New bike build... carbon front forks - options?

[LeoBurns]

I have a new bike being built for travel and touring… S&S  couplers  equipped so I’m thinking about leaving the Bob trailer at home when I travel by air... my question is what are my options for storage as a single rider?

If I were to install two of Arkel GT54 panniers at the back and put a Revelate inner frame bag in the inside of the frame... would that give me a enough storage without having front panniers?

Thinking is mild weather x-country rides...1 man Hillenberg tent, MSR canister stove, folding saw, thermarest, 40 degree down bag, water bladder, clothing - showers pass rain set, sandals, kit bag, civi  clothes. Parts/tubes/electrinics.

Thoughts... thanks! 🤓

[RussSeaton]

I'd suggest going the ultra light method.  Use a road bicycle.  Use a large saddle bag, a frame bag, and a handlebar bag/roll.  Revelate Designs makes all three of these bags.  As well as Apidura and Ortleib.  If you take Minimal gear, and make it as lightweight as possible, you should have enough room in these three bags to carry all of the gear you need for a "loaded" tour.  And use any bike you want without any racks.  Or maybe use some of these bags and a rear rack and take tiny panniers, or a bag on top of the rack, and end up about the same.  Keep everything as light as possible, and take only the barest minimum gear.

[RonK]

Bob trailer to bike packing bags. This is gonna be good.

Pass the popcorn.

[LeoBurns]

Thanks Russ... I currently use “Bob” with a carbon 29’er on the GAP/C&O 3x a year plus locally for Mi rail trails... and at double nickel I enjoy my REI camp chair, favorite mug, kindling - it’s a perfect camping set up. But I need to do mor miles for health so Seven is building me a road bike with an option up to 32mm... i have an option to take bob, but say I fly to the west coast... I need another option.  I plan to have a two bottle xlab wing off my rear seat - so. That defeats the seat post bag... ialready have a Revelate xL roll bag for my 29’er, so I’ll check to see if a small will fit a set of road bars, frame bad and then maybe a can use a smaller rear set... new to this sight, and the bike arrives in early May... so I certainly appreciate the help. Thanks,

[RussSeaton]

I plan to have a two bottle xlab wing off my rear seat - so. That defeats the seat post bag.

Get rid of the bottle holder thing.  Do you think you are on a time trial?  Are aerodynamics that important?  I've toured a little bit with just 2 or 3 water bottles.  I've never found it difficult to find as much water as I need.  Its very easy to find devices that mount a bottle underneath the downtube.  Or just use clamps to mount it.  That gives you 3 bottles.  28 or 32 ounces in each bottle.  Or just put an extra screw top water bottle from a convenience store inside the large saddlebag if you are worried about water.  Or put a couple extra bottles in your jersey pockets.

[LeoBurns]

With an inner frame bag, traditional bottle mounts don’t exist. Be open minded - you might be surprised. . I’m raced long course triathlons for 10 years... and find reach back much easier than looking down- and they’ll sit above the rear panniers and with a 3 bottle mount above the crank... it gives me 3 bottles plus a bladder in the frame bag.  All good.

Still looking for an opinion on someone who has used the large Arkel bags?

[RussSeaton]

With an inner frame bag, traditional bottle mounts don’t exist.

What the heck are you talking about?  Have you even looked at the frame bags I am referring to?  Apparently not.  See the links below.  You will clearly see that these frame bags fit into the top 4-5-6 inches of the main triangle.  There is plenty of room for two bottle cages inside the main triangle of the bike.  Also not sure why are you so concerned with carrying so much water?  Are you racing across the desert in August?  2 bottles behind the saddle, water bladder inside the main triangle.  Why are you carrying so much water?  On all my tours I find it very easy to find water and get something to drink.

https://www.adventurecycling.org/cyclosource-store/equipment/bikepacking/sp/revelate-designs-tangle-frame-bag-2/

https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/frame-bags/TangleFrameBag

http://www.treefortbikes.com/product/333222420341/406/Apidura-Dry-Series-Frame.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=1o1&scid=scplp333222420341&sc_intid=333222420341&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI25begujv2QIVBweGCh1qQg9IEAQYASABEgIb4_D_BwE

https://www.ortlieb.com/en/Frame-Pack%20Toptube/

[LeoBurns]

I’m going to use a full frame bag... top tube, to crank... no traditional mounts... easy does it. LOL.

