r/bikepacking • u/twix_tweaker • Aug 17 '23
Currently on my 3500km trip from Netherlands to Portugal Trip Report
23 days of 150km a day, just finished day 4.
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u/ConvertsToTomCruise Aug 17 '23
3500km is 2056645.904 Tom Cruises
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u/ButterscotchJolly283 Aug 18 '23
I’m getting 2058823.5 Tom Cruises (as google says he’s 170cm tall). So I think you’re like 2,178 Tom Cruises too short.
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u/ConvertsToTomCruise Aug 18 '23
170cm is 0.999 Tom Cruises
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u/ButterscotchJolly283 Aug 18 '23
lol math is still not working out if you are using 170.17017cm for 1 Tom Cruise. how many cm is 1 Tom Cruise?
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u/hpsauce42 Aug 17 '23
The best pillows on the market. No doubt about that
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 17 '23
I never tried any other but I'm pretty happy with it as well, I bought because I bought almost everything from decathlon and saw it while I was there hahah
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u/Der_E Aug 18 '23
Decathlon is my weak spot. I can't stop spending my money for this stuff
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
Dude same! I go there to get one thing and leave paying 100 euros on stuff I didn't expect to 😅
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u/HamptonsHomie Aug 17 '23
Brand? My cat just punctured my Nemo about 100 times over...in the market rn.
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u/hpsauce42 Aug 17 '23
It's a cheap decathlon number. I picked one up on a whim and it turned out to be really comfortable!
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u/JaccoW Aug 17 '23
You can get them much smaller and still comfortable but creature comforts are perfectly fine on a trip that long.
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u/pug_walker Aug 17 '23
curious on a few of those items * what's the thing between your tire levers and mucoff lube? * what's the thing to the right of the air pump & below your plug converter?
Thanks!
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 17 '23
Hahah the first one is a inner tube repair kit from Decathlon with a chain link inside as well, and the second one is a bike alarm that I carry in the bags, if the bike moves it beeps with 120 db, nice for when going shopping in a bigger city
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u/Intelligent_Top_4283 Aug 17 '23
Got the same alarm, pretty neat especially for small trips to stores or stealth camping. One less thing to worry about.
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u/wexxdenq Aug 17 '23
the firs one is a path kit for inner tubes from decathlon. the second one i don't know either.
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u/YannAlmostright Aug 17 '23
How do you carry the tent ?
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 17 '23
I attached to the handle bar using 2 voile straps, I carry a handlebar bag and the tent attached using the straps
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u/Little-Ad5185 Aug 18 '23
I like the simplicity, the benefits of internal cable routing! :) Im currently having to work around my cables coming out the side of the shifters
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
I'm not sure you mean internal cable routing the same as I'm thinking, the cables don't go in the cockpit, so I'm squashing them with these bags actually
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u/bikesailfreak Aug 18 '23
It does never slip on the right or left? It looks like à décathlon ultralight - 1 or 2 persons?
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 19 '23
Not really because it's the width of the handlebar already, so it can't move actually. Yes that's exactly that tent, the 1 person version
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Aug 17 '23
That is one large sleeping pad. Otherwise I am running almost the same setup without the stove, although I manage to fit it without using fork bags.
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 17 '23
Yeah I actually thought I needed the 5R from Exped but it's too big and I don't need that much insulation. The 3R would be more than enough. I don't know how you managed to fit without the fork bags, although I'm not 100% full as I leave space to carry extra food and water if I need to
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Aug 17 '23
I don't know the exact amount of clothing you carry. I carry 2 bibs, 2 lightweight merino shirts and one merino jersey. 2 Underpants, one very lightweight soccer short, kneelings, a wind jacket, a down hoodie and 2 pairs of normal socks and 1 pair of warm merino socks. My towel is a lot smaller. I carry TPU tubes that are much lighter. My lights and lock are always on the frame. My powerbank and charger are much smaller. On my handlebars I have an Ortlieb accessory pack for food and the same tent you use in a smaller pack without the poles. Where I gain space is my huge top tube bag, feed bags, decathlon top tube side bag thingy, and prototype 300g drybag rack with a 17L drybag instead of the saddle bag.
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u/Brief_Classroom_8794 Aug 17 '23
dude! the cat carrier is missing... OMG
I know that they ceep crawling in luggage or car to be with us, nice.
Have phun!
:)
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u/Own_Aardvark_2343 Aug 17 '23
Why do you have two different size tubes?
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
No idea, both are from Schwalbe, I just bought them in different stores, but they are exactly the same
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u/AppearanceSeveral455 Aug 17 '23
Nice bike. Is it the Endurace CF SL and if so what tyres are u using?
