Bit baffled by the rear rack too. Funny angles and side braces/bars. Lowered seatpost and...?

RIP wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 1:52 pm Bizarre bit of tyre 'clearance' there unless I'm missing something!

Think it’s the angle of the picture

Hmm! Need an end-on view.

RIP wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 1:55 pm Bit baffled by the rear rack too. Funny angles and side braces/bars. Lowered seatpost and...?

I’m not sure on the rear rack idea, would like to see one close up

I've just been looking for something like this:
29er, flat bar, low gearing (2x compatible), reasonably upright riding position for comfort, 100mm front suspension/rigid fork option. Mounts for rear-rack, mudguards and 3 bottle cages. And can I have a BSA bottom bracket on the side, please.

voodoo_simon wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 1:59 pm

RIP wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 1:55 pm Bit baffled by the rear rack too. Funny angles and side braces/bars. Lowered seatpost and...?

I’m not sure on the rear rack idea, would like to see one close up

Sorry to be stroppy, but that phottie just confirms the front clearance is rubbish . And I'd like to see the rider attaching those rear side bags in the mud and pissing rain - in fact how are they attached? AND that bottle under the downtube?? Sheepshit lunacy.

Very posh Osprey drybags there I see.

Looks like one of those setups that only works effectively when ridden round the showroom in Knutsford or Harrogate or Henley or somewhere like that

Stop moaning Reg. On the positive side the colours're good - red n black, a real devilish machine!

maxap wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 2:08 pm And can I have a BSA bottom bracket on the side, please.

Sure, but they work better in the middle

Front view for Reg, looks plenty clearance, and think that's with 29x3.0s on it so won't be getting any taller or much wider....


The rear bags are a stiffened holster with one buckle and two tightening straps - I think the 1120 looks great and works as a pretty good 'ATB', though will always be out of my price league...

Ohhh go on then, I'll have one .

RIP wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 2:10 pm Looks like one of those setups that only works effectively when ridden round the showroom in Knutsford or Harrogate or Henley or somewhere like that

Or in the USA where they will sell most of them

I assume the sicky-down bits* on the front rack are threaded for bolting something on?

*Engineering term

I think they may be anchor points for straps or an elasticated net or summat.

Hamish wrote: ↑Tue Nov 08, 2022 10:49 pm


Kind of… but the ECR is still an outlier with its low BB and non sus corrected geometry. I think it’s a good bike and was built specifically for bikepacking. If I was ordering a bikepacking bike from you I may well ask for a lighter ECR type bike with a slightly higher BB now that 29+ (Unfortunately) seems to be going out of fashion.
1 degree on the HTA, 10mm on the chainstay and the same BB drop is close enough to count as a rip-off in my book. https://bikeinsights.com/compare?geomet ... 0004789d79,

That’s the 650b medium ECR that has the sam BB drop. The 29+ has som 20mm more drop I think. It’s prob the lowest you will find on an MTB rigid or hardtail.

I'd high hopes those Treks would catch on, ensuring continued supplies of Bonty XR2 29+ tyres but they only ran for a couple of years....

Dunno about what is 'A' bike packing bike but a rigid 29+ is a brilliant bikepacking bike. Or even a brilliant bike. *sigh*

Dunno about what is 'A' bike packing bike but a rigid 29+ is a brilliant bikepacking bike. Or even a brilliant bike. *sigh*

I agree. People say a 29 x 2.6 is just as good but I don’t find that to be the case for general bikepacking. I don’t find 2.6 any faster and they don’t have the same rollover or invincible feel.

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 9:48 pm I'd high hopes those Treks would catch on, ensuring continued supplies of Bonty XR2 29+ tyres but they only ran for a couple of years....

Dunno about what is 'A' bike packing bike but a rigid 29+ is a brilliant bikepacking bike. Or even a brilliant bike. *sigh*

It looks like there's a 2023 model on trek UK, and xr2 tyres in all widths still. Strange as the US site shows it as archived, and it's odd for a US bike to be available here but not over there?

These replies are all brilliant. I should add, I wasn't asking because I didn't know what to build. I just found it an interesting way to describe a bike and the comments here cemented what I already thought. It's a sub standard way to describe a bike.

Did I miss the mention of electric?
If not electric.

stevenshand wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:03 am These replies are all brilliant. I should add, I wasn't asking because I didn't know what to build. I just found it an interesting way to describe a bike and the comments here cemented what I already thought. It's a sub standard way to describe a bike.

Steven, I think the (etymological) problem is that the phrase is being used to describe what a bike is rather than what it's for. Perhaps understandable when you have "road bikes" etc. that more or less describe both form and function in the one term.

People like to categorise things or (more likely) have things categorised for them, saying "take these bags, strap them to your bike, now it's a bikepacking bike" goes against that.

faustus wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 9:40 am

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 9:48 pm I'd high hopes those Treks would catch on, ensuring continued supplies of Bonty XR2 29+ tyres but they only ran for a couple of years....

Dunno about what is 'A' bike packing bike but a rigid 29+ is a brilliant bikepacking bike. Or even a brilliant bike. *sigh*

It looks like there's a 2023 model on trek UK, and xr2 tyres in all widths still. Strange as the US site shows it as archived, and it's odd for a US bike to be available here but not over there?

Oh yeah. Also 29x3.0 XR2s seem to be available in a couple of places here but showing out of stock on the bontrager site.....