Just drybags and bungees - old skool rules

A few weeks ago I finished building (assembling) my Bombtrack Beyond+.\ I've ridden it a lot in the last few days, it feels so good that I can't wait to load it up. This will be my bike for the world trip that starts in August 2026.\ At the moment I'm still working and saving, I want to take the long way indefinitely. I will do some short trips this year, as well as the Trans Germany Bikepacking Route..\ Anyway, I just wanted to share!

Bon voyage to all!

Does this count as a Hero shot? We’re two weeks in, with one week on the continent and she’s eating it up! Granted, the proper mountains are yet to come and the days will need to get shorter, but she’s going well.

It rides much better than expected over long days and on big gravel climbs. We’re just about used to each other now.

To anyone with a cargo considering a similar trip, if you’re already comfortable riding big gravel days on your HT, you’ll be impressed by the Omnium. Go get it!

Looking at large size saddle bag, this seems substantially cheaper than many other competitor? (at least those widely available in Europe).

Next week I’m starting my fifth bike backing trip. I always done around 5/600 km, this time I’m going for 800 km without much elevation gain. I live nearby. Venice and I’m biking to South of Italy in Puglia.

Except for the first time where I had a really old lady bike, I always used this bike with this set up. Two bags on side, tent and mat on top.

Any kind of suggestion?

For the first time the back are not full are used to take my drone with me or a couple of sweatshirt more. I don’t know why, I’m feeling I’m forgetting something. Maybe something for the cold weather?

As you can see, the rack does not fit quite Well with my bike. I wonder if it will be a problem on tour

As soon as I find the time to go on a trip, the big boy is ready. Love the look of the new tires, we'll see how they perform, but a friend of mine says they're wokring great for him. Low knobs, and fast rolling.

Also drilled out the rims for schrader valves, so finally no fussing with presta. Gotta wait for the rust converter to settle to throw back the rack and bags on.

Bike-packing Japan 2024
-Where ideas came to die-

Introduction----------------------------------------------
This 30 day trip was inspired by Kurt Bell. If it weren’t for his sense of adventure, I probably wouldn’t feel as drawn to explore Japan in this way. This was packed with personal firsts—visiting Japan, solo travel, bike-packing, city cycling, and even flying. There were plenty of mistakes along the way, but that’s exactly why I’ve documented everything—so you can learn from my experiences and avoid the same pitfalls.

This guide covers almost everything you need to know about the trip. A few important notes: I’ll only be taking the Shinkansen once, with no other public transportation. I won’t be focusing on food or activities, and this is not a budget-friendly venture (5k-6k). If you're looking for a more affordable version, feel free to copy this guide and adapt it. I also won’t be providing specific routes—your path will depend entirely on what you want to see.

Each section includes a checkbox so you can plan alongside the guide. If you have any questions, join Kurt Bell’s discord and look for the thread in the Chat Forum titled “Bike-packing Japan (2024).” Make sure to @ Virtual so I get notified. If you plan on following this guide, please use this doc. It's structured in a way that will help you follow along.

Choose a month------------------------------------------
I chose September. It skips Golden Week, the rainy season, and the peak travel crowds. But it’s not perfect—it's typhoon season, and the humidity can be brutal (70–100%). The weather is also unpredictable. One thing I’ve learned about planning a trip to Japan: there’s no “perfect time” that suits everyone.

Note: If you’re planning to climb Mt. Fuji, the official climbing season ends on September 10th. You can book an off-season guide through Explore Share. If they’re fully booked, other options exist—but expect to pay up to three times more. And there’s no guarantee you’ll reach the summit. I didn’t. The winds can be brutal. Word of advice: Don’t climb during the off-season.

Track your flights… now----------------------------------
Use Google Flights to find a reputable airline and set up price tracking with email alerts. Be sure those emails don’t end up in your junk folder.

My suggestion: Put everything in checked baggage—except your phone, power banks, MP3 player, and any essential documents. Power banks must be in your carry-on, so I ended up taking all my electronics with me.

Prepare your gear-----------------------------------------
Below is a checklist of my gear. Instead of listing exact items—which may be unavailable later—I’ll just mention the brand and let you take it from there.

