Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

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Thoglette
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby Thoglette » Tue Aug 09, 2016 3:39 pm

baabaa wrote:Banjo Brothers do some honest economical stuff.
Thanks!
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Aushiker
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby Aushiker » Sun Aug 21, 2016 10:36 am

Arkel have joined the bikepacking market with the Seatpacker 15.



My first thought when I saw it was it is an "upside down" Porcelain Rocket Mr Fusion v2, the seat bag often considered the benchmark bag (okay maybe I am biased as I have one on my Salsa Mukluk :) ).

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After a quick watch of the video my initial thoughts are:

(1) Not as convenient as my Mr Fusion v2. Removal of the bag for off bike packing is a very simple process with the Mr Fusion v2;
(2) Expensive. Mr Fusion V2 is CAD$185 versus CAD$239.95;
(3) Heavier ... My Mr Fusion v2 comes in at 495 grams complete on my scales;
(4) I am not convinced of the need to bolt the frame to the saddle and if this will turn out to be a pain with some saddles (looking at you Brooks B17). I am not aware of any other saddle bag manufacturer going down this path. More weight for little gain?

On the positive side I am assuming that using a frame aka Mr Fusion v2 will address of the often expressed concern of bags swaying. Revelate Designs bags for example often cop this criticism. It also has a little more capacity at 15 litres. I have mixed views on this but if one kept the weight down it might be okay I guess. Bikepacking is often considered to be about less not more.

To be honest I would if I was in the market be considering a Mr Fusion v2 or a Bedrock Coconino over the Arkel. I would also like to see some feedback from the users with experience bikepacking, e.g., Bikepacking.com
Andrew

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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby RonK » Mon Aug 22, 2016 10:04 pm

Arrived this morning these Umara Z-Trail sandals from xeroshoes. Light and thin, pack flat and very comfortable. Should be perfect in camp and for the many river fords I'll need to cross next trip. These are to replace the Zem Oxygen shoes which were not very successful - hard to get on once wet, very slow to dry, and got quite smelly.
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Last edited by RonK on Tue Aug 23, 2016 6:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby dalai47 » Tue Aug 23, 2016 1:44 pm

RonK wrote:Arrived this morning these Amuri Z-Trek sandals from xeroshoes.
I had these for the Mawson trail last year. Even wore them up the 6.4km Mount Ohlssen Bagge Hike one afternoon and the 14.6km St Mary's Peak hike the following morning. Got a lot of amazed looks taking these up the rough track!*

* Did get a decent blister on the sole of my foot on the St Mary hike, but I blame not having my feet not conditioned to jog / walking rocky terrain in the thin sandals rather that the sandals themselves...

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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby RonK » Tue Aug 23, 2016 2:16 pm

dalai47 wrote:
RonK wrote:Arrived this morning these Amuri Z-Trek sandals from xeroshoes.
I had these for the Mawson trail last year. Even wore them up the 6.4km Mount Ohlssen Bagge Hike one afternoon and the 14.6km St Mary's Peak hike the following morning. Got a lot of amazed looks taking these up the rough track!*

* Did get a decent blister on the sole of my foot on the St Mary hike, but I blame not having my feet not conditioned to jog / walking rocky terrain in the thin sandals rather that the sandals themselves...
Wow - impressive. 14.6 km is a decent hike over steep and rough terrain wearing what is essentially a barefoot shoe. And I guess being a sandal it would be easy to pick up a bit of grit which could cause a blister.
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby Aushiker » Tue Aug 23, 2016 4:05 pm

RonK wrote:Arrived this morning these Amuri Z-Trek sandals from xeroshoes. Light and thin, pack flat and very comfortable. Should be perfect in camp and for the many river fords I'll need to cross next trip. These are to replace the Zem Oxygen shoes which were not very successful - hard to get on once wet, very slow to dry, and got quite smelly.
Interesting. I had intended to not bother with campshoes but maybe a week in the same shoes all the time is a bit much. I might give these some thought.

