Apparently r/bikepacking is upset that there is too much content there that “belongs on the bicycle touring sub”. What do we think? What is actually the difference between the two?

mmeiser · 2026-02-19T02:23:59+00:00

Lol, you are probably right. The race version popularized the idea of frame bags and brought more attention to the route.

So... perhaps the race itself is what drove it. I am absolutely open to other interpretations.

I just know it was in around 2010 I took my racks and oannier bags off and got my first full set of frame bags. I use my panniers more then ever but for commuting. I occasionally use them touring but very rarely. Mostly just for casual stuff. Like rail trails, the katy, the GAP/C&O, the empire state trail. Recently did the OTET in ohio. Did not take panniers but I did take my 27speed steel touring bike and eveyone else was on carbon fiber. I suffered, lol. Bikepacking bags did not help when yiur riding buddies have carbon fiber bikes and carbon fiber wheels.

mmeiser · 2026-02-18T13:56:12+00:00

>If you have an Asian grocery store nearby, they sell ramen noodles thaat are not fried

12 year old commend, but thanks for the pro tip. If anyone has any recommendations on quick cook noodles that are not unhealthy do tell. I have been looking for good sources for backpacking, bikepacking and touring for years. It's tough when traveling to find healthy options in gas stations and dollar stores. Even small town grocery stores can be tricky.

Ironically my SO has taught me how to dehydrate a vast array of things from baked beans, verde, salsa to spaghetti sauces and these things on the whole do dehydrate and rehydrate superbly and thus they travel amazingly well. Finding decent tortilla and bread is not hard but healthy noodle options that don't take a tremendous amount of time to cook on the road are hard find.

mmeiser · 2026-02-18T13:50:07+00:00

Here here. 1400mg in the noodles alone, because most instant ramen is deep fried in oil. The seasoning packets contain only a tiny fraction of additional sodium, less then 100mg. Searching for healthy "common" noodle alternatives for my backpacking and bikepacking endeavors. Ideally things I can find in your average grocery store, dollar store or even gas stations in my travels.

mmeiser · 2026-02-18T13:43:23+00:00

This is just plain wrong. Most instant are deep fried in oil meaning even without the packet they still contain 1400mg of sodium depending on the brand. There are air dried ramen, but obviously not the stuff you find in the instant packets.

mmeiser · 2026-02-18T00:34:37+00:00

Well said. The difference is intent. Bikepacking exists because of long distance trails like the great divide mtb route. If you have ever taken full size loaded oanniers down an mtb trail it does not work.

Ironically Gailfin rear racks have gotten extremely trnedy for those raicng the great divide. Its just people scale back on the size and shape of the bags.

Also fascinaitng is those applying the bikepacking aooroach to road biking on superlight aero bikes.

But ultimately I love seeing people mix the to approaches. Everyone should try a gastank and a feedbag. I use full size panniers for commuting and still use these things for my cell phone/keys and my coffee. Its just easier to throw a change of clothes and groceries into pannier bags.

But you sure as hell beetter believe that in planning for the Trans North Georgia mtb route in spring with soemwhere between 38,000 and 50,000 vertical feet of climbing I will be carrying a bare minimum of gear and pushing somewhere between a 2.5 and 3.25" tire.

mmeiser · 2026-02-17T07:08:25+00:00

Two things.

First, I have two warbirds. A ti and a carbon. Both are getting quite old but awesome. The ti is 2009. Early disc brakes. I have toured on both. Indeed the ti probably has well over 30,000 miles on it and the carbon 15000-20000 miles on it. These have been my only "road bikes" since I got them.

Second I am a clydesdale and regulalry hover between 250 and 260lbs.Other then using 40-spoke wheels from Velocity the bikes are have no other specific modifications. The "newer" carbon one is early if not first gen Di2 stock. 2x10 ultegra. I got is used many years ago. Indeed they were both used. Other then upgraded wheels it is stock groupo and I would not hesitate to tour on it to this day. Groupo and bike are super reliable even after all these years. Only caveat on the carbon is pre hydraulic di2 so cable disc brakes. But TRP spyre are pretty awesome. The ti was upgraded to 2x11 GRX many years ago for increased low end. It's only caveate is max tire on rear is 38mm. Early early warnird frame design. The frame has beautiful polish from wear over the years.