THE 4L bladder is for camp / cooking.

I’m really comfortable with my hydration plan, on bike nutrition... let’s let the bottle issue rest.

Now about the rear panniers - size/ content?

Anyone have experience with the Arkel GT54?

[Inge]

My 1st thought is: do you really need that size.

I am using 4 Arkel bags because I want to have a decent weight distribution but am sure that if I really wanted to I could leave my 2 front bags home or use a frame bag with 2 rear panniers. Am using Arkel Dolphin 32 & 48L bags + a handlebar bag for my camera.

[zzzz]

I think Arkel makes excellent panniers (I have the T-28's) but the 54's are the biggest ones they make and having all that weight out back w very little or none in the front can make a bike very susceptible to front end shimmy. You don't indicate where you're looking to ride other then out west, maybe if you're staying near the coast you will be okay.

The bike I tour on is a Ti road bike w a carbon fork and and the rear rack mounts are the only concession to it being a "touring" bike. Your Seven will probably more stable when it's loaded then my bike is, but on the big climbs out west it can be 15° colder on the top and you are soaked with sweat when you get there. Your shivering on the descent combined with all that weight in the back is not a happy combination.

I have successfully dealt with this by using a frame bag and these fork mounted "everything" bags from Cleveland Mountaineering:

http://cleavelandmountaineering.com/product/everything-bags/

Neither of these carries a big volume of things so I make a concentrated effort to put everything heavy (toiletries, tools, food, etc) in the middle or out front.

I'll comment on the water thing as well. You don't indicate if you are doing any interior west stuff but it's very different then the C&O/Gap. On one particularly long, hot, and windy day (Hanksville to Blanding Utah) I went thru 6 liters of water w 1 chance to filter some river water. I carry (2) 2 liter poly bags from Platypus as a storage back up. They weigh almost nothing and I only use them when I'm traveling thru really barren stretches but they are good to have.

Pete

[LeoBurns]

Thanks Pete very insightful. I checked the Revelate site and in addition to the large frame bag, I’m going to install my front sweet roll bag... with these two I should be able to downgrade the rear pannier size... and as you point out retain a better weight distribution - I’ll still have to deal with wind.

I appreciate your comments on water... plan would be to carry 3 and have a bladder in reserve... this season is check out rides (Michigan, Atlanta, Blueridge Parkway... so water will be plentiful.  Next year is the plane travel... Tucson, Napa and San Diego... still all manageable.

Still this past year was my introduction with the Bob trailer... for the trail trails it’s perfect!

Ps... what wheel width are you using 32mm?  Thanks!

[zzzz]

The bike I had built and have toured on is not a good example of anything having to do w a touring bike. Two weeks before I left on my first tour at 55 y.o I had never ridden on a bike with a rack on it. I got it in my head I was going to do a cross country blitz in 30 days as a physical challenge and pretty much expected to be pretty unhappy most of the time. I specifically told my frame builder "Do not build me a Dog! I will be taking 1 tour and then never again". Nobody was more surprised then me that I loved it and have been doing it ever since and I'm not replacing the bike.

To your question : Since that was the case, no extra room was left for tires, I tour on 25's as thats all I can fit and quite regularly I think it would be great if I could ride something bigger. What you will need depends on your route of course, 2 years ago I rode from Banff to Fairbanks and hit 40k of the Alaska Hywy that due to construction was loose dirt and gravel. Kind of unsettling. Nothing like spending 2 hours of riding thinking you're likely to go down at any minute. If I had room for 32's it would have been much less dramatic.

You are of course free to equip your bike as you want and if that's the Sweet Roll thats fine. What I linked to was different in that it attaches to your carbon fibre fork without damage and it gets the weight low which is preferable.

Here's a competing product from Salsa that does something similar and their matching bag which I have and like a lot (very water tight):

http://salsacycles.com/components/category/accessories/anything_cage

https://www.adventurecycling.org/cyclosource-store/brands/sp/salsa-anything-cage-bag/

I don't know much about touring in Mi or Ga but the Blue Ridge is great. The scenery is lovely and it will tell you everything you need to know about your fitness, the constant up and down starts to feel relentless after awhile.

pm