BTW Ron did you consider the Umara Z-Trail? I know it is US$20 more but apparently it is a little thicker but 20% lighter.

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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby RonK » Tue Aug 23, 2016 6:13 pm

Aushiker wrote:BTW Ron did you consider the Umara Z-Trail? I know it is US$20 more but apparently it is a little thicker but 20% lighter.
Oh, err, ahem. Yes I did.

My bad, these are actually the Umara Z-Trail. :oops: :oops: :oops:

Oh, a tip - put them in the cart then go to leave the page and you'll be offered a discount.

Also, print out and use the sizing chart. I had to order up a size, but it is spot on.
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby Aushiker » Tue Aug 23, 2016 11:19 pm

RonK wrote:Oh, a tip - put them in the cart then go to leave the page and you'll be offered a discount.
Thanks for the tip. I got a US$5.00 discount. Helps offset the postage.
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby Mugglechops » Fri Aug 26, 2016 9:03 pm

Get the loop without the sweep

These arrived today. I will test them out on my Krampus. My Bike Bag Dude Jones Bar bag is a pretty good fit too.

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BenGr
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby BenGr » Sun Aug 28, 2016 5:41 am

The guy I've been travelling the divide with has just ditched the Bob trailer and gone full bikepacking.

I might struggle to keep up, but at least I'll actually get some draft now.

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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby AndyRevill » Wed Aug 31, 2016 10:14 am

RonK wrote:
Aushiker wrote:BTW Ron did you consider the Umara Z-Trail? I know it is US$20 more but apparently it is a little thicker but 20% lighter.
Oh, err, ahem. Yes I did.

My bad, these are actually the Umara Z-Trail. :oops: :oops: :oops:

Oh, a tip - put them in the cart then go to leave the page and you'll be offered a discount.

Also, print out and use the sizing chart. I had to order up a size, but it is spot on.
Hi Ron,

what does a pair of these weigh? couldn't see it on the web site and the video insists on weighing 3 pairs (in lbs) just to prove how light they are - guessing about 300g?

Thanks, Andy
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby RonK » Wed Aug 31, 2016 10:40 am

AndyRevill wrote:
RonK wrote:
Aushiker wrote:BTW Ron did you consider the Umara Z-Trail? I know it is US$20 more but apparently it is a little thicker but 20% lighter.
Oh, err, ahem. Yes I did.

My bad, these are actually the Umara Z-Trail. :oops: :oops: :oops:

Oh, a tip - put them in the cart then go to leave the page and you'll be offered a discount.

Also, print out and use the sizing chart. I had to order up a size, but it is spot on.
Hi Ron,

what does a pair of these weigh? couldn't see it on the web site and the video insists on weighing 3 pairs (in lbs) just to prove how light they are - guessing about 300g?

Thanks, Andy
According to the web site "a Men’s size 9 sandal averages 5.4 ounces each". So yes, that converts to around 306g for the pair.

To me, packability is more important than weight - these pack flat. Also since I need these to cross fast flowing streams they must have secure strap system.
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby AndyRevill » Wed Aug 31, 2016 12:57 pm

RonK wrote:
AndyRevill wrote:
RonK wrote: Oh, err, ahem. Yes I did.

My bad, these are actually the Umara Z-Trail. :oops: :oops: :oops:

Oh, a tip - put them in the cart then go to leave the page and you'll be offered a discount.

Also, print out and use the sizing chart. I had to order up a size, but it is spot on.
Hi Ron,

what does a pair of these weigh? couldn't see it on the web site and the video insists on weighing 3 pairs (in lbs) just to prove how light they are - guessing about 300g?

Thanks, Andy
According to the web site "a Men’s size 9 sandal averages 5.4 ounces each". So yes, that converts to around 306g for the pair.