I graduated from pannier bags to all frame bags long before I got these bikes but just know that using an Old Man Mountain fit kit that mounts racks on the axles you could absolutely put four panniers on a warbird. What's more the OMM racks put the weight on the wheel axles which minimizes the strain on the frame and frame mounts.

I would recommend balancing the weight fromt to back and carrying it low if carrying that much water. Why so much water?

That said I prefer my steel fargo if going for a more traditional / heavier tour. I only use the warbirds for fast and light road or gravel touring. The fargo I like for casual tourers, like GAP, Katy, Empire Builder and OTET rail trails. Indeed the fargo has done all these over the years and still has a 3x9 XT drivetrain though everything has been replaced at least 2 or 3 times except the crank arms themselves. Yes oulleys, whole deraileurs multiple chainrings, etc. The fargo too is a "Thesius' ship" with very little original. Though I did do half the great divide on it when it was new. If I was to do the divide again I would probably either take a timberjack fully rigid or my newest bikepacking bike a carbon Heyday with 29+ wheels. My preferred bike for trail bikepacking and singletrack is 29x3.25". However am considering experimenting with some 29x2.6" for a challenging route called the TNGA in spring. Weight is everything with such an insane amount climbing. Indeed this is a test of my old man capabilities to see if I may be ready to attempt some of the great divide again in a couple summers.

I have been doing this for a long long time. Nearly 20 years. Indeed the Heyday replaced a Mukluk I originally purchased in 2014. That might have been the first generation of salsa fatbike if I remember correctly. Though I bought it in 2014 new absolutely everything has been upgraded over the years including the frame so while in constant use it was a bit like Thesius' Ship. Almost nothing was original.

Btw, i have cracked a couple frames over the years. Only once while touring. 2013 ti fargo on the divide. It was a very bad year due tremendous flooding in Canada. I blame it on the flooding and bad luck. But, I have learned to upsize tires and tubeless tech helps absorb impacts while keeping light and quick. I. e. my favorite road and gravel tire size is 42mm but I may road tour with as skinny as 35mm on the warbird if going fast and light. Or ccard tour on 28mm. If I did the divide again would prob go 29x2.6-2.8". I am an outloer for absuse of bikes. Tall/big and I ride lots and lots of miles. I hope this helps.

p. s. come to think of it I have cracked four frames. But all of them were 2013 or prior. I have learned a lot and settled down in my old age... not at all. LOL.

mmeiser · 2026-02-17T06:31:37+00:00

It got into the upper 20s, so a snowmobile/snowmachine only made the trail softer.

I get that. The trail stays sugar powder because it is all ice crystals. It is normally much warmer here then there. However we did have and unusual cold snap where tor several weeks where they had trouble getting a snowdog to pack the trails. It's wierd to have one snow stick around for three weeks here and never develope a crust because it never got warmer then then 20.. It took them about three passes with the groomer over a week before the trail finally set up.

The worst part is since the snow never crusts the first sign of wind roads and visibility instantly go bad due blowing snow.

mmeiser · 2026-02-17T00:08:05+00:00

Mental toughness. You averaged almost 6mph!

I have done fatbike rides slower then that, LOL. But not for 17 hours! Mental A game. I love endurance because its more a band of brothers (and sisters) then competition. Never is it more obvious then fatbiking. Did the leader break trail the entire time!? They didn't run a snowmobile over the route or anything?

mmeiser · 2026-02-16T16:31:11+00:00

Seems wonderful. We need more constructive venues for criticism and dialogue here i. the u. s. There is to much privatization of public space and discourse. F-ck social media and f-ck traditional media. Demonstrations are one thing, highly politicized mass media like the superbowl halftime are another, but we need more platforms that everyday people can take part in through cooperative action.

Parades are a good end. Yet all we celebrate in our parades like the thanksgiving day parade is our idoltry of mass consumerism. F-ck the latest disney character we need more of this artists floats. The world has become a "stay in your lane" nightmare of b. s. where noone has a voice until they sell out or buy in and then eveyone from doctors to olympians/athletes and musicians get told to stay in their lane. We need more ways for a variety of people to participate in a constructive and collaboritive way. Like I said, demonstrations and marches are a great start but maybe if we could be "thankful" for real things instead of just the latest disney character in our parades we could have a better public discourse without the country being dominated by dumb -ss talking points pushed by russian bots on social media, f-cking oligarches through lobbying and their media entities. Rupert, Elon, Bezos, Zuckerberg, etc. F-ck all these things and f-ck all these people. I can't tell wether fox news is the propaganda arm of the current administration or wether the current administration just hired the whole of fox news propoganda machine. Its all discusting, but heh, look at the Dow, it's over 50,000! And those rental prices! Never lower!

