You can go bikepacking on everything from dropbar road bikes to mountain bikes to fat bikes (I’ve done it). Here are four top choices and the conditions they’re best equipped to handle.
BEST ON ROUGH DIRT ROADS WITH SOME SOFT SECTIONS (SAND, SNOW, OR MUD)
SALSA FARGO RIVAL 27.5+, $3,990
Although the Fargo’s steel frame and carbon Salsa Firestarter fork are rigid, the high-volume, 27.5+ (three-inch wide) Schwalbe Rocket Ron tyres offer a fairly plush ride and superb traction. Loaded down with three days’ worth of camping gear and supplies, the Fargo excelled over rough, rocky dirt roads and floated over sandy sections that would cause a skinnier tyre to knife.
The bike takes singletrack in stride as long as it’s not too steep or technical – then a regular flat-bar mountain bike with a suspension fork becomes a better choice. And on smoother dirt roads, the Fargo’s plus tyres aren’t as efficient or fast feeling as standard 29er mountain tyres. (Fortunately, the frame can take other configurations – see above).
The frame has a shorter top tube to match the longer reach (compared to that of a flat bar) of the Salsa Woodchipper 2 drop bar. The 26-degree flare of the drops gives them a feel somewhere in between that of a regular drop bar and a mountain bike bar with a lot of sweep – it feels nothing like a traditional drop bar unless you’re on the hoods or the flat portion, and offers more control and leverage.
There are also multiple hand positions, which I really appreciated on long days in the saddle.
CUSTOMISE IT!
The Fargo is also compatible with:
* 27.5+ mountain bike tyres and wheels
* Normal-width 29er mountain bike tyres and wheels
* 29+ mountain bike tyres
* 100mm-travel suspension fork
BEST ON PAVEMENT AND SMOOTHER DIRT
SPECIALIZED SEQUOIA ELITE, $2,800
Like the Fargo, the Sequoia features a flared drop handlebar, but its 42mm-wide Sawtooth tyres roll faster on the pavement and still take to mellow dirt routes surprisingly well.
BEST ON TOUGH SINGLETRACK
SURLY KRAMPUS, $2,900
The 29+ tyre and wheel platform offers increased stability, flotation, and traction. The Krampus was the first to utilise this tyre size and recent updates have included longer and slacker geometry as well as wider hub spacing for stiffer, stronger wheels. SRAM NX shifting and Level hydraulic disc brakes round it out.
BEST FOR COVERING AS MUCH GROUND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE
SALSA CUTTHROAT FORCE, $4,990
This carbon-frame bike was designed for the Tour Divide adventure race from Canada to the Mexican border, and is basically a lighter, stiffer, and faster version of the Fargo – but this 29er cannot run plus-sized tyres.
Copyright © 2016 Rodale Inc.