside shows the recessed opening. The mouth-like opening is about 20cm across and 5cm tall in the middle.

The tent poles are colour coded to assist with setup.

This is because the tent is asymmetric, tapering from 130cm at your head down to 116cm at your feet.

The three-point guy attachments stabilise the tent at the poles and the pole hub.

The Pitch

The Mont Moondance is a freestanding tent. This is my preference for bicycle touring because they can be pitched without any staking, you can pitch the tent without the fly, they have great ventilation and they have a smaller overall footprint.

Colour co-ordinated clips make pitching the Mont Moondance tent really easy. Your job is to remember is that the orange clips are where your head will rest, and you can then lay the inner in the orientation that suits. The poles snap together into the hubs to make the one-piece asymmetric frame.

You can then match the coloured tent poles and coloured tent clips. It’s fine to put the poles in one at a time as they will stay in place without popping out. The clips and hubs on the inner are now ready to be hooked up to the poles, and finally, the ridge pole can be inserted on top.

With the inner constructed, locate the coloured orange/green connectors on the fly and match them to the clips too. Stake out as much of the tent as you need, and should it be windy you may want to velcro the fly to the poles. These reinforcements will allow the guy ropes at the ends to better stabilise the tent in the wind.

The Floor

In an effort to drop the advertised weight, thick nylon floors are surprisingly uncommon amongst backpacking tents. The Mont Moondance tent is an exception here with one of the thickest floors I’ve come across on a sub-2000g tent. To make sure my previous tent floors survive the distance, I’ve always coupled them with groundsheets. The thing is that groundsheets/footprints often weigh between 200-300 grams by themselves, which effectively brings lighter tents more in line with the weight of the Moondance.

While there is a groundsheet option from Mont (around US $50), I don’t plan to use one because I feel confident the heavy-duty floor will last the distance. Not only is the floor tough, but I haven’t seen any water make its way up through the 10,000mm PU floor material.

On a side note, Mont make a ‘3D footprint’ which is essentially a groundsheet with a 5-10cm wall that sits up around the edges. With the poles, fly and the 3D footprint you can have a pretty lightweight shelter that will prevent water ingress and creepy crawlies in your sleeping bag.

A Mesh AND 4-Season Inner?!

This bit is super neat.

Mont produces two different tent inners depending on the season you’re camping in. Buying a second inner isn’t cheap – it’s US $270, but that works out cheaper than a second tent of this calibre.

Both Mont Moondance tent inners share the same floor, pole clips, pockets and zips. The difference is the upper: the summer inner uses No-See-Um mesh to allow heat to escape, while the winter inner uses 20D nylon from the floor to the roof. The four-season inner is just 100 grams heavier and is what I’ve been using on trips with overnight temperatures below 10 degrees Celcius.

The mesh inner offers the same floor but applies a breathable mesh for the roof section.

The four-seasons inner has a 20D nylon roof that traps more heat. There’s still the option to zip back the windows for warmer conditions.

Looking through the No-See-Um mesh roof of the summer inner.

Taking a look out of the zipped-back window of the four-season inner.

The nylon inner in the late-afternoon sun.

Impressions

I’ve now experienced most weather conditions in the Mont Moondance tent, with the exception of some ultra-high winds and heavy snow… but I’ll get that while CyclingAbout The Americas.

I’ve been really happy with how the tent has performed so far. Everything from the pitch to the design, to the quality and finish appears to be top notch. Even with my two-metre body plus a friend, there’s ample room for sitting up inside in the tent. The dual doors are excellent for sneaking out at night for a quick whizz without waking your mate, and the fact the doors open really low means it’s easy to get in/out without shaking the tent.

The tent seems to ventilate well and the shape of the tent has meant I’ve never had condensation drip inside. In freezing conditions, the condensation builds on the fly overnight so you’ll need to be careful when packing up the tent.

Given I travel solo with a two-person tent (after all, one-person tents are not much smaller/lighter), I am afforded the luxury of having my gear inside my Mont Moondance tent for easy access. I also feel a bit better sleeping with all of my valuables by my side.

The Mont Moondance tent comes with a ‘care package’ including a pole repair sleeve, glue and some nylon for patching up any tears.

Would I Recommend It To A Mate?

Absolutely. The Mont Moondance tent is well-made and hardy. It ticks all of my boxes in terms of being freestanding, having a tough floor and using a dual entrance/vestibule. It is a touch on the pricey side at US $540, but I figure that if you use an expensive tent all the time they can be cheap on a per-night basis.

I’ve taken my Mont Moondance tent to Argentina with the four-season inner. I am expecting overnight low temperatures between -20 and 10 degrees Celcius for the first eight months as I will be traversing the Andes by bike. When I reach Ecuador I will send my four-season inner back to Australia and will switch it to the mesh inner for Colombia and Central America. Depending on the weather in Canada and Alaska, I may need to swap the inners over one more time before I finish.

Right, let me report back to you after another year or so of use/abuse.

The post Mont Moondance Tent Review: Tough Enough For The Americas? appeared first on CyclingAbout.

My interest in trailers piqued while I was doing some aerodynamic and weight testing with touring bikes. Until then, I’d never really considered using a trailer because I always thought they were for people carrying way too much gear. But when it was suggested that they could be more aerodynamic than four panniers, the idea of a big trailer test really stuck. So I requested a sample Aevon KIT L80 trailer to review and share my experiences.

This article is a combination of why trailers can be great for touring, as well as an in-depth look at the Aevon KIT L80 itself.

Aevon KIT L80 Review

Aevon trailers are pitched at the top-end of the trailer market. While some trailers can be found for a quarter of the price, the KIT L80 offers a few things that most other trailers do not:

Firstly, it’s a seatpost mount design. That is different to the majority of bike trailers that mount from the rear wheel axle. The main advantage to the seatpost mount is that you can achieve tighter turning circles because the pivot is further forward on the bike.

Secondly, it folds. Using some allen keys and a spanner, the trailer can be separated into small enough pieces so that the entire trailer fits into the supplied 80-litre waterproof bag. I travelled to Japan with my bike in a cardboard box, and my whole trailer and all my gear in the trailer’s bag.

Thirdly, it rides on air suspension. For anyone riding off-road, this is a must because it allows all of your gear to be ‘sprung’. The suspension smoothens out rough roads like nothing else. You can adjust the air pressure of the shock to suit your load and the terrain.

Fourthly, it’s pretty darn light. At 7.81kg, it is a true lightweight. We can put that in comparison with four pannier bags and two racks which weigh about 4.8kg and run the same capacity. The thing is that by using a trailer you can use a lighter bike – but more on that later.

Specific weights:
Trailer frame inc. shock and fender – 4406g
Seatpost mount – 215g
16” wheel – 1042g
80-litre bag – 1998g
Carrying strap – 149g

The trailer breaks down into smaller parts, and the whole thing fits inside the supplied trailer bag.

How I Tested The Trailer

In order to squeeze the most out of the trailer, I decided to get in contact with a local Australian brand (Curve Cycling) who make some rather nice titanium road bike frames and carbon wheels. Now I know what you’re thinking: a long distance bike tour with a 9.0kg/20lb titanium road bike which rolls on carbon wheels?

Let me explain.

The trailer supports the majority of the load rather than the bike, permitting you to use something as lightweight as a road bike with 1400 gram carbon wheels.

The Curve Belgie Spirit is an endurance road bike. It’s built super light like a race bike, but employs a taller front end, longer wheelbase and more relaxed frame geometry. The only thing that I changed on the bike was the rear cassette: I needed an 11-42 tooth one to help climb the steep pinches with 20kg+ in tow.

I used a Wolf Tooth Road Link to make the effective cage length of my Ultegra derailleur a bit longer. I added a new chain to the bike to accommodate the huge cassette and was pleasantly surprised that all the gears worked. That said, while in the small front chainring (34t), I avoided the lower cogs (11, 13t) on my cassette because the rear derailleur needed a bit more spring tension than it could offer.

My Curve Belgie Spirit using a Wolf Tooth Road Link to match 50-34t chainrings with an 11-42t cassette.

So How Does The Trailer Ride?

When you first load the trailer to your bike, it is very noticeable. But like any loaded bike, you soon forget and learn to adapt your riding style to suit it.

With all the weight in tow, the steering is very quick and that makes the experience of cycling with a load feel unusually agile when compared to panniers. When you’re distracted from how fast you’re travelling it’s very easy to forget you’re even got anything behind you.

Something I quickly learned was that you need to be a little careful around tight corners. This is because, with the forward pivot, the rear wheel rounds the corners when you turn. Like a big articulated truck takes wide turns in the city, you will need to adapt your riding style to take all corners wide.

Riding between bollards was easy, however, as the trailer is narrower than a bike with panniers.

The Aevon KIT L80 can turn on the spot!

What About Off-Road Touring?

Off-road is where the trailer really excels.

By letting the trailer take the load, your bike feels light, is smooth over bumps and can change direction really quickly. It’s not ideal for singletrack as the trailer makes the bike really long, but as far as trailers go: the Aevon KIT L80 has got to be the most manoeuvrable.

The rear air shock is a highlight, helping the 16″ wheel to roll over things. While riding you can feel the shock dulling the vibrations and hits coming up from the road. You’ll just need to adjust the air pressure in the shock to suit how much weight you’re carrying.

If I were cycling long distances off-road and needed more capacity than what bikepacking bags could offer, a trailer is certainly my preferred option over four panniers. There will be many sections of my CyclingAbout The Americas trip where I’ll wish I had brought my trailer.

You can watch a video of my trailer in the snow while it’s connected to my fixed gear bicycle HERE.

Riding off-road with a trailer is the best way to carry a voluminous load.

Living With A Trailer

Unsurprisingly, the hardest places to negotiate with a trailer are cities. I like to split traffic, weave between cars, use the footpaths and turn around on the spot. The trailer made all of these things more of a task than if I used panniers.

I found that carrying my bike over logs/obstacles wasn’t too difficult, however. As the seatpost pivot moves side-to-side and up-and-down, you can lift your bike at an angle that suits you. When the rear trailer wheel hits the log/stairs/curb you can give it a quick yank upwards and the trailer will pull over most things. When dropping down from an obstacle the rear shock will take the majority of the hit.

Removing the bag from the trailer is much more laborious than removing panniers. About 15 heavy-duty velcro straps need to be undone to remove the bag. On my bike trip in Japan, I ended up keeping the trailer bag attached at all times.

As the Aevon 80-litre trailer bag is slow to remove and positively ginormous, I created a system to organise my gear using fabric shopping bags. The different coloured bags stored sleeping gear, cooking gear, clothing, food and spares. Whenever I parked my bike, I was able to pull out all four bags and carry them to my accommodation, leaving the trailer bag behind.

I didn’t realise you could get a quick-release seatpost mount to remove the trailer from the bike when I ordered mine. The fact that mine was bolted to the seatpost mount prevented me from taking it on/off unless I really had to. I would highly recommend freeing your bike from time-to-time using the quick-release kit.

I’m two metres tall and can somehow fit in this trailer.

Aerodynamic Testing

Sorry to disappoint, but the idea was scrapped.

When I ordered the trailer I expected that I would head straight to the velodrome and get some data. But after using the trailer with a test load, my average speed didn’t appear to have increased at all when compared to my touring bike with four panniers. Even if the frontal area of the trailer is a tad smaller than panniers, the extra resistance of the trailer wheel would undoubtedly counteract the aerodynamic gains.

Any Problems With The Aevon KIT L80?

While the trailer generally exceeded my expectation, there were a few niggles:

The up-down pivot on the seatpost mount got creaky the day after riding in the rain. I assume this is due to debris making its way into small gaps between the washers and the trailer frame. I didn’t find a solution to this issue, but it generally disappeared after a few hours of riding in dry conditions.

The sealed bearings in the trailer’s hub lasted just 2,500km. Granted I spent a lot of time in wet conditions, I was still expecting 10,000km+ before needing to tap the bearings out and press some new ones in. That’s certainly been my experience with using the same Novatec hub on a road bike wheel.

The main arm connecting the seatpost mount with the rest of the frame wasn’t quite straight on my trailer. Not by much, but it was noticeable to the eye. This didn’t seem to affect the ride at all but was a quirk of the product.

Even though the bag is technically waterproof, I learned pretty quickly that the supplied rain cover is still 100% necessary when the bag is half full (like in the photo above). This is because water weight on the top of the bag causes it to pool and work its way into the edges of the roll-closure. With a full trailer bag you have nothing to worry about.

Is The Aevon KIT L80 Bear Proof?

This wasn’t part of my initial testing strategy, but I found out anyway. I’ve never felt closer to death than when a 500kg bear decided to launch itself at me… the adrenaline rush was something else!

You hear a bit more about the bear attack in The Japan Long Haul film.

The scratch marks left by a Ussuri Brown Bear that didn’t want me around.

Is The Price is a Bit High?

The Aevon Kit L80 is €795 or US $940. It’s one of the most expensive trailers available. But it’s worth thinking about the price a little differently. A trailer replaces four waterproof panniers and two racks. Assuming you’re using high-quality gear, the gear value would be ~€200 in Ortlieb bags and ~€200 in Tubus racks.

Ok, so that’s still half the cost of a trailer.

Well, perhaps we can think about the cost saving of not buying a touring-specific bike! By using a mountain, road or cyclocross bike that you already it will save you big money. There’s also the argument that you’ll break fewer parts on your bike as a result of the reduced stress on your components…

I think the high price can be justified.

Would I Recommend The KIT L80 To A Friend?

The Aevon KIT L80 is a brilliant bit of kit. It is one of the lighter trailers available, it folds away for travel, it’s air suspended and it offers a really small turning circle.

There are three ways trailers really excel over panniers. Firstly, the trailer takes the load off the bike, allowing you to use any lightweight bike you like. Mountain bike? Road bike? Triathlon bike? No problems. Secondly, you can unhitch a trailer anytime and have a lightweight bike ready to go mountain biking or road riding, And lastly, rough roads are much better on you and your bike with a trailer.

But the best thing about the Aevon KIT L80 is that you can use whatever bike you currently have as your touring bike.

Watch The Trailer In Action In Japan and In The Snow!

The post Aevon KIT L80 Review: The Perfect Bicycle Trailer? appeared first on CyclingAbout.

With handlebar and seatpost space occupied by bags, it can be hard to find a place to mount bikepacking lights. But here at CyclingAbout – we have lots of solutions!

On a side note, if you’re keen on dynamo light setups, make sure to read my article about dynamo light beam shape, light output, light efficiency and more.

Front bikepacking handlebar setups can get pretty busy! Image: BarYak

Axle Mounts

A neat way to mount a front light is to change your quick release nut to one of these. While the front wheel provides some light interference, the majority of the beam can still light your way. These axle mounts can be used at the rear too if your light is able to rotate 90 degrees.

Available Options:
IRD QR Lamp Perch
M-Wave QR Light Mount – Amazon US $12
Nitto Lamp Holder 5
Passport QR Light Mount
Problem Solvers Quick Release Nut Light Mount

Eyelet Mounts

If you use a front rack or have fork eyelets, a better option for front lighting is one of these eyelet mounts. The higher the light is on your bike, the fewer shadows you’ll see from ground objects.

Available Options:
Nitto Lampholder 3 / 4
Origin8 Eyelet Stub – Amazon US $9
Passport Front Fork Eyelet Bracket
Paul Gino Front/Rear Light Mount – Amazon US $20
Problem Solvers Front Rack Light Mount

Handlebar Mounts

Handlebar mounts permit you to raise your light above your handlebar pack. This tends to be the best option in terms of projecting a light beam without interference.

Double Arm Mount Options:
BarYak Ultra
BM Works Speed Extender – Amazon US $17
Docooler GUB – Amazon US $12
KBROTECH GUB – Amazon US $16

Single Arm Mount Options:
BarFly Universal Computer Mount – Amazon US $25
Minoura SpaceGrip SG-400 – Amazon US $17
Problem Solvers Accessory Mount
Vinqliq Handlebar Extender – Amazon US $12

Steerer Mounts

If you don’t mind the utilitarian look of these steerer-mounted options, they can be a great way to move your light beam over your front bag.

Paul Stem Cap Front Light Mount – Amazon US $45
The Paul option replaces your stem cap with a raised 26mm tube that will hopefully allow your front light to clear your front bag.

