• Best Rear Rack Overall: Tubus Logo Classic
• Best For Full Suspension Bikes: Old Man Mountain Divide
• Best Carbon Fiber Rack: Tailfin Carbon Rack
• Best For Easy Take Off: Ortlieb Quick Rack
• Best Bikepacking Minimalist Rack: Tubus Vega Classic
• Best Titanium Rack: Tubus Airy
• Best For Using Cargo Cages: Tumbleweed Mini Pannier Rack
• Best Bombproof Rack For Very Wide Tires: Surly Rear Rack
• Best Bombproof Rack For Wide Tires: Tubus Grand Tourer
• Best Budget Rack: Iberia RA5

The Long Version

Racks are one of the most likely components to fail on a bicycle trip. The good news is that when you pick the right rack, you almost certainly won’t get stranded in the middle of nowhere. The best rear racks will last a lifetime, so invest once and get it right – and you’ll never have to do it again.

To start, it’s crucial to consider which models will fit on your bike. Some racks attach only via dedicated rack eyelets on the rear triangle of your frame. Other racks have ‘fit kits’, making them almost universal.

Some racks have very high weight capacities, so if you are planning on an around-the-world trip, a rack with a high capacity and stiffness will be the go (you never know when you need to strap a couple of gallons of water to your bike).

We will also be showcasing lots of lightweight racks, heavy-duty racks, and racks that fit wide tires.

Note: We may earn a commission when you purchase a rack through our links. This directly supports CYCLINGABOUT and allows us to continue to provide high-quality cycling information to you.

Need To Know What To Look Out For?

To learn about the key features of racks along with specific details to look for, check out the Buying Advice section at the bottom. This includes lots of handy information to assist you in making the right purchase choice.

Jump to Buying Advice

The Best Rear Racks

Tubus Logo Classic

Best Rear Rack Overall

Price: $185 ($$$)

Weight Capacity: 57.3lbs / 26kg

Rack Weight: 1.38lbs / 630g

Tire Clearance: 29 x 2.35″

The Tubus Logo Classic is perhaps the most well-regarded rack in the world, in fact, the author of this website has used Tubus Logo racks for over 100,000mi (160,000km) of touring around the world!

The steel Logo is built narrower than most racks and hangs your panniers one level lower; lowering the center of gravity and improving your bike’s stability. These dedicated pannier rails additionally provide clearance above the panniers for a dry bag, or “rack pack” on the top platform.

If your bike frame has short chain stays, or you have big feet, the Logo puts your panniers extra far back to gain heel clearance. This makes the Logo great for gravel bikes that tend to have shorter chain stays than usual.

The rack comes in two different sizes: one for 26″/700C wheels and one for 27.5/29″ wheels. If in doubt, simply go for the Logo 29 model (it’s an inch taller). We have fitted 27.5 x 2.6″ tires into the Logo 29 rack with enough clearance on either side.

Here’s the cool thing about Tubus – they make racks, and that’s it! They have been rack specialists for over 30 years, and are so confident in their product that they back all their racks with a 3-year mobile warranty. This means that if you experience a failure within the first three years of use, Tubus will ship you replacement parts anywhere in the world. That’s unbeatable peace of mind for a bike traveler, and it’s followed up with a 10-year regular warranty.

You can fit the Tubus Logo to some bikes without rack mounts. If your rear wheel axle is quick-release, you can use the Tubus Adapter Set for the lower mounts, and a Salsa Rack Lock seatpost clamp for the upper struts.

	Tubus Logo Classic Black	Tubus Logo Classic Silver	Tubus Logo 29 Black
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Old Man Mountain Divide

Best For Full Suspension Bikes

Price: $168 ($$$)

Weight Capacity: 70lbs / 31.8kg when axle-mounted

Rack Weight: 2.1lbs / 960g

Tire Clearance: 29 x 3.0″

What sets the Old Man Mountain rack apart is its adaptability. Unlike traditional racks, its compatible with a wide range of bikes including full-suspension bikes. The innovative attachment system means you don’t need rack mounts, making it incredibly versatile and easy to install.

This rack’s solid construction guarantees stability under heavy loads, and the low pannier rails and height adjustability keep your bike feeling nimble over rough terrain thanks to a reduced center of gravity.

The Old Man Mountain Divide has a notably spacious platform on top to cinch down an extra large dry bag. It’s one versatile rack that provides ample flexibility for your next off-road adventure.

There are two models to choose from. The Regular will suit tires up to 3.0″ wide, while the Fat is designed around tires between 3.0″ to 5.0″!

The only notable downside is that with so many fit kit options, it can be a bit complicated to figure out which one to order. Make sure to check out the Old Man Mountain website, which will help guide you through the steps.

	Old Man Mountain Divide (3.0″)	Old Man Mountain Divide Fat (5.0″)
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Tailfin Carbon Rack

Best Carbon Fiber

Price: $465 ($$$$$)

Weight Capacity: 59.5lbs / 27kg

Rack Weight: 11.8oz / 335g (with pannier mounts fitted)

Tire Clearance: 29 x 2.9″

Tailfin’s unique ultralight racks have brought a new perspective to bike travel.

Their modular packing system is based on a lightweight rack that is compatible with 99% of bikes on the market. The mounting design lets you attach a rack to your seat post and thru-axle (or via traditional threaded rack mounts if you have them). Once you initially install the hardware, you can then take the rack on and off in seconds.

A Tailfin rack can be used to mount any of Tailfin’s extensive line of specially designed panniers and bags – we especially like the Tailfin AP20 Trunk Bag and various panniers. Alternatively, if you already have a favorite pannier set, you can fit them too with the right adapters.

There is great heel clearance on this model, and it’s full-suspension compatible thanks to its special pivot design. In addition, it can clear wide off-road tires to the tune of 26×4.0, 27.5×3.5, and 29×2.9.

If you like this rack concept but the carbon model is too expensive, a heavier alloy version drops the price by a third, and offers cargo cage mounts for additional bag options. A cool thing is that Tailfin products are designed to be modular, so if you initially purchased the alloy rack you can later buy carbon arch and top stay, and switch over to a lighter rack.

	Tailfin Carbon Rack	Tailfin Alloy Rack
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Ortlieb Quick Rack

Best For Easy Take Off

Price: $100 ($$)

Weight Capacity: 44.1lbs / 20kg

Rack Weight: 1.2lbs / 580g

Tire Clearance: 2.35″

Ortlieb is synonymous with rugged bike travel thanks to their durable panniers that have been a bike travel staple for over 40 years. Recently they have brought their German engineering and durability to the lightweight bike rack market.

The Ortlieb Quick Rack quickly transforms whatever bike you have into a bike for short tours or around-town errands. Similar to the Tailfin, it fits 99% of bikes on the market, and once you do the initial hardware attachment, it takes just seconds to fit or remove the rack.

There are two versions of the Quick Rack. The regular model has a platform on top if you want to cinch down a dry bag or fit a “rack pack”. If you are only using panniers, the Quick Rack Light will be the go. It eliminates the upper platform, which reduces the weight by 5.3 oz (150 g).

The Quick Racks are also compatible with Ortlieb’s vast line of panniers. It’s important to remember that this rack isn’t a replacement for a permanent rack, and it’s vital to stick to the weight capacity, or you can risk damage or breakage.

	Ortlieb Quick Rack (Platform)	Ortlieb Quick Rack Light (No Platform)
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Tubus Vega Classic

Best Minimalist Rack

Price: $150 ($$$)

Weight Capacity: 55lbs / 25kg

Rack Weight: 1.2lbs / 540g

Tire Clearance: 2.35″

The Tubus Vega is the sleeker and lighter alternative to the Logo (featured above). By omitting the lower pannier rails of the Logo, the Vega can be built lighter while maintaining a very respectable load capacity.

Built on Tubus’ legacy of engineering, the Vega exemplifies reliability, making it an ideal choice for moderate loads. Whether you opt for a dry bag on top of the rack, panniers, or both – the Vega accommodates the usual gear configurations with ease.

As it uses the upper platform of the rack for mounting panniers, you get some extra ground clearance compared to other racks for navigating challenging terrain.

The rack comes in two different sizes: one for 26″/700C wheels and one for 27.5/29″ wheels. If in doubt, simply go for the Vega 29 model (it’s an inch taller). We have fitted 27.5 x 2.8″ tires into the Vega 29 rack with enough clearance on either side.

Like all Tubus racks, if you experience a failure within the first three years of use, Tubus will ship you replacement parts anywhere in the world. This is unbeatable peace of mind for a bike traveler!

You can fit the Tubus Vega to some bikes without rack mounts. If your rear wheel axle is quick-release, you can use the Tubus Adapter Set for the lower mounts, and a Salsa Rack Lock seatpost clamp for the upper struts.

	Tubus Vega Classic 26″ or 700C Black	Tubus Vega Classic 29″ Black
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Tubus Airy

Best Titanium Rack

Price: $399 ($$$$$)

Weight Capacity: 57.3lbs / 26kg

Rack Weight: 12.7oz / 360g

Tire Clearance: 700 x 47mm

The Tubus Airy boasts an irresistible coolness factor, proudly holding the title as the pioneering titanium rack in the market. Its titanium build strikes an impeccable balance between featherlight design and unwavering durability.

Despite its remarkable lightweight nature, the Airy stands strong and is capable of handling impressive loads. It’s rated to carry 57.3 lbs (26 kg) while tipping the scales at a mere 12.7 oz (360 grams). Yep, it can carry 72 times its weight!

For those meticulously counting every gram yet wanting the flexibility to use any type of pannier (or secure a dry bag on top), this rack fits the bill perfectly.

Moreover, any travel-induced scratches or blemishes on your Airy can be easily buffed out. This makes the Airy not just strong but forever new-looking.

You can fit the Tubus Airy to some bikes without rack mounts. If your rear wheel axle is quick-release, you can use the Tubus Adapter Set for the lower mounts, and a Salsa Rack Lock seatpost clamp for the upper struts.

	Tubus Airy Titanium
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Tumbleweed Mini Pannier Rack

Best Rack For Cargo Cages

Price: $139 ($$$)

Weight Capacity: 66lbs / 30kg

Rack Weight: 12.7oz / 660g

Tire Clearance: 29 x 3.5″

As the 2020 Bikepacking.com Gear of the Year Award recipient, this rack stands out as an excellent choice for adventure cyclists – this steel rack can withstand proper off-road terrain.

The steel Mini Pannier Rack has triple boss mounts on the legs so you can mount cargo cages, or water bottle cages with expandable capacity for trips like the Baja Divide. The platform on the top is generously large (12″ x 5″), which will be perfect for cinching down an extra-large dry bag.

Despite its versatility, the Mini Pannier Rack isn’t for everyone – it’s best paired with mini bikepacking panniers that match the small surface area of the rack. You will also have to have threaded bosses on your frame to mount this rack (it’s not thru-axle compatible).

It’s worth noting there is another Tumbleweed rack model called the T Rack, which is an extra-minimalist version that’s not intended to fit panniers. Instead, you will be using cargo cages for your luggage on the sides, and the top platform will be a great substitute for a bikepacking seat pack.

Both racks have notably large tire clearance for up to 26 x 4.75” or 29 x 3.5″.