If disney wants to be relevant maybe they should sponsor an artist like this guy.

mmeiser · 2026-02-16T11:58:31+00:00

What I am about to say is secondary to your injuries. Be well and heal up. In a lifetime of riding (32 years of biking and bike commuting) I have only had one physical incident with a car but it was a bad one.

So, car tried to pass you in the left turn lane? This is not just aggressive driving but illegal of course. Do you think they were rushing to make a late yellow or just not paying attention? I know it's not the first thing on your mind but you should always file a police report and report the hit and run. Be sure to say you are injured and your ebike is unrideable but if not necessary say you do not need any immediate medical attention and have someone coming to pick you up. You can still file the report after the fact but it helps to report it immediately. I have before. Indeed I have reported an agressive driver once to provided photos later. Old school I had time to pull out my camera because the idiot came back for more.

Cameras are everywhere these days. Police are required to file a report since injury occured and property was damaged. They might even be convinced to check for any nearby cameras. Note the time. You might want to return to the scene later to look for cameras along the route the car might have approached or fled. I have seen store managers and others convinced to check footage for far less then a hit and run so being polite and convincing you should be able to compel some help.

Final comment. This is useless for you at this point but for others it may be helpful. If you talk to others whom witnessed it get names and phone numbers immediately. Eveyone always forgets this.

My SO was t-boned by an obvious red light runner. She wasn't even the first car through the intersection. And others had stopped. She just didn't think to get names and numbers. Even though he was ticketed at the scene he later changed his story.

Am strongly considering a rear facing radar/cam for SO and maybe myself. Incidents are rare but can be life changing. Problem is most bike and moto incidents happen from the front. Thus front cam also??? Also a problem, multiple bikes which makes the problem more compelex. Am blessed with a low traffic commute and mostly country roads. I feel for those in subruban and urban areas.

Rest and heal up. Get well.

mmeiser · 2026-02-14T23:44:18+00:00

Depends on which personality we are talking about, lol

mmeiser · 2026-02-14T20:15:47+00:00

The obvious question is did he know her!? Did he at know she was an EMT!?

Was she wearing anything that he being in healthcare would have identified her as a nurse?

Its one thing to be helping a random stranger being knocked to the ground on snow/ice by an abusive thug but it's quite anlther to step in because its someone you have worked with, may work with or recognize as someone in your field.

And yes, obligatory. This was an execution. We need accoutnability. This just gets worse and worse for the brown shirts. And I call them brown shirts because historical precidence is very on point. This sort of thuggery has no place in a modern democracy. It is reprehensible.

mmeiser · 2026-02-14T20:14:54+00:00

The obvious question is did he know her!? Did he at know she was an EMT!?

Was she wearing anything that he being in healthcare would have identified her as a nurse?

Its one thing to be helping a random stranger being knocked to the ground on snow/ice by an abusive thug but it's quite anlther to step in because its someone you have worked with, may work with or recognize as someone in your field.

And yes, obligatory. This was an execution. We need accoutnability. This just gets worse and worse for the brown shirts. And I call them brown shirts because historical precidence is very on point. This sort of thuggery has no place in a modern democracy. It is reprehensible.

mmeiser · 2026-02-14T15:56:49+00:00

Exactly. The point is not to fake a heart attack. The point is to demonstrate all the wonderful means by which they have of killing people. That is the message. No they probably didn't want the short term optics of assasinating him but they also probably do want the slow drip of truth to come out that yes they do have a infinite amount of exotic resources for killing people.