To me, packability is more important than weight - these pack flat. Also since I need these to cross fast flowing streams they must have secure strap system.
Awesome, thanks! I think that they'd be good for both bike touring and bushwalking as camp shoes - now on the shopping list :-)

Cheers
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby Aushiker » Sun Sep 04, 2016 3:05 pm

Yipee, I have now finalised the build of my Salsa Mukluk as a bikepacking fattie, having got around to converting my Surly Marge Lite rims and Maxxis Mammoth 26x4.0 fatbike tyres to a tubeless wheel setup. I followed the steps as advised by Cycles in Life. This worked fine without any significant hassles converting the front wheel. In fact I only needed to do the Stan's Shake once to get a good seal.

On the other hand being a smart alec I thought I would try a different approach with the rear wheel, opting to go with a Surly Clownshoe rim tape 75mm [PVC as recommended by Surly] instead of just taping the rim using Scotch Tough Duck Tape. Lets just say that was a failure. My next smart idea was to tape the rim with the Clownshoe rim tape in place. Once again I could not get an seal. So having learnt my lesson I went back to the tried and true Cycles in Life method and bingo it worked and again a single Stan's Shake did the trick.

As I don't have a compressor and really didn't want to go down that path and as I really "needed" a new floor pump I purchased a Bontrager TLR Flash Charger Floor Pump which has done the trick in terms of getting this conversion in place. I did find however that I need to do three charges for each wheel to get an initial 30 PSI seal and hold (pre Stans injection) but otherwise I am very happy with the pump so far.

I was able to get the recommend Scotch Tough Duck Tape from Bunnings for around $16 a roll. Two rolls are required (one for each wheel).

Finally given my issues with the rear wheel I did get a chance to weigh the tape used, which came in at 107 grams. The tube it replaced weighs in at around 505 grams so a fair bit of weight saving there across the two wheels.
Andrew

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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby rifraf » Sun Sep 04, 2016 4:23 pm

G'day Andrew,
I'm curious as to the amount of "goo" needed.

Will the fat tires need double the amount of sealant narrower tires.

Where did you get your valve kit from?

Did you source automotive sealant or bike specific?

How did you determine the correct amount of sealant and how did you get it into the tire itself?

I've seen the automotive versions in a pressurised can with schrader valve attachment but am unfamiliar with what passes for a bike kit, especially the narrow valve whose name currently escapes me.

Oh and can you clarify what you did regarding rim tape?

He says, in your link, " I next add a Surly rim strip.", where you did away with the rim strip on your conversion?
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby RonK » Sun Sep 04, 2016 5:27 pm

Aushiker wrote:As I don't have a compressor and really didn't want to go down that path and as I really "needed" a new floor pump I purchased a Bontrager TLR Flash Charger Floor Pump which has done the trick in terms of getting this conversion in place.
It would be nice to have, but since the local price is $189 it would be cheaper to get a compressor from Supercheap Auto (if I had somewhere to put it). So if I can't seat my tubeless tyres I'll be off to the local servo for some free air. Or try a can of Aerostart.
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby RonK » Mon Sep 05, 2016 12:04 pm

RonK wrote:
Aushiker wrote:As I don't have a compressor and really didn't want to go down that path and as I really "needed" a new floor pump I purchased a Bontrager TLR Flash Charger Floor Pump which has done the trick in terms of getting this conversion in place.
It would be nice to have, but since the local price is $189 it would be cheaper to get a compressor from Supercheap Auto (if I had somewhere to put it). So if I can't seat my tubeless tyres I'll be off to the local servo for some free air. Or try a can of Aerostart.
After further investigation I have decided to forego the Aerostart method :lol:

I don't "need" a new pump, let alone a $189 one so I will order an Airshot instead.