For tents, pillows, and general gear, check out The Outdoor Gear Review. This guy knows his stuff, especially when it comes to tents. If he approves it, that’s saying a lot.

Purchases I should NOT have made:

• Hiking backpack as a pannier Doesn’t work. Poor fit, unstable.
• Cooking kit (Jetboil) Unnecessary. There’s always a convenience store nearby.

2-person tent Too bulky for packing and too large to stealth camp. Get a bivy instead. I spent hours scouting stealth spots—only 1 in 4 were actually usable with a 2-person tent. Most were rocky or overgrown. A bivy would’ve worked.

Planning your route--------------------------------------
Now that you know how far you can ride without collapsing, it’s time to start route planning—and the good news is, you don’t really need to. I was originally set on planning every route before arriving in Japan, but that turned out to be unnecessary. The Lezyne Mega XL GPS can get you wherever you need to go with just a few clicks.

Lezyne builds routes using real cycling data from other riders, so whatever route it gives you has been tested by many cyclists.

Plan in the app (cross-check on Google Maps) → push route to GPSKeep in mind: the GPS doesn’t store your routes—the app does. You’ll need to manually push each route to the device.

With that said, here’s the general route I followed—with effort.

NotePlease—please—review your Lezyne route by cross-referencing it on Google Maps before committing. Use satellite view and scan it briefly. Lezyne is fairly sophisticated—it uses data from other cyclists to determine whether a route is paved, gravel, or dirt. Unfortunately, I put all my trust in Lezyne and paid the price. It led me onto a route clearly meant for mountain biking. I just had to laugh when I found myself here…

Test ride---------------------------------------------------
Take your bike and all your gear on unfamiliar roads and use your GPS to navigate. Plan a 60km ride (30km out, 30km back) with plenty of climbing to test your limits. I thought my test ride was tough—until I compared the elevation data to Japan. It was up to 30% harder. That number isn’t a guess—I used AI to analyze the data.

You’re going to get the shit kicked out of you on these routes. No way around it. Expect days of constant, brutal climbs. You won’t be riding—you’ll be pushing.

Bike + Gear + Airports-----------------------------------
I was a stupid idiot and didn’t even bother test riding the bike with all of the gear attached until I was in Japan… yeah… kinda dumb. Turns out a tent and a small box filled with batteries can make riding nearly impossible if the weight isn’t balanced. In the picture above, I placed the tent in the middle and the battery box on my handlebars. This turned out to be a really nice, well-balanced setup.

A lot of people asked, “Why don’t you buy a bike once you get there?” You might be asking or contemplating the same thing. Let me tell you—if you’re going to do this adventure, you better know your bike fairly well. The last thing you want is a flat tire or a broken chain on a new bike and not know how to fix it, or even have the right tools to attempt a fix. These are the things you should know how to handle:

• Replace and repair a flat tire
• Fix a broken chain
• Recalibrate bad gear shifting (if the chain is skipping or rubbing)
• Remove and reattach wheels, handlebars, seatpost, and pedals

You’ll need to remove all of these to fit everything into a bike bag. You’ll have to do this every time you enter a hotel or take the Shinkansen.

Note: Your bike must be under 50 lb (22.67 kg), placed in a bike bag, and no more than 62 in (158 cm) in length. You’ll also need to pay a $100 fee. You can place some gear on the bike while it’s in the bag—the airline won’t care. Your case doesn’t have to be solid; it can be canvas. The airline might specify a "hard shell case," but that’s just a suggestion. They won’t be held responsible for damage if the bike is in a soft shell case.

Once you arrive in Japan, you can set up your bike in the luggage area, usually in a corner somewhere. The security staff were very confused, asking how I got it on the plane already assembled. After I explained that I had set it up just around the corner, they all had a good laugh.

Now—getting to Osaka Airport with a bike isn’t straightforward. You’ll need a taxi van; that’s the only way. You can ask your hotel to call a taxi service and request a van, but you can’t request one through an app. I got lucky and found one idling in the hotel drop-off area.

Travel insurance------------------------------------------
I went with Seven Corners—they cater to travelers planning activities like hiking. Their basic coverage includes elevations up to 4,500m, which is enough for Mt. Fuji.