Minoura CS-500 – Amazon US $14
Minoura makes a headset spacer with an adjustable arm that can greatly elevate your light over your handlebars. This option will still work with stem cap USB chargers like The Plug III. 

Aerobar Mounts

The BarYak Expedition setup. Image: BarYak

Aerobars are a great place to fit front lights on bikepacking setups. In fact, some aerobars like the BarYak are designed specifically for the purpose. A side benefit is that you can mount your handlebar pack off some aerobars, stabilising the handlebar pack and preventing it from hitting your front tyre on a rough trail. This feature is particularly useful for those who use handlebar harnesses.

BarYak Bar Extender
This setup is hugely adjustable and offers lots of space for front lights and GPS units. You can a range of setups on the BarYak website.

Profile Designs UCM Aerobridge – Amazon US $21
This mount fits between your aerobars at a width of 100mm centre-to-centre.

Aerobar w/ PVC Crossbar
An excellent light mount hack is to gorilla tape a small section of PVC pipe between your aerobars! This YouTube video shows an even neater version if you have the tools.

Brake Stud Light Mount

Problem Solvers Brake Stud Light Mount. Image: UrbanVelo.org

Problem Solvers Brake Stud Light Mount
If your bike is using rim brakes, Problem Solvers have a light mount adapter that will bolt straight onto your brake studs.

Anywhere Mounts

These nylon mounts are able to fit around non-round tubes like your seatstay. They can be a great way to mount a rear light on your bike. Alternatively, they’re an excellent mount option for aerobars.

Profile Designs UCM (Universal Computer Mount)
Available in 25 and 60mm lengths, this mount will fit front lights to your aerobars or fork leg, or rear lights to your seat stay. 

Issimo NOB – Amazon US $7
This lightweight nylon clamp will wrap around non-round sections of your bike.

Use Your Seat Pack Webbing

Many bikepacking seat packs come with a webbing that will fit a rear light. The key is to find a light that has a hook. Some light models like the Bontrager Flare R use a separate clip accessory. The downside to this option is that the light direction will vary depending on how the bag is filled.

Seatstay Battery Lights

The Fibre Flare Cyclops can be viewed from all angles. Image: Road.cc

There’s a handful of battery-powered lights that are suitable for mounting on your seat stay.

Fibre Flare Shorty 23cm – Amazon US $35
Lezyne KTV Drive 10 – Amazon US $19
Serfas Thunderbolt – Amazon US $23

Seatstay Dynamo Lights

If you like dynamo setups – you’ll appreciate these non-rack / seatpost-mounted rear dynamo lights.

Supernova E3 Tail Light 2 Seat Post
This rear light fits using a rubber strap rather than bolting onto a rack or mount. It is adjustable in angle which makes it a great light option for your seat stay, especially if it’s ovalised.

Velo Orange E3 Light Bracket
The VO light bracket places a regular Supernova E3 rear light from one of the eyelets on your seat stays. There is a longer version that will mount from your rear brake bridge if you have one.

B&M Secula Plus
The Secula rear light is designed specifically to mount the seat stay of your bike.

Do You Have Any Other Great Ways To Fit Bikepacking Lights To Your Bike?

The post How To Mount Front and Rear Bikepacking Lights appeared first on CyclingAbout.

With the growing popularity of alt handlebars in bikepacking and touring circles – I’ve finally pieced together a bag resource for uniquely-shaped bars like the Jones H-Bar and Surly Moloko. Let me run you through the alt handlebar -specific bags, a neat four-point handlebar harness and some hacks to mount a regular Ortlieb handlebar bag originally intended for bicycle touring.

Right – let’s dive in.

Jones Handlebar Bag Options

There’s an obvious nook for some gear to nestle amongst on the Jones H-Bar. Check THIS video to see that the handlebar still remains usable with these bags.

Broad Fork Bags Banana Hammock // US $60
This bag is designed to fit a banana, phone, water bottle, sandwich or anything else you may need quick access to. Available in different colours and both padded and unpadded. Dual zippers make it easy to open it with both your left and right hand.

Jones H-Bar Pack // US $64
Jones has just released this 95-gram waterproof bag. The middle zipper has a small loop at the end which really helps to open and close the bag one-handed!

Jones LoopHole H-Bar Pack // US $98
The LoopHole pack has been around for a few years but is still available. Compared to the recently released model the zipper is harder to access, it’s not waterproof, the attachment points aren’t optimised to allow the best hand positions and it’s 70-grams heavier than the latest version. Could be an ok option if you find one cheap.

Wildcat Tom Cat Jones Handlebar Bag // £52
This 75-gram, 1.5 litre VX21 nylon bag from the UK is another great option, being the lightest on the list.

The Surly Moloko Handlebar Bag

Image: BikeRumor.com

Moloko Handlebar Bag
This urethane-coated nylon bag by Surly is designed specifically around their Moloko handlebar. The elastic straps across the top are a great feature that allows you to scrunch up a rain jacket or fit a quickly accessible layer of clothing.

Four-Point Harness For Jones Handlebars

With more handlebar infrastructure comes the ability to offer extra bag stability. Four-point harnesses will prevent your handlebar pack from dropping while you ride.

Revelate Designs Sweetroll Kit for Jones Bars // US $10
This system can anchor the Sweetroll better than almost anything else. The Revelate Designs Sweetroll has provision for two additional straps to suit the Jones handlebar. The straps and foam spacers will provide more hand clearance than the other bikepacking bag options too.

BarYak Four-Point Harnesses

Ok, this isn’t technically an alt handlebar product, but it is another four-point handlebar harness option.

Image: BarYak.com

BarYak X Revelate Designs Harness
The BarYak is a customisable mount that permits you to fit both additional accessories (eg. light, GPS) as well as a set of aerobars to your handlebars. This accessory bar allows for a similar four-point mount to the Jones H-Bar. Instead of using the Sweetroll model with an additional strap kit, you instead use the Harness model that features existing straps (normally used for a front accessory pocket) to complete the four-point mount.

Fitting A Handlebar Pack To Jones Handlebars

An Ostrich S-2 saddlebag fitted to the Jones Handlebar. Image: BikeTouringNews.com

Regular Handlebar Packs
If the dimensions on your handlebar pack suit, you may find that your current handlebar pack already fits (or a canvas saddlebag in the case of the picture above). You may be able to use the frame strap around your stem and the handlebar straps at the front section of your Jones H-Bar.

Custom Bags
Don’t forget that most of the bikepacking bag manufacturers can fit custom alt handlebar mounts to your handlebar pack. If you want a handlebar harness or handlebar pack with four mounting points, they’ll do it. If you want some additional mounts to suit the Crazy Bar, they’ll do that too. Custom bags manufacturers rock!

Fitting A Bicycle Touring Handlebar Bag

I love regular touring handlebar bags: they’re waterproof, mounted/removed in seconds, protective of camera gear and have a map holder. As the crossbar on some of the alternative handlebars stops the regular mount from fitting – luckily a few people have worked out some hacks. 

Image: ModernPracticality.com

Schmidt Light Mount
Matt from ModernPracticality found that the Schmidt H-Bar light mount was strong enough to hold the Ortlieb cable mount. He was then able to fit the Ortlieb mounting wire according to specification.

Leon’s Modified Stem Mount
A video was published on YouTube by Leon Bailie showing a creative way to fit an Ortlieb Ultimate 6 Pro E. He cut an old stem in half and fitted the handlebar section plus a shim to the front of his Jones handlebars. The Ortlieb cable mount was then fitted as usual.

Image: CycleMonkey.com

CycleMonkey Bolt Hack
Neil from CycleMonkey drilled a hole into the back side of his Jones handlebar and fitted a bolt to use as a brace for the wire mount.

Don’t Forget To Check Out The Bikepacking Bag Manufacturer List and 10 Awesome Bikepacking Tech Innovations.

The post List of Surly and Jones Handlebar Bag Options For Bikepacking appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Panniers are the quintessential luggage option for bicycle touring. They’re easy to take on and off the bike, they’re waterproof and they offer a large, easy to access cavity. While almost uncommon on bikepacking setups, panniers can make a really useful contribution to your luggage suite. A handful of bag manufacturers have acknowledged this with the release of some innovative bikepacking panniers.

Let’s investigate.

Recommended:
Where to Best Carry A Load When Bicycle Touring: Front or Rear Panniers?
What’s the Speed Difference Between Front/Rear Panniers and BikePacking Bags? Results

What’s The Deal With Bikepacking Panniers?

Revelate Nano Panniers mounted to a small Surly Krampus.

– They’re smaller and narrower in profile for getting through tighter spaces.
– They don’t get in the way when pushing your bike.
– The smaller frontal area has less aerodynamic drag than more voluminous panniers.
– They’re typically lighter than touring panniers.
– They a great alternative bag option for small bikes with no space for a seat pack (see pic above).
– They offer additional storage for food or odd-shaped equipment.

Pannier Hooks vs. Straps

One of the genius things about most panniers is that you can take them off instantly. That’s thanks to the opening/closing hooks found on the back of most panniers.

But there are a few drawbacks to clip and hook systems:
– They’re noisier on the trail.
– They’re susceptible to damage.
– They’re heavier.

You’ll find velcro and cinch straps on the backside of many bikepacking panniers. This allows for a tighter fit to the rack whereby the soft pannier backplate can mould to the shape of the rack, ensuring there’s no space for the bag to move.

That said, clip and hook systems still work well off-road, and very rarely experience failures. I’ve only ever broken lower anchoring hooks after years of heavy use. You can fit velcro or rubber tubes to sections of the rack to mitigate noise, and a bungee cord around the rack and pannier if it isn’t sitting firmly in place.

Front Profile Width

An important aspect of bikepacking panniers is the front profile width. The narrower the profile, the easier it is to squeeze between obstacles or, in the case of rear panniers, to push your bike. A smaller profile bag also has the benefit of being more aerodynamic too.

The panniers featured below have front profile widths ranging from 7.5cm (3″) through to 14cm (5.5″). Rear touring panniers can are between 17 and 26cm (7-9″) in comparison.

Using Front Panniers On A Rear Rack

Heike (PushBikeGirl) uses regular Ortlieb Sport-Roller panniers on her rear rack.

You might be led to believe that you need bikepacking panniers for your adventures, but the reality is that lots of people use small panniers that were originally intended for lowrider front racks. Ortlieb actually re-named their ‘Front-Roller’ model to ‘Sport-Roller’ to avoid the confusion that they only work with front racks. You can buy lower anchoring hooks as spare parts for many panniers, allowing you to double up for additional pannier stability without the need for bungee cords too.

Right, let’s take a look at the more bikepacking-specific panniers.

Anylander Panniers – US $325

The Anylander panniers are a collaboration between Porcelain Rocket (sewing) and the Anylander workshop (frame+assembly). The panniers use Arkel upper hooks and Ortlieb lower anchoring hooks to make it easy to remove the bags. There’s a unique internal metal frame that gives the bags their shape even when half full and they come in a bunch of unique colours.

Hooks | 30 Litres | Water Resistant | 1.6kg | 3.6lb

Altura Ultralite Vortex 30 Panniers – US $90

These well-priced panniers have a large volume while also being some of the lightest. You’ll find some pretty mixed reviews on their function and reliability.

Hookless | 30 Litres | Waterproof | 480g | 1.0lb | 14cm Profile

Arkel Dry Lite Bikepacking Panniers – US $80

The Arkel Dry Lites are well-known for their reliability. I’ve met people who’ve been on long tours who were using them. While they have a front profile width on the wide side, they taper from the bottom providing a little extra clearance.

Hookless | 28 Litres | Waterproof | 540g | 1.2lb | 14cm Profile

Arkel XM-28 Bikepacking Panniers – US $120

These 1.9kg panniers are the heavy-duty, fully-featured version of the Dry Lites. They have a skid plate on the lower section of the bag to prevent damage from rocks.

Hooks | 28 Litres | Water Resistant | 1.9kg | 4.2lb | 14cm Profile

Bedrock Hermosa UL – US $300

Bedrock Bags use both X-Pac and ballistic nylon materials to make a light and durable product. They have an excellent front profile width given their volume. Available in five different colours.

Hookless | 26 Litres | Water Resistant | 630g | 10cm Profile

Ortlieb Gravel Pack Bikepacking Panniers

Ortlieb is, without doubt, the standard for panniers. They recently released their Gravel Packs which employ a new lightweight material and closing system to shave 20% off the Sport-Roller bags. The bags come with two lower anchoring hooks off the shelf for additional stability and are coloured the same as the rest of the bikepacking range.

Hooks | 25 Litres | Waterproof | 1.2kg | 2.6lb | 14cm Profile

Porcelain Rocket Micro Panniers – US $240

The Porcelain Rocket Micro Panniers have featured on dozens of bikes over the years. The roll closure system is similar to other panniers but Scott has selected a heavier duty material otherwise. These don’t appear on the PR website but you can source them elsewhere.

Hookless | 26 Litres | Water Resistant | 868g | 1.9lbs | 12.5cm Profile

Revelate Nano Panniers – US $150

Here we have the lowest volume panniers with the narrowest front profile width at just 7.5cm per bag. Unlike the other pannier options, the Revelate Nano Panniers use a zip to access stored goods. They are optimised for Old Man Mountain racks, but can adjust to most racks.

Hookless | 13 Litres | Water Resistant | 465g | 1.0lb | 7.5cm Profile

Swift Hinterland JR Ranger – US $280

The Swift Hinterland JR Ranger panniers have one of the narrower front profiles in the list. Using X-Pac material combined with hooks they’ve come up with a bag that’s closer to a regular pannier in terms of functionality, but a better profile for off-road stuff.

Hooks | 20 Litres | Water Resistant | 1.5kg | 3.3lb | 10cm Profile

Rogue Panda Kaibab Micro Panniers – US $150

The Rouge Panda Kaibab panniers use a series of velcro straps to compress to a rack. They use X-Pac waterproof material and are seam sealed. Along the back is a foam pad which provides a tight fit to the rack and protects your gear. Keep in mind these bags are small-batch production only, so shoot an email through to find out when to expect the next run.

Hookless | 24 Litres | Waterproof | 567g | 1.3lb

Click HERE For A Complete List Of The Best Panniers

The post All About The Best Bikepacking Panniers For Off-Road Adventures appeared first on CyclingAbout.

I’ve recently noticed that there’s a lot of discussion around weight when it comes to panniers vs bikepacking bags. These weight comparisons come from a good place: they are often comparing the weight between a typical touring bike setup and a typical bikepacking setup. The only issue is that this is like comparing apples to oranges.

Let’s break this down.

Minimalism

I’ll start by suggesting that minimalism either appeals to you, or it doesn’t. Minimalists have existed in the bike travel sphere for over 100 years, strapping bags to racks or simply selecting two panniers instead of four.

It’s well known that carrying less gear means you can select a lighter/faster bike and therefore travel longer distances with the same effort. In fact, this is a positive feedback loop: reduce bike weight > travel longer distances > carry less food and water > reduce bike weight further. So while bikepacking bags may force you to think twice about what you’re carrying, minimalism as a philosophy is equally applied to all bike luggage setups, panniers included.

I think it goes without saying that someone with a minimalist mindset is unlikely to walk into a bike shop and pick up a 16kg touring bike with 5kg of panniers, bags and racks. This setup will not only offer excess volume, but the heavy-duty components will be superfluous with a minimalist’s load. Similarly, someone wanting to carry a camp chair is unlikely to investigate a bikepacking setup. This is the crux of the problem when comparing a sturdy touring bike with four panniers to a svelte adventure bike with a bikepacking ensemble – these setups appeal to different people who want to conduct different types of adventures.

Iik from UltralightCycling is a well-known bike travel minimalist with lots of tips on his website.

How Should We Compare The Weight Of Pannier Vs Bikepacking Bags?

The only way to truly compare the weight difference between luggage setups is to match the bag volumes. That is, to assume that you’ll pack both luggage setups with the same gear volume. I’ve seen people make weight comparisons where the bikepacking setup has less than half the volume. The panniers are always going to be heavier when extra textiles are used, and racks are fitted to accommodate the sheer volume!

Right, let me show you how panniers can actually be lighter than bikepacking bags.

Sub-1000g pannier setup? No problem. Image: DalesJournal

Panniers That Are 21% Lighter than Bikepacking Bags!?

