BIKEPACKING BIKES

The BeST

for all riding styles

Are you excited to strap some camping gear to a bike and pedal off toward the horizon? Of course you are! Bikepacking is the best. :) You don't necessarily need a fancy bike for bikepacking, but it does help to have a reliable ride that's designed for the terrain you'll be tackling.  Tap to see an overview of bikepacking bike types and popular models for each.

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What kind of bikepacking?

The best kind of bike depends on where you want to go bikepacking. Each type of bike has an ideal range of terrain and surfaces:

Gravel Bikes

Best for: well-maintained gravel and dirt roads, occasional pavement or smooth dirt trails

Advantages: light and simple

Disadvantages: challenging and uncomfortable on rougher surfaces

Gravel Bikes

Popular Bikepacking

Salsa Cutthroat

Marin Four Corners

Trek Checkpoint

Rigid Mountain Bikes

Best for: rough dirt and gravel roads, moderate trails, long mixed-terrain routes

Advantages: simple and very versatile

Disadvantages: overwhelmed by very technical trails

Rigid Mountain Bikes

Popular Bikepacking

Kona Sutra LTD

Salsa Fargo

Surly Grappler

Hardtail Mountain Bikes

Best for: moderately technical trails, rough 4x4 roads, comfort on bumpy surfaces

Advantages: comfortable and capable

Disadvantages: heavier and more complex than fully rigid

Hardtail MTBs

Popular Bikepacking

Surly Karate Monkey

Salsa Timberjack

Marin Pine Mountain

Full-Suspension Mountain Bikes

Best for: very technical trails with large obstacles

Advantages: most capable choice for technical riding

Disadvantages: complex, expensive, limited cargo space

Full-Suspension MTBs

Popular Bikepacking

Santa Cruz Tallboy

Salsa Spearfish

Cannondale Scalpel

There are so many ways to bikepack, and so many great bikepacking bikes! Read the full post for more.

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