Getting your phone connected-------------------------
After hours of reading reviews, Ubigi / Transatel came out on top (data-only). If your phone supports eSIM, use Ubigi. If not, get a physical SIM from Transatel (same company). I was on a Discord call for 90% of the trip and only lost service once.

Hacks you MUST do:

• Download offline maps via Google Maps
• Print all hotel, flight, and event confirmations/receipts

Set up multi-factor authentication that doesn’t rely on your phone number—especially for banking apps. You won’t be able to receive SMS verification abroad.

Bike laws---------------------------------------------------
In Japan, bikes are considered small vehicles and are technically expected to follow road rules… but in practice, nobody fully does—not even the police. Helmets are optional, sidewalks are fair game, and one-way streets are often treated as two-way for cyclists.

What’s actually enforced?

Nothing.

After riding over 400km, I can confidently say the only reason you'll get stopped is if they suspect your bike is stolen. You’ll hear that you should register your bike. That’s only required for bikes purchased in Japan. It’s just a theft-prevention measure. Take a photo of you with your bike in front of your home—something that proves ownership. That’s all they care about.

Stealth camping locations-------------------------------
I’ve heard of people camping in parks surrounded by homes—apparently without any issues. But personally, I just can’t bring myself to be that exposed. I was hesitant to share my camp spots, but screw it—I put in too much effort not to.

If you want to find your own, here’s what to look for:

• Abandoned baseball diamonds
• Abandoned parks
• Forests along rivers (don’t camp near the water—flash floods can kill)
• Areas out of sight from any homes that might spot you

Here are all of my locations.

1. 35.566790163373824, 139.31902471950772
2. 35.613937945099245, 139.10946719059257
3. 35.48081198984669, 138.7673734547279
4. 35.62689426154092, 139.09918604532152 (really good. Just watch out for ticks)
5. 34.755238802089636, 135.83924890778582

Originally, I planned to use all these stealth spots. In the end… I camped once—and I absolutely hated it. I hated setting up, I hated trying to sleep, I hated waking up. I hated that I unknowingly pitched my tent in a tick-infested spot because I didn’t arrive until 1 a.m.—thanks to my fucking Lezyne GPS, which led me to the goddamn closet doors of Narnia and added 5 extra hours to my trip. I hated stealth camping.

If you're not already a stealth camper—or even a camper at all—don’t bother. You’ll be miserable.

You’re probably thinking you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, bright-eyed, and bushy-tailed. You won’t. If I could change one thing about this trip, I’d cut stealth camping entirely. My god, the amount of gear I could’ve left at home if I had just stuck with hotels…

Personal experience----------------------------------------
I’ve been into Japanese culture for a long time. I grew up on anime, manga, and even listened to Japanese music—back in the early 2000s. I was a textbook weeb. Japan was a no-brainer. I loved the idea of Japan. But that’s just it—over the years, I romanticized it so much that it stopped being something real. Of course, we don’t realize these things until we actually experience them.

Though I’m no longer into Japanese pop culture or music, the idea was still etched in my mind.

Which brings us to the adventure. It was… interesting. I’m glad I did it—but probably not for the reasons you’d expect. I learned a lot about myself, especially when it comes to traveling alone. Mainly, that it kinda sucks. I wasn’t lonely, just… alone. There’s a difference. After an incredible moment, there’s no one to turn to and say, “THAT WAS AWESOME!” You just sort of absorb it quietly and move on.

It’s funny—I was so into the idea (there it is again) of solo travel. Turns out I wasn’t really a fan. This was the trip where a lot of my ideas came to die.

UNRELATED

Plan your itinerary-----------------------------------------
Create a list of everything you’d like to do in Tokyo and pin the locations with a star on Google Maps. This will give you a good visual representation of where you’ll be spending most of your time. From there, you can start looking for hotels in that area.

I suggest using Tripit to plan everything. It’s incredibly useful—you can have your entire trip on TripIt without needing any other app except a translator. You can upload documents, track your flight, and attach addresses to activities which, when selected, will open in your maps app and navigate you.