Ultralight Rear Pannier and Drybag Setup (38L)
Arkel Dry Lite Panniers (30 Litres): 540g
Tubus Airy Titanium Rack: 233g
Sea-To-Summit UltraSil Drybag (8 Litres): 30g
Compression Straps: 50g
Total: 853 grams 

Bikepacking Setup (37.5L)
Ortlieb Handlebar Pack (15L): 417g
Ortlieb Seat Pack (16.5L): 430g
Ortlieb Framepack Large (6L): 232g
Total: 1079 grams

Surprised? I was! I always assumed that the rack infrastructure and waterproof nature of the panniers would tip the balance here. But the Tubus titanium rack is about the same weight as a large packet of potato chips and the Arkel Dry Lite panniers less than a small bidon of water. Once you strap a lightweight drybag to the top of the rack, it’s pretty hard for a waterproof bikepacking setup to match the weight.

Ortlieb Gravel Packs fitted to the front and rear racks of a Maxx touring bike.

What About F+R Panniers With Hooks?

Front and Rear Pannier Setup (50L)
Ortlieb Gravel Packs x2 (50L): 2320g
Tubus Tara Rack: 360g
Tubus Airy Rack: 233g
Total: 2913 Grams

Bikepacking Setup (50L)
Ortlieb Handlebar Pack (15L): 417g
Ortlieb Accessory Pack (3.5L): 206g
Ortlieb Seat Pack (16.5L): 430g
Ortlieb Framepack Large (6L): 232g
Anything Bag x2 (9L): 398g
Anything Cage HD x2: 440g
Total: 2123 Grams

When you fit a front rack to a bike or use panniers with hooks (or both!), the weight starts to add up. But the difference with the volumes matched is still under 800 grams (1.8lb). That’s not insignificant, but it’s also a very small percentage of the overall weight of your body/bike/luggage/food/water – probably under 1% of the total.

This Hilite light touring bike will suit the minimalists who like panniers; it’s just 9.2kg (20lb)!

Volume-Weight Potential

BIKEPACKING.com recently suggested that the biggest weight savings are what you can’t fit into a bikepacking setup. While I agree that having less storage space will make you think twice about whether you can take it (ie. if you can’t pack it, you won’t), I don’t think this is a good reason to ditch the panniers (I’ve listed better ones below). That’s because it’s ultimately your choice to fill the space, and if you have a minimalist mentality, you don’t need volume constraints to be on top of that.

How Much Does Weight Affect Cycling Speed?

I took my touring bike with two large panniers (mounted to my rear rack) on a 15.37km (9.5mi) long undulating route which offered 276m (905ft) of climbing. I rode around this course all day with different loads to find out how much each extra kilogram affected my cycling speed. It turned out that each extra kilogram is worth somewhere between 10 seconds (flat) and 90 seconds (hilly) over 100km.

I suggest keeping this information in mind whenever considering matters of weight on a bike trip.

Bikepacking Bags Are More Aerodynamic

Aerodynamics have a very significant impact on your speed, especially when compared to my weight testing. On my hilly test course when carrying 20 extra kilograms it worked out to be 18 minutes slower over 100km. To put that into perspective, that time difference is essentially the same as the difference between bikepacking bags or four panniers with equal weight (17 minutes). That’s a lot!

Summary

I wrote this article to dispel the myth that racks and panniers have to be heavy. I think that matching the luggage volumes is the best way to draw a weight comparison between setups because if you’re interested in bikepacking bags over panniers, you’ll also be the type who can be a minimal packer.

That said, I personally wouldn’t pick either luggage option on weight alone. Bikepacking setups are:
– More aerodynamic (6% in my case)
– Better on rough roads and trails
– Really good at distributing weight (especially frame bags)
– Able to fit bikes without rack mounts

Panniers have their place too. They are:
– Quick to remove from a bike
– Easy to carry off the bike
– Easy to organise
– Better equipped to fit odd-shaped objects
– More protective of laptops

Ok, time to take whatever luggage setup you’ve got and enjoy the ride.

The post Panniers vs Bikepacking Bags: Can Panniers Actually Be Lighter? appeared first on CyclingAbout.

I don’t think there’s a bigger debate amongst bike travellers than that between clipless vs. flat pedals. Most of the time the debate comes down to pedalling efficiency and power, but in this article, I will also be focussing on the less-discussed reasons why I take clipless pedals on all of my bike adventures.

Let’s get into it!

Advantages Of Clipless Pedals For Bike Touring

Better For Steep Climbs
Most data seems to suggest that at a constant power rate on a constant road gradient, there’s no discernable difference between flat and clipless pedals in terms of efficiency. Where clipless pedals really shine in a bicycle touring context is on steep hills with varying gradients. I’ve found that when you need a burst of power to prevent decelerating (eg. after reducing your power to change gears, when the road gradient gets suddenly steeper, or to give your legs a micro rest) you can really use an upstroke or two to roll the crank over, preventing your bike from stalling. The other time when clip-in pedals have a noticeable advantage is on rocky, off-road climbs where your bike may stall on a pothole or large rock – again, that upstroke allows you to kick the rear wheel up and over the obstacle and keep your momentum going.

Short Bursts of Power
For short bursts of power to, for example, get your bike through sandy road washouts, I’ve found that clipless pedals allow me to maintain a higher rate of power. This is purely anecdotal, of course. Check out this footage of me cycling an incredibly sandy washout in Argentina.

Foot and Body Positioning
Clipless pedals allow your feet to be positioned in the same spot every time you jump on your bike. This helps a professional bike fitter to set your seat height with a high degree of accuracy that maximises your riding comfort and efficiency. In addition, you’ll find this precise positioning advantageous for your knees and hips too.

Foot Stability
On rough and corrugated roads, your feet will not move around on the pedals. This means you can spend more time focussing on pedalling and sightseeing, rather than adjusting your feet to that ‘ideal’ position.

Disadvantages Of Clipless Pedals For Bike Touring

Extra Pair of Shoes
If you’re planning to do more than just riding, you will want to take a second pair of shoes for exploring on foot. Shoes are very inefficient in terms of volume, and additionally, come with a weight penalty of 400-800 grams.

Walking Up Hills
Sometimes the terrain gets too steep or rough and you have to push your bike (most commonly on off-road bikepacking routes). This is a situation when a flat pedal and shoe setup may be the better option. I use clipless pedals with a platform on my touring bikes so that I can switch to running shoes when I need (very rarely the case).

Another Thing To Go Wrong
While this is certainly a possibility given the moving parts, I’ve never broken a Shimano XT-level clipless pedal or cleat.

Recommended Clipless Pedals

Platform Clipless Pedals
If you think you’ll be on and off the bike a lot, you can find platform pedals with a clip-in mechanism on just one side. They are weighted so that clip-in side is prioritised. These pedals allow you to do short rides in casual shoes and long days in the saddle in clipless shoes. The Shimano T8000 pedals are what I’m currently using for my two-year bicycle tour (CyclingAbout The Americas) and the predecessor (T780) was what I used for over 50,000km before that.

Check T8000 pedal prices on Amazon (~$108).

Dual-Entry Clipless Pedals
If you tend to ride all day and wander around at night, double-sided clipless pedals are the more minimal pedal option and are a tad quicker to enter. I have found Shimano MTB pedals (especially the M8000) to be the most reliable in the long-term.

Check M8000 pedal prices on Amazon (~$74).

Recommended Clipless Shoes

You can read all about the best clipless shoes for bike touring HERE.
Or THIS guide on the most versatile touring shoes (SPD sandals – what I’ve been wearing for over 10 years).

What Are The Other Pedal Options?

Flat MTB Pedals
Flat pedals that are designed for off-road use come with long spikes and a large platform that maximise the grip with your walking shoe. The downsides are that the pins will prematurely damage the sole of your shoes, and that you need to avoid striking your shins with the sharp pins! I’ve found Shimano Saint MX80 pedals to be the best for long-distance riding (20,000km+). Alternatively, the BIKEPACKING.com crew recommend the Kona Wah Wah at a low price point and Pedaling Innovations Catalyst if you want to employ a midfoot riding position.

Check Saint MX80 pedal prices on Amazon (~$65).

Diagonal Pedal Straps
These straps will fit many different pedals with reflector mounts. You can enter the straps at a 45-degree angle, and the diagonal straps tension when you straighten your foot, allowing you to pull on the upstroke on those steep climbs. Pictured below are the Restrap diagonal straps, but Power Grips are even more popular for touring.

Check pedal/strap prices on Amazon (~$41). Or the strap prices alone HERE (~$23).

Horizontal Pedal Straps
For those that want straps, but prefer the horizontal style – look no further than Fyxation. Their pedals are pretty-well indestructible and so are their straps.

Check Fyxation pedal/strap prices on Amazon (~$56).

Ergon Pedals
These pedals have a concave design which allows your foot to sit nicely in them. They’re better for sealed road use because they aren’t particularly grippy, but they do have a ridge on the inside which prevents your feet from moving inwards towards the crank arms.

Check Ergon PC2 price on Amazon (~$75).

Summary

If you haven’t tried clipless pedals, I recommend starting out with something second-hand. You might not initially like the feeling of being ‘locked in’, but I can guarantee that after a few weeks of use, unclipping becomes second nature. By spending a few days or weeks with clipless pedals you’ll be able to decide whether or not they are for you.

The biggest advantage of clipless pedals is in the hills. I use the pedalling upstroke after changing gears, through gradient changes, and when my rear wheel stalls on rough terrain. The clipless setup also results in a saddle height to millimetre precision, which is important to me because my muscles and ligaments have adapted to this over hundreds of thousands of kilometres.

If you’re bikepacking off-road, you may want to consider using flat pedals because carrying walking shoes robs you of packing volume, and if the route is rough enough, you may encounter long sections where you have to push your bike.

But everything considered, it’s my experience that clipless pedals offer a decent advantage for all bicycle travel.

*This article was originally published in 2012, but has been updated in May 2018

The post Clipless Pedals: A Look At The Advantages And Disadvantages appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Dynamo hubs are becoming more and more common on bikes used for bicycle touring and bikepacking. This can be attributed to advancements in LED technology, improvements to the dynamo hub itself and the fact that we all have USB powered devices that we like to charge along the way.

This article will delve into what you should know about dynamo hubs.

Dynamo Hub Types

Axle Sizes

The most common size for a touring bike is still 9mm quick release, but with axle standards changing both on-road and off-road, we’re now finding touring and bikepacking bikes available with as many as six axle variants.

1. Quick Release 9mm – 100mm
2. Thru Axle Road 12mm – 100mm
3. Thru Axle MTB 15mm – 100mm
4. Thru Axle MTB Boost 15mm – 110mm
5. Fat Bike Quick Release – 135mm
6. Fat Bike Thru-Axle 15mm – 150mm

Connectors

There are two different common forms of spade connector – the Shimano design and the Schmidt SON design. Neither design can be said to be ‘better’ – they both do the same job of transmitting power up the cable. Due to the market split of connector types, dynamo lights and USB chargers tend to come without any connector attached to the cable ends.

A less common connector design is the Schmidt SL fork dropout. This is a really neat design; the connection happens between the edge of the hub and a fork dropout plate that’s soldered to the wiring. Almost every Schmidt hub is made in an SL version. Unfortunately, you’ll rarely find the Schmidt SL dropout on anything but custom-built forks.

L-R: Shimano spade connector, Schmidt spade connector, Schmidt SL dropout.

Power Specification

There are three common watt outputs from dynamo hubs: 1.5W, 2.4W or 3W (all at 6V). Given that touring and bikepacking is often conducted at speeds below 25km/h, the most powerful option (3W) is 100% necessary if you’re planning on charging USB devices, and it’s also the best for lighting too. According to the lab testing, there is almost no difference in terms of drag between a 2.4 and 3.0W dynamo hubs. It is worth noting, that 2.4W hubs offer enough power if you’re touring with smaller wheels (16-20″).

Spoke Count

Dynamo hubs come with anything from 20 spoke holes for a lightweight carbon wheel builds through to 48 holes for the strongest tandem wheel. Most touring and bikepacking bikes use between 28 and 36 spokes. While spoke count makes some difference, evenly balanced spoke tension across the wheel and a stiff touring rim tend to matter most in terms of strength.

Dynamo Hub Efficiency

If you’ve ever picked up a dynamo hub and tried to spin the axle, you’ll know that they feel incredibly ‘notchy’. This is the result of a series of powerful magnets passing a coil and in turn, creating an electric charge. Interestingly, dynamo hub drag only has a small effect on your speed because of the flywheel effect of a rotating wheel. In THIS article, I calculated the drag to result in an extra three to six minutes riding time over 100km, all while getting a good charge to your electronics (or powering your lights).

Dynamo hubs in conjunction with USB charging units can also provide USB power (5V/500mAh = 2.5W) from 12km/h. The most powerful chargers will even put out more than 5W at 20km/h! The brightest dynamo lights are around 1300 lumens, or more than 100 lux – click HERE to read all about dynamo lighting.

Schmidt SON Dynamo Hubs (3W)

Schmidt is the industry standard for dynamo hubs in terms of efficiency and reliability. These German-made hubs are also the most expensive. Despite this, they’ve been my dynamo hubs of choice since 2008. The bearings are not expected to need servicing until well after 50,000km due to a combination between robust weather sealing and the high-quality SKF sealed bearings – in fact, I’ve never had to replace the bearings in any of my hubs. Included with Schmidt hubs is a five-year guarantee.

Schmidt hubs have been tested to have just 0.25-1.25 watts of resistance (@ 10-30km/h) with a light switched off, which makes them incredibly efficient even when compared to a standard hub. And with a light switched on, they generate the lowest drag of any 3W dynamo hub at speeds over 20km/h.

Quick Release
SON28 non-disc – 32, 36h
SON28 disc – 28, 32, 36h
SON28 Tandem – 40, 48h
SON28 disc 135 – 32h
SON28 disc 135 VR – 32h

Thru Axle – Disc
SON28 12mm – 28, 32, 36h
SON28 15mm – 28, 32, 36h
SON28 15mm Boost 110 – 32, 36h
SON28 15mm 150 – 32h

Shutter Precision SP Dynamo Hubs (3W)

SP dynamo hubs offer very similar performance to Schmidt (in fact, they can be more efficient at low speeds), but without the premium price tag. These hubs are also typically reliable (ok, there’s the odd bearing issue), with the exception of the first generation PD-8X 15mm which has had a 100% electrical failure rate in my circles. Almost all of the disc brake hubs are available with 6-bolt (eg. PD-8X) or a centerlock (eg. PL-8X) brake rotor mount, and the quick release hubs are the only 3W models available for wheels of with low spoke counts, including carbon road wheels (20-24h).

Quick Release
PV-8 non-disc – 20, 24, 28, 32, 36h
PD-8 disc – 20, 24, 28, 32, 36h

Thru Axle – Disc
PD-8X-M 12mm – 32, 36h
PD-8X 15mm – 32, 36h
PD-8X-110 15mm – 32, 36h
PD-8X-150 15mm – 32, 36h

Shimano Dynamo Hubs (3W)

Shimano makes the majority of the world’s dynamo hubs, so it’s safe to say that they know a thing or two about them. The lab testing shows 0.50w-2.50w drag (@ 10-30km/h) when a light is switched off, and 3.50w-7.50w drag when a light is switched on. This is only marginally higher than the Schmidt and SP hubs which are often more than twice the price. The Deore LX and Alfine hubs are essentially the same, while the Deore XT hub sheds 56 grams thanks to an aluminium axle and coil. Shimano dynamos are only available in quick release as of 2018.

Quick Release
Alfine S501 disc – 32, 36h
Deore LX T670 non-disc – 32, 36h
Deore LX T675 disc – 32, 36h
Deore LX 3N72 non-disc – 32, 36h
Deore LX 3D72 disc – 32, 36h
Deore XT T8000 disc – 32, 36h

Other Dynamo Hubs (3W)

Biologic Joule 3 Disc – Re-branded 32h Shutter Precision PD-8 hubs in silver or black.
Exposure Disc – Another re-branded 32h SP PD-8 hubs available in a package with the Exposure Revo dynamo light.
Love Mud Juice Disc – More re-branded 32h SP PD-8 hubs!
Neco Rove Disc – The claims are pretty lofty for this 933g dynamo hub with built-in USB charger – 15W of charging potential (5V@3A). Unfortunately, the testing has shown that you need to be going 50km/h to achieve that figure and that it isn’t at all competitive below 25km/h.
Sanyo H27 Non-Disc – This is one of the best value dynamo hubs going around. Unfortunately, it has a lot of drag compared to other hubs with a light or USB charger switched off.

