My wife and I just took a train trip with our bikes, it opens so much exploration after the train drops you off. I definitly over packed! Just the GoPro for video, no mirrorless for this trip?@@tristantakevideo
The biggest thing I’ve learned doing a few of these lightweight trips is how little we can survive with. I didn’t run into any bad weather, thankfully, so there was nothing more I needed, and that was quite a fulfilling realization. No mirrorless for this trip..just the iPhone and 360 camera which worked well as a combo.
I want to start doing bike packing but exclusively on my road bike. It's cool to see you achieved this. I'm waiting for my bag to come in the mail and the weather to get a little better and I'm getting out there! Keep up the videos brother.
I always recommend a single night overnighter to start out with. Easy to achieve and you learn lots about what to carry. What’s great is once you’re confident doing one night away, there’s not much more you need for multiple nights away.
@MitchBoyer I'm a SRAM guy and run a 32/48 with a 10-33 most of the time. If I'm climbing all day, I'll throw on my 10-36. I live about 5 miles away from the base of an HC climb and another HC climb is 3 miles south of that one. Really happy with this setup and I'm sure I'd run that 34/53 and an 11-36 if I were using Shimano. You can't have the chainring gap but there are people running an 11-40 with a 34/50 and I'm sure a 36/52 will work too. The issue with that isn't the FD but how much slack the RD can handle
I loved the video, i just got back from my first time cycling abroad in Girona. Being from Britain the abnormal heat for the time of year and different sort of climbs were a bit of a shock. I mlwas mainly riding locally but one day i rode up to the French border at La Vajol, it was a great ride but the midday heat just battered me hy the end. Great place to live
Reminds me of an article I read in a magazine in the mid 90's. Bicycling, I think. The guy rode 800+ miles over 6 days to visit relatives, staying at hotels every night. He rode a Kestrel CF bike with touring gears, flat bar with aero bars. The bike I think weighed 21 lbs and his gear was about 10 lbs. He carried a set of clothes to wear around at the end of the day with sandals and washed out his bike clothes in the hotel sink every night, hung it to dry overnight, and was dry by morning. He didn't have to worry about a cell phone back then. I think he didn't carry the food like you did and his camera to document the journey was analog. Great review as your trip brought out this memory of thos article. I think if he ran the trip again, his setup would be similar to yours as the focus was about traveling light on a bike.
I did a week long trip like that a few years ago with friends. It's pretty easy to put together if you don't mind discomfort and sleep in Airbnbs and hotels. It's a great memory. So many mountain passes, after 15 or so we stopped counting.
Thanks Tristan, quality info and overview as always. Would have said g'day when I saw you in Girona but you were on a lengthy phone call while walking the City wall. Hopefully back soon for cycling on fantastic roads and respectful drivers, cheers, Don
Awesome mate …you did a video before about how to try your kit out (ie if it’s not summer)…you did something with a towel but I can’t recall which video it was.
Thanks Tristan.. keen on the Apidura frame bag for my gravel rig..good tip on protecting frame from rub.. can you say more about the tape used to protect the BMC?
Thanks mate. This is just regular packing tape..a last minute thing when I realised I had no proper frame protection tape left, after putting it on the gravel bike and mountain bike. There are clear frame protectors designed by multiple brands out there, that are slightly thicker and designed for this purpose.
thanks for the breakdown. live in the Northeastern US and would like to do a similar ride in the late fall/winter so may need a bit more bags/gear but this sets some context.
Glad you got something out of it. This is, admittedly, a very minimal setup that will only work in specific scenarios but if you can use it as a base, great. 🤝🏼
Most people take WAY too much stuff. You really don't need a lot. Some of us, of course, need space for meds/glasses/contacts but overall, super light is a lot more fun in my experience. Wash and dry clothes using the towel method and it dries very fast. If it is cold, you just have to get moving!
Bike touring not bikepacking. We can all pack light if we have a room and a restaurant waiting at the end of the day. Looks like fun. I'll have to book some cheap motel rooms next summer 👍
Great setup. The only thing where you could easily and cheaply spare some weight and size are the shorts - yours look like they are in the 250-300g. You can easily get to ~100-150g even with a cheap pair of shorts from Decathlon.
