Where Will You Go?
anywhere can be a new destination.
If you’ve been with us through this series on bikepacking, you know we’ve provided a lot of information about what to bring, how to determine where to go, and what kind of equipment you’ll need to take on your next adventure on the bike. We will wrap this one up with some advice from our bikepacking experts here at Nashbar. The ideas are simple but can make a huge difference when it comes to the actual experience of riding and navigating the roads or trails you choose. Your gear will all need to be in its place so that when you need it most, you know right where it is.
“An important thing to remember when bikepacking is how you packed your bags from the first day. It’s easy to get it exactly how you want it when you’re packing up at your house, but every morning of the trip you have to pack up again, so just remembering how and where you packed everything to fit well is important. On the trip you can be tired and just want to rush packing in the morning, but if you remember a where everything belongs you will have an easier time packing up each morning.”
- Jack Johnson, Nashbar Marketing
In addition to knowing where your things are and repacking to optimize your time on the bike and not off, you’ll want to make sure you have your things distributed in a way that keeps you pedaling smoothly and feeling comfortable. For most of us, it isn’t normal to ride your bike with 40 lbs of gear on it, so you want to make sure you’re ready for the new sensations that come with a loaded down rig.
“Weight distribution is very important. When riding, we naturally distribute out body weight across the bike to keep traction and balance. When you load your bike, you need to do the same. The handling of your bike will change and takes some time to get used to. But one thing that helps is spreading the weight out as even as possible between both sides of the bike. I put the heaviest objects at the bottom of my bags to get them as low as possible.” - Ryan Oakes, Nashbar GM
Tips like these are ones that we hear all the time from folks around the office and in our community, but we’d also love to hear from you! Drop your ideas and advice in the comments below so we can take bikepacking on together!
