Well this is several months late, but I do a lot of trips on a 2017 carbon Salsa Mukluk running 3" 27.5 tires & wheels.  I simply love that bike.  Road it and a carbon Salsa Cutthroat 1,125 miles this January (1,000 of those on dirt).  I'll admit that the Cutthroat is faster on gravel, good dirt and solid two-track, but I really like camping with the Mukluk better. That's probably because I most enjoy remote exploratory routes that often involve fair amounts of cross country travel with significant "hike-a-bike" sections.

I descended this trackless wash for 20 miles before reaching the Rio Grande.  Mukluk was perfect!


I did just recently upgrade the drive train to GX 1x12 (original was GX 1x11).  While I like the lower low for steep tricky terrain when loaded, I don't feel the shifting is as smooth as the 1x11 and if I had it all to do over again I'd opt for a smaller chainring to get lower gearing.  That 1x12 really puts the rear derailleur's BIG cage low down and exposes it to rocks, etc.

Howard

I agree with Offroute.  I'd want a rear rack with the climbing gear.  Having said that, some of the bike/packrafting folks carry big loads in backpacks while on bikes.  So maybe climbing gear could work, but the balance issues from that much weight higher than your seat seem terrible to me.

Howard

If you're in iPhone world you might look at Gaia GPS.  You'd need to pay to get offline mapping.  While there is an Android version, I think the app works best in iOS.

Howard

Hello Trevor:

I like Schwalbe Rocket Rons (Snakeskin Tubeless Ready version).  I'm running 27.5 x 3" on a Salsa Mukluk due to soft sandy desert conditions.  Low rolling resistance and they do surprisingly well on pavement.  You would probably want a narrower size - not sure how small they get.

In 29" I run Schwalbe Thunder Burts (again, Snakeskin Tubeless Ready) on my Salsa Cutthroat.  2.1" width.  Really a great tire for mixed pavement / dirt tracks.  I don't know if they are available in 27.5.

Good Luck!

Howard Snell

Hello Andrew:

I'd say there is absolutely no need for a power meter at all.  However, if you are a data geek (I am) and want a powermeter (I do) then I'd look at the SRM X-Power units that should be released soon.  They'll work with SPD pedals.  Other pedal based meters that I know of all use road pedals which have cleats too large for reasonable walking.  Some folks have altered one of those types of pedals to mount an SPD housing on the road pedal so that could be an option.

If you want to use platform pedals (no cleats) then I think you're out of luck for a pedal based powermeter.  You'll be looking at spindle, crank arm, hub meters.

Have fun,

Howard

Hello Maksym:

I don’t carry large loads on the handlebars, but I rarely look at the front wheel while riding except if I think there’s leaking sealant.  In terms of maneuvering through rocks, ruts and other obstacles I look ahead concentrating on where I want the bike to go rather than where it is.  That seems to help my flow and keeps me upright.

Howard Snell

After way too many years (decades) as a roadie I switched to dirt in January 2017.  Started with a Salsa Mukluk (carbon, 1x11, SRAM, extra set 3” 27.5 wheels, rear rack) and added a 2017 Cutthroat (carbon, 2x11, SRAM, rear rack) a couple of months later for mixed rides.  In 3.5 years I’ve put about 12,000 miles on both bikes probably 60/40 Mukluk/Cutthroat.  I’ve done several short (60 - 150 miles) bikepacking trips on both. After experimenting with various means of carrying gear I’ve drastically reduced what I take and settled on frame bags, rear racks with micro/mini panniers, a small day pack (back pack), top tube bag and 1 or 2 “food” bags on the handlebars for bikepacking both bikes.

There is absolutely nothing I’d change on the Cutthroat.  I love that bike and feel that the 2x11 gearing is perfect for mixed rides - I get a lower low with it than the 1x11 on the Mukluk and tighter jumps between gears.  Oddly, once I get on the Cutthroat with the drop bars and smoother gravel roads or pavement I revert to my roadie heritage and want to spin at the same rpm all day long so small jumps between gears become important.  On the Mukluk I’m usually on rougher, softer surfaces and don’t mind the big jumps in gears and varying cadence.

I use the appropriate Salsa rear racks on both bikes with their seatpost clamp that provides mounting points for the racks.

If I was you I’d go for the Cutthroat without question.

Howard Snell

...soul sucking mud...

One of the best descriptive phrases I read in quite a while.

Howard

I’m definitely in the minority, but I tried seat bags & didn’t like the weight distribution nor packing options.  I bikepack a Salsa Muckluk (27.5 3” tires most of the time, occasionally fats) and a Salsa Cutthroat (29 2.2” tires).  Both bikes have the appropriate Salsa rear racks (Alternator on Mukluk, Wanderer on Cutthroat).  Depending upon the trip I’ll use a frame bag (Bedrock on Cutthroat, Salsa Expedition on Mukluk) and either Revelate Designs Nano Panniers (smaller, lighter but more fragile in thorny brush) or Bedrock Bags Hermosa UL Panniers (tougher, greater possible volume, but slightly heavier).  I’m really happy with these different setups. Both of these panniers are minuscule compared to the traditional set up described by Chrisx (I had a Salsa Fargo with full Tubus and Ortlieb as he described - OK on pavement, too much on dirt).

Crazy as it will sound an added advantage to the rack on the Mukluk - I also carry the bike when wandering about for months in an expedition truck.  Set up camp, grab the bike, some straps, a Silky Saw and take a ride foraging firewood.  I’ve loaded 50 lbs of cut wood on the rack and wobbled back to camp without falling.

Good luck!

Howard

I carry a Dynaplug kit (http://www.dynaplug.com/megapill.html) and use it frequently.  Very fast to use, plugs large & small holes well, compact & easy to carry.  Only disadvantages are cost (they are well made so I think the price is fair) and you need some air in the tire for the plug to insert (I've always been able to make it work).  I'm in New Mexico and routinely ride in areas with heavy infestations of goat heads.  Last year I counted up sealed (Caffelatex) and plugged holes in my rear tire.  There were 280 total punctures, 270 sealed and 10 required plugs.

For awhile I carried extra sealant and if bikepacking a tube as backup.  In nearly three years I never used the tube and never needed the sealant (the Dynaplug was faster), so I no longer carry them.

Howard Snell

Hello Mike:

Thanks.

Howard

I've used both devices - Spot when I was riding dual-purpose motos and InReach for backpacking / packrafting / biking.  In terms of communication I vastly prefer the InReach.  Being able to send & receive text messages helps me coordinate with my wife who is often in our camper & curious about route changes, altered pick up times, etc.  Because much of our travel is within the white zones of a Verizon coverage map, we actually use two InReach units so that we can exchange information even if both are out of cell coverage.  Monthly rates, suspend when not in use, etc makes them relatively economical.

However - if you want to provide an internet map for other to follow your route / progress etc.  I find the InReach site cumbersome.  For me the SPOT was much easier to use when I thought I wanted to provide tracking.  I don't know if the organizers of races that use TrackLeaders.com would accept an InReach.  I can't find any mention of InReach input on their site

I've found that I'm currently less interested in the web-displayed tracking so I'm overall happier with the InReach.

Howard

actually this Lezyne is better for fat bikes

I have one of these pumps.  I like it, but it is large & slightly heavy to carry on a bike packing trip.  If you were inflating tires frequently it might be worth it or in a group & carried one pump.  When travelling by truck with my fat bike, the Micro Floor Drive XL is the only pump I take - it's efficient enough to use in place of the floor pump I used to take on truck-based trips.