I'll admit, I've been bikepacking curious for awhile. As my touring continues to expand and evolve I'm thinking more about bikepacking options for 2021 and I thought I'd share the process on the pod. Join me, won't you?

Exploring bikepacking options

• Evolving gear - what is touring and what is bikepacking? Does it matter?
• Expanding gear to suit tours best
• Slimmer profile
• Less gear for low or no camping touring
• More trails and gravel (hi WV!)

Option 1 - modify what I have

• fork cages + dry bags (10L x2) = 1 ortlieb
  • EXCEPT... new fork doesn't have brazons
• handlebar roll
  • EXCEPT current brake cables block ability to tighten

• dry bag on rear rack or saddle bag
  • This is currently doable

• Saddle bag?
  • With a rear rack this doesn't do much.

  Option 2 - Reduce gear in and get into 2-3 dry bags?

• Ding ding. An option I've done before.
• Particularly easy for no-camping trips.
• For camping: Hammock? Bivvy or smaller tent?

Option 3 - New bike?

• Probably where I'm heading. Surly ECR looks amazing.
• COVID continues to limit availability, and also Surly has slimmed down its bikepacking line (pour one out for the Ogre, not to mention the non-disc LHT!)
• Then add bikepacking bags.
• Build: go all out or frugally? I think my next bike might be more the former, but it really depends. This option gets very expensive, very quickly.

  Where do I land?

• I've been threatening a new bike for a while, but it's a big outlay.
• I would need to justify its purchase by actually using it, or I'll feel dumb/wasteful.
• Biggest thing working against this is the substantial overlap between my Safari and the ECR. When I ride one and could use the other, I'll be thinking of waste.
• My spring tour is almost certainly on the Safari, it's just a question of where...  probably close to home again because it seems prudent to wait on the vaccination and summer for a longer ride
• Much more to think about!

Pedalshift Society

As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this spring's DC to Cincinnatti bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there's one-shot and annual options if you're not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society.

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