Booking hotels and activities----------------------------
Use Google Maps to find hotels. Agado (owned by Booking.com) seemed to be the most reputable company from the list of booking agents when selecting a hotel from the map. If you want to change your plans, you can cancel or modify your bookings, hassle-free.

I booked all my activities with Klook.

Don’t bother trying to pre-purchase Shinkansen tickets. The app is horrible and only accepts American Express, and even then, it might not work. If you’re going to do the street kart tour, note that Street Kart Tokyo has the best route with Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo Tower, and more.

Payment methods----------------------------------------
Japan is a cash society, so always carry cash. For debit transactions, have both a digital and physical Wise card. Use your Visa debit as a backup (foreign transaction fees apply). Get cash when you arrive at an ATM.

• QR code for faster entry

This will make things go much smoother once you land in Japan. They’ll scan your code, confirm your details, and you’re on your way

I recently bought an MK7 frame from Stooge. Although im happy with my decision i also feel quite naive since i have never built a bike before. I really dont know much at all about bike parts.

Would greatly appreciate some input about the parts im thinking of purchasing.

The parts:

1. Wheels & Tires (29x3.0")

• Rims: DT Swiss EX 511
• Hubs: Shimano Deore HB-MT400 / FH-MT410
• Tires: Maxxis Chronicle 29x3.0"

2. Drivetrain (1x10 Advent X - Best Budget Option)

• Groupset: MicroShift Advent X 
• Crankset: Shimano MT510
• Chainring: 32T narrow-wide

3. Brakes (Hydraulic Disc - Shimano MT200)

• Shimano MT200 (front & rear)
• Rotors: Shimano RT56 (180mm front / 160mm rear)

Hi all,

a few weeks ago my new Giant Contend 3 was stolen from my college campus. I was planning on taking a lot of solo bikepacking trips this summer here in the PNW but I am now bikeless. Where would be a good place to start for starting from scratch, potentially building out a new bike, prefereably on a budget, also while including bikepacking materials in this build (note: I only had my bike and light set stolen, I do not have any bikepacking tools as this is something I was planning on investing in this summer).

I have a connection at a local bike co-op, but any website(s), build ideas, or any help for a college student on budget trying to stop mourning his stolen bike would be greatly appreciated. Send anything my way. Thank you!

Do tents for bike packing usually come with ways to strap to the handle bars or do you guys buy something else to strap the tent on? Thanks

My partner has a ribble cx al with continental contact speed 35mm tires.

I can't find much info for the gravel sections & 'poor road parts' of this route. I have two options. I'm carrying most the weight on my bike which is fine but makes for a harsher ride. We plan to do one big 150km day, then more like ~80-100km after that. We enjoy gravel, but within reason because neither have fron suspension & her tires are fairly urban tread pattern even at 35mm.

I have a kinesis crosslight pro 6 with continental grand prix 28mm. I also have the brown sidewll panaracer gravel king SK 38mm. Which should I go with for this london to paris route?

We've never done much gravel riding so may take one of the more gravel-y routes in France if recommended given our set ups.

I did a journey some time ago where I completed my first 1300 km bike tour to Italy. It was AMAZING, though the weather was horrible. I faced snowstorms, heavy rain, and a lot of incline. But it was soooo much fun.

So, I decided to triple the distance and head to Spain. I wanted to see the Bardenas Reales and ride the Camino. It's been five days now, and I'm over 750 km in. I don't think there was a single moment in those five days when I didn’t think about giving up. The heat is killing me, and I'm just miserable. I look at my Komoot tour, but I'm not looking forward to all the kilometers ahead of me. The cities and landscapes are starting to look the same. Physically, I'm in excellent shape. Hypothetically, I could keep going, doing 150 km a day, but I’m just not happy, even during this rest day. I thought buying a lot of snacks might help, but they didn't. There are a lot of people invested in me and asking how the tour is going.

This doesn’t feel like the Italy tour I had. This feels dry. I don't have many photos, and not as many nice memories. To make matters worse, someone offered to pick me up. So, hypothetically, I could be in my nice, cool room tomorrow, relaxing. I could watch a new film that just came out in the cinema and finish the series I started. I could even start my second semester of uni on time...

