Living By Bike

Car Free | Bicycle Tourist | Solo Traveler

How to Prep Your Bike for Bikepacking

Written by

Claire

in

,

Let’s face it- most of us don’t feel like putting in the work ahead of time to make sure we are prepared for a bikepacking trip, and too often we end up dealing with preventable problems on the road.

Or, many of us simply don’t know how to prep a bike for a trip, and thus take off with our fingers crossed, gritting our own teeth, hoping nothing falls apart.

There’s a better way to get started on your adventures, and I’m here to tell you how.

Hi, my name is Claire and I am a bicycle tourist who has lived 2 non-consecutive years of my life on my bike. I’ve made all the mistakes and more you could think of when living life on two wheels, and I’m here to help you avoid those exact same mistakes. I currently run bikepacking trips through my small company, and for each my guests, I have them complete a bikepacking rig checklist form before departure. Since my trips rely on the guests to prepare for themselves, I want to ensure they do this to the best of their ability, since their skillset may vary greatly in knowledge, gear and ability levels.

So if you want to know what I require my guests to fill out before we go on a trip, check out my checklist below, and apply it to your own personal adventure.

*Please know that this list ONLY refers to how to prepare your bike for a trip and does not include additional checklist information regarding best camping gear, bike maintenance skills to know, and general safety tips.

Recommended articles: Bikepacking Gear Guide

Bike & Bikepacking Rig Checklist (Road & Gravel)

  1. I am not bringing a backpack or anything that could be worn on my back, aside from a water bladder or fanny pack. I acknowledge that heavy backpacks are not allowed, and if worn, can put my body in great physical pain and injury.
    • Yes, I am not bringing a backpack
    • No, I am bringing a backpack and acknowledge that this is strongly advised against due to discomfort and injury, but I am doing so anyways
  2. I have fully charged front (white) and rear (red) lights on my bike. 
    • Yes
    • No (I understand that if I do not have lights, I am at a much higher risk of injury on the road/path)
  3. Are your tires a minimum thickness of 1.25in/30mm thick (for road) or 35mm thick (for gravel), of a decent tire brand (such as Gatorskin, Schwalbe (Marathon)), and not worn down/dry rotted?
    • Yes
    • No (I understand that if I do not invest in good quality tires, I am at a much higher risk of getting flats)
  4. I have a phone mount and/or GPS mounted to my bike for navigation during this ride. I will not hold my phone in my hand or simply guess where to go.
    • Yes
    • No (I understand the danger that navigating without a mount puts me in)
  5. My chain has been thoroughly cleaned & lubed (and replaced if it is worn down) a few days before the start of the trip.
    • Yes
    • No (I understand that by not doing this I am susceptible to chain breakage, chain slipping, or destroying my cassette which is very expensive to replace)
  6. All bolts have been tightened (to prevent parts from loosening/falling off during the ride).
    • Yes
    • No (I understand that by not tightening all bolts on my bike I am at risk of losing/breaking something)
  7. (FOR THOSE WITH CLIPLESS PEDALS) I have tightened all screws on my shoes (preferably with locktite) to prevent my clips from becoming loose on the ride
    • Yes
    • No (I understand that by not tightening all bolts on my bike I am at risk of being unable to successfully remove my foot from the pedal)
  8. I can confirm that my braking system (brake pads and cables) is in good condition & works effectively. When I squeeze my brake levers, there is at least a length of two fingers wide between the lever and the handlebar. 
    • Yes
    • No (I recognize that if I do not upkeep my brakes that I am susceptible to crashing and damaging my rims/bike)
  9. My bike repair kit includes the following items (you should really have ALL the items):
    • 2 spare tubes & patch kit for tube tires, a small bottle of sealant & 2 DART kits for tubeless tires
    • A bike specific multi-tool
    • Zip ties/extra screws, nuts and bolts that fit my bike
    • Tire levers
    • CO2 and/or a travel pump
    • Chain lube (to-go size will suffice) and rag (to wipe down)
    • Anything else I may need that is specific to my bike
  10. I have given my bike a test ride with a fully setup rig to ensure all parts and bags are compatible and secure on my bike. 
    • Yes
    • No (I acknowledge that by not going on a test ride I am at risk of having a faulty rig)
  11. If I am going on a long bike tour/bikepacking trip (500+ miles) I have taken my bike to my local shop to get a professional service package. This way I can ensure all parts and pieces of my bike are in tip-top shape so that I do not have to deal with the wearing down, breakage, and preventable problems that may occur when on the road, pushing long miles and hard watts each day.
    • Yes
    • No (I acknowledge that longer trips put much more stress on the bike than shorter ones and thus require more preventable maintenance to be done)

*I invite others to comment below what they would add to this checklist when prepping for an adventure.

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