	Tumbleweed Mini Pannier Rack	Tumbleweed T Rack
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Surly Rear Rack

Best Bombproof Rack For Very Wide Tyres

Price: $155 ($$$)

Weight Capacity: 80lbs / 36kg

Rack Weight: 2.78lbs / 1.26kg

Tire Clearance: 29 x 3.0″

On the hunt for an ultra-durable rack with wide tire clearance? Look no further. The Surly rear rack is the epitome of robustness, boasting an impressive maximum weight limit that embodies Surly’s reputation for durability.

What distinguishes the Surly Rear rack from Tubus options is its height adjustability. This feature ensures compatibility with various tire sizes and also helps keep your weight and center of gravity as low as possible for improved stability.

This steel rack comes in black or silver and tips the scales at almost three pounds making it the heaviest contender on our list. However, keep in mind its 80-pound (36kg) weight capacity surpasses most bike racks – your legs will probably give out before this rack does.

	Surly Rear Rack Black	Surly Rear Rack Silver
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Tubus Grand Tour

Best Bombproof Rack For Wide Tyres

Price: $255 ($$$$)

Weight Capacity: 88lbs / 40kg

Rack Weight: 1.68lbs / 760g

Tire Clearance: 29 x 2.35″

The ultimate round-the-world touring rack is the Tubus Grand Tour. This steel rack has the highest weight capacity of any rack here, and all in a package that’s 40% lighter than the Surly Rear Rack!

There are finer details on the Grand Tour that make it a bit more expensive too, such as the lower mounting points (3D printed) that do not require any additional spacers, even with disc brakes.

Your panniers will sit nice and low on the Grand Tour as it uses dedicated rails, keeping your center of gravity in check.

Like all Tubus racks, if you experience a failure within the first three years of use, Tubus will ship you replacement parts anywhere in the world. This is unbeatable peace of mind for a bike traveler!

We would award this rack the best overall, but the Logo Classic simply offers better value for money.

	Tubus Grand Tour Black
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Ibera RA5 Rack

Best Budget Rack

Price: $50 ($)

Weight Capacity: 55lbs / 25kg

Rack Weight: 1.68lbs / 760g

Tire Clearance: 29 x 2.6″

The Ibera might be a budget-friendly pick, but it doesn’t miss out on any features.

It’s height adjustable and has lower pannier rails to can keep the center of gravity of your panniers nice and low. The pannier rails are also set further back, which means it will offer excellent heel clearance.

In addition, this rack has clearance for seat stay disc brake calipers and has pins on the rack so that your panniers won’t slide on the rails.

The Ibera RA5 is not a rack for long-term heavy-duty use though – it’s built to a price. If you are planning a long trip, the extra money spent on a more durable rack will be well worth it.

It’s important to keep in mind that there’s a plethora of budget bike racks out there for even cheaper, but inexpensive racks very rarely last the distance. The Ibera is the cheapest model we are comfortable recommending.

	Ibera RA5
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Rear Bike Rack Buying Advice

Rack Material

Steel – Most of the racks on this list are made of steel. Steel provides a great nexus between durability, load capacity, and weight – all at a reasonable price point.

Aluminum – This material is a hit-and-miss for racks. The best aluminum racks are very stiff, very durable, and will last a lifetime. However, far too many rack brands use aluminum that is too soft (or they forgo durable surface treatments), resulting in failures and giving the material a bad name. Needless to say, we have picked out durable aluminum models only.

Carbon Fiber or Titanium – If you want a particularly lightweight setup or have an eye on aesthetics, titanium or carbon fiber racks could fit the bill. Even though they are made from lightweight materials, the racks on this list won’t sacrifice durability one bit. That said, you will be paying for this pleasure.

Attachment Style

Threaded Frame Mounts – Threaded frame eyelets are the most common way to fit a rear rack. In the past, these mounts were the only way to attach a rear rack – now, there are many other solutions.

Axle Mounts – Not all bikes have lower frame mounts. Mounting a rack directly to the axle is a great way to maximize the weight capacity of a rear rack as it allows for a very stiff structure. The Tailfin and Old Man Mountain racks are great examples of axle mounts done right, and Tubus racks can be attached via the axle using a special mounting kit.

Seat Post Mounts – Some racks employ special quick-release clamps that will lock on the seat post. This allows for the easy attachment and removal of a rack – the Ortlieb and Tailfin racks are prime examples. It’s worth noting you can also mount most racks to your seat collar – Salsa makes some nice collars with built-in eyelets.

Seat Stay Mounts – These upper mounts connect directly to the seat stays of the frame, and will work on full-suspension bikes.

Weight Capacity

Sticking to the weight limit set by the manufacturer will ensure your rack lasts a lifetime. If you do exceed this limit, it’s much more likely your rack will bend and break, especially on rough roads.

Even if you don’t plan to exceed the manufacturer’s limits, higher-weight capacity racks are significantly stiffer (with less side-to-side sway) and will be more reliable in the long term.

Tire Clearance

You will need to make sure your rack can comfortably fit your tire width. This is especially important if you’re riding off-road, as mud, grit, and rocks can jam in between the rack and tire.

We have listed the maximum tire widths for all racks here to make sure this doesn’t happen.

Rack Height

A shorter rack height helps keep your pannier’s center of gravity low, so your bike is easier to handle over rough and varying surfaces. Some racks like the Tubus Logo feature extra low rails for your panniers, which helps reduce the bag’s center of gravity even further.

Rack Pannier Support Area

The ‘pannier support area’ is the surface that the pannier sits on. With a larger rack surface area for your panniers to rest on, they will be extra supported, twisting less and putting less stress on your pannier hooks.

Please note that the pannier support area can be quite small on some of the more minimal racks (eg. Tumbleweed). It’s best to use smaller panniers on racks with this characteristic.

Upper Rack Mounting Struts

If you use a smaller bike frame, you may need to find longer upper struts for your rack. We have made sure to select racks with extra long struts available.

They’re available in 240mm, and 350mm lengths from Tubus. Surly has aftermarket upper struts that are 300mm in length. Ibera sells 280mm struts, and Tumbleweed includes 300mm upper mounting struts with their racks.

Rack Heel Clearance

If the chain stays on your bike are on the shorter side (440 mm or shorter), or you have particularly large feet, you may need a rack designed for extra heel clearance.

We have many racks listed here that shift your panniers further rearward (eg. Tubus Logo or Tailfin), and we also have a separate article on ten racks that provide additional heel clearance HERE.

Disc Brakes

If your bike uses a rear disc brake on the top of the seat stay, you will need to determine if a rack is capable of clearing the caliper. We’ve tried to pick only disc brake-suitable racks, but sometimes you’ll need to use a foot extension set like this one from Tubus.

It’s worth noting that any of the axle-mounted racks will clear brake calipers just fine.

Full Suspension Bikes

Fitting a rack to a full-suspension bike is tricky because the rack needs to move up and down with the rear wheel.

Tailfin racks have a unique pivot design that allows the rack to move with the suspension but still connect to the main frame via the seat post.

A rack on a full suspension bike can alternatively attach to the seat stays and rear axle. The Old Man Mountain rack is designed to be mounted in this manner, so it won’t interfere with your rear wheel’s movement.

The post The 10 Best Rear Racks for Bicycle Touring and Bikepacking appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

We’ve moved from simple elastomer dampers to very advanced hydraulic cartridge dampers that offer incredible levels of adjustability and performance.

The Cannondale ‘Lefty’ is a standout chassis design and has actually been in production since 1999. This suspension strut (as it’s not technically a fork) has always intrigued me as it actually brings about some significant benefits.

Now, if you’re sitting there thinking the Lefty is weird, consider that the wheels on your car only attach to one side, so perhaps this design is more normal than not!

In this article, we will talk about all things Lefty, and why this chassis might just be the future of suspension design. I also want to take you on a journey of other promising designs to better understand the principles behind progress in this space.

I’ve decided to focus on short-travel products, as there are many misconceptions in this space, and I think the design solutions here are especially fascinating. I’ll cover long-travel Lefty solutions in a separate article because, well, things get weird!

We will be discussing some fascinating data coming out of the CyclingAbout Comfort Lab. Krzysztof has already conducted over 30 vibration tests that you can access via the link.

Why Should Bicycles Use Suspension?

Grip, Stability & Control

On rougher surfaces, be it a gravel road or trail, the front suspension helps the tyre maintain contact with the ground, ensuring better grip and control. This is especially noticeable when cornering and braking.

It also helps to reduce the impact force on your hands. As a result, you do not need to grip the bars as tight, allowing for more effortless steering over bumps.

Higher Comfort & Less Fatigue

Vibrations coming up from the road or trail will dissipate in your body causing fatigue. This manifests as discomfort including muscle soreness and hand numbness.

When we graph bicycle vibration with a rigid gravel fork, it looks something like the graph above. The horizontal axis shows the frequency in Hertz, which is the number of vibration cycles that the fork completes in one second. The vertical axis shows the amplitude, which is more or less the severity of the vibrations.

As you can see from the graph, suspension can very effectively reduce the vibration severity at low frequencies (eg. 20-40Hz), but we see smaller differences as we get into higher frequencies (eg. 40-100Hz).

Faster Speeds & Better Efficiency

A bike with suspension often rolls over an object more easily, therefore maintaining speed. This is because the suspension components (which include your tyres) can absorb more of the bump, meaning your bike and body will lift up and down much less.

This is actually an energy-saving for your legs on flat and uphill gradients.

Fun & Enjoyment

Ultimately, bikes are mostly about fun and enjoyment for most people. Having more grip and control, increasing comfort, and being faster are all ways to unlock extra enjoyment.

Ok, let’s now take a close look at the Lefty design.

Cannondale Lefty

Why is the Lefty design single-legged and upside down?

Weight for weight, Lefty’s are lab-tested to be both stiffer and stronger than typical suspension fork designs. This is in part thanks to the fact they’re upside-down, which positions the thickest and stiffest portion of the Lefty where leverage is greatest – the head tube.

Additionally, the lower assembly, which includes the axle, is forged and machined out of a single chunk of aluminium to further maximise the stiffness-to-weight ratio.

Why does the Lefty use needle bearings?

Leftys can be smoother and more sensitive too, which is especially important on short travel products as they firm up so rapidly.

Regular forks with round tubes often move on four plastic or Teflon-lined metal bushings, which are the main contact points between the upper and lower assemblies. These bushings experience friction that needs to be overcome when the fork moves into its travel, and they even bind a bit as the fork flexes.

In comparison, the Lefty slides up and down on one set of needle bearings and just one bushing. These bearings can still roll and move as the Lefty flexes, allowing the suspension to track better over big and edgy bumps, in particular.

Cannondale says there is around 140% more friction in a typical fork when static, and 75% more when the fork is moving – graph HERE.

Why don’t we use needle bearings on typical suspension forks?

It’s very challenging (or rather cost-prohibitive) to run sets of needle bearings on two keyed stanchions. This is due to the alignment between both legs which needs to be near-perfect in multiple axes, with very tight manufacturing tolerance. If the manufacturer doesn’t get this right, the product can end up with additional friction and potential binding.

Achieving a tight tolerance and mirror finish on two shafts and a few sets of bushings is much easier, and significantly cheaper.

How does the wheel track straight with only one leg?

The secret is found high in the upper assembly where three needle-bearing surfaces create a triangle-in-triangle interface that prevents the shaft from rotating.

Like any air-spring fork, you can easily adjust the spring stiffness with a shock pump, and a hydraulic damper provides precise control over the Lefty’s movement up and down.

Why is the Cannondale Lefty so uncommon?

