Testing...

 

I'm planning to do some big rides this year, some single overnight trips and some multi-day rides. As such, I've been steadily building up my bikepacking rig, which I got to take out for it's first proper test ride today. Now, I have to admit that I essentially just packed stuff to make up the weight, so what I rode with wouldn't necessarily come with me on my trips, but I wanted to see how the rig performed and rode. It certainly got a proper test today!

The original plan was to follow a 40km loop I frequently ride, which would have tested the battery life of the bike, the ride characteristics of this setup, the performance of the individual pieces of kit, and given me a good insight into future planning. However, it quickly became clear that Dartmoor is just too saturated to ride responsibly. The ground was too soft to be ridden, without risk of causing severe damage, so I changed my plan and stuck to the well surfaced tramway. That's not to say this was an easy ride though. At times the hail stung my cheek, at others my feet got drenched as they were submerged with each pedal stroke, and the wind picked up enough to ensure that I had to pedal almost all the way back down the hill..! Anyhow, here are my thoughts on my kit, so far...

These fork racks, from Topeak, are brilliant. Using Exped dry bags, I carried a one man tent on the left leg and a down jacket and beanie hat on the right. At no point did either load look like shifting, even on the rougher parts of the descent, and the bags kept the contents bone dry (despite some quite severe soakings!). I've used Exped bags for years and trust them completely. 

This Topeak Frontloader has a light sleeping bag, with liner, and a 3/4 length sleeping mat in it. The dry bag comes as part of the kit and has a hugely useful vent valve, to help you really compress the contents. It's also double ended, so you could access kit at both ends of the pack. The straps that secure the pack into the harness have a brilliant cam lock, which is unfortunately missing from the straps that secure the harness to the bar. I've used a couple of kitchen bag clips, which worked brilliantly in the absence of the cams. A third strap, also with cam, secures the harness to the stem. I've added a handlebar extension, which has given real stability to the pack, whilst also stopping it from fouling my controls. Previously, even with this light load, it bounced enough to rotate my controls downwards!

The Evoc Multi-frame pack (yellow) contains all my spares, tools, and a full size inner tube, less my multi-tool and CO2. It's a brilliant little pack, almost Tradis-like in it's ability to swallow kit, but not waterproof. I use a Lezyne waterproof pouch inside it, to keep my kit dry. The Altura pack also swallows up far more than you'd expect but, unlike the Evoc pack, it is waterproof. The zip closure on this pack is brilliant!

Last but not least, the Thule panniers. This nifty little system allows for attachment to a full suspension frame, mounting on just the seat stays, but it is phenomenally secure and adds 26ltrs and 11.5kgs of carrying capacity, almost as much as everything else combined! They would be overkill for single overnight trips, but for multi-day expeditions, they add real capacity to the system. Again, they stayed solidly fixed on even the roughest descents and the kit inside remained dry, despite a near-constant drenching from the back wheel.

All in all, some very positive first impressions. All I need now is for the weather to let up long enough for things to dry out properly, then we can get some proper rides in..!