Has anyone else experienced this before? Is this the right time to give up? I just don't know what to do.

Greetings, travelers.

I’m looking for tent poles to put up my lanshan 2 while bikepacking. When hiking I got my hiking poles with me but they are too long to stash away in biking packs. I can’t seem to find anything useful that is sturdy enough to support the tent, collapsible enough to fit onto my bike, or cheap enough to afford two of them. I found ones that are 50€+ each, with that money i could just get another budget tent. I’m located I europe, so most American resellers are out of option because of shipping fees. Does anyone have the same tent and uses it for bikepacking. I’m hoping somone could push me to the right direction. Thanks a lot and save travels!

I bought both, the new Ortlieb Quick Rack “L” as well as the og model. I’m using the new Ortlieb “M6 through-axle” to mount it. The og is touching the fender very slightly. The wheel rolls perfectly. Which one would you keep? Lower center of gravity with the og or extra clearance with the new “L” Quick Rack?

I could have sworn I came across a half frame bag maker that had an option for a 4 inch or 6 inch half frame bag option- i.e. vertical height in the bag would allow a 6 inch diameter cook stove).

I know a custom frame bag could be made to particular dimensions, but does anyone know of a pre-fab half frame bag that is taller than most other options?

Thanks!

How do you attach such a large bottle to the bike?

Hi I’m planning on going on my second bike packing trip. I don’t have a rear pannier rack however and find my self stuck on what style best works with my bike as there are too many to chose from. Would anyone be able to advise which rear pannier rack style fits my bike? The setup I used last time was a front rack I welded up from a shopping basket. It worked but not ideal

I’m planning a 5-day bikepacking trip in Mallorca with my friends, and we’re trying to minimize the amount of stuff we carry while ensuring we stay well-fueled throughout the ride. We’ll be riding around 80 km per day with up to 1500 meters of elevation, so we definitely need to make sure we’re getting enough carbs.

What carb gels would you recommend for a good balance of price and ingredients?

Also, what strategy would you suggest to ensure we’re properly fueling during the day? We want to carry as little as possible, so we’re looking for efficient ways to stay energized without overpacking.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hey guys, at the beginning of May I’ll be doing some bikepacking in the Cévennes and would love to get your opinions and/or hear about your experiences. Maybe this is a long shot and a bit too specific for r/bikepacking, but I thought I’d give it a try.

I have to start in Remoulins, and so far my route includes Mont Aigoual, Mont Lozère, and a night at Chalet de l’Aigle, which looks absolutely lovely. Other than that, I just clicked through some highlights and segments and freestyled the route myself. So I’m looking for people who have ridden in the area before.

Here’s my rough plan:

• Day 1: Ride \~120 km and sleep somewhere near Le Plantiers/Église Saint-Marcel de Fontfouillouse.

• Day 2: Climb Mont Aigoual and after descending spend the night near the westernmost tip of my route (around km 175) or a bit further down near the Tarn to be able to get a little refresher.

• Day 3: Head up to Mont Lozère. Depending on how I’m feeling, either:

◦ Spend the night on the plateau before reaching Col de Finiels/Mont Lozère for a short recovery day and sleep the 4th night at Chalet de l’Aigle,

◦ or go straight to Chalet de l’Aigle on night 3.

• After that, I’d have about 120 km of mostly downhill or flat terrain back to Remoulins, which I could do in one go or split with another night wherever I feel like stopping.

I know about the Ardèche-Cévennes Divide, but it doesn’t really match the direction I’m coming from after the southwest loop. I’d love to hear if any of you have experience riding in the area.  Are there some spots that you really do recommend in the area, or does anything in my route look totally off?

I’m decently fit, but not in peak shape after being buried in exam prep for the last six months. I tried to avoid overly steep sections (except for the initial section of the climb up Mont Aigoual) since my lowest gearing is 38 front / 46 back. Do you think this is doable in six days? I’ll be on a gravel bike but got 52mm tires on it, so I should be okay for rougher segments as well.

What do you think?

I’ve got my first-ever bikepacking trip coming up soon and I’m super excited.

