The 13 BEST Bikepacking Bikes For 2021!

[@Cyclingabout]

I know, there is a LOT of information in this video! 🤯 If you'd prefer to digest it a bit slower, I also have a written version on my website: www.cyclingabout.com/best-bikepacking-bikes-2021/

[@timneut6202]

Thanks for the video! Did you planned a video like this for the best touring bikes of 2021?

[@teslafudge1585]

Are you comfortable with your support levels? Your content is exquisite.

[@mojomaze]

any views on the focus Altas 6.7 as that is a gravel bike fully set up for touring and cheaper than many of the bikes you picked.

[@aimanhakim4215]

May i ask you sir. Is it okay to put a mtb a drop bar+clip on bar?

[@reneacevedo87]

Where is the link for the riverside 920 pls and thank u

[@Roedrik]

I'm still blown away by the information presented in these videos and your site Alee! I feel like all the other Top X lists from other websites completely gloss over your gear inch benchmarks and geometry selections. As always thanks for taking the time to put this list together, hoping to see more of your on road adventures in the new year, ride safe!

[@Cyclingabout]

Thanks! The typical lists that are put together are good for beginners (my stuff is so dense), but I'm trying to reach the enthusiasts who are eager to learn more. Hopefully, my videos are striking a chord and allowing people to think about their bikes in a different way. 🤘🏼

[@KowalMTB]

I'm not a bikepacking fan, but this material is avesome. The "passion-analytic" way to show the staff is superb!

[@kymcopyriot9776]

Second comment, honestly mate you are doing this so well. Your presentation is spot on, your pace and enunciation are perfect. The information is comprehensive but delivered in such a way that it’s easy to digest and never exhausting or overwhelming. Well done. Premium quality KZbin work.

[@cwr8618]

Dude you’re outrageous. The material, editing, analysis, data... unreal

[@anthonyricci73]

I love how you categorized the bikes. Especially the multiple gravel bikes. I could be biased as I own a 2019 carbon Checkpoint SL5. Thanks for another great video.

[@thomasmuller986]

I love steel bikes and light packed allroad Touring and I can only afford one bike besides my ghetto city ride that will be stolen one day. So I bought the Kona Rove ST and I highly recommend it. Super versatile geo and a bit more lively than the longer wheelbased and thicker tubed sutra.

[@DabboD]

Hey Alee, please could you do a rundown of the best gravel bikes for 2021, both straight & drop bars? I'd also be really interested in a video on straight vs. drop bars for a gravel bike - why you might want to get one or the other. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@mhilde7744]

You can't beat this guys knowledge and reviews! Ya just cant!

[@AQUPAS]

Excellent and informative video. I own both the 2021 Bombtrack Beyond+ ADV and 2021 Marin DSX 2. I was glad you included them in this comparison video. Great stuff.

[@Bohonk212]

Nice to see someone actually referring to specifics of low gearing. There are several decent apps to calculate gear-inches of you bike available. Everyone should know what they're riding.

[@maxsievers8251]

Trail is a geometry measure - not just the steering response. Low, mid and high trail result in different characteristics. There is also dynamic trail resulting from bigger tyres and wheel flop. It's just not that easy. I recommend Bicycle Quarterly for more information on this topic.

[@Cyclingabout]

Trail is the biggest determinant of steering response. It's a great way to compare the steering response of bikes with similar tyre widths.

[@k04s4]

Cheers 🍻 Great information, I'm not looking to buy but watched the entire video.

[@markowsley4954]

Good content as usual. I like that you are choosing bikes that are more affordable. To many reviews always choose the latest and greatest high tech bikes that cost more than a new motorcycle.

[@ericfreef]

Great video, thanks for doing it-watching this made me even more satisfied having gotten a Fargo a little over a year ago given the price and its capabilities!

[@Cyclingabout]

Great to hear! 🤘🏼

[@seitenryu6844]

These videos are always 👍. Refreshing to hear objective points and you didn't even resort to a Koga plug. Just bought the guide to have as a reference.

