NO bicycle is ready for bikepacking adventures without MANY modifications and added components!
Bikepacking is a niche of bicycle touring that typically avoids paved roads in favor of more remote destinations. Where traditional bicycle touring may never leave the pavement, bikepacking requires sturdier bicycles designed to carry the rider and gear over demanding routes. More than mileage, the unspoiled scenery and the challenge of the journey is the reward.
There are many opinions as to what combination of frame and components combine to make the ideal bikepacking machine. Some routes are shared with hikers, including the Arizona Trail or Colorado Trail, where full-suspension is a necessity for traction and comfort.
In contrast, cross country travelers often select a longer wheelbase, "hard tail" bike for the most versatile ride over thousands of miles of mixed roads and trails. This includes the 2,745-mile Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, New Mexico at the Mexican border. This is the route that Ryan Duzer and Priority Bicycles had in mind when they designed the 600X - and the "New and Improved" Priority 600ADX. (Please see the related article which details the design elements and components of the new P600ADX.)
Make no mistake: The Priority 600ADX is the ULTIMATE bikepacking machine! Still, you can't take the P600ADX out of the box and set off on the GDMBR - or even an overnight bikepacking adventure. MANY modifications are REQUIRED to outfit any bicycle for bikepacking!
This article will cover the primary modifications I made to the Priority 600ADX for bikepacking.
See also the individual related articles for detailed instructions on mounting some of the accessories for #bikepacking, including the custom frame bag, fork mounted water bottle cages, and more. Let's start with the Priority 600ADX in the box, just after it's delivered by Fed Ex:
Number 1 - Bicycle Assembly:
Are you confident in your ability to install components, apply the correct torque, and test the operation of the gearing and brakes on your new bike?
If not - take your new Priority 600ADX directly to the nearest bike shop and pay them to assemble and test the bike. Expect to pay about $50.00. Better yet - ask if they will teach you how to set-up and adjust your new bike. If new bike assembly costs $50.00, offer them $75.00 if you can watch and ask questions and understand what they are doing. DON'T expect them to agree to this in the middle of the Spring rush! The dead of Winter is best. Second best is offering to come in after hours and promise to bring a six-pack of the mechanic's favorite craft brew!
Number 2 - Bicycle Fitting for Bikepacking:
The proper bike fit assures you of pain-free riding, plus optimum performance.
Are you confident in adjusting the seat height and tilt of the handlebars to properly fit you? If not, stop by your local bike shop. You can ask if they would mind checking your fit for free. But if you make a few purchases first, you can ask at the checkout and get a better response. Note that some high-end bike shops offer an expensive, paid fitting process (geared more for racers and triathletes) and might not agree to look over your rig for free.
Number 3 - Making the First Component Changes on Your Bikepacking Bicycle:
Your new bike is going to include a cheap set of pedals. These platform pedals are adequate for the initial fitting. If you are not into demanding trail riding or long-distance touring, you may be happy with these pedals for a while. But if you want to maximize the performance of your new bike, the first thing to change is the pedals. Mountain bikers prefer pedals with serrated flats. Touring riders prefer pedals with spring-loaded clips that attach to shoe cleats - known as "clipless" pedals as opposed to the old-fashioned toe clips of my youth.
The choice between flats and clipless pedals isn't necessarily either/or. In my case, I prefer double-sided pedals that allow me to clip-in on most roads, then ride without clips on dangerous hills and in the mud.
Either way, your choice of pedals determines your choice of shoes. For bikepacking on maintained gravel roads I wear a pair of leather Shimano XC100 SPD shoes. For overnight bikepacking adventures and cross-country events with sloppy conditions I wear cycling flats that have recessed cleats plus a sole with tread. These are the better choice for touring where I need to walk around a grocery store, push the bike up a rocky hill, or when setting up camp.
Shoes for bikepacking are a personal preference. The other component that is 100% personal is the saddle.
Most stock bike seats are low-priced junk. The stock WTB saddle on the P600ADX may fit you well. If not, be prepared to swap the seat to fit your anatomy and your riding style. Many stock seats on road bikes are rock hard. If you are a racer and always ride with padded chamois shorts, you might get by. For multi-day bikepacking, I do NOT ride with padded bike shorts. I tour with basic MTB shorts and underwear (Merino wool) for comfort on the bike, hiking up the hills, and walking around town or attractions along the route.
Wearing unpadded shorts requires a padded saddle! (Some long-distance riders swear by Brooks leather saddles. If you choose this option, be prepared to spend the first 1,000-miles in agony while breaking it in, and then the rest of your life protecting it from moisture.) There are plenty of inexpensive padded saddles to choose from. There is NO reason to suffer! Your local bike shop might have a few on hand, or you can make your selection online. These saddles are reasonably priced, at one-half or less a painful Brooks saddle.
