Apart from our legs, the actual heavy lifting on our Japanese bikepacking journey was carried out by North St.’s baggage, with the rear cargo held by Outdated Man Mountain’s Divide pannier rack.
We particularly selected this pairing as a result of the then-new North St. Journey Pannier baggage had been particularly designed to suit that rack. And their Roll-High Trunk Bag completely suits on high, too. They’re designed to work properly on any customary pannier rack system, too, however each manufacturers had been on board to assist this journey, so we put them to the take a look at. Right here’s what we used…
Each Lauf Uthald street bikes had been outfitted with:
Journey Macro Pannier (21L, two per bike) – $140 ea.
Roll-High Trunk Bag – $120
Gas Pouch – $45
Handlebar Pack – $95
Instrument Roll – $30
Outdated Man Mountain Divide Rack – $168
Robert Axle Venture 12mm thru-axle match equipment – $68
Complete to outfit every bike as proven is $806. All items include all crucial mounting {hardware}, straps, and so forth.
The rack comes with bolts and every part to mount to any bike with customary threaded rack mounts, however we would have liked the suitable match kits to strap them to the seatstays and fix to a selected Robert Axle Venture via axle with prolonged mounting tabs. This setup is right as a result of it will increase the load capability from 55lbs to 70lbs, and Outdated Man Mountain’s web site has a complete “Match Package Finder” that will get you the fitting axle for any bike made, assured.
RAP & OMM are sister corporations, so all elements are 100% cross-compatible and the Divide rack is made to suit completely on their axle helps. The rack works entrance or rear, and so they make via axle match kits for each forks and frames. It’s a stable rack, and I extremely advocate it because it’ll match nearly any bike on the market – street, gravel, mountain, fats, no matter. OK, on to the baggage…
North St. Pannier & Trunk Baggage
North St.’s Journey Panniers are available two sizes – Micro (14L) and Macro (21L). I all the time go for the bigger as a result of I all the time overpack. But in addition, it’s good to have room for stuff you decide up alongside the way in which…like meals. Additionally, the 21L’s capability is measured when absolutely open – it solely has 15L capability when absolutely rolled shut. Go massive, belief me.
The luggage connect to the racks with Velcro straps on the highest and a hooked strap on the underside that loops by the rack and clips again onto the bag. This enables for a wider vary of adjustment, however does take just a few additional seconds to finagle by the slots on the rack. As soon as put in, it’s rock stable.
Discover these trunk baggage sagging and shifting a bit? That’s as a result of we didn’t set up the included plastic sleeves that create construction and assist. And that’s as a result of we didn’t learn the directions. So, solely our fault. As soon as house, I put in them and the baggage sit rather more upright and self assured. Positively try this.
I largely love these baggage, and I’ll clarify why beneath. However first, there are two issues I want it had. First, none of those have a rear gentle clip, which is a significant oversight IMO.
We had been capable of clip our taillights to the roll-top’s closure strap, however relying on how tightly it was twisted (and wherein route), the sunshine may both jiggle round or be aimed askew. It took work to get it aimed straight again, which is especially necessary in the event you’re utilizing a radar-equipped gentle like Trek’s wonderful Automotive Again.
Second, there aren’t any reflective components on it. Nice for stealth missions within the woods, however not nice for using on the street. A number of the tunnels we rode by had been pitch black…we had lights (obvi), however reflective thread or panels are nice, low cost insurance coverage.
Not having them isn’t a dealbreaker for these in any other case wonderful baggage, however I’d advocate including your individual reflective components.
SIDE NOTE: North St.’s commuter-oriented packs DO have these options. Founder Curtis says they weren’t in excessive demand for bikepacking customers as a lot, however they might offer it sooner or later, both as a normal characteristic or possibility.
The luggage are available wherever from 5 to 11 colours on the skin, letting you combine or match. Inside is vivid yellow, making it simpler to seek out stuff. The skin materials is “waterproof” sailcloth, which we discovered to be largely waterproof. We rode by just a few wet days, some rainier than others, and the fabric did “moist out” a little bit in spots, to the purpose the place it seemed prefer it was soaked. That mentioned, the seams aren’t taped or sealed, and North St. solely claims that they’re “extremely water-proof.”
Inside, every part remained dry, so until you’re all the time using within the rain, it really works. The zippers are waterproof, too, and if I needed complete repellency, I may simply wax them. The fabric is hard, with nary a scratch even with us leaning and dropping our bikes on all method of surfaces.
We cut up our masses between the panniers, placing sleeping gear and half of the Sea to Summit Telos Bikepacking TR2 tent on one facet…
…and clothes on the opposite. The exterior zippered pockets are nice for a microfiber journey towel, snacks, compact bike lock, or different belongings you need quick access to with out digging round. (GoreWear and Huckberry supported our journey with gear, click on these hyperlinks for the opinions)
The clothes proven above left room for additional stuff we picked up alongside the way in which, which progressively changed the OSMO restoration & hydration drink mixes we consumed alongside the way in which.