Learn About Dynamo Hub Systems HERE, About Cache Batteries HERE, About USB Chargers HERE and Dynamo Lights HERE

The post How To Choose The Best Dynamo Hub for Bicycle Touring and Bikepacking appeared first on CyclingAbout.

I was close-minded about kickstands for a long time.

I intentionally left the kickstand box unchecked on the order form for my Koga Worldtraveller-S touring bike. I hadn’t needed one for the previous 10 years of touring, so why would I need it now? But when I picked up the bike there was one fitted. Koga said, “just try it Alee, if you really don’t like it, you can throw it away”. I reluctantly accepted their request.

Skip forward a few months into my trip and I broke a bolt on the kickstand. I had to remove it for a while, and it was then that I realised how much I missed having it. I use it every time I get off the bike; to snack, to take a video or grab something from my bags. I’m now a complete convert and I don’t think I’ll go on another long-term bike tour without one.

Ok, it’s time to fill our brains with kickstand knowledge!

Why Should You Use A Kickstand?

Firstly, they help you to load your bike. There’s no leaning it against yourself or another object while you mount your panniers or bikepacking bags. It’s pretty much like you have a personal assistant holding your bike for you. They’re also super quick to deploy! I often stop abruptly, flick my stand down and take an opportune photo. Or sometimes I grab my rain gear from the top of my pannier just as the drops start to pelt.

Look, you might have the same view of kickstands as I had six months ago: they’re simply unnecessary. Or maybe you had a bad experience with a kickstand previously; perhaps it deployed itself while riding, snapped it half, damaged your frame or banged into your pedals.

Those things suck, but I can assure you the best kickstands listed here are out of the way, silent, durable, quick to use and will add just 250g (0.5lbs) to your touring bike.

Stabilizing The Front Of The Bike

Before I get into the kickstands themselves, it’s important to understand how to stabilize a touring bike, especially with a front load. On almost every surface your front wheel will want to tilt as the bike leans, and this results in the handlebars turning as much as 180-degrees, or worse, your bike falling over! Here are some options to ensure you get the best bike stability with your kickstand.

Steering Locks
SteerStopper makes a really neat component that’s designed to stop your handlebars from turning. By all accounts, the people who use them, love them. A side benefit of this device is that you can push your bike up a hill without touching the handlebars. Alternatively, a neat solution called the LockLink was specifically created for Surly LHT and Disc Trucker bikes (by LongHaulTruckerBuild.com), but the website has been down for a while now, so I’m not sure if they’re still in production.

The Steerstopper allows you to lock your handlebars to stabilize a touring bike with a kickstand.

Steering Stabilizers
A steering stabilizer connects a spring from your downtube to your fork crown. They offer a self-centering action to the front wheel which prevents it from turning more than 45 degrees. This also makes it easier to load your front porteur rack or basket. Velo Orange ($15 on Amazon) and Hebie are the most common aftermarket brands for steering stabilizers.

The Hebie Steering Stabilizer will prevent your handlebars from flopping.

Tubus Lowrider Rack Kickstand
If you decide not to use any of the locks or stabilizers mentioned above, this kickstand provides additional stability to the front of your bike. They fit the Tubus Tara, Duo, Ergo and Nova lowrider rack models.

Tubus Lowrider Kickstand will fit any of the Tubus front racks.

Integrated Steering Limiter
Some touring framesets like my Koga Worldtraveller-S have components inside the headtube that prevent the handlebar from turning more than 45 degrees in either direction (see my Koga bike video @3:49 for an example). I think these are the neatest solution for helping to stabilize your bike, but they’re limited to only a handful of touring bike manufacturers.

Brake Bands
It’s not a bad idea to stabilize your bike with something that pulls the brake lever(s). Click-Stand makes some neat brake bands, but you can also use hair ties or sections of inner tube.

The Click-Stand Brake Bands will pull your brakes for uneven surfaces. Image: VeloZen

Kickstand Weight Limits

If you’ve broken a decent quality kickstand, it’s likely that you’ve exceeded its weight limit. Most kickstands have a maximum capacity of 18-25kg, which is pretty easy to exceed with double leg kickstands in particular, given the rear load is suspended from the ground. Determining the weight capacity for a single leg kickstand is a little more difficult, so I’ll recommend the following…

Total bike+gear+food+water weight:
Under 40kg – 18kg capacity kickstand
40kg or higher – 25kg capacity kickstand

If you’re planning on going on a bike trip where you need to carry 10+ days of food and a decent amount of water, you may be best served with the 35-80kg capacity models.

Rear Mount Kickstands

As most touring bikes have a decent amount of weight over the rear wheel, this kickstand type is undoubtedly the most stable given its ultra-wide stance. If you’re a front-loader with a minimal rear load (eg. front panniers with a rear bikepacking seatpack), you’ll want to skip to the double leg kickstands below.

Integrated KSA-18 Mount
This has got to be the neatest rear kickstand option for a touring bike. The rear dropout or chainstay is designed with two mounting holes which sit 18mm apart. The best frames will use a nut and M6 bolt design so that if you accidentally snap a bolt, you can easily remove it from your frame. Unfortunately, many KSA-18 frames have an M5 thread built into the mount, so you’ll need to constantly check bolt tension to ensure the bolts don’t bend and eventually break inside your frame.

Touring brands with KSA-18 mounts: Koga, Santos, Tout Terrain, Trek, Van Nicholas, VSF
Recommended: Pletscher Comp 18 (25kg capacity), Comp 18 Zoom (18kg capacity) or Comp 18 Flex (50kg capacity)

The Vivente World Randonneur touring bike with a KSA-18 kickstand mount.

Integrated KSA-40 Mount
This is an older, and therefore less common standard with the mounting holes spaced 40mm apart. There are still ample kickstand options available, in any case.

Recommended: Pletscher ESGE Comp Zoom 40 (18kg capacity, $27 on Amazon), Comp 40 (25kg capacity) or Comp 40 Flex (50kg capacity)

This custom Victoire Voyage has been built with a KSA-40 kickstand mount.

Adjustable Rear Kickstands
If you don’t have the KSA mounting points on your frame, here is your alternative. Adjustable rear kickstands will fit most rim brake touring frames (careful if you have a spoke holder) but will only sometimes clear a disc brake caliper that’s fitted inside the rear triangle (seatstay mounted disc calipers are fine). The Pletscher ESGE Multi kickstands tend to fit bikes with chainstay disc calipers a little better; I’ve annotated a photo with the potential bolt locations HERE. But ultimately it will depend on the brake mount, brake model, chainstay diameter and dropout shape.

Recommended: Pletscher ESGE Multi Zoom (18kg capacity), Pletscher ESGE Multi Flex (50kg capacity)

An adjustable rear kickstand fitted to a bike without KSA mounts.

Centre Mount Kickstands

Centre mount kickstands are probably the most common kickstand type, in fact, many touring frames come with an integrated kickstand plate so that you can fit one up nicely. If your frame lacks a mounting plate, you’ll need to be EXTREMELY careful when tightening your centre kickstand to your chainstays – many frames have been destroyed from overtightened kickstand bolts.

Single Leg Kickstands
Single leg kickstands aren’t quite as stable as rear kickstands but are a great option for bikes with a kickstand plate. They’ll work very well when deployed on uneven surfaces, but keep in mind that you should have a load over the rear wheel for maximum stability. The main downside to single leg kickstands is that you can’t spin your cranks backwards (for lubricating a chain, for example).

Recommended: Pletscher ESGE Zoom Adjustable (18kg capacity, $23 on Amazon), Ursus King 79 (35kg capacity) or Pletscher Optima Flex (50kg capacity)

This Ahearne custom build uses a Pletscher ESGE Zoom Adjustable center mount kickstand.

Double Leg Kickstands
These stands are typically the best option for front-loaded bikes, as well as tandems. For the best stability, the rear wheel should lift off the ground rather than the front; you can achieve this with a heavy front load relative to your rear. Try not to exceed the weight limit on a double leg stands because they tend to be a little more prone to breaking. Double leg stands also have a narrow stance, so the location where you deploy the stand should ideally be flat, and your panniers should be as evenly balanced as possible. A side-benefit to double leg kickstands is that they make a great repair stand for tuning your gears!

Recommended: Pletscher ESGE Twin (25kg Capacity, $42 on Amazon) or Ursus Jumbo 80 (80kg Capacity)

The Pletcher ESGE Twin mounted to a centre kickstand plate. Image: Johnny Issak

Other Bike Stands

Click-Stand
These tentpole-esque stands get rave reviews. They’re stable and ultra lightweight. I’ve spent a fair bit of time playing around with them and they do work effectively. I do find the assembly and disassembly to be a little inconvenient when compared to a spring-loaded kickstand, however. Still a great option if you don’t have a centre kickstand plate or room in your rear triangle for an adjustable rear kickstand.

A Click-Stand holding a bike up at the Salar de Uyuni salt flat. Image: Click-Stand.com

Kickstand Parts

Surly Long Haul Trucker Mount Plates
After years of condemning kickstands fitted to Surly LHT and Disc Trucker frames, Surly started manufacturing kickstand plates to fit centre kickstands.

Got a Surly Long Haul Trucker or Disc Trucker? Surly got you covered with these new mount plates. Image: BikeRumor.com

Surly Kickstand Adapters for Troll, Ogre, ECR
This is a really cool set of two 3D printed stainless steel parts that will mount a KSA-18 kickstand onto Surly Troll, Ogre and ECR dropouts.

The post All About The Best Kickstands for Bicycle Touring appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Bikepacking has become rather popular over the last couple of years, and lots of custom bikepacking bag manufacturers have popped up all around the world looking to assist you with your adventures.

Bikepacking bags are great for a number of reasons:
Firstly, because they will fit almost any bike. Just strap it on, fill it up and you’re away;
Secondly, they’re super lightweight. A full system of bags is generally under 1000g, less than the weight of one pannier; and
Thirdly, they encourage you to pack light. Packing light means going uphill faster and reducing the wear on your bike parts.

I’ve created this list to showcase all of the bikepacking bag manufacturers as well as their prices, in order for you to make the most informed purchasing decision possible. The only problem is that there are so many great products out there! It’s worth noting that you often do get what you pay for (to a point). The more expensive products are made with top-notch materials, a choice of colours and are often custom tailored to your bike.

Click HERE for my Complete List of Bicycle Pannier Manufacturers.

Bikepacking Bag Manufacturer List By Country

Updated July 2018

Argentina

Asgard Equipamiento (ARG)

Top Tube Bags // 0.5L, 1.5L – US $9-20
Stem Bags // 1L – US $23
Seat Packs // 4L, 14L – US $18-46
Frame Bags // Custom – US $23-29
Handlebar Harnesses // 20L – US $29

Asgard bikepacking bags.

Australia

Bike Bag Dude (AUS)

Top quality bikepacking gear from Down Under, they’re constantly producing new designs to make bikepacking easier for you.

Top Tube Bags // One Size – AUD $120
Stem Bags // One Size – AUD $60
Frame Bags // Two Custom Sizes – AUD $200-340
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – AUD $80
Handlebar Bags // Three Sizes – AUD $200-240

Bike Bag Dude BikePacking Bags

Old Bag Cycling (AU)

Frame Bags // Custom – from AU $150
Seat Packs // Custom – from AU $180

An Old Bag Cycling custom frame bag.

Terra Rosa Gear (AU)

Frame Bag // Custom – from AU $210
Handlebar Roll and Pocket // Custom – from AU $150
Seat Packs // Custom – from AU $190
Top Tube Bag // Custom – from AU $75

Terra Rosa bikepacking bags.

Canada

Arkel (CAN)

Arkel, famous for their great panniers, have just started making bikepacking gear for 2016! They will be releasing a ‘meatpacker rack’ which allows you to use the 25L handlebar bikepacking bag on the rear too, if you needed that extra gear space.

Seat Packs // 11L (requires rack), 15L
Handlebar Bags // 15L, 25L (can be mounted as a seat pack with a rear rack)

Arkel BikePacking Bags – BIKEPACKING.com

Porcelain Rocket (CAN)

Another of the more popular bikepacking bag manufacturers. PR are always putting together new products, colours and designs!

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – US $40-50
Stem Bags // One Size – US $140
Frame Bags // Custom – US $160-220
Seat Packs // 5L, 13L – US $125-185
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size (inc pocket) – US $125

Porcelain Rocket BikePacking Bags

Phantom Pack Systems (CAN)

Phantom Pack Systems do any kind of bikepacking bag at a typically lower price than others on this list.

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – CAD $63-67
Frame Bags // Custom – CAD $115-189
Seat Packs // 6L, 8L – CAD $110-115
Handlebar Bag // One Size – CAD $100

Phantom Pack Systems BikePacking Bags

Chile

Akatanga Custom Bags (Chile)

These bags are handmade in Chile and are available directly through their Facebook page.

Frame Bags // Custom
Seat Packs // Custom
Handlebar Bags // Custom
Accessory Bags // Custom
Top Tube Bags // Custom

Akatanga Bikepacking Bags

Choike (Chile)

Frame Bags // Custom – from 55000 CLP
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – 23000 CLP
Seat Packs // 10L, 15L – 55000 to 65000 CLP
Stem Bags // One Size – 12000 CLP
Top Tube Bags // 1.2L – 23000 CLP

Choike bikepacking bags.

China

AZUR (China)

Handlebar Bags // 9.5L – US $45
Seat Packs // 8.1L – US $60

Azur Bikepacking Bags.

Newboler (China)

Seat Packs // 10L, 12L – US $19-29
Handlebar Harness // 7L – US $19
Frame Bags // Half, Full – US $10-25
Top Tube Bag // S, M – US $11-13

Newboler Bikepacking Bags.

Rhinowalk (China)

Seat Packs // 10L – US $90

Rhinowalk Bikepacking Bags

Roswheel (China)

Handlebar Bag // 9.4L – US $59
Seat Packs // 10L – US $79
Top Tube Bag // 1.5L – US $35

Roswheel bikepacking bags.

Czech Republic

AcePac (CZE)

New manufacturer AcePac were showing off their gear at Eurobike this year, and they look great. Watch this space.

Top Tube Bags
Frame Bags
Seat Packs
Handlebar Harnesses
Handlebar Bags

AcePac BikePacking Bags

Author (CZE)

Frame Bags // Five Sizes
Seat Packs // 12L
Top Tube Bags // One Size

Author Bikepacking Bags.

EverBike (CZE)

EverBike makes handlebar rolls and seat packs out of the Czech Republic.

Handlebar Bags // 12L, 15L – €76-84
Seat Packs // 8L, 12L – €76

EverBike Bikepacking Bags

Germany

Burgfyr (Germany)

Made in Hamburg, these bikepacking bags look super fresh. I particularly like the custom “slotbag” framebags!

Frame Bags // Three Sizes + Custom – 58-99€
Seat Packs // One Size – €120
Handlebar Bags // One Size – €109
Stem Bags // 1.7L – €48

Burgfyr Bikepacking Bags

Fellow Bags (GER)

Newly established brand FLLW put together a solid-looking seat pack only at this stage, available in six different colours.

Seat Packs // 6-14L – €169

Fellow Bikepacking seat pack.

Ghost (GER)

This large bike company has started to put together bikepacking bags for their new adventure bikes. They will be available in 2017.

Handlebar Bags // One Size
Accessory Bags // One Size
Seat Packs // One Size
Frame Bags // Three Sizes

Ghost Bikepacking Bags

Ortlieb (GER)

Bicycle bag specialists Ortlieb have finally dabbled in bikepacking bags, piecing together a really impressive waterproof bag range. I’ve been using these bags over the last few months and have been really impressed. My Handlebar Pack review is HERE and my Seat Pack review is HERE.

Seat Packs // 11L, 16.5L – US $160
Handlebar Bags // 9L, 15L – US $130
Accessory Bags // 3.5L – US $75
Frame Bags // M, L
Top Tube Bags // 0.8L

Ortlieb Bikepacking Bags

Parsley Bags (GER)

Seat Packs // Two Sizes – €177-197

Parsley seat pack.