On the Priority 600ADX, the other component change that I make is to REMOVE the kick stand. Many bike tourists love kick stands. personally, I can't stand anything that rattles and ALL kickstands rattle! I sacrifice the convenience of standing the bike for the necessity to lean it against something or lay it down. You may choose otherwise. At the same time, I also remove and discard the required reflectors included with all bikes today.
The Priority 600ADX is assembled - now we continue to necessary additions for bikepacking.
Number 4 - Adding Parts to the stock bicycle; building a Bikepacking machine:
Now we fall deeper down the "rabbit hole". There is NO END to the parts that you can add to your new bike. We aren't concerned with appearance. I am only taking about FUNCTION. The diagram below shows that the Priority 600ADX is supplied with 19 braze-on mounting points for accessories. Now is the time to carefully think through how and where you plan to ride.
The first accessories most riders add are water bottle cages. On most of my bikes, I add two water bottle cages on the seat and down tubes. With the Priority 600ADX, you also have the option to add another water bottle UNDER the down tube, and two more on the rear seat stays if you ride in the desert. Just remember that water is heavy! On the other hand, for hardcore trail riding, many mountain bikers prefer a hydration pack and avoid water bottles completely.
In my case, the highest bikepacking "priority" for my P600ADX is carrying capacity.
This means that the FIRST accessory that I added was a customized frame bag. (See the related article for the features and installation, including mounting to the frame braze-ons on the P600ADX.)
After installing the frame bag, I added a water bottle cage inside on the down tube. I use this cage to carry a larger bottle with a built-in water filter for rides in remote areas. This filtered water bottle serves as my "reserve"after I drain the others on the bike.
In the photo above you can see that I also added water bottles to the front forks of the Priority 600ADX.
The new suspension fork on the P600ADX does not have braze-ons for accessories, but these are easy to add. Since the cages must carry the heavy bottles AND stand up to the continual action of the suspension fork, I installed these mounts with heavy-duty double-sided mounting tape, and then added three zip ties to each. (See also the related article for this water bottle installation.) Each water bottle is further secured with a Velcro strap around the fork, bottle, and cage.
These three water bottles are safe and secure, just not convenient while riding. So I next added two "feed bags" to both sides of the handlebar stem. I add a water bottle on one side. The other side carries my cell phone and a few snacks. After I drain the handlebar bottle, i refill it from one of the fork-mounted bottles at the next rest stop.
Four water bottles are the minimum for extended rides. At the rate of one bottle per hour, I will need to resupply twice per day. This is not a problem in populated areas with stores, gas stations, or parks and campgrounds. On some more remote routes I may need to filter water at a lake or stream crossing. If fresh water is not available (in the desert Southwest, for example, especially on overnight rides), I will be forced to carry more water, by either adding more water bottle cages or adding larger bikepacking bags to carry as much as a gallon per pannier.
The "water bottle" on the underside of the downtube is actually a zippered tool case. This is the ideal location for tools, with the weight carried low, yet everyting is accessible in seconds without needing to paw through larger bags.
Another personal preference for #bikepacking is choosing between a rear rack or a bikepacking saddle bag to carry your gear.
Decades ago, I started out touring with a rear rack and panniers. I tried a saddle bag when they became the new norm, but I found that I could never eliminate the annoying swaying load. Whenever possible, I try to avoid panniers and travel light. My prefered bikepacking mix is a rear rack that holds a dry bag with my sleeping gear (air mattress, hammock or tent, rain fly, and sleeping quilt.)
There are many rear racks to choose from, if you select this option. I recommend a strong but simple aluminum rack and the Priority 600ADX has mounting points on the rear dropouts and braze-ons on the upper seats stays. Like installing water bottle cages, be very careful when installing a load-bearing rack to use semi-permanent Lock-Tite on all accessory bolts.
With all my light but bulky sleeping kit in the rear dry bag, I can fit my food and miscellaneous gear in the frame bag. My spare clothes and left over gear fits in a small compression sack that is held tightly by a harness from Lone Peak Packs. I also have a small Lone Peak "snack pack" on the top tube for my sun glasses and a few added snacks.
Number 5 - Converting the Priority 600ADX to tubeless tires.
Tubeless tires are PERFECT for #bikepacking. There really are NO downsides!
Tubeless tires are self-healing when faced with the typical small punctures from nails, glass, and thorns. You can adjust the tire pressure for more comfort and/or better traction in soft sand. When running at lower pressure, you eliminate the problem of pinch flats to the inner tubes. Eliminating the inner tubes reduces the weight of the wheels, and this reduction of "dynamic weight" makes pedaling easier. Win-Win-Win-Win!
The Priority 600ADX is supplied with rims and tires that are "tubeless ready", but with inner tubes installed. I won't cover the tubeless conversion process here (see the related article - Click HERE) but I STRONGLY recommend that bikepackers not only plan to complete this major upgrade but also learn how to do it themselves. However, with that recommendation, I ALSO recommend logging a few hundred miles on the stock tires with inner tubes to "break in" these tires and get them well-seated on the rims. Trust me - this will make reseating the tires without the inner tubes a more painless process.
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