[@downtofun]

Thanks for sharing. Well thought out and executed. I’ll be sharing it with our team at work. Appreciate you!

[@LeoInterHyenaem]

My picks would be the: - A Bastion Cycles allroad bike (once they design it. The most exclusive beauties among bikes!) - A Métier Velo allroad bike (almost as beautiful as the Bastion Cycles) - Salsa WarBird (2019 and newer. Among the most beautiful gravel bikes there is, in My opinion) - Norco Search XR - Accent Feral - Accent Freak - Genesis Datum (unfortunately, out of production since this year) - Simplon Inissio (2020) - Rodeo Labs TrailDonkey - Ghost Road Rage -series (but with a much higher system weight limit than its measly 120kg) - Orro Terra Carbon - Look 795 (e-bike) - Nordest Albarda (but with internal cable routing, 22 Bicycles type frame split design & hydraulic couplers, as well as other tweaks. The geometry is beautiful) - …etc.

[@wildsurfer12]

I’m not a bike packer, but I do like how you say “bike packing bikes.”

[@steveretiredandcycling]

Thanks for the informative video. Love my Jamis Renegade!

[@jaydenbroad168]

Bought myself the Trek Checkpoint ALR 5 2021 before bikes started becoming hard to get hard of and haven't regretted my decision! I have the blue colour and I'm rather happy it made the list 🙌🏻. I have the largest frame size being 6'3" and long legged for my height and it's both a plus and minus that the frame triangle is massive compared to most bikes in terms of frame bags especially

[@guido1599]

Great video! Important for me is the amount and placement of mounting points. If you want to go bikepacking you could be limited by a carbon fork with no (or too little) mounting points. For example, to mount a salsa anything cage on the fork of my Trek Checkpoint ALR4, I have to buy a wolftooth b-rad system (around $50) to make it work. And then I still don't want to put too much weight on in because of the carbon. So keep that in mind!

[@grantrush8823]

nice video loved all the info! I own a salsa blackborrow. It wasn't in your video, but since you where talking about bike packing bikes thought I'd mention it. It is definitely my favorite bike I've ever owned. Its a little pricy, but it's perfect for me up here in northern Canada where there is lots of snow since it lets me right all year round. Cheers!

[@Cyclingabout]

The Blackborow is sweet! I'm hoping to do some desert adventures when I get home to Australia, and the Blackborow is one of my top picks for a build. 🤘🏼

[@ValentinoMariotto]

oh boy oh boy.. I bought your guide. I guess that the upcoming lockdown won't be boring

[@rogervancleave8670]

Great information! Thanks for sharing this. I am surprised to see that the Kona Sutra LTD or ULTD did not make the list. I love my LTD,but I suspect the lower gear inches were still pretty high compared to others.

[@ahmadzuhairi]

Glad the Poseidon redwood made the list. Super underrated bike.

[@steffilomi9328]

I find your list very reasonable. I would appreciated it even more, if you added also the metric conversions, since most countries use those. Kind regards.

[@mertakgun1718]

I just come across with this video although im not a bikepacker and i really wasnt expecting that much information given, well done keep up the good content you earned a new subscriber :D

[@vahpr]

I’ve been riding the Grail since it came out last season. Love the 2x but shifting the front becomes difficult, bike mechanic says it’s cable routing, dirt. Also the rear brake system seems to have developed a leak, needs bleeding again after 2 months. Nice bike though and hard to beat the price.

[@tkdliron]

Do you have a video about the best touring bikes for 2021 coming up soon? :)

[@Cyclingabout]

Hopefully, it will be available soon. But I'm going out cycling in Mexico first!

[@jimd.226]

All that matters is that you get out there and have fun.

[@philipdavis7521]

This is wonderful thanks, its given me yet more bike lust. Just one suggestion for the future - a petite female friend was looking for a gravel/bikepacking bike and it was really tough to find something suitable. She ended up going the expensive custom route as there seemed to be nothing suitable off the peg. So perhaps something on bike suitable for the very small (and very large) rider, as well as those who are a little oddly proportioned would be helpful.