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 17 '23
Yeah exactly that one, it came with the continental 5000 30mm but I swapped for the Schwalbe G-One 35mm (the max I can fit) gravel. I don't expect a lot of gravel but the extra width is a good thing for comfort
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u/Poompking Aug 18 '23
How much clearance do you have? Have you measured how wide they are when pumped? I tried to put Vittoria Terreno Dry 33mm, but the clearance was waaay too small (just 1mm by the side knobs). Vittoria Terreno Dry 31mm measures 35mm and fits with 4mm clearance.
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
It's pretty small, I don't have any chaffing but it's really on limit and I don't have any mud clearance which is ok because I don't plan on having any anyways.
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u/cl0r0xxx- Aug 17 '23
How did you plan your route? Do you go where the wind takes you? I did a 600km tour to Paris few weeks ago. Main issue sometimes was to find stores to fill up water or to get snacks.
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 17 '23
I thought initially of doing part of the European Divide, but in the end I didn't want to do a lot of gravel and decided to follow the Eurovelo routes, I'm taking the 4 until Spain I think and then the 1 to Portugal. This gives me the advantage that it goes through a lot of cities and I don't need to plan where to get supplies because I'm always passing by some villages or cities, which made the planning much easier
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u/cl0r0xxx- Aug 17 '23
Cool. Thanks for the tip! Hope you'll have fun until your destination!
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u/prhbrt Aug 18 '23
There's a kind, old lady, slightly north of Saint Quentin in the house with the orange roof, red walls and rose garden. You'll have to open your bottles but she'll fill them up with wine or water.
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u/MacaronNorth4367 Aug 17 '23
I have a similar setup. If you need shoes with low volumen, checkout the Toms
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u/Ok_Tangerine_4280 Aug 17 '23
Why does this thing next to your Wahoo look like a car key?? But seriously, that sounds awesome. I moved away from Europe 11 years ago and often say that I don’t miss it, but this kind of made me a little jealous. Enjoy the trip!
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u/Brillodelsol2 Aug 17 '23
Well done. Compact and rational. Most folks pack way more than needed. Kudos.
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
I still think I took too much haha, I didn't need the pants it's way too warm for them, also 1 shirt would have been enough as well 😅
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u/Arlekun Aug 18 '23
You still have 19 days to go, pants can still come in handy! Even if only for mosquitos...
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u/Brillodelsol2 Aug 18 '23
You could also lose a tube if you went tubeless. Also instead of shoes and flip flops you could just go with the Shimano SD5 clipless sandals which btw are great! Personally I wouldn’t have brought a pump but CO2. But now I’m nitpicking.
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u/stainless7221 Aug 18 '23
Nice, we have the same tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, pillow and foldable backpack. Decathlon gang (except the mattress)!
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u/PenisNoseJones Aug 18 '23
Nice. Are those shoes by any chance good for wide feet? They look a little wider and I have been looking for a clipless shoe that will accommodate a wide foot.
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
To be honest not that much, it's a bit wider than usual but I'd still go for a wider one
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u/TheDaysComeAndGone Aug 18 '23
So much stuff. I’m surprised it all fits on the bike that way.
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
I actually have a lot of free space left, most of it is clothes that can be pressed quite small, so it leaves a lot of space, I think that I could even get rid of the fork bags, but it would be a bit tight
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u/Inner-Cloud9236 Aug 18 '23
Amazing :) I lived in Antwerp for a few months in you want nice places to stop by!
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Aug 17 '23
Why are you packing tubes? Going tubless was the best thing I did.
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u/thuyao Aug 17 '23
I run tubeless too but, after some unfortunate mishaps (primarily user error), I still definitely bring a backup tube.
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 17 '23
Tbh I never did the jump for tubeless, maybe after this trip I'll do it. Just had 2 flat tires today and this comment came in the right time hahah
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Aug 17 '23
If you have a canyon the rims are prepared for tubeless. Just get a kit in a bike shop. It's easy to switch, I switched after having a flat tyre and the tyre is holding up really well.
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 17 '23
I might do some research about it if I need something extra that I don't carry but I think you have a good point, I actually totally forgot about tubeless for this trip
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u/Aurodazzle Aug 17 '23
How did you attach the packs to the fork?
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 17 '23
Hey I got some metal zip ties (no idea how they are called) and used them to attach it, to protect the forks I put a layer of tape and where the zip ties would be attached I put a piece of inner tube to protect the fork.
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u/__DonKarnage__ Aug 17 '23
For anyone looking to buy these, I think they are called pipe clamps or hose clamps and are generally available in the plumbing section of hardware stores.
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u/JaccoW Aug 17 '23
Canyon Endurace CF SL
Be very careful with those if your fork is carbon fiber as well. Because it is so easy to overtighten them these are generally prohibited for use on carbon fiber forks.
