The smaller the gear inch number, the easier the bike will be to pedal. For a full gear list we tapped Jeremy Kershaw, a registered nurse and founder of Heck of the North Productions, who has been organizing events like the Heck Epic, a three-day bikepacking … The foam pad is also much more versatile than an air mat and I often use it just to sit on during lunch breaks, or for yoga and stretching. This gives you first as a useful bail-out gear if things get too tough, and the rest of the time you're switching between ratios that are about the equivalent of a larger jump on a derailleur block, say from a 21 to a 24. Double – 38x24t with 11-36t = 19 to 96″ In order to turn regular 10 speed 11-36 cassettes into 11-40t, a number of companies have cropped up to make space by removing one of the smaller cogs (16t or 17t) with a bigger one (40t or 42t). I'm currently using the Osprey Talon 33 backpack, which I'm very happy with, but I don't think it matters all that much which one you use as long as it's comfortable, not too heavy, and has a capacity of around 30 litres. This entry was posted in Bikepacking , Bikes , Tour Divide on April 13, 2018 by dave . © Copyright 2020 Tristan Ridley. Overall, the BB7s have been fine for me. The system is stiff and reliable. Getting ready to head out on a bikepacking adventure? The smallest chainring is often 24t and the largest 48t with a 36t servicing the middle gears. Note: the small 'cross bar' between the aerobars on which I mount my smartphone using a Quadlock mount (which, incidentally, is absolutely brilliant - Quadlock is really a game changer) is very low tech - it's nothing more than a piece of wooden stick (which I found in Kenya) which I cut down and lashed on using string and duct tape. It's a bit tricky to explain so we liked the simplicity of this representation of calculating gear inches on Bikepacking.com so have redrawn it. Shelter: Remember your tent, tarp, bivy or hammock. From Roadrunner Bags, the ', As a contrast between my hybrid setup and a more classic bikepacking setup, let’s look at weights and capacity comparisons, omitting the frame bag for now as it will be the same for both. Gear Inches. It's fast to pitch (around 2 minutes), packs down very small, and the internal space is absolutely perfect for one person. These days I'm just using a basic closed cell foam (CCF) pad. But a 46T Outer seems pretty massive for a 29er, particularly one loaded with bikepacking gear. and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions. Camera: I’m really not much of a photographer, and until 6 months ago I was still making do with just my very average smartphone camera. Learn about gear inches & the proper granny. The one bikepacking-specific product I found was Big Agnes’ new “Bike Pack” tent models. Joey King Age 63 / Madison, Wisconsin (USA) BIKE: I’l be riding the 2018 Tour Divide on a 2013 Specialized Crave. It's a single wall tent (whereas the others have all been double wall) so site selection is more important for managing condensation, but that's not something that worries me. Thats why 165-175 mm cranks work for most people. Food, water and spares everywhere else. The simplest is the ratio between the chainring and rear sprocket: divide the number of teeth on the chainring by the number on the sprocket. The cutout of the Imperial completely stops this, while still being just as comfortable as the B17. Irmo Keizer / Shimano. That's a pretty bad weight-to-capacity ratio, compared to say the Jumbo Jammer which gives almost 30L for 900g. And if you want something even lower, it’s as easy as swapping the chainring. It just makes things easier. Shelter and spare clothing in seat pack. I much prefer Android to Apple and I’ve been very happy with the Samsung. It actually has a really small footprint which is great for squeezing into tight spaces. Aside from its fragility, I have to admit that I wasn't particularly happy with the tent in general either. With all the rough hike-a-bike and river crossings I do I’m doubtful that even the best dynamo hub would survive long anyway. This system allows for various chainring configurations with a maximum of a 24 teeth gap between the biggest and smallest chainrings (eg. Grip and cushioning is excellent, and the geometry of the ECR is exceptionally comfortable. I recommend picking gears for all occasions, that is, having gears low enough to go up the steepest climbs, and also having gears high enough so you don’t ‘spin out’ when the wind is on your side. There are four primary materials used by bike manufacturers today – Aluminum, Steel, Carbon Fiber, and Titanium. By my calculations the 30X42 lowest gear is 7% bigger than the 24X36 I have (and use) on my current rig. For me, it's not really about speed (though they do definitely make me faster) and more about comfort. After a year of using a multifuel stove (the MSR Whisperlite) I'm very happy to have switched to cooking with alcohol. It's been a year since I put it on, and it hasn't budged an inch. The rack I’m using is the, I really love this bag and I wish I'd had it years ago. Tarptent Rainbow: After sending back the MSR, I arranged to bring in another Tarptent as after so long in the Moment I definitely trust these tents. So I figure I have two options: Replace the 28/42 chainrings with 26/39. Because I have my bars widely spaced I also have decent control in aero position even on rougher dirt roads. I previously used the ESI extra chunky grips, which I liked, but I definitely prefer the Ergon GC1 grips which I'm using now. What’s a proper bikepacking granny gear? 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