Most people find it quite liberating to take off on two wheels while carrying everything necessary for a multiday trip on their bike. You must therefore read about packing your bike for a long trip. However, some bike tourists would disagree, calling lengthy journeys awkward, hefty, and unstable.
A bike with a biker backpack will indeed feel different from one without. But with a bit of assistance, you will be packing your bike for long trips such that they are easily accessible without significantly affecting the stability and functionality of your bike.
First, determine the kind of tour you’re taking before thinking about bags for bike riders.
You must ideally consider the kind of trip you’re going on for a bit before gathering your supplies and beginning to pack your baggage. How much gear you need to bring and how you fill it will depend on the type of tour you’re going on.
Here Are a Few Popular Bikes Touring Styles:
- Self-Supported Touring:
You’ll mainly camp and prepare your meals when you use this method of bike touring. Therefore, you’ll need essential backpacking gear. Bike tourers frequently utilise four panniers or a trailer, with or without panniers, to accommodate all of their equipment.
- Credit-Card Travelling:
To put it simply, credit-card touring entails purchasing meals rather than preparing them and spending the night in a hotel rather than outdoors in a tent. Clothing, toiletries, snacks, and a few extras are all necessary for this kind of bike traveling and can all probably fit in two panniers, either in the back or the front.
- Car-Supported Touring:
Some travel with a friend driving a vehicle stocked with extra food, clothing, and supplies for the night. This touring enables you to bring along what you require for a single day of riding to fit everything in one, two, or even fewer front or rear panniers.
- Organised Tours:
Commercial outfitters plan and manage organised tours. You only need to carry what you need for the day on some guided trips. This is because they will help you transport your supplies, food, and clothing. To help you plan your packing your bike for a long trip, be sure to inquire about the level of support on offer.
This post mainly focuses on packing for self-supported bike touring. However, you can quickly adapt some tips if you’re getting ready for a different trip.
How to Pack Accessories and Storage Bags for Bikes
Many bike tourists can pack their essentials in front and back panniers and strap them to their racks. However, there are additional luggage and accessories that can help you keep organized the entire journey and make it easier to access things while you’re riding.
But remember that every bag you add increases your weight to pedal uphill. Consider carefully if you need extra bags when packing your bike for a long trip, especially if they fit just as well in your panniers.
Additional Advice for Bike Touring Packing
You won’t require as much as you believe you will. Beginner bike tourists frequently bring more supplies than they need. This adds unnecessary weight and takes up valuable pannier space. For self-supported, multiday trips, try to carry no more than 50 pounds of gear.
Remember that it’s easy to bring too much clothing and only enough food for one day when packing your bike for a long trip. This is unless you’re biking in an isolated location with no grocery stores or markets. Additionally, a checklist might help you avoid forgetting anything or bringing too much.
You should ideally bring three or four days’ worth of clothing. This is because it’s simple to pack more than you need. You can strap items to your rear rack to dry while you ride after washing them along the way.
Remember that you will wear biking clothes more frequently than off-bike clothes when picking what to pack. Choose comfortable clothes for riding in but still functional if you take a day off.
You may only include the necessary equipment and supplies for repairs. However, most riders do not require the knowledge or equipment to deal with uncommon catastrophic breakdowns.
A spare tire, extra brake and shifting cables, extra nuts and bolts, and extra chain links are among the self-sufficient items that some motorcyclists like to take. You may prefer to include these while packing your bike for a long trip if you travel in isolated locations.
EndNote
You can improve what to carry and how you pack with each bike journey. This is because there is no one right method for packing your bike for a long trip. Even seasoned bike tourists will take stock of what went poorly and adjust before setting out again. You can learn more by reading other posts about packing on Carorbis online today.
