In this article you’ll discover how you can find your perfect bikepacking bike.
Which bike suits you best? There basically are three options to choose from:
– a gravel bike
– a touring bike
– or a mountain bike
Each of these has its unique pros and cons, which we will have a further look at in this article.
How to find your perfect bikepacking bike?
A bikepacking bike can be a fairly big investment, so it is good to think about it carefully. Let’s discuss the three options below:
1. Gravel bike
You will most often encounter bikepackers on a gravel bike. A gravel bike is an excellent middle-ground choice. Combining elements of both touring and mountain bikes.
The big advantage is that you will have more off-road adventures with this choice than with a touring bike. The main reasons for this is the tire width, but also the fact that the bags hang higher and are therefore less likely to get caught on plants, bushes or other things.
Is your plan to cycle more on unpaved roads, such as gravel and sand paths? If so, it’s essential to choose a bike that can handle these types of terrain. In that case you better opt for a gravel-or a mountain bike.
Unlike bike touring, the gravel bicycle frame does not have to carry as many kilograms. After all, with a gravel bike you’ll only take the essentials with you. This is a disadvantage compared to a touring bike. You can simply take less with you, and you’ll live a more minimalist lifestyle. So you sacrifice some luxury (as far as bikepacking is a luxury).
A gravel bike is the excellent ”in the middle” choice. It has aspects of the touring bike, but also aspects that lean more towards the mountain bike.
With a gravel bike you have to pay more attention to your weight and space availability. You can easily do an overnighter or multi-day adventure with this bike. But for adventures that last several weeks, months or even years, I would recommend a touring bike.
Since you can’t take that much with you, gravel bike rides are usually over a shorter time-period than with a touring bike.
I think that for most people, a gravel bike would be the winner of the three.
”A gravel bike is an excellent middle-ground choice. Combining elements of both touring and mountain bikes.”
Pros:
- You can do more off-road paths than with a touring bike.
- It’s more lightweight than a touring or mountain bike.
- More comfortable on gravel- and sand roads than a touring bike.
- You can take the more adventurous, unpaved, trails.
- Suitable for 4-season use: snow, mud, sand and in forests.
- Lighter construction than a touring bike or mountain bike.
Cons:
- There is less space for your stuff than with a touring bike.
- Less ‘’luxury’’ lifestyle than with a touring bike.
- It’s likely that you’ll have to invest more in your gear to reduce the weight and space.
- Gravel bikes are great for short adventures of a maximum of 4 weeks, but for a longer period I would suggest a touring bike.
2. Touring bike
Next up is the touring bike. I personally started bikepacking with a touring bike, and I consider it a great starter bike to get to know bikepacking.
The big advantage of a touring bike is that you can take a lot of stuff with you compared to the other two. This makes the touring bike an excellent choice if you plan to do longer trips. If you think that most of your trips will be over a period of four weeks or more, consider opting for a touring bike.
A touring bike also is more suitable for cycling with the whole family. You don’t really need technical skills, since you will cycle less off-road, which also makes it a safer option. Also, when cycling with your family it’s useful to be able to take more stuff, food, kitchen utensils, etc. with you
Those with a touring bike will cycle more on paved roads. This makes the adventures less remote, wild and extreme than the other two options.
The big downside and major advantage of a touring bike
The above also makes the major downside of touring bikes: Your bikepacking adventures will be less adventurous and extreme. You’ll rarely hit the off-road trails, which means that you’ll be cycling less in no-man’s-land.
The major advantage is that you can maintain a more luxurious lifestyle during your trip. For example, you can take more food, more clothes, more devices, or even a fold-able chair. A touring bike makes life easier, and it’s often nice to have that extra comfort after a full day of cycling.
Pros:
- You can take way more stuff
- Best for trips that take a couple of weeks, months, or years
- The best option for cycling with the whole family
- A more luxurious lifestyle
Cons:
- More luxury means more weight
- It’s less off-road
- Less adventurous, wild, and extreme
- It’s not as great on gravel and sand paths as a gravel or mountain bike
3. Mountain bike
The third option: a mountain bike.
Broadly speaking, you won’t encounter that many bikepackers on mountain bikes. Although there probably are some regions where you encounter them relatively more often. I have seen a lot of bikepacking content, and I have the feeling that the mountain bike is quite popular in Northern-American countries.
The biggest advantage of a mountain bike is that you can take the most wild and off-road paths. A mountain bike also provides extra comfort on these roads because of its suspension.
If you know in advance that you will mostly do overnighters or trips of only a few days, and that the areas where you will be bikepacking are mainly off-road with poor road surfaces, then a mountain bike absolutely is an option to consider.
Something to keep in mind is that with a mountain bike, you can take even less stuff with you than the other two bikes. The suspension causes the frame to squeeze in and out, which means that you should pay close attention that your bags have enough space and don’t get stuck. This is often at the expense of space, which is already so limited when bikepacking.
Pay close attention to the following if you want to buy a mountain bike for bikepacking:
With gravel and touring bikes, you often find certain types that are designed for bikepacking. You can recognize this when the designer thinks along about options for storing your luggage. For example, in the front fork you’ll find various options to put a rack to which you can attach your bags.
While the above often is carefully considered with touring and gravel bikes, you’ll encounter it less often with mountain bikes. So, when buying a mountain bike for bikepacking, make sure that the bike has the option of attaching your bags.
Mountain bikes with single suspension are called hard tails. Full suspension mountain bikes also have rear suspension. They are therefore heavier, but at the same time the suspension provides more comfort and control.
Pros:
- Most comfortable option on poor road surfaces
- It is the most adventurous and has the most off-road possibilities
- You can cycle in unique places where the other two options cannot go
Cons:
- Least space to store your stuff
- Least luxurious lifestyle
- It’s likely you have to invest more money in your gear to reduce the weight and space
- Less suitable for long trips
- The bike itself is often heavier than the other two because of the extra suspension
Conclusion
In short, each bike has its pros and cons. Try answering the questions below to determine which bike you need for bikepacking:
- Are you planning longer, or shorter trips?
- Do your adventures lean towards paved or off-road trails?
- Do you value some luxury, or are you okay with a more minimalist lifestyle?
- What amount of weight do you plan taking with you?
- Consider your local terrain – wild and unpaved, or mostly paved roads?
I hope this article helped you on how to find your perfect bikepacking bike!
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