Packing your bike

Three bags do most of the work. The frame bag, in the main triangle, holds heavy, dense items low and central — tools, spares, water, snacks — because weight there barely affects handling. The handlebar roll takes light and bulky things you only need at camp: sleeping bag, an insulating layer. The seat pack swallows the rest — clothes, wash kit — but keeps it from sagging or swaying, which it will if you overfill it.

Keep weight low and central, and keep the bars light. Loading the handlebars heavy makes the steering vague and tiring, especially on descent. Anything you need while riding — phone, snacks, a shell for sudden weather — goes somewhere you can reach without stopping.

Pack ruthlessly. You need far less than instinct says: one riding kit and one off-bike layer set, a warm mid-layer, a windproof shell, basic tools (multi-tool, tube, pump or CO2, chain link), and a small first-aid kit. On supported routes the bulky sleep system travels in the vehicle, so your on-bike load is tiny. The honest test: if you didn't use it last trip, it stays home this time.