Question: How do I carry gear for a weekend trip on a road bike that won’t accept a rack? I want to travel light and stay in motels, but I still need to carry clothing and other items. — Mike M.
Coach Fred Matheny Replies: There’s increasing interest in so-called “credit card tours” using a regular road bike, traveling as light as possible and spending nights in motels or B&Bs.
Lon Haldeman, the two-time Race Across America winner, used to train by riding 150-200 miles on Saturday, staying in a motel, and then riding home the next day by a different route. He carried everything he needed in a seat bag.
Lon was the master of traveling light. For instance, he wouldn’t carry rain gear. If the sky opened, he’d stop at a convenience store, ask for a garbage bag, poke holes for his head and arms, and ride off.
Depending on how much gear you want to carry, you might get by with a large seat bag and a back-mounted hydration pack.
For years I’ve used a large Blackburn bag that secures to the seatpost and saddle rails, then extends back another four inches. It rides snugly without wobbling and holds tools and clothing. A medium-size hydration pack will have room for toiletries, snacks and a jacket strapped on the outside. With a carefully chosen load, you’re set.
If you want to take more, a good solution is an English touring-style transverse saddle bag. Carradice makes them but they’re not widely available in the U.S. Try Rivendell Bicycles, which has its own line of saddle bags.
These saddle bags mount most easily on seats with loops on the rear, a design that isn’t seen much nowadays. Some Brooks saddles (also available at Rivendell) have loops. You can attach the bag to any saddle’s rails, but it will sway more.
And check out the saddle bags reviewed on our site.
Don’t Miss In the RBR E-Bookstore
Touring By Race Bike
By Doug and Kathy Kirk
You can tour with no support on almost any good quality bike—even racing, cyclocross or triathlon bikes—and you can do it on skinny tires. We know because we’ve done it and so have our friends. Your gear can weigh less than your 16 pound race bike, lots less. You can still go fast. Your bike will handle almost the same as ever. You don’t need a special (and heavy) bike or hundreds of dollars of special gear. Likely as not, you don’t even need panniers.
Seat post mounted rack is your friend here. Tons on amazon show up on a google search, and Arkel makes a good one for $99. Then a decent trunk bag and you can tour, no issues. Might even accept panniers.
Old Man Mountain makes racks that will work with road bikes. I used one myself when I rode the Blue Ridge Parkway over nine days last year. I packed light–an extra jersey and bib shorts, one change of regular clothes and some tools and nutrition–and fit everything into two panniers.
The Old Man Mountain rack works great. I used it on my skinny tire road bike to ride from Anacortes to Boston, (4200 miles) with no problems. I have used it on plenty of shorter tours, too. I did get a special seat tube tightening loop that has a place opposite the tightening screws where I can attach the rack instead of using the regular seat post attachment system that comes with the rack. I am short & so have no seat post space to spare.
On that same trip, my husband used one of the giant saddle bags so as to avoid the weight of a rack. But it grew droopier over time. In Minneapolis, he bought a rack & panniers.
I use a rear rack that clamps onto the seat post with a quick release. While you would not want too much weight it worked fine on the GAP/C&O to carry food, phone, wallet, bike lock and clothing for the day. For security just take it with you when you stop somewhere.
Seems like this article, and some of the replies, were recycled from about five years ago, before bikepacking became a thing. There are dozens of companies, many of them small US businesses, making bikepacking bags that attach directly to the bike and do not require racks. Seat packs, frame packs, top tube packs, handlebar packs, etc. Just Google “bikepacking bags” or check out some of the companies like Revalate, Oveja Negra, Apidura, etc.
I have a Thule Pack and Pedal which fastens onto the seat stays with straps. Used it on a ride around Lake Ontario with no problems. I believe there’s an attachment that allows panniers.
Seems funny to me that no one is talking about what you can get in your jersey pockets. My center pocket has a Green Guru pouch with tools, tube, Co2, etc. The outside pockets have a 1) waterproof pouch for phone, ID, credit card, etc. and 2) nutrition and more. This works for one day long rides. Adding a large seat post bag or, IMO better yet, a small to medium-size hydration pack would be more than enough for an overnighter. I am also surprised no one mentioned that either washing jersey/shorts/socks or carrying a change of riding clothes is highly desirable. A long day of riding and my clothing smells pretty bad. I can’t image wearing it a second day.
The large Apidura bag can hold a weekend’s worth of clothing if you pack it right. As someone noted above there are plenty of bike packing bags designed for these purposes.