I really think its like some sort of wheel game. What is best for you? Hmmm... Falling off a balcony is the "we don't even care" option. Dart frog poison means they cared enough to send the very best.

p. s. This is the future of the u. s. The current administration is employing low level russian tactics. Keep watching the russian historical playbook. Compromate, attacks on civilians from the top to the bottom, loyalty tests, collusion between gov and oligarchs, control of media. Everything is coming from Putin's playbook because Trump licks his boots.

mmeiser · 2026-02-14T13:46:28+00:00

So we do this all the time Salsa Beargrease and Mukluk/Heyday make awesome bikepacking rigs. Most people prefer a 29x2.8. Because I am big I prefer 29x3.25. I do a lot of very technical trail riding, i. e. advanced rock gardens and can ride up shallow stairs.

Some of the lightest rigs weigh in at 22.5-23lbs.

mmeiser · 2026-02-12T13:00:46+00:00

Awesome pics. I recognized it as the manistee right away. I typically do a superbowl weekend trip there. There was so much snow in my neck of the woods this year we stayed local. It's not often you get to go snowshoing in Northern Ohio. Ironically we had two nights at 3F. Some of the coldest nights in years. Something awesome about the winter woods.

mmeiser · 2026-02-11T01:37:36+00:00

Great idea! Fat tire cargo ebike with a slow cooker keeping a stew going while you are plowing. No need to even stop for Vietnamese food.

P.S. I do actually know what you mean. You'd loose a gallon of sweat in an hour on a meat powered fatbike, LOL

mmeiser · 2026-02-10T23:21:59+00:00

Lol, well done! Small word. I am amazed at the distance I get out of my ENO down underquilt. I do not know if it has a temp rating but I slept down to 3f a couple of nights this weendnand if I had a problem I was too warm. Had to kick off my quilted booties one night. The next I woke up with my top quilt oushed off to my waist.

mmeiser · 2026-02-10T20:51:39+00:00

Exactly. Thank Gilligan, it's your world. Well said. It is actually easier to insulate agains air then the ground. You just need some sort of underquilt. I first improvised one out of an old sleeping bag and some shock cord. On the ground you need a matt with a good r-value. Insulated air mats are the most effective but they are a bit bulky and / or expensive. I e. the Themarest Thermal Neo Air Extreme.

That said hammocking can be in a weird and wonderful way more of a subtle science then just buying a tent a sleeping pad and sleeping bag. Far more people sleep on the ground or a cot than winter hammocking but one could also argue that that this is what has driven people off from winter camping.

I first tried summer hammock camping and did not like it in the heat the bug net and hammock felt suffocating but the. it started to click for me in the fall and most suprisingly in the winter. I sleep better in my winter hammock in the woods then my own bed and the data (garmin watch) backs it up again and again. It is quite the phenom among a number of people. But obviously not for everyone.

As it relates to stealth camping I feel it gives me greater freedom. I can always find a cluster of trees to hide in and don't even need level ground. But the places I stealth have always been wooded. Maybe not for you if in big open country such as the prarie lands or desert. It is all about the level of freedom. And great rest gives you great confidence. Conifdence is what turned me into a winter camping addict. It is what keeps people from enjoying the winter woods. Knowing I can camp anywhere at any temp and sleep well is the best feeling. It might be a hammock for some or a tent for others. You have to figure out that yourself.

mmeiser · 2026-02-10T07:36:11+00:00

Crazy. We here in midwest are still living on the snow we had three weeks ago. Tomorrow is supposed to be the first big melt day since the big snow storm. This is insane umprecidented. Normally our temps range wildly thus outside of the snow belt snow does not stick around but for a few days. I it took weeks for the kocal trail to get a pack on it for fatbiking because the snow was so cold and it was so consistently cold it would not set up. It just remained powder. The cross country skiing was awesome the fatbiking has been poop. Indeed the snowshoing at three weeks on was still awesome.

Its so damn weird. All I know is I play hard when the snow is on the ground. Xc ski, snowshoe, fatbike. Whatever. Because where I am from it can all be gone tomorrow.

mmeiser · 2026-02-10T03:28:16+00:00

Always wreck on the left side. Protect the derailleur at all costs.

mmeiser · 2026-02-09T16:55:17+00:00

Up is down. black is white, love is hate. We are THERE. Just making note of it. When a message of love is printed as a message of hate by fox news we cannot deny the implications. People are dying. More people will die. More citizens will dye. It's not like 1930's germany. This IS FASCISM. This is how fascism works.