[@Cyclingabout]

FYI - I keep lists of bikes for small and tall riders: www.cyclingabout.com/list-of-touring-bikes-for-smaller-cyclists/ www.cyclingabout.com/list-of-xxl-xxxl-bikes-for-tall-cyclists-62-63-64cm/

[@Average-J-O-E-]

I love your videos please keep making your awesome content watching you travel through Iran was probably the best videos I've ever seen I love your video on Iran shows just how misunderstood the people in landscape truly are yes the government's crazy but don't judge the country and People based on their leaders... and keep doing your tutorial content on everything that you cover you are superbly intelligent and thorough and when you cover the topic whether it's a drive system or resistance energy lost on power generating system you are very thorough and spot-on keep doing what you're doing I wouldn't change a thing oh and I loved your video about traveling to dangerous countries and how to do it safely great video thank you for being you

[@Cyclingabout]

I'm glad you like my content! Thanks for following.

[@ricardorivera6359]

What do you think of the Poseidon redwoods, would you recommend it to ride on the street and also in gravel and possible simple MTB trails, or for bikepacking, I would change the wheelsets to 29 or 700 because I have the wheelsets. It would be a good option for Puerto Rico. half gravel half asphalt.

[@jcsrst]

I always appreciate the thoroughness of your reviews, thanks!

[@kymcopyriot9776]

So relatable...chilled, very nerdy and hair almost as messed up as mine!

[@christophercoupal3449]

Have the timberjack from a year ago, it is definitely good enough for most trail riding

[@IvanBoner]

I’m convinced (probably wrongly) that the future of bikes is internally geared. I’m always a little disappointed when they don’t make your lists. You should do more videos on internal geared bikes like the pinion.

[@Cyclingabout]

Price is always a factor in these lists and Rohloff/Pinion bikes usually don't have a good price-to-performance ratio.

[@eduardozanette9236]

I was looking forward for this video! Thanks

[@advmotorrad]

Dont you think that GAINT TALON series fits in this catagory too? Or any Gaint bicycle which you recomand

[@sahasrangshuutube]

Is it advisable to do longer Brevets or cross state ride in Checkpoint ? or Domane is better ? What is your opinion about Scott Addict GRavel.

[@AveryAbbott]

Great video, hard to fault your logic on your picks, but I walked away confused that you had teased the Kona Sutra ULTD several times but didn't end up selecting it.

[@harveyjoneswoodsman5956]

For the price I would definitely go with the Poseidon redwood

[@thecappy]

I use my Salsa Warbird GRX 2x for bikepacking and gravel racing. Great bike for both.

[@joemurray3082]

Outstanding as always. I just wish any of these were available in the US!

[@pkxpress]

I just ordered the Canyon Grail AL 7.0 Thursday and it is due to hit my driveway Sunday. The website says it won't be in stock until the end of May. Just keep checking the website everyday for updated stock info.

[@mattdelcomyn8012]

Super thorough and informative!! Thank you!!

[@endlesscyclist1212]

Happy new cycling year 😃

[@ManLulupaloop]

Hi Sir, I'm from Philippines my bike is Keysto Elite 27.5er what can you say this bike? do you think is this good for bike packing? thank you

[@ricardorivera6359]

what do you think of the redwoods with the handlebar (surly's corner bar) would be a good option. because there would be some difference in the height of the drops

[@simonjohnson2897]

Thanks Ali for another amazing video. The production value is like something a TV company would make. I’ve bought an IDWork BLT oPinion Ti and very happy with it.