I was there in August doing my longest bikepacking trip to date... but all the kitchen and sleep system on the bike lol Now I want to try hotels for sure, sounds perfect for this cold season... i'm only concerned about where to put the bike, what if they don't let me put it in my room etc
Cheers, T. After 50 years of specs, I'm trying contacts for the first time this week - a monthly set to begin with. Poking yourself in the eye to get 'em out is weird! Mate, the quality of your work is just outstanding. please keep it coming. @@tristantakevideo
It definitely takes some getting used to, the contact removal. I found over time my eyes have gotten less ‘sensitive’ to the feeling of having a finger pressed against them..that first couple of months is tough though! Glad you’re enjoying the videos mate! Thanks a bunch 🙏🏼
Hey nice video, I’m planning a trip home from Amsterdam to Milan for next summer. How do you plan the route, do you trust 100% Komoot? Did you booked the hotels before or day by day? Thanks
Thanks mate. I made this route using the Strava route building tool and a bit of my own knowledge from previous trips in the Pyrenees. This was quite a simple and popularly ridden route, but Komoot works great for less well known areas. I booked each hotel the morning of the day I was due to arrive. 🙏🏼
Wow, super minimal! I'm keen to do some bike touring but the thought of loading my bike down like a semi truck and lugging tons of camping gear around does not compute. This type of "slack-packing" approach is way more sensible.
It’s definitely a fun and hassle-free way of doing a cycling trip. It requires less organisation and I’ve found less stress..I planned the trip two days before going and it took 30 minutes to pack. It’s worth giving it a shot as a foray into doing something requiring more time and bigger investment in gear. 🙏🏼
The only thing I would add, is that when you’re washing your riding kit to use more than just soap, you should make sure it hasn’t anti-bacteria not just a regular soap bar to truly make sure that you get rid of all the bacteria that can build up and end up causing you problems in certain places
There are a few different Garmin mounts with GoPro attachments on the bottom that can be used for this. K-Edge is one brand that comes to mind. Some have the GoPro attachment built in, others require an additional part. If you search “Garmin GoPro mount” you’ll find a bunch of options. 🤝🏼
I'm guessing that you run the evening wear shorts commando? I guess if you needed to you could wash the t shirt when you get back to the hotel after dinner- on a hut summers night it would dry by morning
I took one pair of underwear, pretty small and light. And yeah during August it’d definitely dry by morning. Didn’t really need to wash it but if I had needed to, for sure.
Do you keep the bike in the room with you generally, in Spain? Have you had issues about bike storage overnight in any places? I’m planning on doing the Eurovelo 8 from Cadiz to Barcelona on an e-bike staying in hotels. I’m wondering about having the bike with me to charge at night, although I have some creative solutions to run recharges off an Anker C300 DC just in case.
I’ve done similar summer trips carrying a bivy, sleeping bag liner, air mattress and jet boil in the past, but have found I prefer spending the € on a hotel and having a proper shower, etc, especially after a huge day on the bike. I think my bike setup for those trips was closer to 13kg. Both styles of travel are great though..no right or wrong way of doing it.
Where did you find the Anker charger ...? I am looking to make sure I can charge - Elemnt Bolt V2 (different cable from v1) - Garmin Varia backlight - Iphone and/or MacAir It's hard to decipher online if your Anker would do the job, so I probably would need to see it live. Or do you know? Thanks again.
I bought it from Amazon. It would work perfectly for these. I use it at home all the time, as well as for trips. Anker is industry standard for fast wall charging sockets and powerbanks..never had any issues with any of them. Pricey, but well worth it. 👌🏼
What bikepacking gear would you use for ultra light weight gear on a road bike for 2-3 months tour? What tire widths would you use for a longer tour? I see you stayed at hotels and did not camp.
@@tristantakevideo Thanks for answering that! I wonder if the 2L version of that bag is better if one wants to store his or her phone in it? 1L I’m guessing is too small.
