Bike Packing...

For non cycling readers you may wonder what `Bike Packing` is,
Well it is a type of off road touring where soft luggage is used mounted close to the bicycles centre of gravity with the heaviest items like stove and food usually in a central frame bag, while a sleeping bag is often bar mounted in a compression strap bar mounted carrier, and a choice for sleeping - a tent, bivvy, tarp, or hammock is usually stored in an under seat bag which is designed to compress around the luggage
and hold it stable.
The whole set up allows for a reasonable ride able bike off road...
This film by UK based outdoor company Alpkit is a good example of bike packing...





Add a pack raft and in the right country a real adventure can be had...




And this 2 years ago...



My choice for my next wee trip backpacking  is my Mk1 Pugsley 29+ KramPug with it`s higher top tube giving a bigger bag.
The Pugsley fits me like a glove , it all combines to a bike i can ride for hours and not get sore or stiff,

Sorting my Surly KramPug 29+  last night this week for a future solo coast to coast ride soon...

I am riding the 29+ KramPug for the sheer reason of so much fun to ride off road,
fun to ride indeed, and as it is real comfortable. It rolls like mad and does not stall and stutter on rough hardcore tracks,
While the 29+  set up of 3" tyres on 50mm rims will provide a happy medium of `float` on peat moors and comfort on the rough tracks my C2C route follows...
Frame bag is the 6 year old frame bag manufactured by Eric Parson, of  the original frame bag by `Epic Designs`  which was -renamed `Revelate` after a threatened law sue by Specialised.. You want to know why many cycling folks don`t like the big `S` name in cycling? this is one of mine...

The frame bag has been well used for local day rides carrying a jacket food and food. It was used to good effect back in 2010 when i cycled the Kyntyre Way which had then recently opened. I was the first to publish cycling the route on line on Here on a blog post.  Then i used a home made handlebar harness and seat bag for the ride, but it worked as in the blog post you can watch this film...



Seat bag and bar bag are by UK based Alpkit

Got to swap out the flat pedals for SPD TIME and fit the orange leather Brooks B17  and it is near as ready to go...

Tinkering in the kitchen tonight as the rain bounced off the window i listened to favourite music, and cannot believe this album is now 10 years old , loved the video back then, so i looked it up on youtube along with 2 other tracks from the first album by Kasabian. Used these on bike films a  while back..

Club Foot;





Reason Is Treason;





Processed beats;