[@LeoInterHyenaem]

I think, you unwittingly insulted Alee by addressing him as "ali". He's white, as far as I'm concerned, and doesn't appear a mohammedan in the least. He's even an ethical vegan - yet you call him "ali". I can't fault you for misspelling his name, as, unlike "ali", "Alee" is a very rare name, but yeah - he's still Alee. ;)

[@simonjohnson2897]

Woops! I think I phonetically transposed his name. My apologies

[@LeoInterHyenaem]

@@simonjohnson2897 Indeed, you did. 😜

[@whirving]

Looking at the Otso Warakin stainless. Just sold my 2 cyclocross bikes and now I have room for another more capable ride. Second is the Trek Checkpoint, third is the GR 300 Lynskey. All very similar geometry and features. Also capable of running larger (700x47ish) tires and a 2x gear set. Thanks for your recommendations they will help parse out the many options (first world problems indeed!).

[@tuaaler]

Have you ever tried a Jones Bike? Very upright and the geometry makes it easy to climb sitting which is great for people with bad knees and can't get out of the seat.

[@BBQJeep]

Great video! You should think about reviewing and adding this frameset to your book: The Fearless Warlock

[@dougshankle7946]

Surprised Surly didn't make this list.

[@brsmsic]

Why?

[@paultuke5110]

I ride the Straggler and love it - but just for the road.

[@Cyclingabout]

The ECR was a close 2nd in the 29+ category, and the Bridge Club was one of my top picks for 27.5+.

[@dougshankle7946]

@@Cyclingabout Love the ECR, just couldn't find one. Building out a Krampus, so far happy with it.

[@zolopo]

I like the Salsa Timberjack but Salsa’s frame warranty makes me unsure. What is your opinion on this? Thanks!

[@JamesBond-qw3jw]

Thank you for this review, there's a ton of information I really need to know, formerly I owned a Giant xtc-slr 3. with SLX gorupset, my wife has a scott 26 and I feel its a lot better than my Giant and both bikes since its a mountain bike is so slow compared to my Cannondale CAAD8 which I modified to an ULTEGRA GROUPSET, and I was really happy with roadie for it's Topspeed , I feel like my energy is wasted witht the gearing of my Giant, so Hear goes my actual question hope you can help me. My combination is 700c tires with 11-34 cassette, with 54-36 Crankset 11 speed what is my gear inches for my roadie? thanks a lot ! The reason why I'm asking is that I'm preparing for a nother build, btw can you talk about BLUE LUG custom bike builds and why they choose to use brands like surly, MASH, Breadwinner, VeloOrange, CRUST, ALL CITY, RIVENDELLE, and AFFINITY CYCLES can you tell me about those brands and geomentry?

[@coreyreeder2321]

Glad to see the Poseidon Redwood on the list. I kinda want one

[@outsidelife5411]

at 1:00am I am watching bike packing vids and gears. Would be fun to bike pack.

[@kevindean9613]

In the UK importing some of these bikes doubles the price ,If looking for a Titanium frame with Standard ,Rohloff or Pinion gears Olsen are excellent value .

[@marc_frank]

nothing belt driven in this video? the standard tire size in my area is 28" what do you think of trekking bikes?

[@Cyclingabout]

Belt drive bikes normally don't make my lists because you need a Rohloff hub or Pinion gearbox to get appropriately low climbing gears. These gearboxes push the bikes into price points that are simply not good value.

[@nikolaosstavrou5327]

exellent! Iwas searching for a all around muntain bike, thanks for the video.

[@peterlehman8448]

I tried to order a 2021 Kona Sutra in Ontario, Canada last October (2020). NGHHHH!!!! All sold out. In OCTOBER!! I opted to upgrade my 1986 Specialized Expedition. Okay, so, maybe "upgrade" is ... misleading. I kept the frame and the seat post ... and the Shimano smooth post canti's, ... because the mounts are on a road bike frame and nothing else fits! (Uggg! And they were one of my original motivations for upgrading!!!) It is now a 3x10 Tiagra with Microshift downtube shifters. Don't ask. it was not easy. (Special ordered from Japan!) New hubs, spokes, rims, BB, cranks, derailleurs, chain, ... probably new tires before I leave. (Kona would have been cheaper ...) Hoping to ride from Waterloo ON Canada to Gaspé QC Canada this summer. Anyone else out there too dumb to quit? (No offense, Alan.) I MEAN looking for an adventure? (Anyone with a few grand lying around collecting dust would be welcome to say hello, too!)

