Tech: The aerodynamics of bikepacking
Bike setup #1: Osprey Packs Escapist 20 backpack, Everything Bags, handlebar roll, frame bag, panniers and trunk bag on rear rack (click to enlarge).
Editor’s Note: Inspired by the #everythingisaero mantra, our resident tech head dared answer the question that no dared ask before him: Which bikepacking setup is most aero?
This article is to answer the burning question of how aerodynamic bikepacking gear is. Most people think that aerodynamics don’t matter when you are only going 12mph, and they would be correct. But studies have shown that if the wind is blowing 72% of the time it is a headwind. And riding 10mph into a 15mph headwind is the same aerodynamically as riding 25mph.
The testing was done on a fat bike, since that was the only mountain bike I have that has a rack. Since I don’t have an wind tunnel or a power meter my only real choice for testing was coasting down a hill. One of the things that I was worried about the testing was that when I added gear to the bike it would add weight which would also increase the force accelerating the bike. Especially since just about all of the items needed something in them in order to hold their shape. I tried to find the lightest things to put inside the bags that I could. I also decided to weigh about 219 lbs with my gear on, which makes the weight of the bags less important. I drew the line at filling the tires with water.
Bike
Medium Mukluk Ti with Husker Du/Knard on Marge Lites. Tires inflated to full hard psi
Instrumentation
Garmin 810 set to record data at 1 second intervals
Equipment List
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Bike Setup #1
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Bike setup #2: Everything Bags, handlebar roll, frame bag, seat pack, backpack. Bike setup #3: Everything Bags, handlebar roll, frame bag, seat pack, backpack. Bike setup #4: Frame bag, seat pack, backpack (click to enlarge).
Bike Setup #2
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Bike Setup #3
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Bike Setup #4
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Bike setup #5: Frame bag (click to enlarge).
Bike Setup #5
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Bike Setup #6 and #7
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Continue to page 2 for Setup notes and graphs »
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