Bikepackers are a finicky customer to cater too. In addition to having all the wants and desires of traditional mountain bike consumers, we have additional needs that can sometimes overwhelm the neophyte demo tech or hungover pitch man. But as more and more cyclists decide to strap on bags and hit the trail, forward thinking companies with an eye on capturing their share of the market have attempted to up their game.
We first noted this trend when Bikepackers Magazine reported from Interbike in Las Vegas last fall. We observed a growing number of bike manufacturers specifically marketing to bikepackers. We checked out custom bikes and bags being sold together and we got to briefly demo some 2015 rides.
But that experience left us wondering “how accurately do the sales presentations and slick marketing schemes correlate with a bike’s real ride and actual potential for bikepacking adventures? What’s the truth with these rigs and what really works for a bikepacker looking to buy a new bike?
Interested in exploring more, we traveled to Moab to shred as many demos as we could. In between laps at the Brand Trails, we spoke with company reps and tipped back frosty beverages with a plethora of folks. After many conversations, bike rides, product testing, and yes, more beer, we’re not sure we’ve answered our initial question – but three days of camping, riding and laughing in the Utah desert made for some fun evaluations.
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