Italy

Kicking Donkey (ITA)

Stem Bags // 1L – 37 € (for two)
Framebags // Custom Half or Full – 70-120€
Handlebar Harness // 43 €
Handlebar Bags // Custom – 45-55€
Seat Packs // 6L, 12L, 17L – 48-89€
Top Tube Bag //1L – 39€

Kicking Donkey Bikepacking Bags

Miss Grape (ITA)

Frame Bags // Three Sizes – €97
Seat Packs // 13L, 20L – €139-149
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – €109

Miss Grape BikePacking Bags

Rusjan (ITA)

Fork Bags // Two sizes – 55-60€
Framebags // Custom – 150-180€
Handlebar Bags // 15L, 17L, 20L – 185-195€
Seat Packs // 12L, 17L – 185-195€
Stem Bags // 1L – 40€
Top Tube Bags // 1.4L – 90€

Rusjan Bikepacking Bags.

Japan

Fairweather (JAP)

I really like Fairweather’s panniers, and the bikepacking gear looks just as nice. Fairweather select their colours well too.

Frame Bags // Two Sizes – US $49-77
Seat Packs // 6L – US $138
Handlebar Bag // One Size – US $128

Fairweather BikePacking Bags

Wanderlust Equipment (JAP)

W.E make quite a nice half-size frame bag, made in Japan.

Frame Bags // One Size – ¥8800

Wanderlust Equipment Frame Bag

New Zealand

Cactus Outdoor (NZ)

Handlebar Harness // 15L – NZ $129
Seat Packs // 10L – NZ $169
Top Tube Bags // 1L – NZ $69

Cactus Outdoor bikepacking bags.

Dancing Moose (NZ)

Handlebar Harness // 20L – NZ $188
Seat Packs // 15L – NZ $222
Frame Bags // Custom – NZ $230
Top Tube Bags // 0.8L, 1.5L – NZ $89-96
Accessory Bags // 2L – NZ $76

Dancing Moose bikepacking bags.

Robo Kiwi (NZ)

Handlebar Harness // 12-20L – NZ $169
Seat Packs // 14L – NZ $179
Frame Bags // Custom – NZ $149-169
Top Tube Bags // 0.8L, 1.9L – NZ $54-69
Stem Bags // 0.9L – NZ $54
Accessory Bags // 2L – NZ $59

Robo Kiwi bikepacking bags.

Stealth Bike Bags (NZ)

Michael started Stealth in 2014, making bags out of Wellington, NZ. The majority of the materials are sourced locally and are waterproof, although Michael doesn’t go through the full process of waterproofing his bags (it’s too expensive and complicated).

Top Tube Bags // One Size – NZ $75
Stem Bags // One Size – NZ $60
Frame Bags // Custom – NZ $130-230
Seat Packs // 8L, 10L – NZ $160-170
Handlebar Bag // 7.5L, 9L – NZ $135
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – NZ $120

Stealth Bike Bags

Poland

BikePack (POL)

This Polish bag manufacturer has a reputation for making excellent quality handcrafted bike bags.

Top Tube Bags // One Size, Custom – €21-24
Frame Bags // Custom – €78-91
Handlebar Bags // One Size – €71
Seat Packs // 5L, 9L, 12L – €45-77

BikePack Poland Bags

Triglav (Poland)

Triglav is another Polish bikepacking bag business, available directly through Facebook.

Seat Packs // One Size
Handlebar Bags // One Size
Frame Bags // Custom
Fork Bags // One Size

Triglav Bikepacking Bags

Russia

Kailer (RUS)

Frame Bags // 3.5L, 5L, 6L, Custom – US $41-63
Handlebar Harnesses // 16L – US $52
Seat Packs // 8L, 15L, 20L – US $44-60
Stem Bags // 1.5L – US $13

Kailer Bikepacking Bags

Kravets Bikepacking Gear (RUS)

Handlebar Harnesses // 12L – US $68
Seat Packs // 14L – US $77

Kravets bikepacking bags.

Notnee Bikepacking (RUS)

Seat Packs // 14L – US $30
Handlebar Harnesses // US $35
Frame Bags // Custom – from US $37
Top Tube Bags // S, M – US $15

Notnee bikepacking bags.

Packrat Moscow (RUS)

Handlebar Harnesses
Seat Packs
Frame Bags
Top Tube Bags
Accessory Bags

Packrat Moscow bikepacking bags.

SENNA (RUS)

Frame Bags // Custom – US $35-40
Handlebar Bags // 17L – US $36
Seat Packs // 5L, 12L, 17L – US $25-50
Stem Bags // 1L – US $13

Senna Bikepacking Bags.

UralTour (RUS)

Mike and Olga live in the Ural region of Russia and make super affordable bikepacking gear. They make the gear as you order it and almost anything can be custom to your needs.

Frame Bags // Custom – US $40-50
Seat Packs // 11L – US $45
Handlebar Bags // 14L – US $40

UralTour BikePacking Bags

Spain

Geosmina (ESP)

Top Tube Bags // 0.6-1.0L – €37-42
Cargo Cage Bags // 4L – €45
Frame Bags // 2.5L, 7.5L – €35-40
Handlebar Bags // 10L – €49
Seat Packs // 10L – €80

Geosmina Bikepacking Bags

Inuvik Studio (ESP)

Inuvik makes some nice looking gear out of Spain.

Frame Bags // Three Sizes
Top Tube Bags // One Size

Inuvik Studio BikePacking Bags

Sweden

Endless Trails Outdoor Equipment (Sweden)

Edvin makes all kinds of waterproof outdoor gear out of Gothenburg, including bikepacking bags!

Handlebar Bags // One Size – US $121
Accessory Bags // One Size – US $62
Frame Bags // Custom – US $167
Seat Packs // One Size – US $122
Stem Bags // Two Sizes – US $50-72
Downtube Bags // One Size – US $44

Endless Trails Bikepacking Bags

Switzerland

Spok Werks (SWI)

Spok bags are made out of Switzerland by Michael and his partner.

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes
Stem Bags // Two Sizes
Frame Bags // Custom
Seat Packs // Two Sizes
Handlebar Bag // Four Sizes

Spok Werks Bikepacking Bags

Taiwan

Giant (Taiwan)

The world’s biggest bike manufacturer is now dipping into the bikepacking market. Their Scout line of bags is waterproof and affordable.

Frame Bags // S, M, L – US $75-85
Handlebar Bags // One Size – US $80
Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $30
Seat Packs // One Size

Giant Scout Bikepacking Bags

Merida (Taiwan)

Fork Bags
Frame Bags
Seat Packs

Merida Bikepacking Bags.

Woho (Taiwan)

Frame Bags // 2.75L, 4L, 4.7L – US $60-70
Handlebar Bags // 13L – US $100
Seat Packs // 12L – US $100
Stem Bags // 1.2L – US $35
Top Tube Bags // 1L – US $35

Woho bikepacking seat pack.

Thailand

Conquer (Thailand)

Conquer have been around since 2014, their bags all made in Thailand.

Top Tube Bags
Stem Bags
Frame Bags
Seat Packs
Handlebar Bags

Conquer BikePacking Bags

Vincita (Thailand)

Frame Bags // 2.6L – US $35-75
Handlebar Harnesses // 5L, 9L – US $115-122
Seat Packs // 9L, 15L, 24L – US $79-139
Top Tube Bags // 0.8L – US $39

Vincita Bikepacking Bags

Ukraine

Bag4Bike (Ukraine)

Dmitry from Bag4Bike loves bike touring with a minimal load. Needing more storage than his small daypack, he created a 7L seat pack to take a bit of weight off his back.

Seat Packs // 7L – US $59

Bag4Bike bikepacking seat pack.

Fast-N-Light (Ukraine)

Seat Packs // 13L, 17L – US $45-50
Handlebar Harness // 8L, 15L – US $32-35
Frame Bags // Half, Full, Custom – US $28-40
Stem Bags // 0.75L – US $12

Fast-N-Light bikepacking bags.

Seven Roads Workshop (Ukraine)

7R workshop has an impressive list of bags and harnesses for a reasonable price.

Frame Bags // Two sizes – US $50-95
Handlebar Bags // Four Sizes – US $80-105
Seat Packs // 5L, 8L, 13L, 18L – US $50-115
Stem Bag // 1L – US $25

7R Workshop Bikepacking Bags.

United Kingdom

Alpamayo Designs (UK)

Paul and Sam met in Equador while bike touring. After getting along so well, they rode down the Andes together and then went on start a bikepacking bag brand! This gear is all made by a small workshop in the Peruvian Andes.

Seat Packs // One Size – £85
Frame Bags // Three Sizes + Custom – £55-115
Handlebar Harnesses // 10-20L – £60
Top Tube Bags // 1L – £29
Stem Bags // 1L – £25

Alpamayo Bikepacking Bags

AlpKit (UK)

AlpKit is a UK-made, direct-to-the-public outdoor gear company. They have been putting together a huge line up of bags over the past few years.

Top Tube Bags // S, M, L – £18-29
Stem Bags // One Size – £18
Frame Bags // S, M, L, Custom – £40-100
Seat Packs // 3L, 13L – £15-65
Handlebar Harnesses // Two Sizes – £12-45
Handlebar Bags // 13L, 20L – £11-14

AlpKit Bikepacking Bags

Altura (UK)

Frame Bags // 5L – £49
Handlebar Bags // 12L – £49
Seat Packs // 6L, 12L – £49-59
Top Tube Bags // 1L – £29

Altura Bikepacking Bags.

Apidura (UK)

Apidura are now one of the more common bikepacking bag manufacturers, sponsoring lots of ultra-endurance athletes and bike travellers.

Top Tube Bags //0.5L, 0.8L – £30-35
Frame Bags // 3L, 4.5L, 5.3L, 6L  – £55-70
Seat Packs // 11, 14, 17.5L – £80-85
Handlebar Bags // 9L, 20L – £65-75

Apidura BikePacking Bags

Bike Bag (UK)

Bike Bag put together quite affordable frame bags in the UK, all custom.

Frame Bags // Custom – £40-55

Bike-Bag UK Frame Bag

Mack Workshop (UK)

Jon at the Mack Workshop makes high-quality bags at reasonable prices. As it’s all made to order, you can get any of the bags custom tailored to your needs.

Handlebar Bags // Two Sizes – £30-60
Seat Packs // One Size – £75
Frame Bags // Four Sizes + Custom – £40-62

Mack Workshop Bikepacking Bags

Restrap (UK)

Restrap have a really nice line of bikepacking bags. I especially like their seat pack holster which allows you use different sized dry bags.

Frame Bags // S, M, L – £39-59
Seat Packs // 13L – £89
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – £55

Restrap BikePacking Bags

Wildcat Gear (UK)

Based in Wales, Wildcat make some top quality handmade stuff which you can buy in bundles for a reduced price.

Frame Bags // S, M, L, XL, Custom – £65-160
Seat Packs // 5L, 8L – £70-75
Handlebar Harnesses // Two Sizes – £65-75

Wildcat Gear BikePacking Bags

USA

Andrew the Maker (USA)

Andrew makes his custom bikepacking gear in Missouri, USA. The ATM logo is rad to boot! I think the frame bikepacking bag with a beer window says it all really…

Top Tube Bags // Custom – US $65
Frame Bags // Custom – US $160-220
Seat Packs // One Size – US $35
Handlebar Bags // One Size – US $65

Andrew the Maker Custom Frame Bikepacking Bag – Singletrack.com

Banjo Brothers (USA)

The Banjo Brothers gear has got to be some of the most affordable out there. The bags aren’t huge, but combine it with other brands and you will have a cost-effective setup.

Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $15
Stem Bags // One Size – US $19
Frame Bags // S, M, L – US $32-40
Seat Packs // 6.5L – US $49
Handlebar Bags // 4.5L – US $29

Banjo Brothers Frame Bikepacking Bag

Becker Gear (USA)

Becker is a custom manufacturer, testing all their gear in Fairbanks, Alaska. What I love most about this gear are the custom colours and designs.

Frame Bags // Custom
Seat Packs // Custom

Becker Gear Frame Bag

Bedrock Bags (USA)

Bedrock makes their gear out of Colorado, USA. The gear is clearly top-notch, and I really like the ‘railwing’ system which stabilises the seat pack.

Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $65
Stem Bags // One Size – US $49
Frame Bags // Custom – US $160-200
Seat Packs // 12L – US $175-190
Handlebar Bags // Two Sizes – US $150

BedRock BikePacking Bags – BIKEPACKING.com

Blackburn (USA)

Blackburn, who make all kinds of bike accessories, recently brought out a rad range of bags at great prices.

Top Tube Bags // S, L – US $20-45
Frame Bags // S, M – US $59-65
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size (inc. DryBag) – US $99
Seat Packs // 11L – US $119

Blackburn BikePacking Bags – BikeRumor.com

Boulder Bikepacking Gear (USA)

Boulder Bikepacking Gear have been making custom bags since 2010. They are also happy to modify bikepacking bags from other manufacturers.

Top Tube Bags // S, M, Custom – US $50-90
Frame Bags // Custom – Start US $75
Handlebar Harnesses // Custom – Start US $70
Seat Packs // 6L, 10L, 12L – US $110-130

Boulder Bikepacking Bags

Broad Fork Bags (USA)

Josh entered the Tour Divide with just two weeks before the start. He didn’t have a bike or gear but cobbled it all together just in time. Although Josh didn’t finish his ride due to a sad achilles, he fell in love with bikepacking and now creates mostly custom bags.

Jones Handlebar Bag // One Size – US $60-70
Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $45
Frame Bags // Custom Two Sizes – US $75-145

Broad Fork Frame Bag

Carousel Design Works (USA)

Carousel has been making really nice custom bags for about a decade!

Top Tube Bags
Frame Bags
Seat Packs
Handlebar Bags

Carousel BikePacking Bags

Carsick Designs (USA)

Handlebar Bags // One Size – US $240
Seat Packs // 10L – US $125
Stem Bags // Two Sizes – US $35-40
Fork Bags // 4L – US $45

Carsick Designs Bikepacking Bags

Cedaero (USA)

Frame Bags // Custom Half/Full – from US $149
Seat Packs // One size – from US $119
Top Tube Bags // from US $55

Cedaero Bikepacking Bags.

Cleaveland Mountaineering (USA)

Jeremy makes all kinds of bikepacking bags at pretty decent prices.

Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $40
Frame Bags // Custom – From US $110
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size (inc Pocket) – US $75

Cleaveland Mountaineering Frame Bag

Crater Packs (USA)

Rich makes his bags out of vinyl or cuben fibre if you care about the grams. They are made in Colorado, USA.

Frame Bags // Custom – US $125-140
Seat Packs // Two Sizes – US $80-120
Handlebar Bags // One Size – US $120

Crater Packs Frame Bag

Defiant Pack (USA)

Defiant Pack are based in Colorado above a brewery. They’ve been making bikepacking gear since 2014.

Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $43
Stem Bags // One Size – US $34
Frame Bags // Custom – From US $160
Seat Packs // XS, S, M – From US $115
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size (inc. pocket) – US $113

Defiant Pack BikePacking Bags

DirtBags (USA)

Frame Bags // Custom Half/Full – US $90-175
Seat Packs // 12 Litres – US $95
Stem Bags // 1.2L – US $40
Top Tube Bags // 1.6L – US $50

DirtBags Bikepacking Bags

Endless Trails Outdoor Equipment (SWE)

Edvin makes all kinds of waterproof outdoor gear out of Gothenburg, including bikepacking bags!

Handlebar Bags // One Size – US $121
Accessory Bags // One Size – US $62
Frame Bags // Custom – US $167
Seat Packs // One Size – US $122
Stem Bags // Two Sizes – US $50-72
Downtube Bags // One Size – US $44

Endless Trails Bikepacking Bags

eoGEAR (USA)

Seat Packs // 6.8L, 8.2L, 12L – US $63-119
Top Tube Bags // 1.1L – US $26-39

EOGear Bikepacking Bags.

Fun Bags (USA)

Since 2011, Fun Bags have been putting together custom bikepacking kits for riders. They believe that their knowledge for bag making should be shared, so they have information on their site for how to DIY too.

Seat Packs // One Size – US $100
Handlebar Bags // Two Sizes – US $80-90
Frame Bags // Custom – US $110-165
Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $45

Fun Bags Bikepacking Bags

Green Guru (USA)

Holy colours! Green Guru use factory scraps to construct their bikepacking bag range.