Regular AirPods no, but AirPods Pro, yes. The issue with normal AirPods isn’t just them staying in, but also how bad audio quality is with the wind rushing over them as you’re riding. Whereas AirPods Pro stick in your ears properly and the noise canceling is great when going fast. Having said this, I only use mine on descents or very quiet climbs, and when climbing I have noise canceling turned off so I can hear cars. Hope that helps.
I usually run a Garmin Varia radar rear light and a couple of different Lezyne lights for short rides, or a Supernova M99 B54 for full overnight rides.
If people are hiking and then staying at hotels, that's not called backpacking. if you're biking and staying at hotels between days, that's not bikepacking.
@@tristantakevideo not talking about 'bikepacking', we're talking about bikepacking. Riding to hotels with just your clothes is not bikepacking, it's going on consecutive rides. Not saying what you did isn't cool, but as I pointed out, if you walked from hotel to hotel with some clothes that wouldn't be considered backpacking which is the analogy that bikepacking makes.
Fantastic packing vid. So rad to not be burdened by STUFF! Cheers.
Absolutely love this. Thanks for the details and all the tips 🙏
Bike-hoteling?
Credit card packing.
My wife and I just took a train trip with our bikes, it opens so much exploration after the train drops you off. I definitly over packed! Just the GoPro for video, no mirrorless for this trip?@@tristantakevideo
The biggest thing I’ve learned doing a few of these lightweight trips is how little we can survive with. I didn’t run into any bad weather, thankfully, so there was nothing more I needed, and that was quite a fulfilling realization.
No mirrorless for this trip..just the iPhone and 360 camera which worked well as a combo.
I want to start doing bike packing but exclusively on my road bike. It's cool to see you achieved this. I'm waiting for my bag to come in the mail and the weather to get a little better and I'm getting out there! Keep up the videos brother.
Great setup. Keeps motivating me to try something like this. Maybe an over nighter to start with
I always recommend a single night overnighter to start out with. Easy to achieve and you learn lots about what to carry. What’s great is once you’re confident doing one night away, there’s not much more you need for multiple nights away.
That 53/36 chainring combo is such a good idea!
A 34 works too, you just can't shift under as much load. I have friends running a 34/53
@@veganpottertheveganthat’s the dream for me. I love super steep climbs and a 34-34 combo would be ideal ✨
@MitchBoyer I'm a SRAM guy and run a 32/48 with a 10-33 most of the time. If I'm climbing all day, I'll throw on my 10-36. I live about 5 miles away from the base of an HC climb and another HC climb is 3 miles south of that one. Really happy with this setup and I'm sure I'd run that 34/53 and an 11-36 if I were using Shimano. You can't have the chainring gap but there are people running an 11-40 with a 34/50 and I'm sure a 36/52 will work too. The issue with that isn't the FD but how much slack the RD can handle
This is absolute genius this vlog. I’m doing something similar in a couple of months 3days, 450km, 3000m vert) and these tips will be invaluable.
Epic! Stoked. Sounds like a fun trip!
I loved the video, i just got back from my first time cycling abroad in Girona. Being from Britain the abnormal heat for the time of year and different sort of climbs were a bit of a shock. I mlwas mainly riding locally but one day i rode up to the French border at La Vajol, it was a great ride but the midday heat just battered me hy the end. Great place to live
Another quality video, thanks. I love the Attaquer gear but need to wait until those cargo bibs are on sale! Keep up the content, thanks.
Thanks mate. There’s a 20% off code for Attaquer in the description if that helps!
Appreciate it, thank you. One day:)@@tristantakevideo
All gold! Super Informative.
Absolutely obsessed with your content man!! On this and on Instagram, when is the badlands video coming though? I cannot wait to see that!
Reminds me of an article I read in a magazine in the mid 90's. Bicycling, I think. The guy rode 800+ miles over 6 days to visit relatives, staying at hotels every night. He rode a Kestrel CF bike with touring gears, flat bar with aero bars. The bike I think weighed 21 lbs and his gear was about 10 lbs. He carried a set of clothes to wear around at the end of the day with sandals and washed out his bike clothes in the hotel sink every night, hung it to dry overnight, and was dry by morning. He didn't have to worry about a cell phone back then. I think he didn't carry the food like you did and his camera to document the journey was analog. Great review as your trip brought out this memory of thos article. I think if he ran the trip again, his setup would be similar to yours as the focus was about traveling light on a bike.
