Any external links in this post are included solely on my positive experiences.
My preference is to travel at slower speeds to experience and savour the journey. A comfortable bicycle and bed, a tent, a stove, and a couple of hot meals each day can make for very memorable times in the backcountry. Particularly in winter, in the Rockies, I’ve had difficulty finding enough space to carry everything with typical bikepacking luggage.
I started “modern” bikepacking with various seat, frame, handlebar, and accessory bags about a decade ago. 2016 marked the start of a journey designing, handcrafting, and testing original ultralight bikepacking gear. By the time 2020 Covid restrictions were implemented I’d completed a number of bikepacking races, mostly at a fast-touring pace, including the 2017 Alberta Rockies 700 on a fatbike. In preparation for these events, and also general bikepacking, my focus was on creating integrated systems of custom luggage, racks, and fenders; that were robust, flexible, and required minimal installation and packing/unloading effort and time. In short, by the end of 2019 I’d developed some four season field-tested concepts about how to simplify bikepacking luggage systems with a few small additions and deletions to a bicycle frame, and Bikepackers Foundry unique attachment systems.
In mid-2020 I asked Rollingdale Cycles about creating a custom titanium Pinion – Gates Carbon Drive fatbike with a few unusual features. Only straight tubing in the main triangle, a short titanium tube welded at an angle to the bottom of each seat stay, and no bottle bosses or threaded mounts. Since that time, the custom Rollingdale fatbike and custom luggage systems have become a trusted and highly-capable integration for year-round adventures. The Pinion C 1:12 transmission with DS2 shifter and Gates CDX Carbon Drive systems are extremely reliable and virtually maintenance free.
Rollingdale Custom Ti fat bike: Dale Marchand’s bike design and build suits me very well. I really appreciate the predictable handling, and extremely comfortable ride. The chain stay length, wheelbase, and overall geometry yield a very capable machine; with the excellent rollover characteristics and float of 27.5″ wheelsets.
Custom Luggage and Rear Rack: Bikepackers Foundry DIY luggage systems have focused on extremely stable higher-volume components. The 2024 system has been further streamlined to just six bags. DIY High-volume framebag (~16 litres), custom Large HandlebarBag+ (up to 18 litres), two custom Large Straddlebags (up to 3 litres each), and a pair of prototype CompressionPanniers (up to 15 litres each). The framebag has a full length zipper, and ALL other five bags are top-loading with roll-top compression closures. The DIY composite rear rack lowers the centre of gravity and makes for a great ride! I’m a fan of no rubbing, rattles, or dangling and this system delivers.
A high-volume >15 litre framebag opens up many options to pack a bike, differently. Up to 14 litres of water in 3 bladders can be easily loaded and stably carried in this framebag. There remains room at the top for smaller items such as rain gear, tent poles/footprint, spare tube(s), and a spare Carbon Drive belt. The finished and mounted weight of the pictured framebag is about 300 grams. The combination of the Ultra 200 fabric, edge stiffening, and internal composite rigid panels create stability and eliminate bulging in key areas such as the pedal sweep. My preference is to have lots of room when standing pedaling.
Obviously, for winter riding there is no need to carry 14 litres of water. The framebag easily carries a MSR Reactor stove & bowl, most food and toiletries in a small backpack, two large thermos of water, Ti coffee mug (with DIY cosy), spare Carbon Drive belt, tent poles & DIY full-footprint, emergency twig stove, and spare gloves and mitts. The structure and mounting of the bag makes packing a simple load & ride operation.
The prototype CompressionPanniers are low, stable, and completely install or remove in about a minute without tools. The mounted pair weigh less than 350 grams. The right pannier typically holds a Thermarest Polar Ranger -30C sleeping bag in a custom Dynema compression drybag. The left pannier typically holds a closed custom Ultra 200 drybag filled with winter-weight down parka, pants, socks, beanie, and mitts. In the top of the bag are a hard-shell jacket and pants. Both roll-top panniers are then compressed by the raincover lids and hold down straps. While these bags appear very simple from the outside, there are numerous elements that create just enough structure for stability and durability.
DIY composite rack: The rear rack with integrated fender now has more than 3,000 km of backcountry usage and has only had a couple of minor tape repairs from multiple encounters with rocks, trees, and shintangle. I’m very happy with the longer term performance, durability and weight of just 800 grams. The Rollingdale Cycles custom titanium rack mounting tubes are a gamechanger! The tubes allow the rack stays to bear directly onto the bottom of the seat stays. This configuration largely eliminates shear forces. The composite rack stays are pulled into curvature by the front (tripod) attachment point and overall rack dimensions. This creates a reliable friction fit for the rack without any bolting. The integrated 25″ composite fender adds structure to the rack, and helps keep the bike and rider cleaner when riding in sloppy conditions. This design and mounting configuration creates additional width for panniers, without increasing the overall width. The loaded width is typically around 20 inches.
The custom size Large StraddleBags and HandlebarBag+ have really eliminated weight and complexity at the handlebars and fork. The while the HandlebarBag+ can carry the weight and volume of more than 20 freeze dried meals, it’s ideal for high-volume compressible items. The two StraddleBags typically have one or two water bottles, a large Ziploc of riding-food, high volume mini floor pump, and tools/spares. This cockpit configuration allowed me to move the Wahoo mount down onto the frame top tube. Since that move I’ve not had the GPS knocked off the mount while riding narrow and overgrown trails.
If you’re interested in creating your own original gear, here are some questions that may be helpful.
Development Questions:
Can lights, trip computers, and other accessories be repositioned to increase functionality and flexibility? Using Velcro or other ties to mount lights and GPS head units can both greatly simplify and increase the functionality of a bike cockpit.
Luggage systems Development Questions:
How will the element attach to the bike in ways that create structure, and fabric tension? Bikepackers Foundry designs incorporate innovative applications of various types of industrial grades of Velcro. For reference, one linear foot (24 square inches) of VHB backed hook/loop pair weighs less than one ounce. In practice, one foot yields 16 pair of “semi-permanent” mounting points on the bike and matching luggage. Weight is 1.5 grams per pair. This compares very favourably to typical threaded attachment systems, and completely eliminates the potential for cyclic failures prevalent in mechanical connections.
Does the design, construction, and function of the element in any way compromise the rider’s range of motion? If yes, start the design process again.
Is it possible to quickly and completely remove the element (including all mounting points) from the bike? If not, how can semi-permanent mounting points be optimized and concealed? Should rated electrical cable ties (typically 50-175# yield strength, depending on size) be incorporated into the attachment?
What design and function aspects will centralize & lower luggage mass on the bike? A couple of examples: StraddleBags move weight down, back, and off the handlebars. Sloped DIY composite rear racks allows for lower and more forward pannier positioning.
How will the element be used off the bike? Can the design incorporate features to increase functionality and useability? A recent example of this is the HandlebarBag+ which doubles as a high-volume top-loading shoulder bag when not compressed on the bike.
Have all wear and noise points been eliminated or minimized?
Is there sufficient volume and weight flexibility in the luggage to accommodate a wide range of usage scenarios?
Has the custom framebag width been optimized for the rider and their pedal sweep?
Can any pieces of existing luggage be eliminated?
Thanks for reading!
