The Bike

One of the first issues to consider when planning a bikepacking trip is what kind of bike to ride (assuming you even have a choice).

Light is Right?

Now, it seems obvious that a lighter bike is a better bike, right? And modern bikes with carbon frames are the lightest. So a carbon-framed bike is what you need for bikepacking? That does seem logical.

Well, maybe, maybe not.

Popular wisdom amongst seasoned bikepackers is that having as light a bike as possible isn't necessarily your number one priority. Carbon frames aren't as strong as aluminium and are not as flexible, so where another material might flex, there's a risk that a carbon frame will crack. And the risk of the frame cracking or even completely breaking is a chance not worth taking, especially if your route will take you far away from well-stocked bike shops with well equipped workshops. If you need any more convincing, do some Googling and see what you find. This one caught my eye: https://www.outsideonline.com/2311816/carbon-fiber-bike-accidents-lawsuits and so did this one, with its handy list of pros and cons: https://www.cyclingabout.com/carbon-touring-bikes/ 

Ultimately, it's a personal choice and may simply depend on whatever type of bike you happen to own.

Road vs Mountain vs Hybrid

Aside from the material the frame is made from, the other major choice is the type of bike. A road bike is built for speed, which may matter to you. A mountain bike (MTB) is likely to be robust and capable of handling even the roughest of trails, as you work your way across country, using a mixture of asphalt and trail. But there are two main designs of MTB; hard-tails which only have suspension at the front, and full suspension MTBs which also have suspension at the back. And hybrid bikes, of which there is a spectrum of design, perhaps offer a compromise between the two.

Amongst the factors to consider are:

1. Does the frame have mounting points for the pannier rack you will almost certainly need?
2. Is it comfortable to ride over long distances, with you spending many hours in the saddle each day?
3. Could you repair it at the road side if you needed to or would you need an electronics and computer science degree? 
4. Is the gearing suitable for the terrain you expect to encounter?
5. Will it handle the road surfaces you're expecting?
6. Can it safely handle the weight you expect to have to carry?
7. Is the bike's weight acceptable?

A road bike

A hard-tail mountain bike (MTB)

A hybrid bike suitable for some trails

A hybrid bike more suited to the road

My Choice

The road bike, MTB and the red hybrid are my bikes. Yes, I'm very lucky! The hybrid is really old now though and whilst it was a great bike to commute on, it is more like a road bike with a more upright seating position. It offers a very hard (but fast) ride and would be really uncomfortable for long distance touring. The road bike is awesome and I've done many 100 mile+ rides on it, but it has no mounting points for panniers and it has a carbon frame, which I have misgivings about for my more ambitious bikepacking dreams. So the winner is...... [drum roll]....

My Specialized Rockhopper Expert mountain bike!

A mountain bike in its standard state is not optimal for long distance bikepacking though, so I intend to make some changes to it. More on this soon. 

On MTBs in general, note that a full suspension MTB is likely to be way too heavy for this kind of use. And ideally, a hard-tail MTB should allow you to lock the front suspension so it's stiff most of the time and unlocked only for very rough sections of your route. Without the ability to lock your front suspension, some of your precious energy will be absorbed by the suspension as you pedal, and you don't want that.