Ultimately, the price is very high compared to a regular fork due to the intensive manufacturing process and small product volumes. This makes spare parts uncommon, and the maintenance needs to be conducted at Cannondale service centres. Various patents also prevent other brands from manufacturing similar products.

But I must say, having had a few Leftys over the years, I’ve found them all to work exceptionally. I especially enjoyed riding the Oliver gravel fork, which shocked me with how just 30mm travel could add so much grip and control when things got rough.

Unlike most suspension systems, the Oliver isn’t designed to sag into its travel, so it feels firmer off the top than most forks. This is to ensure the suspension doesn’t bob on smoother surfaces.

However, the downside to this firm tune is that the suspension does a poor job of absorbing high-frequency vibration, which we verified in a Comfort Lab test. Krzysztof actually found virtually zero difference between the Lefty being locked and unlocked at 35kph on a fast gravel road.

Let’s now put Cannondale’s Lefty to the side and discuss an all-new carbon fibre ‘lefty’ that can handle high-frequently vibration.

Motion La City

In terms of feel, the Motion La City is almost the opposite of the Lefty Oliver.

This comfort-oriented product is easily the most sensitive suspension system I’ve ever tested, in fact, there is so little friction that I was constantly checking my front tyre hadn’t gone flat.

The secret to its sensitivity is that there are no seals, air springs, dampers, or bushings to create friction. Instead, a small carbon leaf spring and linkage do all the work.

Interestingly, the carbon spring is pulled rather than compressed, which allows the suspension to be ultra-soft off the top before firming right up. As a result, your bike glides over small bumps. There’s also an anti-dive link that helps to isolate any braking forces, preventing the suspension from bogging down under hard braking.

The La City is incredibly light. When built into a carbon single strut chassis, this 50mm travel fork is just 1kg/2.2lb. But the spring and link can be built into a fork with a second hollow leg that suits regular front wheels too.

The beauty of a simple and elegant design like this is not its weight, but the fact it requires virtually zero maintenance. This is perfect for hardworking commuting, bikepacking, and fleet bikes.

Ok, the La City sounds pretty amazing, so what are the downsides?

There is no adjustability and no lock-out switch either, so the suspension will bob while you pedal. There is also no damper element, which would normally prevent a fork from bouncing uncontrollably.

This might sound like a recipe for extreme bounciness, however, I never found the La City to feel overwhelmed within its intended use (urban). You can just sit down, pedal along and enjoy its comfort.

There is another interesting leaf spring carbon fork design that I’d now like to show you.

Lauf Grit SL

The Lauf Grit SL employs 12 glass fibre springs to provide 30mm of maintenance-free travel, all in an impressively light 850-gram package (1.9lb).

Like the La City, there is no lockout switch, no adjustability, and no damper, so after a few intense impacts, you might have to deal with some excess energy built up in the springs. The Grit SL is, therefore, best for gravel roads, rather than rough trails.

Like the Cannondale Lefty, this fork doesn’t seem to attenuate vibration better than a rigid carbon fork on fast gravel roads. In fact, according to our data, the best rigid fork might actually provide a marginally smoother ride at 35km/h on a gravel road.

To understand how a rigid fork can possibly provide a more comfortable ride than a suspension fork, we now need to understand what happens when your front wheel encounters bumps.

Upon impact, your fork – be it rigid or suspended – compresses backwards and rebounds forwards. This fore-aft movement is sometimes referred to as ‘splay’, and a high degree of it can be quite effective at damping vibrations.

According to data from Specialized, splay can make you faster up to a certain surface roughness, where suspension forks become more effective. This data is backed up by a Bicycle Quarterly test that found a fork with lots of splay can be as fast as a suspension fork on a rumble strip test.

But it’s important to note that the Grit SL still offers great comfort on fast gravel roads, and you get the advantage of extra grip, control, and comfort on rougher surfaces.

Ok, so what if we wanted the high splay of a carbon rigid fork, the sensitivity of a Motion leaf spring, and the damping system, needle bearings, and lockout of a Lefty?

HiRide Sterra

We would end up with the HiRide Sterra. You might have seen this suspension fork featured on the BMC URS LT gravel bike, but it’s also available as a separate product.

The Sterra has the aesthetic of a carbon fork, and that’s because the lower legs are indeed made from carbon fibre. But it’s inside the steerer is where the real magic happens.

The fork steerer is home to a coil spring, as well as a hydraulic cartridge damper that controls the speed of the spring up and down. This unit offers just 20mm travel, which suits the surface roughness of gravel roads, but it can be surprisingly effective at isolating you from larger impacts too.

However, it’s on fast gravel roads (with high-frequency vibration) where this fork shines.

Most short-travel suspension products employ air springs, which are easy to adjust to your body weight and riding style. However, the many seals of an air spring add to the overall friction, so HiRide designed the Sterra with a coil spring and smooth needle bearings to keep friction to a minimum.

In the CyclingAbout Comfort Lab tests, coil spring products are consistently the most effective at damping vibration. Notable products include the Redshift seatpost, Kinekt stem, and Specialized FutureShock.

While the Sterra is not as sensitive as the Motion fork, it is designed to run with sag, so it will not require the same big impact to get moving as the Lefty. And when you don’t need the suspension travel, you can transform this fork into a rigid one with the simple twist of the lockout dial.

Interestingly, the fork blades offer a similar amount of splay to the most comfortable fork in our comfort lab tests (OPEN U-Turn). According to Tour Magazin data, the Open U-Turn is nearly identical in a fore-aft deflection test (65N/mm vs 68N/mm), adding comfort (and likely speed) outside of the suspension system on fast gravel roads.

The carbon fork blades are also much more aerodynamic than a fork with round tubes, and offer an aesthetic that better matches a gravel bike.

As the moving components of the Sterra are all sealed away and hidden from the elements, service intervals are 3-5x longer than most suspension forks too.

You can optimise this fork for your body weight and riding style with multiple spring rates and preload spacers. In terms of weight, it’s about 800 grams heavier than a rigid fork, which puts it in the ballpark of the Lefty Oliver.

Summary

So, are Lefty’s the future of suspension tech?

I suspect we’ll see more single-strut products in the future. While the weird looks might put off some, the chassis is undoubtedly stiff, light, high-performing and well-proven too. And the reduction in static and moving friction is a big benefit for a short travel application as they stiffen up so rapidly.

Watch out for leftys with increased sensitivity to high-speed vibration, as manufacturers further optimise their products around gravel and road use.

Leaf-spring designs (like the Motion La City) actually suit a lefty chassis perfectly, as the linkage occupies so little space. It’s cool that the leaf spring designs don’t require any maintenance either.

The post 4 Incredible New Gravel Suspension Forks That Outperform The Rest appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

In this resource, I’ll be teaching you everything about flat pedal shape, size, pins, bearings, and much more.

You will be able to apply my recommendations for on-road cycling where extreme grip is not as important as comfort and user-friendliness. There will be ample information about pedals for off-road use too.

I’ve also included some notes about flat pedal shoes, as the right type of sole makes a big difference in both the comfort and foot support you will experience.

Let’s get into it!

Flat Pedal Thicknesses

Thinner flat pedals are often preferred because they offer a lower stack height. This not only significantly reduces the frequency of pedal strikes with the ground, but it makes you feel a bit more connected to your bike. The Crank Brothers pedals shown above have one of the lowest stack heights available (11mm).

However, the downside to thin flat pedals is that they often use smaller bearings that reduce the overall durability.

Crank Brother Stamp 7
Thin body pedals that run on bushings.
SM: 100mm x 100mm x 11 mm, 345g / 12.2oz
LG: 114mm x 111mm x 11 mm, 375g / 13.2oz

Flat Pedal Shapes

When you look at flat pedals from the side you’ll notice a cool feature – most have offset platforms. This offset creates a slope on the front face that brushes over obstacles (like rocks and curbs) rather than hitting them squarely and incidentally throwing you over the bars.

A key thing to look out for in a pedal design is the concavity of the platform (it can also be a large-stepped surface). A concave-shaped pedal can boast comfort and grip in equal measure, and you will not need to rely on tall pins to generate all of your grip. Look out for pedals with 2mm or more concavity.

And lastly, avoid pedals with thick axle bumps as they can be significantly less grippy and very uncomfortable.

Raceface Atlas
Thin concave body pedals with large inboard bearings.
110 x 108 x 12 mm
386g / 13.6oz

MKS Allways
Thicker concave body pedals with sealed bearings and stubby pins.
110mm x 84mm x 18 mm
381g / 13.4oz

Flat Pedal Platform Sizes

A wider platform than the width of your shoe and the pins won’t end up in the right place. A platform smaller than your shoes and you won’t have the optimal grip.

The general consensus is that platform dimensions less than 100 x 100mm are considered small, and greater than 110 x 100mm are considered large. If your foot is a Men’s US 8 (EU40) shoe size or smaller, pedals labeled as small may be all you need.

I recommend trying some of the longer pedals rather than the shorter ones to give your foot a little bit more space to maneuver.

A particularly long pedal that’s used by many who claim less foot fatigue and increased bike control is the Pedaling Innovations Catalyst.

Pedaling Innovations Catalyst Evo
Biggest platform pedal available.
143mm x 95mm x 16 mm
510g / 18oz

Flat Pedals With Pins

A good set of pins makes for a secure connection that will rival a good clip-in pedal.

One of the best pin designs I’ve seen is on the Hope F22 pedals. They feature adjustable bottom-loading pins, with taller hex-shaped pins on the edges, and shorter stubbier pins on the sides. Together with the 1.5mm concave depression in the center of the pedal, they offer a grippy, yet comfortable place for your foot.

Bottom-loading pins are usually the easiest to remove since the tool head of the pin is not exposed to the elements. Bottom-loading varieties sometimes even come with washers to tailor the pin height to your personal preference.

Some pedals come with low-profile pins from the factory, which may be sufficient on more mellow trails.

Hope F22
Varying size pins and washers.
106 mm x 103 mm x 14mm
360g / 12.7oz

Shimano XT 8140
Available with low-profile pins.
SM: 100 mm x 105 mm x 17 mm, 460g / 16.2oz
LG: 110 mm x 115 mm x 17 mm, 505g / 17.8oz

Flat Pedals Without Pins

If you’re scared of pins puncturing your shins, there are plenty of options catered to casual or touring cyclists. The Shimano EF-202 is my favourite. I’ve put a lot of people on these pedals and they are all very happy.

The Look Geo Trekking, with its many versions, is another interesting option. It uses an injection-molded body with a concave surface and no pins whatsoever. If you like wearing flip-flops (or even barefoot), these may be the ticket.

Shimano PD-EF-202
My favourite pinless pedals (alloy) with lightly serrated ridges.
101 x 101 x 18 mm
512g / 18.1oz

Look Geo City
Large pinless nylon pedals primarily for urban use.
110 x 107 x 16 mm
330g / 11.6oz

Flat Pedal Bearing and Seals

Thicker pedals generally house the largest and most durable bearings. However, some thinner pedals, like the Raceface Atlas, use an alternative design with a larger bearing close to the crankset. This design allows the pedal body to be very slim, while still affording good bearing durability.

The downside may be that this raised section of the pedal might force your foot outboard, increasing your Q-factor (the distance between pedal platforms on either side of the crankset).

High-quality pedals often include a type of glide bushing. These bearings can be very effective in offsetting the side loads that often result in premature wear on regular cartridge bearings.

