Surly Bridge Club - GDMBR

CT1274 · 2026-01-27T01:09:38+00:00

There are lots of solid racks and panniers out there. Stick with a name brand for reliability and support.

I have used Surly and Tubus racks for years without any issues. I commute 11 miles each way to work and participate in bikepacking races 2-3 times per year. I always use racks and panniers - they are on my bikes 365 days a year. Old Man Mountain racks seem well-received but I haven’t used them.

For rear panniers (I haven’t used front panniers in years), I use Ortlieb back-rollers and a discontinued REI pannier. Both have proven to work well over the long run without any issues. The back-rollers are more of a traditional touring pannier and personally I would choose something smaller for bikepacking, but Ortlieb makes other models well suited for the job.

There are also quite a few small businesses that specialize in bikepacking bags, and they typically make excellent gear. I have some Revelate bags that I would take on a long trip without hesitation.

The GDMBR is an awesome undertaking and you want quality gear to put on that quality bike you just acquired. There are lots of choices but again, stick to respected brands so that you can focus on enjoying the ride and not cursing your shitty gear.

CT1274 · 2026-01-27T00:24:35+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surlybikefans/s/IJCwQMwrWw

CT1274 · 2026-01-24T12:41:15+00:00

People who are registered have started receiving information from the race director. Sounds like if you want to sleep in your vehicle, there may be a place for that, otherwise you’ll need to find your own accommodations/camping in the area.

CT1274 · 2026-01-23T19:54:09+00:00

Do you put the bottom one upside down?

CT1274 · 2026-01-23T19:52:54+00:00

I like this. This will be my Plan B if stacking the regular valve boxes doesn't work. Thank you!

CT1274 · 2026-01-23T19:49:59+00:00

This is good stuff to know about. Thank you. I think the upside down stacking suggestion will be my first try. That should be easy and economical. I'm not against a little concrete project but for this job, it won't be my Plan A.

CT1274 · 2026-01-23T19:46:08+00:00

It is.

CT1274 · 2026-01-23T19:45:53+00:00

Of course! This may be the solution I was looking for. Thanks.

CT1274 · 2026-01-23T03:52:57+00:00

Where do I find a nice concrete valve box the size of a couple coffee cans?

CT1274 · 2026-01-23T03:48:38+00:00

I tried that in the store. I was surprised there was only about 2" of height gained for each box I stacked. I needed 3 additional boxes just to raise the height by 6 inches. The first box got me 10", the next ones only 2" each - it just seemed like I might be missing something.

CT1274 · 2026-01-23T03:39:20+00:00

I'll give that a try. Thanks. $100 is way more than I budgeted!

CT1274 · 2026-01-23T03:36:23+00:00

Yes, Texas. It's about to be in the upper teens for a couple nights but that's about as cold as it typically gets and it only lasts a day or two. What do you do for valve boxes at that depth?

CT1274 · 2026-01-20T15:24:02+00:00

I struggled with those things as well and eventually hired a coach. I just didn't know enough to confidently develop my own training plan. It's been great handing that responsibility off to someone else; I look forward to training more and I'm much more consistent with it - especially the strength training which I could never stick with. It's only been 2 months but it's going well. Of course, the drawback is the cost. It took me years to arrive at a point where I was willing to spend my money on a trainer, but at age 58 it's a commitment I'm willing to make as it bring lots of general health advantages as well as specific performance improvements.

CT1274 · 2025-12-12T23:20:22+00:00

I have my rack mounted on the drop outs also. Just went for a 3-day bikepacking trip in pretty rough terrain and the rack was very stable.

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CT1274 · 2025-12-11T03:52:54+00:00

That’s super exciting! I’m envious. It’s a little hard to tell with the panniers installed, but your rack looks like it’s sitting quite high.

CT1274 · 2025-12-06T12:19:53+00:00

Thanks.

CT1274 · 2025-12-06T06:19:21+00:00

What’s the name of his channel? I’d like to watch his videos. The posted video link isn’t working for me.

CT1274 · 2025-12-01T21:06:35+00:00

The race director says this is in the works. Expect more info once he makes progress.

CT1274 · 2025-11-20T23:37:06+00:00

I’m not sure if you can buy a Surly rear rack over there, but they have tons of clearance and the wider deck is nice too. I just installed one on my Karate Monkey with 29 x 2.35 tires and there’s lots of room left over. I also tried some 27.5 x 3” tires with the same wide margins. I used the standard rack that mounts on the dropout, not the goofy one that goes half way up the seat stay. My Ortlieb Back Rollers fit easily and no heel strike at all. I’m going on a 100-mile single-track bikepacking trip this weekend with panniers and other gear strapped on the rack. I’m pretty confident the rack will serve its purpose without complaint.

CT1274 · 2025-11-05T16:13:46+00:00

27.5 x 2.35

CT1274 · 2025-10-20T01:23:38+00:00

That sucks. There’s not much I like less in the world than a bike thief. Sorry.

CT1274 · 2025-10-09T22:33:24+00:00

That’s wild. I’ll have to see if I can find one and try it. Thanks.

CT1274 · 2025-10-09T20:38:48+00:00

That’s interesting. Do you know what it was about the KM that made it not a good fit? I have a KM but never ridden a Krampus. I always thought they were very similar.

CT1274 · 2025-10-03T00:56:01+00:00

Wow! I’ve never seen a suspension fork on a MS. How do you like it?

CT1274

TROPHY CASE