I am a member of a yahoo group called ultralightbiking that is dedicated to bicycle touring with light loads. Many of the topics overlap with BPL topics (sleeping systems, cooking gear, water treatment, clothing, etc). The only significant gear areas that don't overlap are tool kits and the means of carrying the load.

A few of us over there have discussed shutting down that group and relocating in a forum over here. Would you be willing to add a new forum category under the Off Piste section called "Bicycle Touring".

Thanks much, Amy

Just came across this old thread that no one responded to. If there is going to be a section on Pack Rafting, doesn't it make sense to include a section for bicycle touring, since bicycles can be very useful in moving around the landscape, much like pack rafts, no?

It's a bit difficult to put your bicycle into your backpack.

Forgive me for being snarky on such a beautiful Friday ; )

I think it's a good idea, there must be a lot of overlap....

It's a bit difficult to put your bicycle into your backpack.

Um, well, so are the methods of travel that come up in the "Water Travel" forum. I'd argue that there are quite a few more bicycle travelers than water travelers. You'd probably get quite a sizable number of additional members if you brought in the bicyclists. And many, many cyclists are hikers, too. Besides a lot of the UL methodologies carry over very well to bicycle touring.

I also know quite a few Japanese who use folding bicycles strapped to their packs to climb mountains like Mt. Fuji and come racing back down... just not UL in the usual backpacking vein.

It's pouring rain here, so maybe that accounts for my delightfully chipper demeanor. ;-P

"It's a bit difficult to put your bicycle into your backpack."

Sam, it's not at all difficult:

http://www.bikerumor.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/mission-workshop-vandal-backpack5.jpg

I do think both that there are a lot of folks who are both cyclists and backpackers/etc, and that there is and should be much gear and technique overlap between touring and backpacking. I can say that both are big for me, and for many people I know. I've also gotten an off-the-cuff impression that a fair number of the excellent contributors here are cyclists.

"Bikepacking" (backcountry technical singletrack touring, for example) has had a lot of innovation in recent years (see Carnival and Epic bags), and the line between ultralight backpacking and bike touring has some fuzziness. I've had some parallel development of the two in my life, and am working with some gear ideas to flow in multiple directions.

I think the idea that "you can't have a wilderness experience on a bicycle" is worth considering, although I also wonder how much of one you can have if, say, you're constantly touching plastic.

BPL is an awesome resource, and I appreciate its focus on wilderness, simplicity, and common sense, among other things. I don't think that a bike touring forum would detract from that core, but would (hopefully/likely/if done right) just widen our array of quality people and content around here. More collaboration and diversity!

Sorry I'm so wordy... (if you even read this far :] ) G'night.

Edited by rbimli on 03/06/2010 02:58:52 MST.

I've done that around town once or twice before.

That's carrying a spare to extremes.

Great! I ask a legitimate question and get nothing but flippant answers. And I guess if those of us interested in this get ignored long enough we'll just go away. Thanks! Very useful and encouraging!

The Internet is both a great and terrible place to get quality answers because of the rampant flippant responses that oft occur. I, however have taken your request to heart and created a "Bicycle Touring" forum here at Backpacking Light.

Visit the Bicycle Touring Forum on BPL.

Hurrah! Thanks, Sam!