Hi,

I'm new to the forum. I live in Basingstoke, ride both road and MTB and at the end of the summer went on a couple of overnight bivvys - on foot. Although I can't say they were the best nights sleep I've ever had I still enjoyed the experience and am looking at trying out some bikepacking next year on my Boardman Team full suspension.

For my bivvys I put my kit in an Alpkit Stealthy Gourdon (30L) - cheap, old and very bulky Millets sleeping bag (to be replaced), Hunka XL, Pacific Outdoors Peak Elite AC (comfy) and a Jetboil. And, other small odds and sods (headtorch, spork, etc). Due to the size of the sleeping bag the Gourdon was crammed and only just closed.

I'm thinking of buying a Topeak BeamRack and carrying (a smaller lighter) sleeping bag, bivvy bag and sleep mat in a dry bag on it. Does anyone have any experience of these racks - any good?

Also, would like to use my Camelbak Mule for carrying water and a small amount of clothing so will think about perhaps packing my Jetboil in another drybag on the handlebars or in a framebag. Need to think about this.

Thanks for reading and appreciate any advice.

Reckon you'll get quite a few different opinions on beam racks, my own experience isn't great but I know others who have never had problems.

A drybag strapped to the bars with sleeping stuff in tends to be the 'norm', either using a specific harness (Wildcat, etc) or just cheap straps. A 13l drybag is a pretty common size for the purpose.

Beam rack has worked well for me in the past.

Wore dome small holes in my dry bag though

Tried the lighter weight "road" version which had a weight limit of 7kg like the MTX, no problems for me but when I lent it to a mate he snapped it, with, at most 3kg in a dry bag.
Not sure just how strong the MTX's are.

No matter how tight I did mine, as soon as I hit the rockier stuff with any gusto it would always spin and hit me on the back of the leg. It was a topeak one and with never more than about a kilo of kit on it.

Have you looked into a large saddlebag?

Thanks for the responses so far, much appreciated.

Having done some more research I'm starting to steer away from the rack and thinking perhaps slinging my sleeping clobber under the handelbars and then a smallish seatpack to take stove/food. Leaves my Mule for water, extra clothes and small bits and bobs.

Seen varying prices so will have to have a good hunt around the 'net for makes/models/prices.

Cheers guys :)

SJS Cycles had some good deals on Carradice saddle bags ... some of the more 'modern' type too, although I have to say, I do like my old geezers type Carradice stuff

Something like this perhaps, 8l capacity so should hold a fair amount if packed with care.

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/carradice-su ... -prod6312/

For £30 that's a great looking saddle-bag and at 8L is going to be pretty useful.

Tried one on the BB200 - maybe it was the fact that it was clamped to a USE seatpost, but with barely a couple of kilo it worked itself loose time and again :evil: . Was the bane of my life. Now consigned to the 'cut up for projects' metal pile..

Yeah, that Carradice 8L looks like it could be good for carrying a Jetboil and some odds and sods and then sleeping kit under handlebars in a drybag.

Think I might just go for an Alpkit drybag to get started before I invest in anything fancier - any good sources for straps for connecting to handlebars?

Beamrack on the WRT


My framebag shrunk in the rain by fantasticmrmatt, on Flickr

Beamrack on the SDW


South Downs Way short ride Feb 2010 by fantasticmrmatt, on Flickr

Both times they worked well, the biggest downsite is they are a bit heavy and look totally sub standard

any good sources for straps for connecting to handlebars?

Cheap, easily sourced and seem to work well.

http://www.gelert.com/products/arno_straps_24

I never realised there would be so many options!

I've now been looking at a Carrradice Bagman Support (£19.99) and a couple of Alpkit Airlok Xtra drybags - one front, one back (around £15) - and a couple of sets of those Gelert straps - the whole lot would cost me little more than £40.

Could be a good starting point....

Fantasticmrmatt, cheers for the photos. Looks like that could be a B/man Team FS under all that mud!

wouldn't go to gelert for those straps get yourself down to your local tescos they do the same straps for about a quid

Never really got on with mine & sold it. Would slowly swing round. The alpkit route with straps is better.