The Roll-High Trunk Bag held all this, together with:
First assist equipment
Charging plugs & wires
10,000mAh battery pack
Chamois Butt’r
Hydration bladder with filter
On the spot espresso
Hearth starter equipment
Mattress pad patch kits
Child wipes & rest room paper
Additional straps, zip ties & baggies
Small trowel w/ selfmade cardboard sleeve
Bike pump
Plus any cumbersome snacks we picked up on the way in which, together with a bottle of Sake. Having a little bit additional room in these was key as we’d usually have to select up meals for dinner, then journey to our campsite and eat there. We burned a LOT of energy.
North St. Handlebar Pack
Most handlebar baggage are rolls. Good for burritos, however a bit small for main multi-day outings. North St.’s Handlebar Pack is extra lunch-box sized, with a handy zippered pocket on the entrance and two small, open mesh pockets on the again which are nice for gels, lip balm, and so forth.
The loop on the zippers makes them simple to seek out, seize, and open/shut whereas using. It additionally has D-ring loops, so you may add a strap to show it right into a cross bag, bum bag, hip pack, fanny pack, murse, purse, or no matter different variation you like.
It comes with two VOLLE straps for mounting it to your bar, with a number of loops on the again of the bag so you may place them between your bar tape and round any equipment you could have mounted.
SIDE NOTES: We opted for a Okay-Edge Increase Stem Mount laptop mount and bar-mounted gentle. As a lot as I really like Okay-Edge’s out-front combo mounts, I didn’t need something protruding over the bag and hindering entry to it whereas using. This place for the pc labored nice, however we needed to take away the pc to entry the Granite Design Stash RCX instrument hidden within the steerer.
The Handlebar Pack was most impacted by using within the rain and was the one one which felt barely damp inside after hours of moist using, however nonetheless not soaked. Even so…
…I deliberately packed this one utilizing Ziplock baggies for group with the bonus concept that it will shield issues from moisture. However largely it was to maintain small elements from jostling round and getting misplaced.
I stored spare AXS batteries (together with a spare CR2032 for the shifters), bike lights, a headlamp, tubes, brake pads, hand sanitizer, electrical tape, and numerous motion digicam mounts in right here. I largely rode with the Insta360 motion cam on a deal with stick shoved into my jersey or bib pockets for fast entry.
I introduced the spare brake pads simply in case the additional weight and very mountainous terrain burned by the inventory pads rapidly. Ended up not needing them, nevertheless it’s good insurance coverage.
North St. Gas Pouch
My son rode along with his Gas Pouch top-tube bag on the entrance, behind the stem, in its pure habitat. I wanted one thing a bit larger up entrance for added motion digicam stuff, so I moved mine to the again and connected it across the seat tube. Each positions labored nice, so you may double them up in the event you simply carry a number of small stuff however wish to compartmentalize.
I stored my readers and lip balm in mine, and there was room to cram just a few small snacks in there, too. It lacks the additional loop on the zipper, which generally meant just a few additional seconds to seek out and seize it, notably with full finger gloves on, so I’ll add one.
Tucked underneath my seat was their Instrument Roll, which held Intelligent’s newest Flat Out tire lever combo instrument, Anchor Stack tire plugger equipment, and chainbreaker instrument, plus additional plugs and a Presta-to-Schrader adapter. I introduced three spare fast hyperlinks, and two small issues of wax chain lube.
All of this was a comfortable match, I maaaaybe may have wrapped it sufficiently small with a street bike tube in it and nonetheless strapped it round my saddle rails, however for this journey I stored the tubes within the handlebar bag.
Regardless of the diminutive measurement (or my propensity to overpack), I actually like this bag. It held stable, one thing not each single-strap saddle bag does, and in addition works nice as a fundamental small instrument roll for organizing your stuff inside a hydration pack.
Enjoyable reality, in case you’re questioning, North St. is “North Avenue”, not “North State” (they’re based mostly in Portland, OR, so I used to be curious).
The luggage carried out flawlessly all through our journey. I needed to mount my panniers as far backward as potential to keep away from kicking them with my heel. However in any other case, all of them match on the bike completely and remained rock stable even over tough gravel backroads and chunky descents. Which is saying one thing contemplating they’re mounted to a efficiency all-road bike just like the Lauf Úthald, which was by no means designed with bikepacking in thoughts.
The luggage are moderately gentle, fairly powerful, and well-designed. They’re succesful with out being difficult, specializing in added area over added options. I extremely advocate checking them out in the event you’re available in the market for one thing with extra room than a body bag however nonetheless prepared for journey.
NorthStBags.com