I did a week long trip like that a few years ago with friends. It's pretty easy to put together if you don't mind discomfort and sleep in Airbnbs and hotels. It's a great memory. So many mountain passes, after 15 or so we stopped counting.
Thanks Tristan, quality info and overview as always. Would have said g'day when I saw you in Girona but you were on a lengthy phone call while walking the City wall. Hopefully back soon for cycling on fantastic roads and respectful drivers, cheers, Don
Thanks Don, funny you saw me that day..that was a pretty serious chat, that one. Glad you enjoyed riding here. 🙏🏼
Great video man. Learned a lot and when I summer bike pack this will be my reference
Thanks man, cool to hear!
After going thru all the video regarding saddle bag, i found answer for what i need and a new youtuber to follow. Thanks man
thanks Tristan
Awesome mate …you did a video before about how to try your kit out (ie if it’s not summer)…you did something with a towel but I can’t recall which video it was.
Thanks man. Yeah that was on the credit card packing trip with Ben in France, from August 2021. It’s called “I love France, but…”
This vid along with the ride vid are great!
Looking forward to a badlands vid! 🚴♀️🚴♀️🚴♀️💪🏁
Thanks man 🙏🏼
Thanks Tristan.. keen on the Apidura frame bag for my gravel rig..good tip on protecting frame from rub.. can you say more about the tape used to protect the BMC?
Thanks mate. This is just regular packing tape..a last minute thing when I realised I had no proper frame protection tape left, after putting it on the gravel bike and mountain bike. There are clear frame protectors designed by multiple brands out there, that are slightly thicker and designed for this purpose.
thanks for the breakdown. live in the Northeastern US and would like to do a similar ride in the late fall/winter so may need a bit more bags/gear but this sets some context.
Glad you got something out of it. This is, admittedly, a very minimal setup that will only work in specific scenarios but if you can use it as a base, great. 🤝🏼
Suberb video, clear, concise and to the point
Thanks so much. Really glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you. You got a link to your plimsoll canvas shoes?
I don't have the specific link, but if you type 'Zara espadrilles men' into Google you'll find a few very similar options. 👌
Most people take WAY too much stuff. You really don't need a lot. Some of us, of course, need space for meds/glasses/contacts but overall, super light is a lot more fun in my experience. Wash and dry clothes using the towel method and it dries very fast. If it is cold, you just have to get moving!
Thats really cool! Thanks for the video 🤙
You can get little adaptors to convert a usb cable to a different type, for example convert usb C to micro. They are about 2 cm long
Bike touring not bikepacking. We can all pack light if we have a room and a restaurant waiting at the end of the day. Looks like fun. I'll have to book some cheap motel rooms next summer 👍
Just on my train home from my first bikepacking trip. Wish i saw this first! My weight was more like 35kg 😢😢
Oooft that’s a lot. What did you take? And what would you leave at home next time?
Great breskdown and presentation. Thx. Did you have any insulation with you?
No, I didn’t take anything too thick. Luckily the weather was totally fine otherwise I would’ve needed something.
10:39 quick-dry is bad in dry climates, cotton is better for retaining precious water
Lol, why, do you drink your own sweat?
I bet the garmin 40 series idea came from that shot of the wahoo w/ cables mid ride hahaha
Haha you know me well.
With that tire set up what pressure are you running? Nice to see someone else not going tubeless. 😂
I run 80psi rear, 75 front usually. Have tried tubeless a few times but just never found I liked the feeling that much.
Great setup. The only thing where you could easily and cheaply spare some weight and size are the shorts - yours look like they are in the 250-300g. You can easily get to ~100-150g even with a cheap pair of shorts from Decathlon.
great vid and great trip, those flat shoes look like the 'answer' , can you remember what they are called/who makes them?thx
Thanks Shaun. 🙏🏼 From memory I bought these from Zara.
bro birkenstock all the way, ultimate shoe, jk really heavy, I run nike flyknit racers for bikepacking, super light and almost foldable shoes
I was there in August doing my longest bikepacking trip to date... but all the kitchen and sleep system on the bike lol Now I want to try hotels for sure, sounds perfect for this cold season... i'm only concerned about where to put the bike, what if they don't let me put it in my room etc
Where'd you fit your tent?