[@chrischros5804]

Great content as usual! I'd love to hear your opinion on the Fairlight Faran 2.0!

[@jimdyal6989]

Such great content! I love all the detail and research! Keep up the good work.

[@albertlee9238]

thanks for the details ! what are your thoughts on the Specialized Diverge expert ?

[@png.giorgos6459]

Amazing work! You share invaluable information in all of your videos. Thanks both for that and taking us with you around the world. Starting on bike touring these days, you can find endless technical information about bikes and gear in general but there is one subject that I would like to know more, specially from someone with your experience. Simply food... what do you eat out on the road while cycling for months or years at a time?

[@Cyclingabout]

I just eat normal food like at home. Nothing special. I have an extensive list on my website: www.cyclingabout.com/guide-bicycle-touring-vegan-travel/

[@frakafrocka]

amazing vid. That rock shocks maintenance interval seems like a bit much. Glad I don’t have squish.

[@Cyclingabout]

You can definitely push the limits, depending on the conditions. But this is one of the key reasons why touring and bikepacking bikes use a rigid fork.

[@frakafrocka]

@@Cyclingabout thanks for input and another awesome vid. nerdiest content out there. so good!

[@Cyclingabout]

It keeps getting nerdier! There is probably a tipping point when people stop watching because it all makes no sense. 😂

[@richardseger2550]

Great stuff! I learned and a lot and i am happy to see the Checkpoint included. I have a SL6 and love it. Looks like i might need a hard tail for bike packing (N+1). What are your thoughts on stem shocks? I added the Redshift shock to my checkpoint and I really like it. Thks again!

[@michaelrabago5539]

Can you review the VAAST A1 gravel bike with 27.5 wheels it is a magnesium bike would like to get your view if this would make a good bike packing bike.

[@LeoInterHyenaem]

3:41 The Accent Feral is a beauty!

[@gimmainart8305]

his accent is good, but his English pronunciation is great :-)

[@danilocapellan1316]

Excellent video. 👍🏼

[@SirBikesAlot]

Great video as alway Alee. I feel like I always learn something when I watch your videos.

[@Cyclingabout]

That's my aim!

[@sharonmerredew2747]

Very interesting video - I would be interested in which bikes you would recommend for a short female to use. All my bikes have been women specific fit, which seems to work well for me. But i've not yet found a women specific touring bike. Am I looking for he wrong thing?

[@foursite]

This is a lecture on bikes! Good job!

[@DNGR369]

Great spec breakdown but this is basically every bike category

[@akooru]

I purchased your trekking guide and love it! Great content. Any recommendations on pinion gravel bikes specifically?

[@conanfa18]

Can you please decipher why carbon front forks are included on gravel/adventure bikes? Seems that metal all around is better for strength and endurance, yes? Also, aren’t bosses for gear attachment better with metal frames vice carbon? I had a specialized road bike from years ago that failed at the bottle cage mounts. It was a complete loss. Also, I didn’t notice any of your choices with internal hub drives, like Alfine, Rolhoff, or Pinion? It would seem that for true adventure riding, greater potential durability would serve Bike Packing very well? There is a new Priority 600X, aluminum off road Pinion option with a lot of Rack and Mounting points...Seems potentially “revolutionary”! Appreciate your feedback.

[@akitainu2479]

Hi I’m a aspiring Bikepacker from Germany and found you’re Videos very informative and help for a beginner that doesn’t understand much about the subject. Thanks to you’re advice I bought a salsa Fargo apex 1 and I’m planning to upgrade the drive train to a belt with internal Rohloff hub :) the only thing missing now is a front dynamo hub with a good light and usb charger. I want to Beginn a massive journey next year and travel from my home city of Hannover to the very top of Norway. I have I lilttle concern mounting Paniers to a front rack because of the carbon fork (despite the THICC construction). Any Advice that y can give me to maximize my carry capacity on the front ?