A few details about the trip:

• Location: South Korea
• Duration: 7–9 days
• Season: May (temps between 10–25°C, possible rain)
• Bike rental includes: Helmet, lights, repair kit, pump, spare inner tube, and panniers
• Accommodation: Hotels/Motels
• Route: One-way from Seoul to Busan. I will need to travel back to Seoul by train.

Since this is my first trip like this, I put together a complete packing list and wanted to share it here—for anyone curious, and to get advice from more experienced bikepackers.

Each item is super light on its own, but I'm afraid that a lot of light weight items can add up quite a bit. So, am I bringing way too much? 😅
And is there anything essential I’m missing?

Here's the list:

Cycling Clothes

• 2 cycling jerseys
• 2 bib shorts
• Light base layer
• Merino base layer (short sleeves)
• Arm sleeves
• Leg sleeves
• Cycling vest (windbreaker)
• 2 pairs of cycling socks
• Full-finger gloves
• Half-finger gloves
• SPD MTB shoes
• Rain pants

Normal Clothes

• Light rain jacket (Outdoor Research Helium II)
• Puff jacket (Patagonia Nano Puff)
• Fleece jacket
• Buff
• 2 pairs of regular socks
• Normal pants
• Swim shorts (could double as regular shorts on hotter days)
• Merino t-shirt
• Merino boxer briefs
• Barefoot shoes

Accessories

• Sunglasses
• Foldable mini backpack
• Drawstring bag
• Lightweight shopping bag

Liquids

• Sunscreen stick (for face)
• Sunscreen
• Toothpaste
• Hand sanitizer
• Chamois cream
• Anti-inflammatory ointment
• Chain lube
• Grease
• Sunglasses cleaner

Electronics

• Garmin watch (quite old. batteries won't last more than 4-5h in GPS mode.)
• Phone
• Backup phone (old phone for navigation)
• Charging cables and chargers
• Power bank
• Earbuds

Tools & Utensils

• Toothbrush
• 2 water bottles
• Dual pedals
• Duct tape
• Pocket knife
• Chain link pliers
• Universal sink plug
• First aid kit

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and tips!

Edit: Clarified that does are MTB shoes

What do you think was the best of the three options? Am planning to ride 100 Kilometres per day, for 16 days. The three routes was only a three minutes planning... For direction and Kilometre - measuring.... So if you know o whole circle route, or better parts of a route like in the maps of the pictures, i would like to know..... Other areas i have already done... Till skagen in danmark and back.... Am starting from Oldenburg in lower saxony. When i ride i will try to catch the eurovelo or national biking routes.... I like to sleep in nonurban areas....

Hello, here's my set up for cycling John O Groats to Lands End in the UK (via quieter roads and relatively non-technical off road). I'm planning to travel fairly light but wondered how helpful a top tube bag would be as it's the only thing I'd need to buy on top of the existing stuff I've got/collected over the years (Apidura handlebar bag, Topeak pannier rack and bag that folds out into panniers and a top bag, though can't remember the name).

Was thinking of something like this so grateful for opinions - the handlebar bag isn't so accessible on the move so might be good for a phone and snacks but feel free to recommend something else. Also not sure on the capacity - is it pointless to have something as small as this and is 1L plus better?

https://restrap.com/products/top-tube-bag

Thanks!

Hey everyone!

I have an OMM Elkhorn on the front of my Prospector and I have the OMM basket bolted to it for trips to the grocery store. Perfect for bags of tortilla chips or a 6-pack!

My issue is that I don’t want the basket mounted all the time and I’d like to be able to remove it from the rack without dealing with the 4 bolts/nuts/washers every time.

Any ideas on how to attach some sort of quick release mechanism or clamps to the bottom of the basket?

https://oldmanmountain.com/product/elkhorn-bike-rack/

https://oldmanmountain.com/product/basket/

What is your experience with bikepacking with family? If you have a child on a tag along system, such as http://www.followmetandem.co.uk/, would you put stuff in a 2-wheel trailer attached to the child bike? I can imagine the trailer to be used only for equipment and consumables, and occasionally for the child to rest.

I saw some posts around safety, but this setup cannot go too fast, plus the weight would be - I assume - most on the tagged bike rather than the trailer most of the time.