Seat Packs // 7L – US $100
Frame Bags // 7L – US $40

Green Guru Bikepacking Bags

Gryphon Workshop (USA)

Gryphon Workshop mostly specialises in making kilts, but they’re now doing some really nice frame bags and panniers.

Frame Bags // Custom

Gryphon Workshop Frame Bag

Jandd (USA)

Jandd makes super affordable accessory bags which can be used in conjunction with other larger bags on this list.

Top Tube Bags // Five Sizes – US $19-29
Frame Bags // Four Sizes – US $42-49

Jandd Frame Bag

J.Paks (USA)

The JPaks stuff looks really nice. They clearly use really high-quality materials for all their bikepacking gear.

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – From US $60
Stem Bags // One Size – From US $50
Frame Bags // Custom – From US $150
Seat Packs // 5L, 14L – From US $110
Handlebar Bags // One Size – US $180

J Paks BikePacking Bags

Lezyne (USA)

Handlebar Bags // 7L – US $49
Seat Packs // 7.5L – US $69
Stem Bags // 1.3L – US $26
Top Tube Bags // 0.8-1.2L – US $25-29

Lezyne Bikepacking Bags.

Lone Peak Packs (USA)

The Lone Peak gear is mostly cost-effective accessory bags to use in combination with other bikepacking options.

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – US $25-35
Frame Bags // Three Sizes – US $37-79

Lone Peak Packs Frame Bag

No Logo Bikepacking (USA)

No Logo is a small-scale custom manufacturer making quality bikepacking products.

Top Tube Bags // One Size
Stem Bags // One Size
Frame Bags // S, M, L, Custom
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size

No Logo BikePacking Bags

Nuclear Sunrise Stitchworks (USA)

Nuclear Sunrise make lots of great looking bikepacking bags. A full matching set looks the business.

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – US $40-50
Stem Bags // One Size – US $35
Frame Bags // Custom
Seat Packs // Two Sizes – US $145-155
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – US $95

Nuclear Sunrise Stitchworks BikePacking Bags

Oveja Negra (USA)

One of the more popular brands, Oveja Negra is high quality and has a good reputation for a reason.

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – US $45-50
Frame Bags // S, L, Custom – US $75-200
Seat Packs // 10L, 20L – US $120-125
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – US $50

Oveja Negra BikePacking Bags

Outer Shell Adventure (USA)

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – US $38-55
Stem Bags // 1L – US $55
Frame Bags // Three Sizes – US $80-90
Seat Packs // 10.5L, 16L – US $160-165
Handlebar Harnesses // 5L, 10L – US $40 + $25-35 (drybag)

Outer Shell Adventure Bikepacking Bags

Portland Design Works (USA)

Seat Pack Rack // 14L – US $88
Handlebar Harness // 12L – US $99

PDW bikepacking bags.

Revelate (USA)

Revelate is one of the most widely recognised bikepacking brands; you’ll find their gear in shops all around the world. The updated Terrapin dry seat packs look really nice!

Top Tube Bags // Two Sizes – US $38-55
Stem Bags // One Size – US $39
Frame Bags // Three Sizes – US $90-165
Seat Packs // 12L, 14L – US $90-125
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – US $75

Revelate BikePacking Bags

Rockgeist (USA)

Custom bags out of the USA. Their gear looks pretty top notch.

Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $48
Stem Bags // One Size – US $48
Frame Bags // Custom – From US $100
Dropper Post Seat Packs // 10L – US $85
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – US $66

Rockgeist Bikepacking Bags.

Rogue Panda Designs (USA)

Started in 2014, Rogue Panda makes bikepacking bags out of Arizona, USA. Their bags are almost always custom made to fit your bike and Nick can even do amazing patterns like the Arizona flag below!

Top Tube Bags // One Size – US $40
Down Tube Bags // One Size – US $40
Stem Bags // One Size – US $40
Frame Bags // Custom – US $75-140
Seat Packs // 13L – US $105
Handlebar Bag // 10L, 14L, 18L – US $80

Rogue Panda Designs Frame Bikepacking Bag

Salsa (USA)

Adventure bike brand Salsa has just dropped an awesome looking EXP bikepacking bag range. I especially like the handlebar cradle which creates a handy gap from your bars.

Handlebar Bags // One Size – US $99
Accessory Bags // One Size – US $50
Frame Bags // Multiple Sizes – US $119
Seat Packs // One Size – US $119

Salsa Bikepacking Bags. Image: BIKEPACKING.com

Specialized (USA)

Another big bike brand making bikepacking bags for their adventure bikes. The Burra Burra range is all waterproof and has some innovative features like a seatpost mount to stop the seat pack swaying.

Seat Packs // 8, 10.5L – US $130-140
Frame Bags // 3, 5, 8L – US $90-110
Handlebar Bags // 13, 23L – US $130-135
Top Tube Bags // 0.75L – US $50
Fork Bags // 1L – US $40

Specialized Burra Burra Bikepacking Bags

Switchback Bike Bags (USA)

Switchback make their custom gear out of Colorado, USA. It looks to be great quality.

Top Tube Bags // Custom – From US $40
Frame Bags // Custom – From US $99
Seat Packs // 12L – From US $109
Handlebar Harnesses // One Size – US $99

Switchback Frame Bag

Timbuk2 (USA)

Frame Bags // US $69
Seat Packs // US $79
Top Tube Bags // US $35

Timbuk2 Bikepacking Bags.

Topeak (USA)

Component manufacturer Topeak has just released a bikepacking bag range which is not all that surprising given their long history with bike bags.

Seat Packs // 6, 10L
Frame Bags // 3, 4.5L
Handlebar Bags // 8L
Accessory Bags // 3L
Top Tube Bags // 0.75L

Topeak Bikepacking Bags

Vagabond Bicycle Bags (USA)

Vagabond make all their gear in the USA and use the motto, “make any bike, an adventure bike”. They offer a lifetime warranty on their gear.

Frame Bags // One Size
Seat Packs // One Size
Handlebar Bags // One Size

Vagabond BikePacking Bags

Wanderlust (USA)

Made in Virginia, USA, Wanderlust have a neat range of bikepacking gear.

Stem Bags // One Size – US $40
Frame Bags // Custom – From US $125
Seat Packs // 12L – US $140
Handlebar Bag // One Size – US $135

Wanderlust BikePacking Bags

Bikepacking Bag Manufacturers with Limited Details

Barking Bear Bag Works (USA)
Lone Mountain Innovations (USA)

The post A Complete List of Bikepacking Bag and Frame Bag Manufacturers with Prices appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Here’s your Eurobike 2018 round-up! Today we’ll be looking at bike travel gear across the touring, adventure and bikepacking sectors from this year’s show. And there’s a lot of it, so get ready…

A special thanks to readers Tim Körner, Marco de Wit and Peter P for running around and taking these great photos while I’m in Bolivia. This event coverage wouldn’t be possible without them!

Acepac

Acepac had more bikes than ever at their stand to help showcase their 2019 product range.

Check out the monstrous pogies on this Ibis Tranny singlespeed! I can’t see any reason why you’d get cold hands on this bike.

Want to fly under the radar? Here’s a bikepacking rig with a full camo Acepac ensemble.

This titanium mountain bike is set up with a minimal front and rear Acepac harness set.

Acepac has a unique half framebag design for 2019 that wraps over the top tube to keep everything stable.

A hot pink Pipedream mountain bike decked out with blue Acepac bikepacking bags.

A Singular plus-bike fitted with a grey Acepack kit.

The strapping on the top of the Acepac seat pack allows you to easily carry additional volume. The canteen-sized stem bag is cool too!

Birzman

The Birzman bikepacking ensemble is under US $300 for all six pieces. Provided the dimensions fit your bike, the two-piece frame bag allows you to choose between a half frame bag or (almost) full frame bag.

Brooks

Brooks England has new saddles for 2019, including the Cambium All Weather and the Cambium Organic Light. The latter is lighter than before and its top is 100% biodegradable as it’s constructed using a recycled paper biopolymer, plus rubber and cotton.

Burley

Yes, this Burley trailer is designed to carry everything, including your kitchen sink.

Busch & Muller

The Busch & Muller front dynamo light display showed their wide range of light options.

The new compact rear dynamo lights look great!

Cane Creek

This is the new short travel Cane Creek eeSilk suspension seatpost that will take the edge off the bumps and vibrations. The 33mm ST model offers 3-4x more vertical flex than the best rigid seatpost; the eeSilk is expected to still offer 2x more flex with its 20mm travel. Oh, and it’s just 295 grams. You can read more about seatposts for comfort HERE.

Co-Motion

A Co-Motion Americano 700c touring bike with S&S couplers, a Rohloff 14s hub and Gates belt drivetrain.

This Co-Motion Siskiyou is built around a Pinion 18s gearbox, Gates belt drivetrain, sweptback bars and 650B wheels.

It wouldn’t be a Co-Motion stand without a super sweet tandem! This thing looks fast.

Gates Carbon Drive

This blinged-out adventure e-Bike is using a Gates belt drivetrain.

The relatively new CDX:EXP is expected to achieve an even better range than the standard belt kit (more than 30,000km).

Got a belt drive but find it squeaks in the dust? You need a Hanseline Belt Drive Care Stick. It applies like a glue stick to the teeth on your belt!

Ghost

Ghost have just released this carbon adventure bike with 27.5″ wheels. It has space for 3x cargo cages, 3x bottle cages and a top tube bag.

A KT dynamo hub (new for 2019 – more HERE) and a Cinq5 Plug III USB charger is fitted as standard.

Fritz Cargo

The Fritz Cargo Transport Trailer is as light as 3.6kg in the SL version and 5.4kg in the regular. It connects directly to a QR rear axle but there’s thru axle adapters available.

Koga

A Koga WorldTraveller-S build using a Rohloff 14s hub and Gates belt drivetrain.

Koga was showing a new touring handlebar based on the Velo Orange Crazy Bar.

The GrandTourer-S uses a derailleur drivetrain and lighter/faster parts than the WorldTraveller-S for paved road touring.

A WorldTraveller-S build with 27+ wheels in hot pink!

This unique WorldTraveller-S bike is built as a classic street bike instead of a long-distance touring bike.

The e-WorldTraveller is now available with two batteries for a 300km+ pedal-assisted range.

Kona

The 2019 Kona Libre DL is a carbon adventure bike packed with eyelets. You can fit front and rear racks, fenders, a top tube bag and cargo cages. With fenders, the Kona Libre can fit 700x45C or 650x50C tires, and up to 29 x 2.0″ or 27.5 x 2.1″ without.

The lower cost 2019 Kona Libre employs 650B wheels and a 2x drivetrain.

Marin

The Marin Four Corners Elite is a steel adventure touring bike that comes with thru-axles and a 1×11 drivetrain / 9-44t cassette. It’ll retail for US $2099.

This base model Marin Four Corners (US $1039) has been decked out in Apidura bikepacking kit.

The essentials have been strapped to the Blackburn cargo cages on the fork: single malt whiskey and Nutella!

Blue is the alternative colour for the 2019 Marin Four Corners. These bikes come stock with knobby tyres for the new model year.

The 2019 Marin Nicasio is a lighter-duty adventure bike packed with eyelets. It’s also a complete bargain at US $759!

The 2019 Marin Nicasio Ridge is a 650B adventure bike with a full carbon fork, dropper seatpost and SRAM Rival 1×11 drivetrain.

MaxCycles

MaxCycles brought this super neat Pinion gearbox, belt drive touring bike to the show.

Maxx

The Maxx Crossmaxx bikes are designed for world travel, with a Rohloff 14s hub, belt drivetrain, dynamo lights and front and rear racks.

Maxx is one of the only companies who cater to cyclists over 200cm in height. The Roadmaxx frames are about as big as stock bikes get – especially if you’re after something with drop handlebars.

This Roadmaxx Randonneur has been custom-built to suit mixed surfaces. I’m really digging the colour-matched fenders!

The Jagamoasta has been set up with a Rohloff 14s hub, belt drivetrain, dropper seatpost, super wide tyres and suspension fork. You can expect this thing to be able to explore almost any terrain on Earth (or Mars).

Montague

Montague makes full-sized folding mountain bikes with a rear pannier rack. This can be a great feature for planes, trains, taxis and buses.

Moots

Moots had their Routt 45 adventure bike kitted with SRAM wireless gearing and Apidura bikepacking bags.

The Moots Baxter is a 29er dropbar adventure bike. This rig will fly along dirt roads but also handle rougher singletrack that most drop bar bikes cannot.

The anodizing on Moots frames make them rather distinctive amongst the hundreds of new titanium bike brands.

M-Wave

M-Wave have also jumped on-board with their very cost-effective bikepacking bag range. These will be sold at… WALMART!

Ortlieb

Here’s the Ortlieb mid-sized bikepacking bag range mounted to a new Bombtrack 650B adventure bike complete with MRP Baxter 40mm suspension fork. Who here agrees we need more info on this bike!?

Left: with camera flash. Right: without camera flash. Cool, right? Especially the all-black bags.

All of the usual Ortlieb pannier suspects were on display too.

The new ‘Free’ bag range brings together the durable polyester fabric used for years by Ortlieb, but the fabric is now free from PVC (a petroleum-based plastic polymer).

Is this the greatest pannier colour ever? Possibly.

Otso

The carbon Otso Voyek is one of the most versatile adventure bikes around. It is a 27.5+ or 29+ trail bike that can also accommodate up to 26 x 4.6” tires too. The chainstay length can be adjusted from a nimble 430mm to a stable 450mm and the bike has the narrowest q-factor of any fat tyre compatible bike (83mm BB). 

Pinion

The Pinion gearbox display allows you to get a feel for these fully weather-sealed gear units.

Take a look inside a Pinion gearbox.

Is this Portus Pinion trail service bike the weirdest in this round-up? It’s got a lot of funk going on…

Pro

Shimano, yes… Shimano has launched a bikepacking bag range for 2019 via their component brand Pro.

Pro components are available through every Shimano dealer globally, so we can expect to see some very wide distribution of the Pro Discover bikepacking bags.

At the moment there are only four pieces to the Pro Discover collection.

The Pro Discover Handlebar Harness offers an 8L capacity so it’s going to be well suited for drop bars. Foam spacing provides knuckle clearance and the drybag is dual-sided.

The waterproof half framebag is available in one size (5.5L) as is the top tube bag (0.75L). Notice the direct mount bolt holes on the top tube bag which will suit many 2019 adventure bikes.

The Pro Discover Seat Pack is 15L in size and uses foam spaces to provide clearance to the back of your legs.

Restrap

This new aluminium Bombtrack for 2019 has 650x47C slicks and looks great with a Restrap bikepacking kit!

The full Restrap bikepacking ensemble including three half framebags. Restrap still makes custom-sized full framebags if that’s what you’re after.

I don’t recommend hanging your dangle this low!

The nifty accessory bag mount on the Restrap handlebar harness.

Restrap also had some new classically-styled panniers found on this Stanforth Conway touring bike.

Restrap uses Rixen & Kaul Modul Hooks which are able to lock to the rack by snapping the red piece into place.

The Restrap panniers are also available in a retro green. To the left are the Rando Bags available in 11L or 17L.

Rohloff

It wouldn’t be Eurobike without a teardown of a Rohloff 14-speed internally geared hub.

The Rohloff E-14 electronic gear changer.

Roswheel

Roswheel has updated every bag model for 2019 and is now using higher-quality materials and adjustable rubber straps to mount their off-road bags. This is apparently inspired by military gear. The optional handlebar rack keeps the 15L drybag stable on rough terrain as well as at a distance from your front tyre.

Rosewheel separates their bikepacking bags into two distinct categories for 2019: Off Road and Road.

The 15-litre handlebar pack is dual-sided and has a small zippered pocket for your valuables.

The Roswheel Seat Pack offers a 17-litre capacity and features an air valve to remove air while packing gear inside.

The Roswheel Road bikepacking bags have reflective elements and some really sharp lines.

The bags are smaller, lighter and more minimal in terms of attachment type to meet the less-demanding requirements of sealed roads.

The brand new Tour bag range comprises of three different pannier sizes, a handlebar bag, a racktop bag and three different aluminium racks.

The camera flash helps show the reflective patches incorporated throughout the Roswheel Tour range.

Salsa

This Salsa Mukluk Carbon uses 4.8″ wide tyres but is still under 30lbs (13.6kg). The Revelate framebag is made specially to fit the unique frame shape.

A titanium Salsa Timberwolf frame on display with some Revelate bikepacking bags.

