Contemplative or speed fan? Comfort-oriented or minimalist? Depending on your personality, your desires and your morphology, one type of bike will suit you better than another. To help you choose your bikepacking bike, here's a quick overview of the main categories of bikepacking bikes.
The main categories of travel bikes
To choose the bike that’s right for you, there’s nothing like trusting your senses, of course, but I can already give you a few pointers.
If you haven’t bought your own bike yet, don’t hesitate to test it out before you decide! This is an important step in preparing for a bike tour. Overall, the 3 bikes that lend themselves best to touring are:
- the classic travel bike with straight handlebars (also known as a trekking bike or touring bike)
- the gravel bike, undoubtedly the best bikepacking bike
- road bikes, if you want to cover long distances quickly and stay on the asphalt
Mind you, this in no way means that you can’t do it with other types of bike! To make a bike trip, you need… A bike (and sometimes a little more ingenuity or energy, but that’s all!).
Bikepacking VS bicycle touring
Ah, the great debate… Which, in my opinion, is quite sterile. Whether you’re more of a touring cyclist or a bikepacker, in both cases the idea is to travel by bike.
Overall, the touring cyclist favors comfort and autonomy over long distances, while the bikepacker seeks versatility and minimalism. So, in concrete terms:
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- The touring cyclist will prefer a trekking bike with luggage rack and tantid side panniers, while the bikepacker will prefer a lighter gravel or road bike, with panniers attached by straps.
- The bikepacker’s playground will more often (but not necessarily!) include more “off-piste” trails.
- Luggage will be much lighter with the bikepacker
That said, it’s becoming increasingly common to mix the two, with bikepackers regularly equipping their gravels with lightweight racks… Because, let’s face it, it often comes in very handy!
The bottom line? Do what’s right for you, regardless of the labels!
Trekking bikes – Comfort above all else
A trekking bike is distinguished by its straight or butterfly handlebars. It’s a versatile, simple and sturdy bike designed for long-distance cycling and touring on any surface, road or trail. It’s the bike of choice for those with a more “cycle-touring” approach.
Trekking bikes have wider, more comfortable tires than road bikes, and a more upright riding position than a rote or gravel bike, allowing both stability and comfort.
It’s the perfect bike for a trip lasting several months. You can easily carry a lot of luggage to be totally autonomous. They’re designed to carry a lot of weight, whether front, rear or both.
Gravel – The right compromise between comfort and speed?
A gravel bike is a road bike with bigger tires (if you want to keep it simple!). It’s a type of bike that appeared a few years ago and has been a great success: it’s now clearly the bikepacker’s favorite!
It’s designed for riding on paved and unpaved roads, trails and dirt roads. It can go just about anywhere, as long as the trail isn’t too technical either. It usually has wide, knobby tires for better grip on loose surfaces, and a sturdy frame for carrying weight when bikepacking.
The gravel bike offers a compromise between speed and comfort. This “all-purpose bike” enables you to ride a velotaf on a greenway, to ride on the road at good speed, and to undertake bikepacking weekends and bike trips lasting several weeks.
The gravel bike will suit minimalist touring cyclists who want to ride lighter than with a trekking bike. In general, however, you’ll still be able to carry quite a bit, since in addition to panniers with straps, gravel bikes are often equipped with eyelets for attaching luggage (to the fork, for example).
The position is also very different, closer to a road bike than a touring bike. I’d recommend testing to see which you prefer… For my part, I love the gravel position, which is also more efficient in terms of pedaling, but some find it uncomfortable.
The gravel can also be used with a luggage rack and side panniers (which is what I did on some of my trips). It really is a versatile bike, so it’s up to you how you want to configure it… Almost anything is possible 😉
Road bikes – Faster, farther
A road bike is designed for paved roads. It’s light and fast, with narrow tires and a more aerodynamic riding position. It’s made to optimize speed.
Travelling by road bike allows you to cover long distances. However, it’s important to plan your itinerary well in advance, so as to use the tarmac roads less frequented by motorists.
When it comes to luggage, road bikes aren ‘t originally designed to carry luggage. But with a bit of ingenuity and the use of panniers with straps, you can even take your camping gear with you on a trip!