Most pedals use a wiper or labyrinth seal to keep dust and water out, however, I’ve found that’s with varying levels of success. Not many of the pedals I’ve used escaped periodic maintenance (yearly) and some affordable pedals (<$50 pedals) even needed to be fully replaced after that time.

Some pedals use cup and cone bearings (Shimano) that can be overhauled periodically to prolong their lifespan. In comparison, the tiny sealed cartridge bearings found on many pedals usually need to be replaced more often.

Flat Pedal Construction Materials

You can choose between affordable nylon pedals (they’re actually very pleasant to use) and slightly more durable alloy pedals. Both are often available in a range of dyed or anodized colors.

While I personally prefer the look and feel of aluminum body pedals, there are lots of injection-molded pedals that are well worth considering. They’re almost always lighter and quite a bit cheaper than the CNC-machined alloy ones. And in use, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference.

Raceface Chester
Tried and tested nylon pedal, also available in alloy.
110mm x 101mm x 18.4 mm
360g / 12.7oz

Shimano GR-400
An excellent nylon pedal from Shimano.
101mm x 96mm x 16 mm
394g / 13.9oz

Flat Pedal Axle Materials

High-quality axle materials increase durability too, as they are less likely to corrode and are machined to closer tolerances. Look out for axles in chromoly, stainless steel, or even titanium. Although, please note that titanium axles sometimes come with a weight restriction.

How To Choose Your Flat Pedal Shoes

Here’s the best thing – you can use any footwear you like! Well, as long as it has an entirely flat sole.

Most cycling-specific MTB shoes use a combination of soft durometer rubber (around 50c) and a grid of shallow lugs to allow the pins to maximize traction. Some shoes have a slightly stiffer midsole, increasing efficiency and providing a bit more support.

The front of a flat pedal shoe is usually more flexible than a clip-in shoe, which makes them more comfortable to walk in, especially uphill during inadvertent hike-a-bike moments.

Russ from Path Less Pedaled has good videos on alternative cycling shoes. His suggestions range from trail running shoes to casual shoes from Giro and Pearl Izumi. I like Russ’s YouTube channel as he recommends people take on a casual style of riding that prioritizes comfort and enjoyment rather than gains and efficiency.

My Shoes of Choice

The flat pedal shoes I’ve landed on are the Five Ten Trailcross LT. I’ve now had three pairs. I find them so comfortable to walk in that they are my everyday shoes.

The great thing about the Trailcross LTs is that the upper is largely constructed out of mesh material, which ventilates exceptionally. And the gel pads around the ankle make for a comfortable and secure fit while giving a very unrestricted feel.

When I’ve used these shoes in the pouring rain, they’ve always dried quickly. I find the combination of breathable shoes + waterproof socks (Sealskins) to be better than dedicated waterproof shoes, as they work out to be lighter, better ventilated, and more versatile.

You can find the Five Ten Trailcross LT shoes on Amazon HERE.

The Best Flat Pedals Overall

It’s hard to narrow it down to so few but the Hope F22 pedals tick so many boxes for off-road use.

The quality of manufacturing, excellent body shape, triple cartridge bearings, and seal arrangement are real standouts. The bottom-loading pins are easy to replace, and the pin length is adjustable with washers. The Hope F22 pedal is fully serviceable and rebuildable, and lightweight to boot (360g / 12.7oz)

Yes, these pedals are very expensive (US $183/£145/€180), especially compared to composite alternatives. They also don’t have the biggest pedal platform available (106 mm x 103 mm) or the most concave shape.

But their all-round quality is nothing short of amazing – expect them to last longer than everything else.

If you are on a budget, the Raceface Chester pedals are available for under US $50.

These large nylon pedals (110mm x 101mm) feature well-sealed cartridge bearings, bottom-loading hex pins, and a nice concave design. The bearing and bushing system is 100% serviceable too.

They are backed up with a two-year manufacturer warranty and are available in nine colours, including hot pink!

You can find the Raceface Chester pedals on Amazon HERE.

The MKS Allways is a particularly nice pedal for moderately rough terrain (think gravel up to 4×4 tracks).

They feature smooth cartridge bearings, nicely finished bodies, and a unique and elegant design. The platform is slightly concave to prevent your feet from slipping, and the stubbier removable pins are significantly less aggressive than what you’ll find on a ‘proper’ off-road pedal.

The Allways are a bit chunky (18mm thick) but they are long enough (110mm) to move your feet around. At US $75 they are reasonably priced for an alloy pedal.

And lastly, if you’re riding on smoother terrain, the Shimano EF-202 pedals are undoubtedly the best pinless design available. They feature a notably large platform (101 x 101 x 18 mm) and lightly serrated edges to cup your feet nicely.

You can expect no punctured shins or calves with these pedals, and at US $40 they are a relative bargain.

You can find the Shimano EF-202 pedals on Amazon HERE.

Summary

In a nutshell:
– Look out for pedals with some concavity.
– Determine whether a thin pedal is necessary on your bike.
– Pick a platform size that best suits your shoe size.
– Look to thicker pedals for the largest and most durable bearings.
– Find a pin design that allows for height adjustment and replacement (they will eventually get damaged).
– Avoid pedals with thick axle bumps.

Providing these factors are in place, it’s pretty much up to you if you want to spend more money on fancy materials which may improve their lifespan.

Remember that pinless flat pedals may not provide heaps of grip, but can still be very adequate and comfortable options that may ease you into this style of riding.

And finally, a dedicated flat pedal shoe with a sturdy, grippy sole will provide the best possible pedal traction.

Find out why flat pedals are better than clip-in pedals for most people in my resource HERE.

The post The Best Flat Pedals For Bikepacking, Touring and Commuting appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

For most of my career as a bike shop employee, I was certain that any serious cyclist should benefit from the foot retention and efficiency gains of clip-in pedals.

However, after examining research papers on pedalling dynamics, after testing grippy flat pedals myself, and after learning the nuances of how people interact with their bikes as a professional bike fitter – I found there are significant advantages to flat pedals.

Let me run you through the advantages, and after you’ve finished, make sure to read my resource on how to select the best flat pedals for your needs.

Why Flat Pedals Are Better Than Clip-In Pedals

You Can Move Your Feet Around The Pedals

On longer rides, you can move your feet around on the pedal platforms to alleviate pressure points, recruit different muscles and reduce fatigue. This was not a benefit I was aware of until I fitted large platform pedals on my bike.

You Can Dab

With flat pedals, you can make a small mistake, lose your balance, and quickly dab your foot on the ground to remain upright. This is especially beneficial when cycling at low speeds with as you can be stopped rather abruptly by obstacles and sand.

This has undoubtedly saved me from getting hurt many times, and likely saved me from embarrassment at the traffic lights too (due to forgetting to unclip!).

You Might Achieve An Extra Comfortable Bike Fit

You might achieve an extra comfortable bike fit if your circumstances allow.

People with larger feet and a wider overall ‘stance’ will usually achieve a better alignment of their hips, knees, and feet on flat pedals. Heavier riders often find large platforms to help with distributing the load.

And if you have really wide feet (or bunions) you no longer have to compromise with narrow cycling shoes.

You Are Better Equipped For Sightseeing & Hike-A-Bike

You’ll be much more inclined to spend time sightseeing on a bike trip if you are wearing comfortable walking shoes.

You will also benefit from a better gait, toe flex, and grip. This will be especially noticeable when pushing your bike due to the road being too steep, too muddy, or too dangerous to ride.

You Only Need One Pair of Shoes

When you travel with flat pedals, you can easily ride, hike and dine in the same pair of shoes, saving precious cargo space. After all, the volume of a second pair of shoes (or even flip-flops) is considerable.

My favourite shoes to use are the Five Ten Trailcross LT.

Your Riding Technique Might Improve

Flat pedals encourage you to ride more ‘loose’ on the bike. You might even find yourself moving your feet around on the pedals to gain additional bike control on rough trails.

You can even roll your feet on the pedals to engage your hips and tip your bike into corners. And sinking your heels into the pedals while descending can bring extra control on rougher terrain.

Your Flat Pedals Will Still Be Very Efficient

Most data suggests that at a constant power rate on a constant road gradient, there is no discernable difference in efficiency between flat and clip-in pedals (study 1, study 2).

GCN recently tested the efficiency of quality flat pedal shoes vs clip-ins – watch this video to get the full scope.

The results were really close, especially given the test subject wasn’t accustomed to riding with flat pedals. The biggest difference in power loss/gains between the two different setups is when sprinting out of the saddle.

I suspect the results may have been even closer if he dialled in his flat pedal technique.

Why Flat Pedals Work So Well

The Stiffness Comes From The Pedal Platform

The stiffness in a clip-in pedal system is primarily from your shoe. This is why stiff carbon blades are often inserted into the soles of clip-in shoes.

It’s the opposite when you use flat pedals. The large platform provides most of the stiffness, which means you don’t need to use the stiffest shoes, although they can help.

The Pins Retain Your Feet On Rough Surfaces

Flat pedal pins do a great job of preventing your feet from sliding on the pedals while you carry the forward momentum of your crank rotation.

Studies on pedaling dynamics show that ‘pulling up’ on the pedals contributes very little to your overall efficiency over longer ride durations. Efficiency gains are usually only found under rapid acceleration.

Now, I know that people are often thrown off by flat pedals due to the potential of these sharp pins bruising, or even bleeding their shins. But bear with me, there’s hope for you too…

The Pedal Shape Retains Your Feet On Smooth Surfaces

Pedals without pins can still be effective when they employ a large concave surface. This allows your foot to be ‘cupped’ by the pedal, creating a stable and secure platform on smooth surfaces. It’s also possible to install smaller pins or even remove them entirely from the centre of your pedal.

If the riding surface is not bumpy, a serrated lip on either pedal edge will keep your foot secure enough. You can see this feature on the excellent and affordable Shimano EF-202 pedals (pictured above).

The Flat Pedal Platforms Come In Many Sizes

Flat pedal platforms come in many sizes and are ideally sized in proportion to your feet. The larger the feet, the bigger the pedal platform should be.

An advantage to an adequately large pedal platform is that you can naturally find your optimal foot placement.

Platform dimensions less than 100 x 100 mm are considered small, and greater than 110 x 100 mm are considered large. If your foot is US Men’s 8 (EU40) or smaller, then size small pedals may be all you need.

The company Pedaling Innovations takes platform size to the extreme by providing support to your entire foot arch. They measure out at a monstrous 143 x 95 mm!

The idea is that the big platform helps to avoid hot spots or tired feet since a larger proportion of your foot can be supported. With such big pedals, you can wear even softer-soled shoes too, while achieving a stiff and grippy shoe interface.

Summary

In my years of bike fitting, I’ve seen a lot of riders make the transition from clip-in pedals to flat pedals. Many quickly benefited from the ease of entry and unhindered riding experience of flat pedals, allowing them to cycle in their favorite walking shoes.

In some cases, the change from clip-in to flat pedals actually made an appreciable difference in my customer’s riding comfort, efficiency, and control of their bikes. It’s hard to tell if this is a result of the additional riding confidence, or simply because their bodies are better suited to flat pedals.

The only time my customers were angry with me was after they accidentally hit their shins. In this case, we usually agreed to fit much shorter pins to their pedals.

The transition from clip-in pedals to flat pedals is an easy adjustment to make, and it’s easy to try out too. I suspect you might already have suitably comfortable shoes that are ready to use.

Next, make sure to read my resource about how to select the best flat pedals for your needs.