Schmidt

Schmidt had their anodised lights and dynamo hubs on display, as well as a hub teardown so you can see what’s happening inside.

This quick release dynamo plug was shown last year on a Maxx touring bike, but it looks like it’s now in production.

Schmidt front light colour options.

Sentier

The Sentier bike trailer transforms into a rather normal looking bit of luggage once you stow the rear wheel and trailer arm.

Supernova

Supernova had their anodized E3 Pro 2 lights on display as usual.

Surly

The newest bike in Surly’s range in the Bridge Club. I recently added it to the 12 best flat handlebar touring bikes.

The Surly Troll in Pea Lime Pie Soup green.

The Surly Ogre is the 29er version of the Troll. It’s versatile and ready to tour almost anywhere.

Should you need some plus-sized rubber, the ECR is your Surly touring bike of choice!

Surly still makes the classic rim brake Long Haul Trucker, despite having widely expanded their touring range over the last decade.

The Pack Rat employs a quicker-than-usual steering speed which offsets a front load to neutralise the steering. The bike comes with a huge front 24-Pack rack to start you off (but not the Porteur House bag).

The Midnight Special is another new release by Surly. Dress it up as a light touring bike, solid commuter or gravel-eating machine. There’s provision for fenders, front or rear racks and wide tyres. It ticks a lot of boxes!

If you’re planning on cycling on sand or snow and need to carry a lot of gear, the Big Fat Dummy is here for you…

… or perhaps you’ve got a suitable bikepacking kit. Try this orange Pugsley in that case.

The Surly Ice Cream Truck has shorter chainstays, dropper post routing, a threaded BB shell and 5.1″ tyre clearance for 2019.

Topeak

Topeak has added a new cargo cage called the VersaCage to their bikepacking range. This one can be fitted directly to 3-boss mounts or to any fork at all using universal clips.

Tout Terrain

This Tout Terrain is fitted with some new Cinq5 Shift:R brake levers. What’s so special about that? Well, they allow drop handlebars to be used with the Pinion gearbox system!

The cables go from the TRP hydraulic brake levers down to the specially-designed shifting box for the Pinion gearbox.

Also featured on this bike is a new carbon adventure fork by Cinq5. It’s thru axle, rack and fender compatible and will fit cargo cages on either side. 

The 27+ Tout Terrain Outback set up for trails with a Pinion gearbox and belt drivetrain.

It had some nifty Pinion thumb shifters for those who don’t like the standard gripshift lever. 

The Cinq5 shiftbox is similar to that on the drop handlebar bike.

Tubus

Tubus was showing the usual steel and titanium suspects, as well as a new front rack which can help support a randonneur bag or bikepacking handlebar pack. Alternatively, it can provide space to strap your drybag or additional water.

Tumbleweed

Our photographer Peter P was very impressed with the Tumbleweed Prospector adventure touring bike. It’s designed around a Rohloff hub but can fit derailleurs too. There’s room for 26×4″, 27.5×3.25″ or 29×3″ rubber. The front and rear axle spacing is the same, allowing you to fit a rear wheel to the front at a pinch. The bike will fit front and rear racks, cargo cages and full fenders.

Vaude

The Vaude Trailfront harness/drybag offers a whopping 19-litres of cargo space.

Left: the 12L Vaude Trailsaddle seat pack. Right: a new lightweight pannier option for 2019.

The usual high-quality adjustable clips are featured on the back of the new adventure pannier.

Velo de Ville

A more traditional looking step-through touring bike by Velo de Ville.

VSF Fahrrad Manufaktur

VSF had their first belt driven touring bike on display! The brand normally specs their touring bikes with hydro rim brakes; it’s nice to see this one with disc brakes. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come?

Zefal

Zefal, famous for frame-mounted pumps, is now producing a waterproof bikepacking bag range too.

The seat pack is available in two sizes.

Zefal has also released a handlebar harness/drybag, top tube bags with space for a smartphone, and a small triangle bag that will fit inside your frame.

The post Eurobike 2018 Coverage: Bicycle Touring, Bikepacking and Adventure Gallery appeared first on CyclingAbout.

Bikepacking bags have come a long way in the past decade. The materials are higher quality, the designs are sleeker and almost all bags are fully waterproof. So where to from here? Quite a few manufacturers are now offering stabilized bikepacking bags which promise a better user experience.

After trading in the rack and pannier set up, adding new rack-supports back on your bike may seem like you’ve come full circle! But there are a few reasons why it makes sense to offer stabilized bikepacking bags, past keeping them still…

Let’s discuss.

Why Should You Go Stabilized?

Cable Clearance – Regular bikepacking handlebar packs naturally rest against the shift and brake cables of your bike. Unless you’re running really long cables, you might be hampering the performance of your brakes and gears. A stabilized handlebar pack will allow you to lift the load off your cables to prevent any performance hinderances.

Eliminating Tail Wag – Ahh, the dreaded tail wag of a bikepacking seatpack! The more modern seatpacks are pretty good at eliminating this, but with a sloppy pack job, even the best will wiggle around a bit. Stabilized seatpacks use rack supports to ensure that your rear load is stable at all times.

Clearance – Sometimes the gap between your seat and tyre, or handlebar and tyre is limited. This often means fitting smaller diameter bags with reduced capacities. Many of the stabilized bags increase this clearance by allowing you to lift a handlebar pack higher up front, or by cinching down a drybag further back behind the saddle.

Reducing Paint Rub – Handlebar packs often have a strap that fits to the headtube of your frame to keep it in place. Over time, this strap will have a go at your paint, along with any other parts of the handlebar pack that are touching your frame. The obvious answer is to fit some clear tape to your headtube so that your paint doesn’t get scuffed, but that’s not necessary with a stabilized bag set up.

Why Should You Not Go Stabilized?

Fragility – The biggest downside to a stabilized system is that they’re way more susceptible to damage. If you come off your bike or accidentally drop it, you can damage the somewhat fragile rack supports (your bags will be fine). Some products are more bombproof than others.

Extra Weight – While most handlebar and seatpacks are in the 300-450 gram range, the stabilized gear is anything from 400-1100 grams, but more often than not, it’s >600 grams. This may be a concern for those who are racing, but won’t make much of a difference to your overall pack weight otherwise.

Stabilized Front Bikepacking Bags and Harnesses

Portland Design Works Bundle Roll // 995g
The Bundle Roll is a new product from PDW which uses a handlebar mount to secure the harness in place. It offers cinching straps on both the inside and outside of the harness which will ensure your drybag is going nowhere. The Bundle Roll without drybag is 820g, and it’s 995g with a Revelate Saltyroll with a 15-litre capacity. The cradle has a 6kg/13lbs capacity.

Viaggiatori A Pedali Butterflyguns Handlebar Sling // 660g
Viaggiatori a Pedali have just started production on a handlebar extension and hanging sling to hold a drybag. The mounting kit includes two 22cm aluminium bars which protrude from the handlebar and offer four locations for the sling to grab on; the front section doubles as a light and GPS mount. The sling is made from a non-slip fabric called ‘Rubbotex’ which is used in the nautical industry, and it’s reinforced with two glass fibre sticks to keep the sling rigid even when not fully filled. The mounting kit and sling weigh in at 490g, which would be boosted up to 660g with a 15-litre Revelate Saltyroll drybag.

Aeroe BikePack Handlebar Bag // 740g, 790g, 840g
The Aeroe handlebar mount allows you to fit a specially designed 9L, 11L or 14L drybag out front. The bags are removable from the circular handlebar dock in a second with a simple side twist. Inside the hardcase drybags you’ll find two cinching straps to keep your gear from bouncing about. This product was successfully funded on Kickstarter, and the products will be shipping at the end of 2018.

Overlander Bike Gear Handlebar Rack // 884g
This unique aluminium handlebar rack is essentially a big cradle to cinch down a drybag. It’s a bit heavier and burlier than other cradle systems, but it’s also expected to take more hits as a result. An interesting feature is that you can fit two bidon cages to the back of the handlebar mount in the location where you’d normally have stem bags. The maximum load capacity is 3.6kg/8lbs and the rack is 704g by itself.

Arkel Rollpacker 15 and 25 // 680g and 748g
The Rollpacker has been in development for a few years now but is finally available to consumers. This dual-access bag also has an accessory bag attached to the front, and it’s all supported with two arms that swoop under the bag to hold it in place. It’s available in either a 15-litre or a rather monstrous 25-litre configuration suited to flat bars. The max capacity is 7kg/15lbs.

Blackburn Outpost Handlebar Roll // 517g
The Outpost was one of the original stabilized bags. It uses a handlebar mount to attach the harness, and once your drybag is locked in place, the red strap keeps your bag riding high. The drybag that is provided with the Outpost is 11.5 litres and the system has a maximum load capacity of 3.6kg/8lbs.

Salsa Anything Cradle // 640g
Released in 2016, the Anything Cradle was another of the first stabilized handlebar harnesses. It’s light, it’s simple and you can also add an accessory pouch to the front of the drybag for your phone, wallet or food. The Salsa drybag is dual-access and has a capacity of 15L. The handlebar mount will support 3.6kg/8lbs and can fit to 31.8mm handlebars only.

Specialized Burra Burra Harness // 500g and 520g
The third OG stabilized handlebar harness is the Specialized Burra Burra. This one is available with either a 13 or 23L drybag. The handlebar mount is a bit more adjustable than others as the handlebar clamp AND harness can be rotated to put the bag in the most ideal location. A nice feature of the single-sided drybag is the zip across the front that gives access to your valuables without needing to jump off your bike.

Vincita Strada Handlebar Bag // 1100g
Little known Thai brand Vincita produce a really neat bag called the Strada which uses a Klickfix handlebar mount to attach and remove your drybag from your bike. The supplied drybag is pretty narrow for drop handlebars at 8.9L, but the Vincita harness will easily fit a 15L drybag if you use a flat handlebar.

Stabilized Rear Bikepacking Bags

Portland Design Works Bindle Rack // 520g
The Bindle Rack has been a pretty popular option for those with minimal clearance between their seat and tyre. You can use the included straps to cinch down a drybag such as the Revelate Terrapin pictured here, or alternatively, you can add in a harness made by Andrew The Maker that makes taking the drybag on and off the bike that a bit easier. The max capacity is 5kg/12lbs.

Aeroe BikePack Seatpost Mount // 940g, 990g and 1040g
This seatpost-mounted rack allows you to fit a specially designed 9L, 11L or 14L drybag to the top. The bags are removable from the circular dock in a second with a simple side twist. Inside the hardcase drybags you’ll find two cinching straps to keep your gear from bouncing about. If you want, you can also run the mount sideways to fit a drybag on either side of the rack for a total capacity of 28 litres! This product was successfully funded on Kickstarter, and the products will be shipping at the end of 2018.

Carradice Super C with Bagman QR Support. Image: Timmbo

Carradice Super C with Bagman QR Support // 1499g
Carradice have been making canvas saddlebags since forever, and there are now more than a dozen models to choose from. These saddlebags can mount directly into the saddle loops behind some saddles, but it’s recommended to use Carradice’s stabilizing rack called the Bagman QR that both keeps your bag stable and allows your bag to be fitted/removed in seconds. The Bagman QR support is good for up to 10kg/22lbs and is not rated for off-road use.

Overlander Bike Gear Dropper Rack // 882g
Overlander Bike Gear also make a rack to attach a drybag such as the Revelate Terrapin 14-Litre. The aluminium rack itself weighs 712g and the maximum carrying capacity is 3.6kg/8lbs.

Arkel Seatpacker 9 and 15 // 640g and 720g
The Seatpacker is the narrow bikepacking seatpack option by Arkel. It uses a mini-rack that mounts to both the seatpost and saddle rails to ensure the bag is free from tail wag. Given the design, it can be mounted to a dropper seatpost too if you’re that way inclined. The Seatpacker is available in 9 and 15-litre sizes and will handle 5kg/13lbs.

Arkel Rollpacker 15 and 25 // 817g and 900g
The same front Rollpacker bags can be used on the rear too, but you’ll need the quick release saddle rack for it to work. You can mount these 15 or 25-litre bags on top of the rack if you have limited distance between your saddle and tyre, or if you’ve got the clearance, you can hang it underneath the rack for a lower centre of gravity. The maximum capacity of this system is 7kg/15lbs.

Porcelain Rocket Albert Dropper Seat Pack // 450g
The Albert is a 9-litre bag which is designed specifically for dropper seatpost use. It’s supported by two arms which connect from the saddle rails to keep the bag stable. It has a 2.25kg/5lbs load capacity only.

Porcelain Rocket Mr Fusion Mini, Regular and XL // 440g, 450g and 480g
The larger sized rack supported bags by Porcelain Rocket are the Mr Fusion series. A mini-rack juts out from the seatpost to make sure your seat harness system can’t wag about. You can get the Mr Fusion bags in a 9, 13 or 17-litre capacity.

Specialized Burra Burra Seatpack 10 and 20 // 415g and 450g
Specialized also makes a 10 or 20 litre waterproof seatpack that employs a similar mini-rack to the Porcelain Rocket Mr Fusion, albeit it’s on the top of the bag rather than the bottom. The mini-racks will fit either a 27.2mm or 30.9mm diameter seatpost.

Tailfin AeroPack Carbon and Alloy // 600g and 780g
Recently funded on Kickstarter, the AeroPack is a little different because the rack connects at both the seatpost and rear axle. The included 20-litre drybag ends up sitting on top of the rack where you’d normally find a standard seatpack. Two long cinching straps allow you to expand your volume even further if you need by adding an extra drybag as pictured. Given the solid rack design, the Tailfin is good for 12kg/26lbs and will be available early-2019.

WOHO Saddle Bag Stabilizer // 125g
And finally, a product designed to stabilize any other bikepacking seatpack you like. WOHO came up with this rather simple aluminium stabilizing bracket, which I think you’ll agree is pretty damn neat. Mounting on the saddle rails, the Stabilizer cradles either side of your seatpack and stops any swaying. The bidon mounts on either side of the bracket are simply a bonus.

Click HERE To See The Complete List of Bikepacking Bag Manufacturers.

The post A List of Stabilized Bikepacking Bags With Rack Supports appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

You may be liking the idea of a bikepacking bag setup but perhaps you have reservations about the limited volume. Or maybe you have some four-season gear that simply isn’t conducive to packing down small. Or perhaps you simply want to stuff odd-shaped vegetables (like broccoli) into your bags…?!

Not to worry, we are living in a time when bag options for bikes are seemingly endless!

The Arkel Rollpacker will put 25-litres of storage behind your saddle.

The Benefits of A Highrider Bag Setup

Volume doesn’t need to be a priority.
It’s pretty easy to get more than 50 litres out of a front and rear bag. Add in a full-sized framebag and you’ll be good for a multi-year trip! In addition, highrider bags will fit cheaper camping gear, as well as products that use less-packable synthetic insulation.

Easy access.
These bags mostly employ roll-closures, small clips and zippers to make access to your gear very quick and easy. They also open up super wide so that you can dig around and re-organise gear without removing anything from the bag.

Narrower and more aerodynamic than panniers.
Panniers have a large surface area that slows you down more than a set of bikepacking bags (I’ve calculated 6-8% slower at my cycling speeds). While highrider bags are a bit bigger than bikepacking bags, they should still work out a couple of percent faster than panniers.

Higher from the ground than panniers.
If you’re cycling on rocky trails, through ruts or past a whole bunch of tightly-packed shrubs you’ll know that ground clearance is key. A highrider setup gives you all the ground clearance you’ll ever need.

The Physics of A Highrider Setup

The weight distribution of gear on your bike has a pretty dramatic effect on the way your bike handles.

A low centre of gravity is the most ideal characteristic for maintaining stable bike handling with a load. This principle calls for any weight associated with your bike to be distributed low. That’s why panniers are so great for bike travel; they allow your gear to be distributed as low as practically possible.

Highrider bags, on the other hand, are arguably the worst place you can carry gear because the weight is distributed at the highest possible points.

That said, most bikes will still handle a highrider setup perfectly fine, provided you pack light. I’d suggest around 10kg/22lbs front and rear as an ideal maximum. If you do have more weight, consider adding a framebag, a set of cargo cages or some bikepacking panniers so that you don’t need to compromise your bikes handling any further.