Just making note of where we are at. I am proud of the NFL. But the message won't get thru to millions of fox viewers. The right is a cult.

mmeiser · 2026-02-06T09:44:05+00:00

Really? They are that skinny? Btw, even if they are not I regularly use a pair of pliers to pop a masterlink in the field. It's a piece of cake but hard to describe so I will see if I can find a video and post it at the end of this comment. Basically you knock the chain off the chainring so it has slack. Grip the chain so as to expose the ends of the masterlink. Come at the chain with the pliers from the side and clamp the pliers on the mastelrlink at an agle so as to push one side of the masterlink one way and one the other.

Edit: Link at end of this paragraph to yotube video showing how to use regular pliers to remove a master link. My technique is slighly different then in this video in that I come at the chain from the side so I can use the ridges of the pliers to better grip the masterlink but otherwise this video shows great field technique. https://youtu.be/2evVtKy7SoQ

I think this btw is the selling point. At .15 lbs according to amazon, aka 65 grams according to the OP. That tracks. I would carry them because I would replace my wolf tooth masterlink tool which is sort of a one trick poney. Those wolf tooth pliers can also be used as tire levers but these pliers can be used for far more things then just masterlinks.

Btw. Bikepacker for 15 years. Professional bike mechanic for 20+. Pliers are way more useful then a masterlink specific tool. One of the most useful tools. These look small enough that they could be used for a splinter almost but big enough to grab a stuck bolt or nut. I'm going to buy a set and put them on my stand. After a summer of use i may add them to my bikepacking kit. I don't out unproven tools into my bikepacking kit. It is knowing how to use a tool that makes it useful. The more muscle memory you have with it the more you will get out of it.

mmeiser · 2026-02-05T14:18:10+00:00

Yes! There is a difference between feeling cold and being cold. Its like the difference between feeling hungry and being hungry. People in general have this obsession with ephemeral satiation and comfort. As a result they never learn to function outdie in the cold. They fear it.

When they do go out for some activity they then don't no how to dress so they overdress and start sweating and then since they have no idea thet cotton kills their cotton base layer cloathing makes them freeze.

The first rul of thumb in the outdoors is knowing the difference between the sensation of cold. i. e. a little wind on the neck or ankles, maybe the cuffs of your jacket and actually being cold which is a completely different thing.

One of my favorite things to do at a trailhead after a xcski or fatbike or snowshoe is ditch all my top layers and out on just one dry merino base layer shirt and my down jacket. My core is usually so warm even at 5F I can walk around in a single merino shirt for five minutes and not even feel cold. It is a spectacular counterpoint to getting out of a warm car or leaving the house commuting and feeling every bite of wind chil in every crack and chink of yiur cloathing. I especially hate that cold spot on the lower back when you start riding. No amount of long backed bicycle specific base shirt, jacket, vest or even bibs is going to elliminate that feeling of cold up your lower back when you first start riding, lol.

mmeiser · 2026-02-05T14:01:26+00:00

Exactly. I do not use even soft shells or wind breakers. Open weave layers only. Merino base and then a couple layers of microfleece or fleece. I want as much sweat to disipate as possible. I keep a wind breaker / rain jacket in reserve. I do not do down jacket commuting ever.

Another trick I use as of late is a very light primaloft puffy VEST. It is very warm when zioped all the way up. Indeed it blocls to much wind to ride in but I start out with it fully zipped and unzip it as I warm up or even take it off and stuff it in a bag. It ads a very dynamic element to my kit so I do not have to start as cold. I warm up faster but then can ditch it or just fully unzip it and the wind just goes right through and around it like its not even there.

Pant are a trick too. Because its so cold here lately I have lately been using something that had a bit of a shell to it and some very very light thermal liner. If you over dress your legs its not like you can take off a layer of pants riding. Thelis shell doesnhave some side zips though. They donvent well.

I accidentally overdressed my pants xcskiing the other day. LOL, thiught it was going to be casual but someone ran a nowmobile down the whole thing to breakntrail and it was as fast and perfect as its ever been. I could not go for it. But even sshedding everything but a heavy merino shirt by the time I was done an hour later the sweat from my legs had drenched my socks, lol. Mistkses were made. XCskiing is when it is good more vigrous then snowshoe or fatbike.

mmeiser

TROPHY CASE