The post Why Flat Pedals Are Better Than Clip-In Pedals (For Most People) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

I walked past every single stand so that you can see the latest products in the touring and bikepacking space! My iPhone says I did 15,000 steps per day (for five days) between the different halls. That’s a lot of walking… and a lot of talking too.

I got the opportunity to talk to the engineers and product managers behind the brands and got test-ride more than 30 unique bikes too. This information will all drip out over the next year or so.

Remember that you can always support my unique content by becoming a site supporter, making a Paypal or credit card donation, buying a copy of my books, or joining my Patreon. This direct support is the best way to keep my content coming!

My touring/bikepacking tech galleries from Eurobike 2023:

• 11 Quirky But Functional Bikepacking Products (Part One)
• 11 Exciting New Bikepacking and Touring Products (Part Two)
• The Most Interesting Bikepacking Tech (Part Three)
• The Best Touring and Bikepacking Bikes (Part Four)
• 11 Notable Bikepacking Bag Finds (Part Five)

In-Depth Reporting From Eurobike 2023

• 3 Promising New Bicycle Belt Drivetrains
• Why the New Pinion Smart Shift Gearbox is a Big Deal

Acepac

Acepac had their usual big lineup at Eurobike as well as a tent on display.

Nothing stood out in particular, but the construction and materials looked great on all of the bags.

Some of the Acepac bags were set up on a bike with the Redshift Kitchen Sink handlebar. This handlebar has many handholds with many that offer large ergonomic platforms to distribute the load across your palms. The setup looks super comfy.

Aeroe

With its unique seat stay mount, the Spider rack will fit onto any frame. This rack was previously designed with a cradle to house a dry bag, now there is a new model that fits panniers.

It’s not ideal to fit heavy bags on the rear triangle of a full suspension bike, as it affects the suspension performance. But panniers are convenient, and the best bike is the one you have right now.

Brooks

The Brooks Scape waterproof bikepacking bags were released recently, and look very smart (I expected nothing less from Brooks). In the range are a handlebar pack, along with seat, frame, stem, and top tube packs. There are also small panniers and a few handlebar bag designs.

The bikepacking handlebar pack uses a harness design while the rear seat pack is a holster – both with separate dry bags.

Camelback

Camelbak just entered the bikepacking space with a complete lineup of bags. They’re all waterproof and there’s even a framepack-specific two-litre water bladder designed to neatly nest inside. The framepack actually won an award at Eurobike too!

Cyclite

Cyclite is making a name for itself by making very sharp-looking, ultralight bikepacking bags that are also aerodynamic. Check out the size of that top tube pack – it’s 2.2 litres!

I particularly liked the 5-litre Handlebar Aero Bag as it can connect directly to aero bars, handlebars (as shown below), or the front of the handlebar pack (as shown above). There is an additional Aero Mount available that will fit a front dynamo light or any other accessory (this frees up some space).

The bags are these days available in black too, which is probably a smart choice if you’re expecting any rain or mud.

EVOC

A year ago, EVOC revamped its BOA-dial bikepacking lineup to offer more variety and bag volume. The bags look to use nice abrasion-resistant materials and very solid attachment points.

The front bag is still rather small at 5 litres in its biggest size, but the rear bag is available for up to 16 litres – similar to other seatpacks on the market.

Jack Wolfskin

German outdoor company Jack Wolfskin is now in the pannier and bikepacking space. These guys are known for producing decent outdoor clothing, so perhaps it’ll appeal to existing customers.

The Morobbia bags have Fidlock magnetic fasteners to cinch them down (see picture above). They’re are all waterproof, bluesign certified, PFC-free, and are made almost entirely from recycled materials. The bag volumes are completely reasonable too (eg. the handlebar pack is 15-litres, and the fork packs are 7-litres each).

The new panniers don’t look half bad either…

Ortlieb

Ortlieb had some new bikepacking bag colours available. The dark sand colour looked really nice, as it’s rather subtle.

There is a limited edition mustard colour for the bikepacking range too.

Ortlieb is doing some pretty nifty custom designs these days. A departure from the primary bag colours of the past…

They also have a new-ish rear rack (Quick Rack) that is removable from the bike in seconds. This will be handy for those who only need a rack when going on bike trips – for all other rides, you can leave the rack at home.

It attaches to small nodes at the dropouts. These can attach to mounts on your frame, or in the absence of dedicated rack mounts (on many carbon frames, for example), Ortlieb supplies seat stay mounts that provide the nodes.

The upper mount then attaches to your seat tube or seat post. It’s a rather neat system.

OSTRICH

OSTRICH was established in 1968 and makes its whole range of bicycle bags in Tokyo (Japan).

I was impressed with the Front Bag Support Carrier that makes taking the 12.5-litre randonneur bag off a breeze. It also helps to keep the bag stable while you ride.

Vaude

The latest Vaude colours are looking very sharp this year. Unfortunately, recent reviews on the Vaude touring products are showing bag separation where they are glued together. Hopefully, Vaude gets on top of this soon (if they haven’t already).

Zefal

Zefal had their bags set up on a bike as well as mounted on a wall. There is nothing particularly special to note about these bags, but Zefal is distributed across a very large dealer network, which means that these bikepacking bags are highly accessible to consumers. The price is affordable too.

My touring/bikepacking tech galleries from Eurobike 2023:

• 11 Quirky But Functional Bikepacking Products (Part One)
• 11 Exciting New Bikepacking and Touring Products (Part Two)
• The Most Interesting Bikepacking Tech (Part Three)
• The Best Touring and Bikepacking Bikes (Part Four)
• 11 Notable Bikepacking Bag Finds (Part Five)

The post 11 Notable Bikepacking Bag Finds From Eurobike 2023 appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

I walked past every single stand so that you can see the latest products in the touring and bikepacking space! My iPhone says I did 15,000 steps per day (for five days) between the different halls. That’s a lot of walking… and a lot of talking too.

I got the opportunity to talk to the engineers and product managers behind the brands and got test-ride more than 30 unique bikes too. This information will all drip out over the next year or so.

Remember that you can always support my unique content by becoming a site supporter, making a Paypal or credit card donation, buying a copy of my books, or joining my Patreon. This direct support is the best way to keep my content coming!

My touring/bikepacking tech galleries from Eurobike 2023:

• 11 Quirky But Functional Bikepacking Products (Part One)
• 11 Exciting New Bikepacking and Touring Products (Part Two)
• The Most Interesting Bikepacking Tech (Part Three)
• The Best Touring and Bikepacking Bikes (Part Four)
• 11 Notable Bikepacking Bag Finds (Part Five)

In-Depth Reporting From Eurobike 2023

• 3 Promising New Bicycle Belt Drivetrains
• Why the New Pinion Smart Shift Gearbox is a Big Deal

Advanced Belt Drive

Advanced claims that their belts will last as long as Gates, are suited to all weather conditions, can be used on e-Bikes, and will run just as quietly and efficiently.

According to Advanced, the biggest advantage is that you can run their belts at a lower tension than Gates, as the drivetrain will tolerate more side-to-side frame flex while cycling. This means rear frame triangles don’t have to be engineered to be super stiff, which will allow the belt drivetrain to suit a broader variety of bike frames.

You can read about my experience with Advanced belt drive HERE.

Busch & Muller

B&M was showing a new front dynamo light called the Busch & Muller IQ-XL E dynamo. It has a handlebar switch that allows you to change the beam pattern between a low beam and a high beam.

Despite dynamo hubs providing only a modest amount of power, this light can run a high beam because it has a very large internal capacitor feeding the LEDs.

This light is said to produce a monstrous 300-lux using a StVZO-compliant beam (ie. it won’t dazzle oncoming riders) and 250-lux when in the high beam mode, which can be accessed from 12kph/7mph.

You might think the high beam should have a higher lux (brightness) measurement. But the difference in lux can be attributed to the light being distributed over a larger surface area with the high beam, resulting in less light brightness per unit area.

The IQ-XL is said to hit 150-lux by 15kph/9mph, which is mighty impressive.

A new dynamo hub USB charger called the K-Werk was announced too. It has a built-in 5000mAh buffer battery, which will step in when you stop riding, or are riding too slowly up a hill. Once your plugged-in device is full, all charging power will be diverted to the battery again.

The maximum output is 9.5 watts (5V at 1.9A) at the USB plug. However, based on previous B&M charging products, I suspect that’s at speeds beyond 50kph/31mph.

The most important USB output numbers are found at average touring speeds anyway (ie. 12-25kph), so we’ll have to wait for the independent test results to find out whether it’s a good charging product.

The Busch & Muller K-Werk will be available at the end of 2023 for €179.

Effigear

This beautiful Wheel Dan gravel bike is built around the Effigear Mimic gearbox. These 9-speed gearboxes can pair nicely with both SRAM road shifters (shown above) and Campagnolo road shifters (shown below). They’re also compatible with SRAM trigger shifters.

Unlike most other gearboxes and internal gear hubs, the Effigear Mimic has variable gear steps. Essentially, the step between each gear starts big on the Mimic, but as you get to higher speeds, the steps are smaller, which better allows you to find the right gear.

Another advantage of the Effigear Mimic is that there are more engagement points inside the gearbox. While Pinion gearboxes offer between 14 and 22 engagement points depending on the gear selected, the Mimic has 48 engagement points in every gear. This means the drivetrain will engage quicker when you start pedalling.

You can read more about the Effigear Mimic in my resource HERE.

Enduo

The Enduo drivetrain was initially developed as a way of reducing chain friction. But these days, it’s very much pitched towards cargo, commuter, touring bikes, as well as bike fleets.

Rather impressively, the manufacturer claims 3.5X longer wear life than a regular chain (ie. 20,000km/12,000mi).

The secret to its longevity is that the chain links ‘lock’ in place when they engage with the sprockets. There is simply less wear because the chain links rub and grind on the sprockets much less than a regular chain. You can actually feel how little movement there is when you lay the chains on the sprockets.

The extra thick sprocket teeth and wide chain width must play a role too.

MyBoo

Bamboo gravel bikes are a pretty niche field. But at Eurobike, you will find them!

This one looked pretty decked out with fenders, dynamo lights, and a rear rack.

Optibelt

Optibelt Twin Track is a new belt drive system ready to compete with Gates.

This German company similarly uses eight carbon fibre tensile cords for strength, along with a centre track to keep the belt on. With this design, the sprocket teeth actually penetrate right into the belt, and they’re a bit deeper than Gates as well.

You can read more about Optibelt Twin Track in a separate article HERE.

Pinion

Pinion was showing their new Smart Shift system. It’s essentially a shifter wired up to a battery and a motor unit at the gearbox (just for the shifting).

Shifting takes just 0.2 seconds at the push of a button, and the system will change gears while pedalling, when stationary, and under load.

On a full battery charge, the shifter will make approximately 10,000 shifts, which according to Pinion, will last over 100 hours of riding. The battery is waterproof to IPX7 and can be mounted either inside the frame or outside. The battery is fully charged in under 3 hours.

There’s also a new electronic drop bar shifter set from TRP. This has got to be the best way to pair a gearbox and belt drivetrain with a gravel bike – the TRP HYWIRE electronic shifters have an excellent shape and feel.

You can read more about Pinion Smart Shift and why I think it’s a big deal HERE.

And there was this crazy Pinion gearbox touring bike with stuff (junk?) hanging off in all directions. I’m really glad my bike doesn’t look this messy, it’d stress me out…

Racktime

Racktime was showing a new mini rack called the ViewIt. It mounts onto the steerer tube via two small bolts.

