What is bikepacking?

What is bikepacking?

In simple terms, bikepacking is riding a bike for multiple days to somewhere or around somewhere utilising a more off-road, the path less travelled approach. Bikepacking can be as long or short as you like. It can often be done as part of an event where riders will make there way through a course, the rider will have to overcome whatever challenges the trails will throw at them completely self supported in a bikepacking event, normally to be the fastest rider around a set route that will normally take multiple days to complete. Riders will often have to make it to checkpoints along the route in a bikepacking event. With bikepacking popularity growing over the last few years, the lines have blurred between what is bikepacking and bicycle touring?

The Art of travelling with a bicycle using the path less travelled.

Bikepacking can and is a form of bicycle touring, of course, but is bicycle touring bikepacking? Well that depends on who you ask, they both have a lot in common, however there are some differences that can be made. You can use bikepacking bags while touring and touring bags, pannier bags while bikepacking. Bicycle touring can be long or short, but bicycle touring has a history of being longer, slower and a way of travelling by bicycle. The difference really comes from the terrain taken to get to your destination. Bicycle touring will typically use paved surfaces, quiet country roads, bicycle routes and paths. Whereas, while bikepacking you will find yourself taken the more remote off-road route, often on more rougher surfaces. Bikepacking often avoids the bigger built-up cities and towns and stays in the remote locations of mountains, national parks whereas bicycle touring will often be travelling to these towns and cities often to stay for a few days to explore the sights, as bicycle touring often has the emphasis on slower travel and sightseeing. This can also be true for bikepacking of course, but traditionally bikepacking will take you away from these built up places, and you will spend more time in nature.

As a result bikepacking bikes tend to be packed differently that a bicycle touring bike, often but not always a bikepacking bike will be set up with bigger tyres for off-road trails and packed in a more minimalist approach as being off-road means the weight of the bike can have a bigger effect on the handling whereas a bicycle touring bike is often loaded with more creature comforts, normally with a full pannier setup. Normally in a more upright position, promoting a slower but comfortable way of travelling. But with bikepacking there is often a need or desire to travel further and faster, so the bike setup will often be setup trying to find the perfect balance for speed and comfort for the individual rider. As you can see, the difference between bikepacking and bicycle touring have a lot of similarities. Whether you are bikepacking or bicycle touring it doesn’t really matter, there are differences between the two, but how you want to go on a adventure matters more than a what group you want to place yourself into. I think it’s just important to know these differences to understand what you might be getting yourself into.

Typical Bikepacking setup