In the left hand cargo bibs pocket.
Awesome wrap-up, Tristan. The trip was amazing and pretty inspirational. How do you go maintaining the contacts - are you using daily or monthly sets?
Thanks Andy 🙏🏼 I run dailies so just two four pairs with me for this trip, plus the ones I was wearing on day one.
Cheers, T. After 50 years of specs, I'm trying contacts for the first time this week - a monthly set to begin with. Poking yourself in the eye to get 'em out is weird! Mate, the quality of your work is just outstanding. please keep it coming. @@tristantakevideo
It definitely takes some getting used to, the contact removal. I found over time my eyes have gotten less ‘sensitive’ to the feeling of having a finger pressed against them..that first couple of months is tough though! Glad you’re enjoying the videos mate! Thanks a bunch 🙏🏼
Hey nice video, I’m planning a trip home from Amsterdam to Milan for next summer. How do you plan the route, do you trust 100% Komoot? Did you booked the hotels before or day by day?
Thanks
Thanks mate. I made this route using the Strava route building tool and a bit of my own knowledge from previous trips in the Pyrenees. This was quite a simple and popularly ridden route, but Komoot works great for less well known areas. I booked each hotel the morning of the day I was due to arrive. 🙏🏼
What kind of rain jacket are you using? Finding something lightweight, breathable and rainproof proving a challenge.
Forget breathable, waterproof is never really breathable. Then it becomes much easier to find.
Wow, super minimal! I'm keen to do some bike touring but the thought of loading my bike down like a semi truck and lugging tons of camping gear around does not compute. This type of "slack-packing" approach is way more sensible.
It’s definitely a fun and hassle-free way of doing a cycling trip. It requires less organisation and I’ve found less stress..I planned the trip two days before going and it took 30 minutes to pack. It’s worth giving it a shot as a foray into doing something requiring more time and bigger investment in gear. 🙏🏼
The only thing I would add, is that when you’re washing your riding kit to use more than just soap, you should make sure it hasn’t anti-bacteria not just a regular soap bar to truly make sure that you get rid of all the bacteria that can build up and end up causing you problems in certain places
Yeah this is great advice!
Any tips so the kit gets dry as fast as possible? I find that jerseys always get dry fast, the problem is the chamois on the bibs
I wrap the bibs up in a dry towel and then twist it up with a foot on one end, to squeeze as much water out as possible before hanging them up.
If you stay in a hotel overnight, use the hairdryer in the bathroom in the morning.
Hairdryer is also a great option!
Dont wait too long to wash your kit , one of the first thing to tick when you off the bike and yeah the sushi roll technique in the towel is prime !
Hi, How to get sponsorship from bmc?
Ridenow also have black valves now at a third of the price 😉 and do you heatmold your bonts?
hey Tristan superb video as always. I want to run my gopro off my garmin mount what do i need to do that?
is there a special mount?
There are a few different Garmin mounts with GoPro attachments on the bottom that can be used for this. K-Edge is one brand that comes to mind. Some have the GoPro attachment built in, others require an additional part. If you search “Garmin GoPro mount” you’ll find a bunch of options. 🤝🏼
I'm guessing that you run the evening wear shorts commando? I guess if you needed to you could wash the t shirt when you get back to the hotel after dinner- on a hut summers night it would dry by morning
I took one pair of underwear, pretty small and light. And yeah during August it’d definitely dry by morning. Didn’t really need to wash it but if I had needed to, for sure.
insightful video (y)
wonder what this would look like if you did the NC500 bikepacking in early march :D
Do you keep the bike in the room with you generally, in Spain? Have you had issues about bike storage overnight in any places? I’m planning on doing the Eurovelo 8 from Cadiz to Barcelona on an e-bike staying in hotels. I’m wondering about having the bike with me to charge at night, although I have some creative solutions to run recharges off an Anker C300 DC just in case.
Love your set up! How tall are you?
Thanks mate. 172cm.