This mini rack is not intended to carry a heavy load. Instead, it’s designed to keep your handlebar pack from wobbling about, touching your front wheel, crushing your cables, or scratching your paint. You can obviously put a light load on it too, just don’t go too crazy.

Schwalbe

The biggest news is the Schwalbe Green Marathon touring tyre is using 70% recycled or renewable materials!

This is possible thanks to Schwalbe’s massive tyre recycling program – Schwalbe says 400,000 tyres had already been recycled through their dealer network in Germany as of December 2022. The Green Marathon is also produced entirely from Fair Rubber.

You might think that this would have an impact on performance and durability, but Schwalbe told me that this version is at least as good as the regular Marathon, if not better.

Supernova Lights

The Supernova M99 DY Pro is a new-ish light from this South German light manufacturer. It is their brightest dynamo light ever, offering 200 lux in both high-beam and low-beam modes, although that’s at quite high speeds – think 60kph/40mph.

High-beam is particularly important when cornering, as it helps you to see through the corner rather than just the patch in front of your wheel. It also better accounts for suspension fork movement, and allows you to see hanging branches and upcoming signs.

Unlike the Busch and Muller light, you will need to hit 20kph/12mph in order to unlock the high-beam mode. You can access this mode when it’s signalled by the indicator LED on the high beam button.

Veer Belt Drive

Veer is best known for their split belt design, which allows you to break their belts in half and retrofit them to any bike. But with so many bicycles now being designed to fit one-piece belts, Veer has seen an opportunity to release some non-splittable drivetrains.

There is the Super Belt Pro for high-power electric motors and off-road mountain bike use. Veer claims this is the most durable belt on the market, especially for high-power motors. Then there is the Xpert Drive, which balances performance and value and is approved for low-power e-Bikes and urban use.

You can read more about the new Veer drivetrains in a separate article HERE.

Veer was also showing a small belt tensioner and a super crazy two-speed sprocket concept (see it on my Instagram).

My touring/bikepacking tech galleries from Eurobike 2023:

• 11 Quirky But Functional Bikepacking Products (Part One)
• 11 Exciting New Bikepacking and Touring Products (Part Two)
• The Most Interesting Bikepacking Tech (Part Three)
• The Best Touring and Bikepacking Bikes (Part Four)
• 11 Notable Bikepacking Bag Finds (Part Five)

The post The Most Interesting Bikepacking Tech From Eurobike 2023 appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

I walked past every single stand so that you can see the latest products in the touring and bikepacking space! My iPhone says I did 15,000 steps per day (for five days) between the different halls. That’s a lot of walking… and a lot of talking too.

I got the opportunity to talk to the engineers and product managers behind the brands and got test-ride more than 30 unique bikes too. This information will all drip out over the next year or so.

Remember that you can always support my unique content by becoming a site supporter, making a Paypal or credit card donation, buying a copy of my books, or joining my Patreon. This direct support is the best way to keep my content coming!

My touring/bikepacking tech galleries from Eurobike 2023:

• 11 Quirky But Functional Bikepacking Products (Part One)
• 11 Exciting New Bikepacking and Touring Products (Part Two)
• The Most Interesting Bikepacking Tech (Part Three)
• The Best Touring and Bikepacking Bikes (Part Four)
• 11 Notable Bikepacking Bag Finds (Part Five)

In-Depth Reporting From Eurobike 2023

• 3 Promising New Bicycle Belt Drivetrains
• Why the New Pinion Smart Shift Gearbox is a Big Deal

Kinekt

If you’re after some front suspension comfort as well as extra bar rise, check out the new Kinekt 50 Degree Comfort+ stem. It offers a bunch of rise (25mm/1″) before you even get to the suspension mechanism.

There is also a 30 Degree version (in the background) as well as a 7 Degree model.

Klickfix

At the Klickfix / Rixen & Kaul stand was a bike setup with bikepacking bags. All of these bags are fully waterproof and have small mounts to keep the bags stable while you ride.

The handlebar rack with a cinched dry bag is removed from the bike with the touch of a button.

And the cargo cage bags will slot on and off with ease too.

Miss Grape

At the 3T stand was a gravel bike setup with Miss Grape bikepacking bags. The bags all looked really smart, but it was the new Miss Grape Ilcoso handlebar cradle that was of the most interest to me.

This minimal mount stabilises your front luggage so that it will not wobble about. It also prevents your cables from getting crushed, stops bag-to-frame paint rub, and it offers additional space for accessories such as GPS devices and lights.

The mount weighs just 320 grams, and once you’ve got the accessory bar to a place you like, the cradle can be tilted at four different angles.

Additionally, there is an 8 or 16-litre dry bag available, depending on whether you use flat bars or drop bars (less space for a dry bag).

Old Man Mountain

Old Man Mountain was showing not only their usual racks… but four all-new products.

The minimalist Old Man Mountain Ponderosa panniers are 13 litres each, fully waterproof, and use compression straps to fit your rack. They attach so solidly that they are said to be virtually silent on the trail.

There is also a waterpoof trunk called the Old Man Mountain Juniper that attaches with compression straps on top of your rack. It uses a roll-top design to easily access your gear.

The Old Man Mountain Axle Pack will convert any fork into a cargo-carrying fork! This could be ideal for many carbon forks that do not pair well with hose clamps, and have shapes that the usual cargo cage adapters will not cater for.

The Axle Pack will handle 5kg/11lb per side and it’s even possible to fit it at the rear seatstays too, provided you have enough clearance for your heels.

The last product is the Old Man Mountain Flip Cage. The cage itself fits any cargo cage mount, but the magic is in the mini pannier having a rotating lever that can slide into the Flip Cage recess – locking the bag in place. The bottom of the bag offers a lower cage hook that will keep the bags rattle-free.

Omnium

Allen at Omnium told me he doesn’t really see their titanium bike as a cargo bike.

His reasoning is that the bike is lightweight (under 15kg/33lb), uses just a few proprietary parts, and rides just like a bike. I did test ride one and can confirm, it rides just like a bike (although with a turning circle that you need to get used to).

To prove its versatility, Allen will be riding this titanium Omnium in the Silk Road Mountain Race in a few weeks. He uses aero bars to give his hands, arms, neck, and back a rest on long cycling days. Pringles are obviously his food of choice.

Rondo

With frame shapes like this, the Rondo bikes are certainly distinctive. This model is the upcoming Rondo Ruut V2 gravel bike.

I personally like the design ethos behind a model called the Rondo Mylc. While the aesthetics are not for everyone (just look at that head tube!), the frame geometry is tweaked specifically for gravel descents.

The Mylc offers a longer wheelbase and slacker head tube angle to increase the length of the front portion of the frame by 70 to 90mm (3-4″). This essentially makes the bike more stable at speed, and much harder to pitch over the handlebars.

The Mylc comes with a short stem to accommodate the longer top tube length. I actually prefer the steering characteristics of shorter stems on gravel bikes (it’s a more direct feeling), but the downside is that you don’t have as much stem length wiggle room when optimising your bike fit.

More crazy carbon frame shapes on the Rondo Mylc. This really sets the bike apart from other ‘cookie cutter’ carbon gravel frames (they all kinda look the same).

SON Nabendynamo

At the SON stand was a light display to show a new prototype front light. This model will have both a low and high-beam mode and a built-in USB charger – all controlled with a small switch near the grips.

SON Nabendynamo is aiming to make this light/charger the most powerful option available. At 20kph/12mph they would like to pull 10-20% more power from a hub than other market-leading dynamo USB chargers, but all while getting a minimal amount of drag.

The light body is slightly larger than usual, but it shouldn’t look too out of place.

Also, a new straight-pull spoke hub is in the works, and it’s said to produce fewer vibrations. This one is still a long way off production though.

Weathergoods Sweden

I noticed some nice rain ponchos at the Weathergoods stand.

This small family-run business offers a range of stylish urban products, but the Imbris poncho could be decent for bike travel as it has hand straps, good reflectivity, a waistband, and is quite long. It’s available in two sizes and three colours – green, copper and black. The weight is around 500 grams.

My touring/bikepacking tech galleries from Eurobike 2023:

• 11 Quirky But Functional Bikepacking Products (Part One)
• 11 Exciting New Bikepacking and Touring Products (Part Two)
• The Most Interesting Bikepacking Tech (Part Three)
• The Best Touring and Bikepacking Bikes (Part Four)
• 11 Notable Bikepacking Bag Finds (Part Five)

The post 11 Exciting New Bikepacking and Touring Products From Eurobike 2023 appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

I walked past every single stand so that you can see the latest products in the touring and bikepacking space! My iPhone says I did 15,000 steps per day (for five days) between the different halls. That’s a lot of walking… and a lot of talking too.

I got the opportunity to talk to the engineers and product managers behind the brands and got test-ride more than 30 unique bikes too. This information will all drip out over the next year or so.

Remember that you can always support my unique content by becoming a site supporter, making a Paypal or credit card donation, buying a copy of my books, or joining my Patreon. This direct support is the best way to keep my content coming!

My touring/bikepacking tech galleries from Eurobike 2023:

• 11 Quirky But Functional Bikepacking Products (Part One)
• 11 Exciting New Bikepacking and Touring Products (Part Two)
• The Most Interesting Bikepacking Tech (Part Three)
• The Best Touring and Bikepacking Bikes (Part Four)
• 11 Notable Bikepacking Bag Finds (Part Five)

In-Depth Reporting From Eurobike 2023

• 3 Promising New Bicycle Belt Drivetrains
• Why the New Pinion Smart Shift Gearbox is a Big Deal

Additive Bikes

Additive Bikes was showing its interesting frame packs at Eurobike, and there were three notable designs.

The V1 is intended to suit most diamond frames and has a pack volume of 9 to 17 litres depending on your frame dimensions (it’s available in 20 sizes).

Unlike most frame packs that either strap or bolt to your frame, the Additive bag uses a semi-rigid structure that essentially holds it in place without straps (there is one velcro strap over the top tube). This means you can install and remove the bag in a similar amount of time to a pannier.

The only downside is that the bags are perhaps twice as heavy as a typical frame pack (approx. 750g/1.7lb).

The V2 fits over the top tube of a bike and has a volume of 12-litres. It has a few more straps than the V1 but will suit full-suspension bikes with a rear shock occupying space in the front triangle. It tips the scale at 970g/2.1lb.

And a split downtube frame was also shown at Eurobike. This allows the bag to extend beyond the down tube and garner extra volume on small frame sizes.

Or you could always just get a bag that mounts below the downtube. You choose…

Air Seat

The Air Seat Full-Floating Saddle Suspension System fits between your seat and seatpost, and smoothens out the ride. I tested it on a bike and it really does move up and down, as well as forward, backward, and to the sides.

I probably wouldn’t recommend it for long-distance bike travel, as I suspect you could end up sitting on your saddle a bit weirdly. But it could be a great alternative to a suspension seatpost for bikes on short trips – think bike fleets.

There are 250-gram and 350-gram options for the Air Seat priced at $80 and $40 respectively (same performance but different materials).

Beast Components

I found the Beast Hybrid bar at the M83 stand. It was my first time seeing it in person.

This drop bar is compatible with flat bar brakes and shifters, making it an easy retrofit to a mountain bike.

It has a really nice shape to the ‘hoods’ (especially compared to the tight angle on the Surly Corner Bar), a large ergonomic profile across the top, and a shallow depth for comfort.

