Aerobars and bikepacking

[spudslug]

Here is a photo of my setup before I got front panniers: Flip up aerobars by Profile, a Mountainsmith fanny pack strapped to them, a modified Trek handlebar bag underneath, a Bento box on the top tube, a Jandd 188 in3 frame pack, seat pack and camping gear strapped to the rack. The bike handled horribly with most of the weight on the back! I thought the bike would be hard to handle with front panniers. But the opposite is true. It's very smooth and stable now.

Since then, I got a more compact, but more comfortable inflatable sleeping pad (Big Agnes) that fits in the panniers so nothing is strapped to the rack. The fanny pack goes in the panniers. I no longer need the handlebar bag, frame pack or seat pack. I never needed the 3rd water bottle so now the pump is mounted under there. But, odd as it looks, the pump fit fine in this tight spot for the entire trip. I highly recommend this pump (Topeak Road Morph G) .The frame pack worked great too.

Another thing to consider about aerobars on the GDMBR; they require many bolts. Be sure to check them regularly for tightness.