[@Mike-ql4sz]

Wow! I'm even more confused and overwhelmed after watching ur video. I am a total newbie in this field but would like 2 buy a bike for allterrain rides. Not into BMX, just regular rides on and offroad on gravel/forest roads. Wondering why u didn't consider beltdrives at all? Anyways, Thx and congrats 4 ur work!

[@trelosenario]

Did anybody else excited when he said : I made this video particularly informative ....??

[@Tralfamador75]

Nice comparisons! I has a 2020 Breezer Radar Expert and I like it (maybe not a light one but I think it's not sluggish at all; if you think that just try my city/trekking bike :-D ). My question is just for curiosity: which bike to see next to Riverside 920? Thx.

[@tomar5e115]

Notice you have an Aussie accent, have you got recommendations for bikes available in Australia?

[@sfdint]

Super informative!

[@TheLoftmeister]

REally nice video. I am currently looking into a either titanium or carbon gravelbike from Planet X. Do you have any experience with those ?

[@BazDawah]

Thank you..keep it up... Curious to know your thoughts on the Marin four corners as it's a very popular bike in North America and considered for gravel / touring / backpacking

[@ciaranlogue2310]

I watched this as I'm new to biking and wanted to see what I should get for around £500. To say I'm confused by this would be an understatement. Great video, though. For all you bikey people that understood it. Lol

[@nasos7553]

Your videos are rad dude👊🏻

[@mrben6573]

Would you ever do a video about single speed bicycles? There's a fair amount of bikepackers / extreme distance riders that opt for single speeds, usually configured for between 50 and 65 gear inches from what I've seen. I know you're a Rohloff / Pinion internal gearing kind of guy, but a video about single speeds might be a fun thought experiment.

[@OllyKilo]

I love how you say SHRAM! Excellent video my friend. Thank you.

[@alexandervince81]

Great video as always! What do think about the Temple Adventure Disc?

[@MrKushinator420]

Me: I should go to bed My brain at 3 am having ridden 10 miles in the past 10 years on a bicycle:

[@sangredelobo8388]

Hello Alee- Thank you! your videos are always so informative. Question: What do you think of the Priority adventure 600X? It's one of the few bikes available in the States with the Pinion/Gates system thats not a custom build

[@antoniobortolottisoundheal2197]

Thanks for this video!!!

[@nicholasmartin5446]

any honorable mentions? Kona Rove etc?

[@VictorLombardi]

Hey -- Great video. Love the idea of the guide. FYI when I saw the image of the book I clicked away. Looking at it again I see it's a PDF which is great. That image might be hurting sales?

[@0269178]

Im on the website of Jamis and the S3 does not include GRXdi2 but Shimano GRX RD-RX400. great video btw thanks for all that work!

[@Grandpierrefull]

Nice vid man ! Im gonna take bombtrack arise tour (its a Touring one)

[@Grandpierrefull]

finally I will take the Koga W-s, I am 2,02 meters tall and the frame will better fit to my size :)))

[@AndrewGibson22]

Brilliant, thank you.

[@redcloudmc]

Just found your channel. Subscribed...looks great. Keep up the good work 👍

[@kevindean9613]

Crumbs you certainly have put a lot of work into your books that I've recently purchased ,I've noticed you gave your bike a 3 out of 4 is there any reason why . Talking of comfort have you seen the SQLabs saddle , after having a operation on my prostate I find this saddle very comfortable .

[@Cyclingabout]

The value rating in my books takes into account the price. The KOGAs are nice, but on the more expensive side for what you get. Glad to hear the SQLabs saddle is working for you!

[@kevindean9613]

@@Cyclingabout Thank you for your reply , I have a Thorn Nomad Mk2 with a Rohloff but I prefer the geometry of my Ribble Adventure to enable to have a Rohloff fitted it would require a chain tensioner ,do you have an opinion on these ?