The width at the drops is 600mm, while it’s 460mm between the hoods.

The only downside is the eye-watering price of 500 euros. Perhaps check out the Surly Corner Bar if you like this concept…

Bulls

The Bulls booth was probably the biggest at Eurobike; they might have even had every Bulls bike and colour on display!

My favourite bike on the stand was the Grinder gravel bike with the step-through frame design. These frames are heavier and less stiff than a typical diamond frame but they are much easier to mount if you have short legs, rear luggage, a rear child seat, or mobility issues.

There are very few performance bikes with a ‘trapezoidal’ frame design, so it was really great to see this one from Bulls.

By.Schulz

Did you know you can get a dropper suspension seatpost? BySchulz makes a model called the D.2 ST that has 30mm of suspension travel and 80mm of drop. It’s not cheap though, expect to pay over €500.

You can find a suspension dropper called the PNW Coast for a much more reasonable price, but the small bump sensitivity is not quite up to the BySchulz standard.

Ergon

Ergon was showing a new multi-position grip called the GT1. The idea behind it: you can get the greatest pressure distribution and wrist support from the extra-large wing that places your hand in different positions.

There were a few different grip positions presented by Ergon.

Also, the new Ergon PT pedals. These are apparently great; they have a slight s-shape to the platform that cups your foot. And the grip tape helps to keep your foot in place. These are obviously best suited to smooth road riding, rather than mountain biking.

Hase

Hase is well known for their quirky but very practical bikes. For example, the Pino semi-recumbent tandem allows the front rider to lay recumbent at the front (with an unobscured view of the world) while the rear rider sits upright.

This year they were showing a new cargo/gravel/touring bike model called the Gravit Dust. It weighs 20kg/44lb but can carry up to 40kg/88lb on the front tray, and 200kg/440lb across the entire bike!

This is a bit of a Swiss army knife in terms of ability because the cargo tray can be removed in seconds without any tools.

The front section of the bike is telescoping so you can slide the black beam into the frame to reduce the wheelbase by over 30cm/12″. This allows for a similar wheelbase length to a typical gravel bike.

The bike features drop bars, front suspension, big brakes, and a 1×10 drivetrain, as well as a REALLY nice metallic purple paint job.

With such a high maximum permitted load, it’s obviously going to be great for bike travel too. There is a pannier rack that’s available from Hase that can carry all four panniers right in front of you. You could use the rack with or without the cargo tray.

Or perhaps you could just tie down a 100-litre dry bag to the front tray? Up to you…

HiRide

The HiRide Sterra gravel suspension fork features 20mm of suspension travel, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but that’s almost perfect for gravel roads.

It uses a hydraulic damper to properly control the suspension travel, there is an adjustable preload, a lockout switch on the top, and three steel springs to perfectly adjust to a rider’s weight.

On my test ride, I found the fork to ride exceptionally well. The lockout made it feel as if it was a rigid fork, and it felt stiff in all directions of force. BikeRumor has an excellent video showing the fork taking care of shock and vibration on gravel roads.

The HiRide Sterra clears 700x45mm or 27.5×2.1″ (650x54mm) tyres, and is not much taller than a regular fork once you account for suspension sag. The fork has internal routing for dynamo wires and bikepacking cargo cage mounts on the sides.

The fork is currently found on BMC, Principia, MV Agusta, and MCipollini bikes but its also available by itself.

Motion Engineering

The Motion La City is a new single-sided urban and gravel suspension fork that pairs with the somewhat common Cannondale Lefty hubs. The fork weighs just one kilogram and should require virtually zero maintenance.

That’s because it doesn’t have a hydraulic damper like most forks. Instead, it consists of a small linkage and a carbon leaf spring. As you ride over bumps in the road, the linkage activates the carbon spring, providing up to 40mm of suspension travel.

The fork is pitched towards city and e-Bike use, but there’s no reason why it couldn’t be used for gravel or even mountain biking – similar to the Lauf leaf-sprung carbon forks.

There is even an anti-dive linkage running in parallel that helps to isolate any braking forces, which stops the suspension from compressing under hard braking.

TriEye

Once you get a rear mirror, you’ll never want to cycle without it again!

In my opinion, mirrors are the #1 safety item you can use – above lights and reflective things. They allow you to see where the traffic is at all times, you can monitor whether drivers are paying attention, and you can quickly jump off the road if it looks like a vehicle isn’t providing enough space to safely pass (big trucks especially).

But mirrors are often quite ‘clunky’ looking, susceptible to damage, and not at all suited to off-road riding – they stick out and get in the way of branches and rocks. They also don’t suit drop bars particularly well.

I’ve actually been testing the TriEye glasses with a built-in rear mirror for about a year now, and I love the product. I only use it while cycling in places with cars and trucks, and put them in their case while cycling off-road or sightseeing (I have casual sunglasses for that).

The only thing to note is that your helmet straps should sit close to your face so as to not obscure the view. You also really want your hair to be close to the side of your head…

Velospring

The Velospring grips rotate backward a small amount while you ride to provide a bit of extra wrist comfort. I suspect they work quite well but I didn’t get a chance to test them. The TPU plastic used in the construction offers a good hand feel, it apparently does not stick and is recyclable.

They also come in wood, although I’m not sure they would be comfortable or grippy enough.

And speaking of wood, the Velospring stand also had some neat wooden fenders on display.

My touring/bikepacking tech galleries from Eurobike 2023:

• 11 Quirky But Functional Bikepacking Products (Part One)
• 11 Exciting New Bikepacking and Touring Products (Part Two)
• The Most Interesting Bikepacking Tech (Part Three)
• The Best Touring and Bikepacking Bikes (Part Four)
• 11 Notable Bikepacking Bag Finds (Part Five)

The post 11 Quirky But Functional Bikepacking Products From Eurobike 2023 appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

Panniers can also make a very useful contribution to an off-road bikepacking setup, especially if you’re cycling in remote areas and need to carry food for multiple days (or voluminous winter equipment).

Bikepacking bag manufacturers have acknowledged this need with an ever-growing array of off-road specific panniers, sometimes referred to as micro, mini, nano or simply small panniers.

Note: The article was originally published in Mar 2018 but has been updated for March 2022.

What’s The Deal With Bikepacking Mini Panniers?

• They’re small and narrow for riding through tighter spaces.
• They don’t get in the way when pushing your bike (hike-a-bike sections).
• They’re a great alternative bag option for small bikes with no space for a seat pack.
• They offer additional storage for food (7+ day adventures with no services) or high-volume equipment.
• The small frontal area results in less aerodynamic drag than full-sized panniers.
• They’re lighter than full-sized panniers.
• Many micro panniers are designed to be ‘rattle-free’ on bumpy roads.

Hooks vs. Straps

One of the genius things about touring panniers is that you can take them off instantly thanks to the locking hooks found on most panniers.

But there are a few drawbacks to hook systems:

• They can rattle on the trail.
• They can unhook and drop a pannier.
• They are susceptible to damage.
• They are heavier.

You’ll find velcro and Voile-style cinch straps on many bikepacking micro panniers. This allows for a tighter fit to the rack whereby the soft pannier backplate can mould to the shape of the rack, ensuring there’s no space for the bag to move.

That said, most hook systems still work well off-road, and very rarely experience failures.

If you like the sound of instantaneous bag removable but also a tight, silent and secure rack fit – check out the modular Rockgeist Microwave panniers (pictured above) that employ a neat removable dry bag from the pannier holster.

Pannier Profile Width

An important aspect of micro panniers is the profile width. The narrower the profile, the easier it is to squeeze between obstacles or, in the case of rear panniers, to push your bike. A smaller bag profile has the benefit of being more aerodynamic too.

The panniers I’ve featured below have front profile widths ranging from 7.5cm (3″) through to 14cm (5.5″). In comparison, touring panniers are usually 17 to 26cm (7-9″) in width.

Using Touring Panniers

You might be led to believe that you need micro panniers for your off-road adventures, but the reality is that lots of people simply use front touring panniers. Ortlieb actually re-named their ‘Front-Roller’ model to ‘Sport-Roller’ to make it clear their bags can be fitted front or rear.

There are many ways to make touring panniers work better off-road. Some people find they need to run a long Voile strap around their touring panniers to keep them in place. Others use a few zip ties to keep their panniers in check. Alternatively, you can add additional lower anchoring hooks to get a better attachment between your pannier and rack.

Right, let’s take a look at the best micro panniers, which I’ve separated into ‘hookless’ and ‘hooked’ categories. 

Micro Pannier Options For Bikepacking (Without Hooks)

Alpine Luddites HAB Panniers – US $275

The HAB (Hike-A-Bike) set has been designed around the demands of bikepacking. These bags are custom made, so you can choose between a few fabric types and two different bag compression styles. The back is stiffened with a thin layer of polyethylene to keep your gear out of the spokes and the panniers attach with velcro. The pannier profile can be built as thin as 7.5cm/3.0″.

Hookless | 14-18 Litres | Waterproof | 567g

Alpkit Toliari 12 Panniers – £80

The Alpkit Toliaris are a VERY cheap and lightweight pannier option for bikepacking. They are available with and without hooks, the latter being a bit heavier. The hookless version has webbing ladders on the back of the bag that allow you to perfectly adjust the mounts to your rack.

Hookless or Hooked | 24 Litres | Waterproof | 870g

Altura Vortex Ultralite Panniers – £100

These well-priced panniers have a particularly large volume while also being light, narrow and waterproof. They connect to the rack via two upper straps and a lower velcro hook.

Hookless | 30 Litres | Waterproof | 1000g | 11.5cm Profile

Arkel Dry-Lites Bikepacking Panniers – US $90

The Arkel Dry-Lites are cheap and well-known for their reliability; I’ve met people on very long tours who were happily using them. While they have a front profile width on the wide side, they taper from the bottom providing a little extra clearance. You can buy them in black or red.

Hookless | 28 Litres | Waterproof | 540g | 14cm Profile

Bedrock Hermosa UL – US $300

Bedrock Bags use both X-Pac and ballistic nylon materials to make a light and durable product. They have an excellent front profile width given their volume and mount using velcro straps. They’re available in six standard colours and eight custom colours.

Hookless | 26 Litres | Water Resistant | 630g | 10cm Profile

Buckhorn Waxed Canvas Panniers – US $295

Buckhorn panniers are handmade with green or tan waxed canvas (New Mexico, USA) for that classic look. Four Voile straps attach the pannier to the top of your rack and two straps connect up the lower bag.

Hookless | 13 Litres | Water Resistant | 794g | 10cm Profile

Mesabi Rear Rack Panniers – US $60

The low-cost Mesabi bags are a similar size and design to the Revelate Nano panniers. They have a simple roll-top closure and are secured to a rack using four small buckles.

Hookless | 12 Litres | Water Resistant | 450g | 7.5cm Profile

Outer Shell Adventure Pico Panniers – US $200

The Outer Shell Pico Panniers attach to 3-boss cargo cage mounts (or suspension fork lowers using the Clamp Kit Add-On) with no rack or cage necessary. The mounting plates are made of ultra-tough waterjet-cut polycarbonate. Each Pico Pannier can fit a 1.9l/64oz water bottle and you can buy them in 11 colours.

Hookless | Water Resistant | 1000g | 13cm Profile

Revelate Nano Panniers – US $160

Here we have one of the lowest volume panniers with the narrowest front profile width at just 7.5cm per bag. Unlike the other pannier options, the Revelate Nano Panniers use zips to access stored goods. They are optimised for Old Man Mountain racks but can adjust to most racks.