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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby Aushiker » Mon Sep 05, 2016 3:16 pm

RonK wrote:It would be nice to have, but since the local price is $189 it would be cheaper to get a compressor from Supercheap Auto (if I had somewhere to put it). So if I can't seat my tubeless tyres I'll be off to the local servo for some free air.
Didin't pay $189 as I brought it from http://Bike24.net and I cannot take a compressor to the trailhead plus I prefer if possible to have mutli-functionality ...
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby Aushiker » Mon Sep 05, 2016 3:18 pm

RonK wrote:I don't "need" a new pump, let alone a $189 one so I will order an Airshot instead.
That is an option for sure if you don't want the pump but still a pricey one for a one off limited use tool. One advantage with a pump such as the Bontrager TLR Flash Charger (there are now three brands/models on the market I think) is that they are a simple integrated unit; you don't have to muck around with separated pieces. Just apply effort and flick the lever ... all done :) .

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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby Aushiker » Mon Sep 05, 2016 3:29 pm

rifraf wrote:I'm curious as to the amount of "goo" needed.
Yes ... more volume means more sealant.
Will the fat tires need double the amount of sealant narrower tires.
Not sure; need to check the Stan's Sealant bottle or website for the specifics
Where did you get your valve kit from?
Http://bike24.net - Stan's valves.

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Did you source automotive sealant or bike specific?
Bike specific - Stan's Sealant
How did you determine the correct amount of sealant and how did you get it into the tire itself?
Says on the bottle, 120 ml but I went to 180mls as per Cycles in Life (equivalent to 6oz). I used a Stan's Tire Sealant injector. Just remove the valve core, attached the injector, plunge. Repeat three times.

Image
Oh and can you clarify what you did regarding rim tape?

He says, in your link, " I next add a Surly rim strip.", where you did away with the rim strip on your conversion?
Left the rim strip that come with the wheel in place and then applied the tape over the top.
Andrew

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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby baabaa » Mon Sep 05, 2016 6:19 pm

DIY Air Compressor for Tubeless Tires Using 2 Liter Soda Bottles...

http://www.cxmagazine.com/diy-air-compr ... oda-bottle
Ummm I don't know if it works but worth a try

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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby Thoglette » Mon Sep 05, 2016 7:26 pm

baabaa wrote:I don't know if it works but worth a try
Heed the warnings about max pressure on PET bottles.

I had one "let go" (home brew) and the neck/lid assembly went straight through a plywood faced door. :shock:
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby rifraf » Tue Sep 06, 2016 1:41 am

Thoglette wrote:
baabaa wrote:I don't know if it works but worth a try
Heed the warnings about max pressure on PET bottles.

I had one "let go" (home brew) and the neck/lid assembly went straight through a plywood faced door. :shock:
I hope their wasn't much spillage and that a straw was handy...... :lol:
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby rifraf » Tue Sep 06, 2016 1:44 am

Aushiker wrote:
rifraf wrote:I'm curious as to the amount of "goo" needed.
Yes ... more volume means more sealant.



Left the rim strip that come with the wheel in place and then applied the tape over the top.
Thanks for the update :)
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Re: Bikepacking - an alternative way of touring...

Postby Sydcycler » Fri Sep 09, 2016 8:48 pm

Please post a review of your impressions of the new Alpkit handle bar compared to the Jones Bar. You are in a unique position to do that as I haven't found that information anywhere on the net.
I wasn't aware of the Love Mud until seeing your posting and I'm very interested in it as it would solve some minor problems and allow me to continue to pimp my Troll - which is what Surly built it for right, endless personalisation.
I have a light in the fork crown and I want to keep a bar roll above it but out from the Rohloff and brake cables.
I saw the Jones Bar and liked the idea of the hoop to hang things off but the sweep terrified me that I would turn the bike into a Dutch shopping bike now I had a place for a wicker basket.
I've tried the Blackburn Handlebar Roll, http://www.blackburndesign.com/en_eu/ba ... roll.htmll and it works but is heavy and the attachment is poor and rotates down after awhile unless cinched up drum tight.
Thanks.

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