Wide handlebars will help to better manage a front load too. This could be via some flared drop handlebars, or just some regular riser bars. Go with something with more than 600mm width. The additional steering leverage will not only make your steering lighter and more precise, but it will provide additional clearance for larger volume highrider bags.

Porteur, Rando and Basket Bags

HANDLEBAR PACK // Tribulus Limited Endover 27L+
The Endover is a 27-litre handlebar pack that’s only 445 grams! For comparison, that’s about 30-50% of the weight of comparable bags. It mounts to the bike via six straps, two of which are clips that allow you to access the goods in your bag. Keep in mind that this bag requires a bit more handlebar-to-tyre clearance than most handlebar packs, given its sheer size. Many people like to support this bag with a minimal front rack – check out some randonneur rack options from Nitto, Surly and Velo Orange.

BASKET BAG // Porcelain Rocket Meanwhile 20L+
PR has recently introduced a seam-welded bag designed specifically to fit the Wald 1392 basket. Two simple clips on either side of the bag loop into the basket to keep it in place. As these bags are quick and easy to make, PR only charges you US $60 for one.

PORTEUR BAG // Outer Shell Adventure Rack Bag 20L+
The Adventure Rack Bag is custom-made to suit different porteur rack models by Pass and Stow, Velo Orange, Soma, Surly, Origin8, Specialized and Rawland. You can add the decaleur kit if you’re planning some off-road use.

BASKET BAG // Terra Rosa Gear Basket Bag 20L+
Terra Rosa Gear makes bags mostly for Australian customers. The Basket Bag is designed to suit the Wald 1392 and comes with some nice details including some reflective material to keep you seen on the road. The weight of this bag is around 1.2kg.

BASKET OR PORTEUR BAG // Realm Wald Basket Bag 20L+
The Realm bags are also designed around a Wald 1392 basket, but can mount to a front porteur rack using its adjustable straps. Realm use some pretty funky material patterns to give your bike a bit of character!

PORTEUR BAG // Laplander Porteur Bag 30L+
These positively gigantic porteur bags are designed specifically to fit the Velo Orange Porteur rack. The retro styling is a bit of a favourite for those with older steel bikes and wool jerseys.

PORTEUR BAG // Swift Polaris Porteur Bag 20L
Designed around the Velo Orange Porteur front rack, the custom Polaris has been seen on bikes for about a decade. Over this time it has been refined to be durable, functional and stylish. The 20-litre bag comes in at 1090 grams.

PORTEUR BAG // Surly Porteur House 20L+
The Porteur House bag is ideally designed to fit the Surly 24-Pack Rack but will fit other similar sized racks too. While the outer material isn’t waterproof, there’s a waterproof liner inside the bag to keep all of your gear dry. The 24-Pack rack isn’t particularly light at 860 grams, and only really fits Surly forks, but it’s strong enough to handle up to 13.6kg (30lbs).

PORTEUR BAG // Inside Line Equipment Porteur Rackbag 20-42L
The waterproof Porteur Rackbag has an insanely big max volume of 42L with the included tie down straps! It can be fitted to a Pass & Stow, Velo Orange, Soma or Cetma rack via two underneath straps. It’s available in a waxed cotton canvas or Cordura nylon exterior.

BASKET BAG // Restrap Basket Bag Large 30L+
Restrap makes three different basket bags with a zipper closure. The size large is designed to fit snugly in the Wald 157 basket, and the size medium pairs with the Wald 1392 (but it’s a bit less than 20 litres). It’s worth noting the Wald 157 basket alone weighs a whopping 3.5kg/7.8lbs, so perhaps keep this setup away from any hills!

Versatile Front Or Rear Luggage Options

SEAT PACK // Arkel Rollpacker 25L
Arkel makes a super neat oversized seat pack and rack. The rack itself requires no tools to add/remove from your bike. If you have lots of exposed seatpost, you can even hang the Rollpacker upside down to lower its centre of gravity. The bag+rack weighs just 930 grams.

HANDLEBAR PACK // Arkel Rollpacker 25L
The same Arkel Rollpacker 25-litre bag can be fitted to a flat handlebar via a different rack. The front rack clamps around your handlebars and allows the bag to ride nice and stable.

HANDLEBAR OR SEAT PACK // Roadrunner Bags Jumbo Jammer 29L
The Jumbo Jammer is a positively massive bag at 29 litres. It’ll fit on your handlebars or behind your saddle. You may like to support this bag with a minimal front or rear rack, especially if you head off-road. Check out some suitable rack options from Tubus, Nitto, RatKing, Surly, Thule and Velo Orange. The Ratking and Thule seem to sit the tallest.

SEAT PACK // Carradice Camper Longflap 24L
The Camper Longflap has been around for longer than I’ve been alive. It was originally designed around Brooks saddles as they have two rear loops which fit the bag’s adjustable straps, but these days you can find saddle loop adapters from Velo Orange and Hobo Pieces to suit your preferred saddle. Many people prefer to use the Carradice bags with a ‘support’ to reduce any bag wag. Check out the supports by Carradice, Yellow Bird Society or Ocean Air Cycles. You may like to support this bag with a minimal rear rack, especially if you head off-road. Check out some suitable rack options from Tubus, Nitto, RatKing, Surly, Thule and Velo Orange. The Ratking and Thule seem to sit the tallest.

HANDLEBAR OR SEAT PACK // UltraRomance Large Fabio’s Chest 30L+
Fabio’s Chest is the largest handlebar/seat pack made by Swift Industries – it expands all the way to 44 litres! This is one super wide bag, so make sure you’ve got the handlebars to match (UltraRomance uses the Crust Towel Rack). The way the Chest mounts to the rear is via some 9″ Titan Straps which are threaded through your saddle loops. Don’t have any saddle loops on your seat? No problem. Hobo Pieces makes the Restuvus loop adapter and Velo Orange makes some more affordable aftermarket Saddle Loops. You may like to support this bag with a minimal front or rear rack, especially if you head off-road. Check out some suitable rack options from Tubus, Nitto, RatKing, Surly, Thule and Velo Orange. The Ratking and Thule rear racks seem to sit the tallest.

Rear Trunk Style Bag Options

RACK BAG // Tailfin AeroPack 20L + 5L Drybag (Available 2019)
While most trunk style bags offer around 10L of storage, the Tailfin AeroPack has longer dimensions which help it offer double the volume. Two long cinching straps allow you to expand your volume even further by adding a drybag to the top. These all-in-one bag and racks are designed to fit almost any bike. The AeroPack Alloy rack weighs in at ~780 grams and the Carbon model at ~600 grams. The Tailfin AeroPack is in the prototype phase and been successfully funded via Kickstarter.

Check Out My List of Stabilized Bikepacking Bags & List of Bikepacking Bag Manufacturers

The post All About 20L+ Saddlebags, Porteur Bags, Rando Bags & Basket Bags appeared first on CyclingAbout.com.

The Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 is an internally geared rear hub that has been servicing the demands of bike travellers for a few decades now. Inside the oversized hub shell are 14 gears which offer almost the same gear range as a regular drivetrain. These gears all sit inside an oil bath that’s sealed away from the elements. Gear shifting is completed via an easy-to-use twist shifter. As the chain does not have to move between sprockets, shifting works out to be quicker and more consistent than a regular drivetrain.

Rohloff hubs are perhaps a bit more common than you think. According to a survey of 327 cyclists that have completed bike trips over 10,000km in length, about 30% of all riders had Rohloff hubs fitted to their bikes.

I’ve personally been using Rohloff hubs on my bike adventures for about a decade. You will have seen them on my KOGA WorldTraveller, Surly LHT and Co-Motion tandem. I’ve found them to work great when the riding conditions are good and even better when they are not. I think I’d have a hard time switching back to a derailleur drivetrain for cross-continental rides after all these years.

Note: This piece was originally published in December 2011 – it’s had a makeover for 2018!

16 Reasons To Travel With A Rohloff Hub

An extra-wide Rohloff hub fitted up to a fat bike.

1. The Sealed Gear Unit
Rohloff gears are hidden away, protected by the safe confines of a sealed aluminium hub shell. That makes a Rohloff hub extremely resilient against mud, grit, dust, snow and sand, and as a result, quite hard wearing.

2. The Sturdiness
Rohloff drivetrains have less parts susceptible to external damage. There are no exposed derailleurs, delicate hangers, brittle cassettes or spring-loaded shifters that can fail.

3. The Wide Gear Range
The 526% gear range provides plenty of gears to get up and over all kinds of terrain. With a Rohloff hub, you’ll be able to climb at 4km/h or motor along at 45km/h. I recommend setting the external gear ratio (chainring and cog) to something around 2:1 for mountainous terrain and between 2.5:1 to 3:1 for flatter terrain. The minimum ratio that Rohloff allow is 1.9:1 (eg. 32/17, 30,16 etc) – these ratios equate to a lower gear than almost any conventional drivetrain!

4. The Maintenance-Free Design (Almost)
Rohloff hubs should get you through a minimum of 100,000km riding before failure; many people have been known to cover far more. The only maintenance that you need to complete is an oil change every 5000km. This job is quick and easy, I can do it in about 10-15 minutes including waiting for the oil to drain from the hub.

How does it work? Don’t ask me!

5. The Minimal Drivetrain Cleaning Required
Getting the brushes between your cassette teeth, derailleur pulleys and chainrings is time-consuming and annoying. You can avoid almost all of this nuisance with a Rohloff drivetrain (ok, you still need to clean a singlespeed chain, but it’s much easier).

6. The Ability To Shift Your Gears Without Pedalling
You can change gears without pedalling – a particularly handy feature for a loaded touring bike. For example, you can pick your gear before you take off at the traffic lights, or select the appropriate gear for starting on an incline.

7. The Ability To Change Many Gears At Once
You can change multiple gears in one go with a Rohloff hub; the limitation is the amount of movement you have in your wrist. I can change about eight gears at once, of which I’ve had to do under rapid deceleration! That’s sandy roads for you…

This KOGA WorldTraveller is my fourth touring bike with a Rohloff hub.

8. The Equally Spaced Gear Ratios
There is a constant 13.6% ratio change between every gear, making gear changes very predictable. Other internally geared hubs offer inconsistent ratio changes to compensate for their lack of gear range.

9. The Instant Gear Changes With No Chance Of Gear Skipping
As soon as you change the gear at the shifter, the hub is instantly engaged in the next gear and ready to go – there’s no dilly-dallying around here! With the gearbox being ‘indexed’, there’s no chance of a gear slipping either.

10. The Straight Chain Line
The chain line on a Rohloff drivetrain is perfectly straight, resulting in less chain wear. This equates to a longer chain life; I know people who’ve toured well over 20,000km with a single chain.

A close look at a Jones Plus touring bike set up with a belt drivetrain.

11. The Zero-Dish Wheel Build
Rohloff hub flanges are both the same height and are spaced equally from the frame on both sides. This results in even tension across every spoke which, in turn, build a stronger wheel.

12. The Efficiency
According to independent testing, Rohloff hubs are just as efficient as a derailleur drivetrain at transferring the power from your pedals to your rear wheel (~95% efficiency). In the mud, they would presumedly be even more efficient!

13. The Simple Shifter
Rohloff hubs use a dual cable system which requires both cables to either be pushing or pulling. Unlike a conventional trigger shifter, there are no springs or moving parts, eliminating it from potential failure. Once a Rohloff shifter is set up, the cables never have to be adjusted as the gear indexing occurs inside the hub.

A Rohloff-specific frame will have an extended non-driveside dropout which prevents the hub internals from spinning inside the wheel.

14. The Shorter Spokes
Rohloff hubs have a bigger shell, resulting in shorter spokes and therefore a stronger wheel for any given wheel size. Wheel strength is key for touring, as the rear wheel often takes such a heavy beating. You can read how to build a strong Rohloff wheel in my resource HERE.

15. The Carbon Belt Drive Compatability
Belt drivetrains are fantastic! Belts are silent, belts are lightweight and belts are clean (no lube/degreaser required). I normally get over 30,000km out of a belt before needing to replace it too – try getting that out of a chain! You do need to have a belt compatible frame to run this option; I’ve got a big list of them HERE. You can also read all the nitty-gritty on belt drivetrains in my carbon belt drive resource.

16. The Chain Can’t Fall Off
Given the singlespeed drivetrain, you should never experience dropped chains, chain skip or chain slap on your chainstay. All the benefits of singlespeed life but with 14 gears!

9 Reasons To Not Tour With A Rohloff Hub

A standard Rohloff hub not expensive enough for you? How about this gold-plated one!

1. The Noise
I think the biggest downside to the Rohloff hub is the noise that occurs in gears 1 through to 7, but especially in that 7th gear. I’ve gotten used to the light whir of these gears over the years, but I sometimes find myself avoiding gear 7 so that I can enjoy the peaceful surrounds. Rohloff hubs are perfectly quiet from gear 8 through to gear 14.

2. The Price
There’s no beating around the bush here – Rohloff hubs are expensive. Expect to pay US $1600 or 1100€ just for the hub and shifter (complete bikes start at 2500€). You’ll need to factor in the cost of a new wheel build too. I’ve always justified the cost of buying a Rohloff hub knowing I won’t need to replace anywhere near as many cassettes/chains/chainrings. The sheer number of kilometres I do (probably) makes them cheaper in the long run.

3. The Need To Send Rohloff Hubs In For Repair
Should the internal gearbox fail or you crack the Rohloff hubs outer shell, you will need to send it off to a service centre to get fixed. Provided your hub is under warranty, Rohloff normally covers the shipping anywhere in the world. This may be a deterrent for you if you’re travelling to remote locations, but in my experience, both these things are quite unlikely to happen. The only major problem I’ve had over the last 10 years was a cracked hub flange (which was likely my fault, see no.4).

A Rodriguez Makeshift Rohloff built up with a belt drivetrain and SRAM/Rohbox shifters.

4. The Need To Maintain Even Spoke Tension
When your spokes become uneven throughout the wheel, it puts a lot of stress on the tall aluminium hub flanges of a Rohloff hub. It’s important to check your spoke tension periodically, and avoid cycling with broken spokes. The result of riding with broken spokes and uneven tension is the chance of the flange breaking (see no.3).

5. The Need For Angle Drilled Rims (26″ Only)
With the short spokes of a Rohloff 26″ wheel, it’s best to use a rim from Ryde with angled spoke holes. This reduces the stress on the spoke heads at the rim and ultimately stops any spokes from breaking. You can read more about this HERE.

6. The Spare Parts Need To Be Shipped In
Need a new cog or some hub oil? You can’t just go to any bike shop to pick up. Most of the time I have to plan ahead of time and order my replacement parts online. Hot tip: I’ve found that road inner gear cables matched to standard outer brake cables work fine as replacements.

A look inside the Gebla Rohbox, an aftermarket component which allows you to pair a Rohloff hub to SRAM road or mountain bike shifters.

7. The Fact You Can’t Shift Under Load
While it’s not best practice to shift under load on any drivetrain, a derailleur has a much higher tolerance for it. There is a technique to shifting on a Rohloff hub where you back off on your power for a split second to make the shift. This takes a bit of time to master but becomes second nature in no time.

8. The Twist Shifter
The twist shifter divides people. The good news is that there are lots of aftermarket options as well as hacks for drop bar bikes (check out the Rohbox). If you use flat bars you can choose aftermarket trigger shifters too. After getting used to the twist shifter, I now prefer it as I can dump up to 8 gears at a time.

9. The Extra Weight
Rohloff hubs are heavier than the equivalent high-end derailleur drivetrains. But it might not be as much as you think. I’ve calculated that a Rohloff drivetrain using chain drive adds about 800 grams when compared to a 2x Shimano XT drivetrain, and about 1100 grams when compared to a 1x SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain.

Other Rohloff Resources On CyclingAbout

23 Ways to Run Rohloff Shifters on Road Handlebars
2016 Rohloff Thru-Axle Rear Hub and Upgrades
Complete List of Gates Belt Drive Touring Bike Manufacturers
Gebla Rohbox: Combine Road or Mountain Shifters With Rohloff Hubs
How to Build a Strong Rohloff Wheel
Rohloff Frame Options For Custom Rohloff Builds
Rohloff Hub Oil Change Instructions and Service How-to
The Bpod PSH’R Trigger Brings Hydraulic Shifting To Your Rohloff Hub
Understanding the Different Types of Rohloff Hub
What’s The Difference In Speed Between Gearbox Systems? Rohloff, Pinion, Shimano

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