Great set up! What’s your height to run a 51cm frame? Cheers
Thanks! I’m 172cm. But short legs, long arms, so I run a long stem for the frame size.
@@tristantakevideo makes sense! Cheers for that
What size bags did you go for? 5L
Incredible riding but credit card touring! I was wondering what insane ultra ultra lightweight sleep/shelter/cook systems you had at 11kg LOL!
I’ve done similar summer trips carrying a bivy, sleeping bag liner, air mattress and jet boil in the past, but have found I prefer spending the € on a hotel and having a proper shower, etc, especially after a huge day on the bike. I think my bike setup for those trips was closer to 13kg. Both styles of travel are great though..no right or wrong way of doing it.
Where did you find the Anker charger ...?
I am looking to make sure I can charge
- Elemnt Bolt V2 (different cable from v1)
- Garmin Varia backlight
- Iphone and/or MacAir
It's hard to decipher online if your Anker would do the job, so I probably would need to see it live.
Or do you know?
Thanks again.
I bought it from Amazon. It would work perfectly for these. I use it at home all the time, as well as for trips. Anker is industry standard for fast wall charging sockets and powerbanks..never had any issues with any of them. Pricey, but well worth it. 👌🏼
What bikepacking gear would you use for ultra light weight gear on a road bike for 2-3 months tour? What tire widths would you use for a longer tour? I see you stayed at hotels and did not camp.
what's the name of the multi tool set?
Why not Mon Chasseral wheels for a ride with so many climbs? Thanks
The Hyper D45’s are a faster wheelset overall, even with the climbing. They’re stiffer, more aerodynamic and only weight 200g more.
Were you able to store your phone in the front bag? If not, where did you keep it during the ride?
I carry my phone in the cargo bib shorts pocket. Or, if i'm not running those I put it in my jersey pocket.
@@tristantakevideo Thanks for answering that! I wonder if the 2L version of that bag is better if one wants to store his or her phone in it? 1L I’m guessing is too small.
1L works for a phone, but it’s a little tight. If you’re planning to pop your phone in a frame bag, I’d recommend the 2L version for sure.
@@tristantakevideo Awesome to know! I’ll use the 2L version for sure. Long live Apidura!
Thinking about getting a pair of AirPods but not confident they’ll stay in my ears safely… thoughts?
Regular AirPods no, but AirPods Pro, yes. The issue with normal AirPods isn’t just them staying in, but also how bad audio quality is with the wind rushing over them as you’re riding. Whereas AirPods Pro stick in your ears properly and the noise canceling is great when going fast. Having said this, I only use mine on descents or very quiet climbs, and when climbing I have noise canceling turned off so I can hear cars. Hope that helps.
@@tristantakevideo thank you so much :)
You miss the chaomis cream ;)
I don’t use chamois cream. Correct fit and good bibshorts make all the difference. 👌🏼
What rear and front lights did you use?
I usually run a Garmin Varia radar rear light and a couple of different Lezyne lights for short rides, or a Supernova M99 B54 for full overnight rides.
@@tristantakevideo thanks for the reply and great video. I used mainly apidura bags also and tailfin.
Did all the cables and charger weigh more than your clothes? :)
I was confused how you got it all in 11kg, then I realised you didn't have a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and cookset.
Power meter?
I run a Stages left hand crank power meter
Great video!You didn’t mention deodorant?
Thanks mate 🙏🏼 I carried a very small roll-on deodorant for this trip but got rid of it on the last day.
Your nuts 😂
I mean, if you don't camp out you really don't need more than what you take for a single long day
Precisely. Some clothes, some charging gear, all pretty minimal really.
If people are hiking and then staying at hotels, that's not called backpacking. if you're biking and staying at hotels between days, that's not bikepacking.
People go ‘backpacking’ all over the world, staying in hotels the entire time.
@@tristantakevideo not talking about 'bikepacking', we're talking about bikepacking. Riding to hotels with just your clothes is not bikepacking, it's going on consecutive rides. Not saying what you did isn't cool, but as I pointed out, if you walked from hotel to hotel with some clothes that wouldn't be considered backpacking which is the analogy that bikepacking makes.
first