How to load up a Hike-Use
(also applies to other bicycles to some extent)
Like we have hopefully clearly stated in the product information, the Hike-Use frameset is not primarily meant for loaded touring with camping gear. It is designed for and excels in all-road day-rides and light touring, in which all you need is some clothes, some tools, some food, maybe a camera or similar extra items.
These should more or less fit in a medium-sized (7-12 liter) handlebar bag which we would recommend almost everyone to use. This amount of stuff will probably weigh around 1-4 kilos. This moderate amount of weight up front will also slow down the steering a bit, which can feel overly responsive otherwise with no load at all. (As it is an important feature, we will have a whole separate article on the handlebar bag, decaleur (bag attachment) designs, suitable racks and bags that we recommend etc.)
We have wanted to preserve a fun, light and lively feel on the frame, and sacrifice some loading capacity and overall bomb-proofness (keep your bike away from bombs when possible), as we don’t really believe in bikes that claim to “do it all”. The lightweight and flexible frame will squirm and wobble if loaded too heavily or in the wrong place.
The Gilles Berthoud GB25 has a capacity of 10 liters, suitable for day trips. The rack shown here is a Velo Orange cantilever rack, which fits well on the fork.
Yet it is possible to carry quite a lot more on the frame, but you do need to be considerate and pack carefully. Do note that the progressive stiffness of the frames between sizes affects loading. Sizes 53-59 are built with a very lightweight tube construction, while 61-65 are much more strongly built. But in case you are a large and heavy rider, this will “fill up” the load capacity of the bike as well, and the end result is quite the same. But for lightweight tall riders, riding the big sizes, you can get away with carrying more and packing less carefully.
After the handlebar bag, the second best place to load the Hike-Use will probably be in a frame bag. Weight in the middle of the bicycle is usually very neutral and affects the handling the least. This applies to almost any bicycle. The generous main triangle of the Hike-Use will allow a large frame bag to be used. Though if running narrow q-factor road cranks, the bag should be designed to be quite shallow, which limits the capacity when compared to wider crank ATBs and such. We will provide the frame bag dimensions for those looking to custom order one in a later post.
Outside the handlebar bag and possible framebag, the general guideline is to pack the front heavily, and the rear lightly or even carrying nothing at all there. Weight in the front, carried in the handlebar bag and lowrider panniers does not affect the frame as much, whereas weight in the rear wants to flex the frame much more. One should not use a super large and heavy handlebar bag either though, as a lot of weight high up is also sub-optimal.
One with very compact camping equipment could get away with packing their gear in a handlebar bag, a frame bag and a small saddlebag, something like the Carradice Barley. This combination does mean limited capacity though. You should resist the temptation to use a large saddlebag, which would of course be easy, but it will flex the frame quite a lot, possibly resulting in an unstable feel.
Depends of course on the rider how much they are annoyed by that. I have personally toured for weeks like this on the Hike-Use, and in my opinion it was fine, though wobbly at times. Adapting your riding style, trying out different configurations and listening to the bike helps.
The frame works surpisingly well with a saddlebag only too though, but the steering will be very quick. It seems like the flexing is kept in check as long as there is weight only on one end of the bike.
A lightly filled Carradice Super C Saddlebag and a sleeping pad rest on a small rear platform rack.
The worst possible option is to use rear panniers. These flex the frame tremendously. Don’t do it, or at least don’t complain if it doesn’t work.
The location where we suggest most people should pack most of their larger gear is in a set of medium or large front panniers. This is the easiest, safest and most convenient way. A low-ish weight on the front affects the steering only mildly, and affects the frame the least. The high rake of the front fork makes choosing a rack trickier though, as most ready made front racks are not designed for such a curvy fork.
A basic Tubus Tara, the gold standard for lowrider racks, will fit, but depending on the bag you might not get the hooks to align on the rack, as the horizontal bar will sit higher than normal. This is the case at least with the Carradice Super C front panniers and the Ortlieb Sport Roller and Gravel Packs. We have not found a way to mount them on the Tubus Tara on our fork.
A good pannier we have found to work well with the Tara is the Carradice Kendall, as the top and bottom hooks are closer together. Many other bags will probably fit, and we will provide information on good setups as we find them. You will want the top and bottom attachment to either be about 12-15 cm apart vertically or then 23-28 cm apart, if your pannier attachment falls between these numbers probably it will not work. This is with the Tara installed “wrong” on the front eyelets of the fork, which we think is the sensible way. The official installation, sharing the same eyelets with the fender is very inconvenient for those who aren’t going to have the front lowrider on at all times.
The best setup I have personally used, though a bit weird, is to use a Tubus Tara along with large Carradice saddlebags, mounted sidewise on the rack. (see first picture) The large bags have plenty of capacity, attach quite neatly with the leather straps, or one could add an elastic hook for the bottom attachment, and they look nice and special. They do need an extra stiffener inside though, which is easy to cut from any sturdy piece of plastic.
A handlebar bag, large front panniers, possibly a frame bag or a rear platform rack for light items like a sleeping pad etc, will thus allow touring with camping gear. Still we would not recommend the Hike-Use primarily for this kind of use, as a sturdier, heavier and stiffer frame would still probably be more optimal. But then that frame will feel less lively and possibly less fun and fast when unloaded. Everything in bike design, or any design really, is a compromise.
Performance and comfort in lightly loaded scenarios are what you get in this tradeoff. Most people only do a few tours per year, and mostly ride unloaded, and for this kind of occasional touring use the Hike-Use should work well in case you don’t want to buy a dedicated loaded touring bike.
On the left: A 59 Hike-Use with semi-good packing style. When the rear bag was packed too heavily, handling was not at its best, but still OK. On the right, 1970s Bridgestone with exemplary packing, though the camping-specific frame could probably take more rear weight as well.
Some general tips on packing for a tour:
Experience is the best teacher for knowing what to bring and what to not bring. Make packing lists and be critical and you will make progress.
Check and maintain your bike regularly. Spare parts or special tools will then not really be needed. Maybe a gear cable and a couple of spare m5 bolts though, brake pads if mountain descents in the rain are to be expected.
Only bring clothes that can be worn at the same time. Having a complete change of clothes is usually not necessary.
Avoid clothing materials that will start to smell. Wool is best. Clothes can be washed in lakes, streams, gas station toilet sinks etc while out on the road as well.
One pair of shoes should suffice. Three pairs of socks maybe, different thicknesses.
A single book to read is enough.
Always bring an inner tube or two. And a patch kit.
A water filter (and a campsite with a source) is much better than extra bottles/bladders.
Put things inside of other things, your drinking cup and cooking pot are full of empty space.
Choose small, packable light things. Jeans, hoodies, ordinary bathing towels and such bulky items are sub-optimal. A piece of linen cloth works well as a towel.
Do bring warm clothes like a wool sweater or down jacket and long underwear.
Get used to being and sleeping outside, you will need less stuff.
Enjoy camping!