Hookless | 13 Litres | Water Resistant | 465g | 7.6cm Profile

Rockgeist Microwave Panniers – US $275

The Microwave Panniers are a modular bag set that has featured on dozens of bikepacking rigs over the years. The panniers incorporate two main components: a holster that straps directly to a rack using some neat Voile straps, and a dry bag that can be quickly removed and brought into your tent. The holsters are available in two different colours.

Hookless | 26 Litres | Waterproof | 920g | 10cm Profile

Stealth Mountain Panniers – US $175

These handmade micro panniers (New Zealand) are particularly narrow and are available in a variety of materials and colours. They attach using two upper velcro straps and one lower adjustable strap.

Hookless | 16 Litres | Water Resistant | 640g | 8cm Profile

Micro Pannier Options For Bikepacking (With Hooks)

Arkel XM-28 Bikepacking Panniers – US $240

These panniers are the heavy-duty, fully-featured version of the Dry Lites. They use upper hooks with a cam-lock to hold them in place, have a zipper than runs down the length of the bag, and have a skid plate on the lower section of the bag to prevent damage from rocks. You can get them in black or yellow.

Hooked | 28 Litres | Water Resistant | 1920g | 14cm Profile

Dyed In The Wool Panniers – €350

DITW panniers are on the larger side and are a bit closer to a touring pannier given the cam-lock hooks that make bag removal a breeze. These bags are handmade in Poland are available with either Cordura, X-Pac (pictured) or Dyneema fabrics.

Hooked | 26 Litres | Water Resistant | 794g | 14cm Profile

Helmut Rower Panger Bikepacking Panniers – €245

These French-made bags use the modular pannier design pioneered by Porcelain Rocket. This allows you to quickly remove the 13-litre dry bags from their holsters. Interestingly, the holster is easily removable too using Rixen Kaul pannier hooks. These panniers are available in three different colours.

Hooked | 26 Litres | Waterproof | 780g | 15cm Profile

North St Micro Panniers – US $200

These small panniers are constructed with a sailcloth fabric and attach to your rack using metal upper hooks and a lower bungee hook. The panniers come in nine different colours and are handmade in Oregon, USA.

Hooked | 20 Litres | Water Resistant | 766g | 12.5cm Profile

Ortlieb Gravel Pack Bikepacking Panniers – US $190

Ortlieb’s bikepacking-specific pannier set is built with a lightweight fabric and rolltop closure to shave 20% of the weight from their touring model. The bags come with two lower anchoring hooks for additional stability and are coloured the same as the rest of the bikepacking luggage range. Please note that Ortlieb panniers are known to rattle on the trail and sometimes drop their bolts on corrugated roads. It’s best to carry some spare bolts (same size as your water bottle bolts), washers and nuts on hand, just in case.

Hooked | 25 Litres | Waterproof | 1160g | 14cm Profile

RAL EX Loader – US $156

The RAL EX Loader panniers are made using Cordura fabric in California (USA), have easy-to-access zippers, and attach to your rack using two metal upper hooks and a lower bungee. You can get them in five different colours.

Hooked | 22 Litres | Water Resistant | 766g | 13cm Profile

Swift JR Ranger Pannier Set – US $380

Using X-Pac material combined with a more typical pannier backplate, Swift has come up with some panniers that are closer to touring panniers in terms of functionality, but these have a better profile for off-road riding.

Hooked | 20 Litres | Water Resistant | 1400g | 10cm Profile

Tailfin Mini Panniers – £160

Tailfin makes universal mini panniers that suit both the Tailfin QR rack or any front/rear rack you like. These are 100% waterproof, integrate neat compression straps and attach using Tailfin’s own aluminium stop-action clamp, which promises to eliminate all rattle when riding off-road. You can find the Mini Panniers in 5-litre or 10-litre versions; the smaller version has a super narrow 70mm profile.

Hooked | 20 Litres | Waterproof | 760g | 11cm Profile

Vaude Aqua Front Light Panniers – €116

The Vaude Aqua Fronts are a lightweight hooked pannier set. They have internal pockets to manage your gear and a cargo net over the top for quick-access items like a rain jacket. Due to the use of ultralight fabrics, the maximum load is 10kg.

Hooked | 22 Litres | Waterproof | 1000g | 15cm Profile

More Pannier Articles:
Where to Best Carry A Load When Bicycle Touring: Front or Rear Panniers?
What’s the Speed Difference Between Front/Rear Panniers and Bikepacking Bags?

Why Not Check Out More Bag Lists? Touring Panniers, Stabilized Bikepacking Bags, Bikepacking Rolltops, and Bikepacking Bag Manufacturers

The post Complete List Of The BEST Bikepacking Panniers For Off-Road Use appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

With rigid gravel bikes gaining in popularity, bike and component manufacturers are currently finding ways to add minimally-damped suspension to our bikes to make them both more comfortable and faster (I will be making my case for increased speed in an upcoming resource).

Additionally, we have studied the effect of whole-body vibrations on the human body, and it turns out they can be quite damaging. Over time they can increase the risk of various ailments, including low back pain and spinal degeneration. This is one reason why we regulate vibration exposure in industries that use heavy machinery.

With comfort, speed and health in mind, let’s take a look at the suspension stems, seatposts and handlebars that have been released in the last year.

I’d recommend having a poke about CyclingAbout for more information about comfort components. I have in-depth resources on:

• Suspension seatposts
• Carbon flex seatposts
• Gravel bike rear suspension
• Suspension stems
• Tyre pressure
• Steel bicycle frames (and why they are not more comfortable)

Vecnum Freeqence Suspension Stem

Suspension stems are nothing new. You might have seen them on rigid mountain bikes in the mid-1990s before suspension forks really took hold.

After a small hiatus, suspension stems are back, and can significantly reduce the shock transmitted to your upper body on rough surfaces. GravelBikes.cc have measured an 18% to 26% reduction in handlebar vibrations compared to a regular stem on gravel roads.

The main difference between a suspension fork and stem is that only your hands and upper body are suspended with a suspension stem. This is great for keeping you comfortable, but it will only minimally improve your bike’s performance.

In comparison, a suspension fork suspends not only your upper body but the front of your bike too. This improves your front-wheel grip and makes for a more stable bike on rough roads. The downside to suspension forks is that they add weight, complexity and the need for regular service intervals.

The Vecnum Freeqence stem looks to be a great new option. Unlike the Redshift ShockStop stem (that I use on my touring bike), it uses a parallelogram linkage design so that the handlebars do not tilt forward under compression. This allows the Freeqence to feel more like a suspension fork in its movement.

The Freeqence uses an elastomer-spring setup with 30mm of travel, which can be adjusted to accommodate riders from 50kg through to 120kg. While coil-spring stems like the Kinekt are highly reactive over fast bumps, the Freeqence should feel a bit more ‘muted’ in comparison, as the properties of elastomers have more inherent damping.

Elastomer springs also tend to feel less ‘springy’ (for lack of a better term) when you’re riding along on smooth surfaces. In other words, the Freeqence will likely bounce around a touch less than the Kinekt (there is no ‘lock-out’ option on either of these stems).

The downside to elastomers is that they can firm up in cold conditions, rendering them less effective – so, skip this design if you need it to work well in sub-zero conditions.

The Freeqence uses premium materials, which results in a stem weight ~40% lighter than the closest linkage stem competitor, the Kinekt Suspension Stem. However, these premium materials and German manufacturing result in a very high purchase price.

Cane Creek eeSilk+ 35mm Suspension Seatpost

I’ve been using the Cane Creek eeSilk seatpost on my touring bike for the last 30,000km, and I really like it. With just 20mm of travel, I can ride comfortably on most dirt roads without noticing it working underneath me.

Cane Creek has just released a new model called the eeSilk+, which has about twice the suspension travel (35mm). Being elastomer-based, you get the advantage of it feeling quite ‘muted’ on smooth surfaces, but with the boost in travel, the eeSilk+ can isolate your body from even bigger holes and depressions.

I suspect this might be the suspension seatpost to go for if you’re both riding long stretches on smooth surfaces (as it’s not too springy), but also want as much comfort as possible on rough dirt tracks.

Redshift ShockStop Pro RT Suspension Seatpost

The new Redshift ShockStop Pro RT is a direct competitor to the Cane Creek eeSilk suspension seatpost.

Like the eeSilk, it uses an elastomer spring and has 20mm of travel, making it ideal if you just want to take the edge off everything. This should be a great product for a mix of road and smooth gravel surfaces.

While it’s 100 grams heavier than the eeSilk Carbon, the elastomer is hidden deep inside the seatpost, which should result in less maintenance (I am cleaning and lubing the elastomer in my eeSilk every few months).

Redshift Shockstop Pro Suspension Stem

Along with the Pro RT seatpost, Redshift has released a Pro version of their suspension stem. This stem uses titanium hardware and weight-reducing CNC machining to get the weight down to between 230 and 250 grams, depending on the stem length.

Functionally, it’s the same as the regular ShockStop stem that I have fitted to my touring bike. There are 15 different spring rates, which suit flat bars and drop bars, heavy riders and lightweight riders.

As I mentioned earlier, the biggest downside to this simple and lightweight stem design is that the handlebars tip forward under compression. This takes a little getting used to.

It also feels strange in the negative stem orientation as its direction of movement is different from the forces coming up from the ground – I expand more on my experience with the Redshift stem HERE.

Fasst Flexx Alloy Handlebar

Fasst Company has been making shock-absorbing handlebars and footpegs for motorbikes for years now. But more recently, they’ve delved into the mountain biking world with a handlebar that flexes up and down while you ride. And it reviews very well.

The Fasst Flexx Enduro handlebar is intended to reduce rider fatigue and arm pump, allowing you to ride faster, longer, further and with more control. While it is primarily designed for mountain biking, there is no reason why it wouldn’t suit other flat bar bikes too.

There are four different elastomers that can be fitted to optimise the flex for both light and heavy riders. You can also optimise the elastomers around the terrain – for example, on mellow dirt roads you might prefer a softer elastomer than if you were riding down rutted out singletrack.

An interesting alternative to the Fasst Flexx is the Baramind BAM MTB.

Instead of using elastomers and pivots, this handlebar is constructed using a mix of carbon fibre and fibreglass, resulting in a lighter 290g/10oz handlebar. It can be adjusted with two different spring rates and it’s about half the price to boot.

Looking at the slo-mo video of it in action, it’s very effective too.

Another option again is the One Up Components Carbon Handlebar. This handlebar has been engineered with vertical compliance in mind, and according to various testers, does exactly what it says on the tin. This option is also the cheapest (US $140) and lightest (220g/8oz).

There is no adjustable spring rate to these bars, so they’ll be most effective under a heavier, more aggressive rider on rougher terrain.

FSA NS VAS Stem

An interesting new comfort product is the FSA NS VAS stem. It sandwiches an elastomer between the stem faceplate and your handlebar to reduce vibration transmission to your hands and upper body.

FSA are claiming 47% more vibration attenuation, but who knows how this was measured. Given the vibration testing of different suspension stems, under most gravel riding speeds, I’d expect this stem to offer closer to 10% more vibration attenuation than a regular stem – which is not to be scoffed at.

The post Comfort Goods! The Latest Suspension Seatposts, Stems and Handlebars appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.