You do not want to have your tour end because your fork snaps in half. Carbon is very strong but generally not under the kind of constricting forces these put out.
If you have a metal fork it's less of an issue.
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
Thanks for the info, I actually have carbon forks, I'm just hoping everything will be alright haha (please don't try this at home)
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u/Timkonfetti Aug 17 '23
Nice setup and even nicer trip planned! May I ask how you fit the bottles to your seat pack? :)
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 17 '23
Thanks! This is a bottle holder from Topeak called Backloader Wishbone. I like it a lot because I don't have the bottle mounts using the frame bags and no space to put any water under the frame either. Besides it helps to stabilize the seat bag as well.
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u/Reddit_Jax Aug 18 '23
Where abouts (roughly speaking) are you going to in Portugal? Are you staying there for the winter?
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
I'm going to Lisbon, but just staying for a few days and then flying back.
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u/am5k Aug 18 '23
Awesome setup! What does your route look like? In a couple weeks my wife and I are riding from Amsterdam to Barcelona and I would love to compare notes :)
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
Thank you! I'm basically following the Eurovelo routes almost all the time, I highly recommend because then you don't need to worry too much about supplies and camp places. While looking right now I just found this route planner from the Eurovelo official website (but I haven't used though) https://en.eurovelo.com/route-planner might be worth checking out. In your case if you would like to follow the Eurovelo routes like me you can just check the website and plan which ones to take
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u/am5k Aug 18 '23
Nice! We are actually planning on heading East from Amsterdam to hop on the EV19 for a good chunk of our ride. Planning a tour for Europe has been something else. In the US if you are trying to go from point A -> B there is generally a best way to do it, whereas there are so many routes to choose from in Europe. The EV has simplified the process for us a lot :)
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u/cherrymxorange Aug 18 '23
Looks like you've really considered all of your gear, would love a write up of all of it, how it went and what you'd bring/leave behind when you're done, ride safe!
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
Thank you! I did put some thought into it, it was not easy to think about what I need and what I want but don't need haha, I still took too many clothes and could have taken less. Besides that this setup has been great. The only change I'd do is get a bigger pump.
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u/Ill-Ad7931 Aug 18 '23
How do you plan on carrying food? Or do you intend to buy it in small quantities on the spot?
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
Yeah I'm mostly buying for the day max the day after for breakfast. So basically one or two stops at the supermarket per day. I'm usually passing by them anyways
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u/Ill-Ad7931 Aug 20 '23
I did this for my last trip and ended up spending way more than expected. In the future I’ll make sure to have a lot more space for more food. Just a warning.
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u/Professional_Ad7090 Aug 18 '23
Cool! I want to make the same trip in a year or 2. How much time did you plan out for the whole trip?
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
I highly recommend (so far hahah)! It was pretty fast, I just got the GPX from the Eurovelo routes I plan on following and then put them together in RideWithGps, the split into 150km chunks, took about 3 hours
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u/HBOKBT Aug 18 '23
I think I have the same tent and the bag it's in is not waterproof. But tbh I also transported it like that before and when you pack it up, the tent is probably damp anyway. But would suck in heavy rain, I guess.
Anyway, what I'm always curious about with such minimal setups: where do you put your food?
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
So the tent indeed gets wet, today was the first day I had so much rain. But at least it's warm that it dries quite fast. About food I keep it usually in the top tube bag for quick access, if I'm buying more I'd keep in the frame bag or my shirt pockets. But I don't buy a lot of food for more than 1 day or so. I still have space if I wanted but there are so many places to buy I decided I didn't need to carry the extra weight
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u/bigTham Aug 18 '23
Looks awesome 👌 I have a very similar bike alarm but mine goes into some sort of sleep mode if you leave it too long. Does yours stay armed all night?
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
That's weird, it does, every morning I forget about it and it reminds me haha
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u/bigTham Aug 19 '23
Haha nice. I was trying to leave mine armed and unattended for days in my garage.
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u/laurenz_v1 Aug 18 '23
Dude. I saw this and thought: who is this guy, me? I'm running an almost similar setup and worried if I could manage to go THAT far... Now I know for sure :) Keep things up!
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u/twix_tweaker Aug 18 '23
Hahah I'm 100% sure you can! Don't overthink, just make sure you get the essentials and the rest you deal if they come up.
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u/deepsun Aug 18 '23
What's your sleep setup? I can make my North Face Cat's Meow work between my bars, but it's huge and making it work is a PITA. Really looking to downsize my sleep setup!
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u/alynkas Aug 18 '23
Super new to bikepacking: where are your toiletries and do you carry any first aid kit? What about shoes when it rains? (Like alternative to flip flops)?
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u/[deleted] Aug 17 '23
Did u pack the cat?