Bikepacking
Built for the long way round
The rides
Where this comes from
The Great British Divide is a self-supported ride of about 2,200 km and 35,000 m of climbing, from near Canterbury to Applecross, mostly off-road. You carry everything and restock only at shops open to everyone. I have taken it on in 2021, 2023 and 2024, along with the Great British Escapade and a few trips of my own, and everything below has been through that.
Not all of it went to plan. In 2023 I hit a pothole in a puddle on day one, a gust of wind took my glasses and I broke my handlebars on the South Downs Way. It is all in the Journal. That is why I like things simple and tried and tested.
The latest
My newest bike: the MighTi 32
My latest bikepacking bike is built around the Travers MighTi 32, a bespoke titanium frame for 32-inch wheels, designed for endurance bikepacking. The large frame weighs 1.9 kg.
In 2026 the Great British Divide was cancelled, so I planned my own 530 km route around London and rode it to raise money for Young Lives vs Cancer. Read my post.
The bike
My Great British Divide set-up (2021)
This is the spec list from my own post in 2021, on the bike I rode that year. It shows how the parts fit together.
| Frame | Large Travers RUSSTi EVO |
|---|---|
| Fork | Travers XC Prong |
| Wheels | Nextie NXT27XM41 carbon rims; SON 28 Boost dynamo front hub; Hope Pro 4 Boost rear hub; Sapim CX-Ray spokes |
| Tyres | Maxxis Icon+ 27 × 2.8 front, 27 × 2.6 rear |
| Gears | SRAM AXS Eagle, Garbaruk 10-52 cassette, Garbaruk 30t SRAM direct mount chainring |
| Lights and power | kLite Bikepacker Ultra MTB, kLite “always on” switch and USB charger |
| Cockpit | Travers titanium H2 handlebars, 70 mm titanium stem, titanium H2 inline seatpost |
| Brakes | Hope Tech 3 X2 |
Read the full set-up post, including why I chose a rack bag over a big saddle bag.
The system
Parts that work together
Frames
Bespoke titanium, drawn around you. Bosses for bags and bottles are free.
Bespoke titanium frames →
Special builds
A dog box, a tandem, singlespeed, 32-inch bikepacking.
See real builds →
Dynamo wheels
Any Nextie rim on a SON dynamo hub, built by hand.
Dynamo wheel builds →
Big tyres
32-inch, 29+ and fat bike wheels.
32-inch wheels explained →
Rigid carbon fork
EVO Prong, 680 g. Nothing to service.
The EVO Prong →
Lights
kLite dynamo kits that charge your GPS too.
kLite kits →
In my own words
When you ride a titanium frame, it's more about what you don't notice. You feel fresher, less beaten up by the terrain.
On day 7 of the Great British Divide, in Derbyshire, early in the morning with the dew still on the ground, the rocks were slippery. I lost the front end on a descent and went over the bars. My fully loaded bike somersaulted through the air. I dusted myself off, picked up the bike, straightened the bars and carried on. Nothing more than a few marks on the frame, which buffed out when I got back.
Read the rides
From the Journal
Questions
Bikepacking FAQ
What should I look for in a bikepacking frame?
Somewhere to put things, and room for the tyre you will actually use. Extra bottle bosses, top tube bag mounts, rack and mudguard mounts and internal routing are free on every Travers bespoke frame, and the designer shows tyre clearance as you change the numbers. I will talk through a loaded geometry with you.
Why a rigid carbon fork?
There is nothing to service and nothing to go wrong in the middle of nowhere, and it is light. The EVO Prong is 680 g, 15 × 110 Boost, and takes tyres up to 3.0 inches on 29-inch wheels and 3.2 inches on 27.5.
Do I need a dynamo?
No, but on a multi-day ride it removes a job. A dynamo hub powers a light all day, and with a USB charger it can also feed a battery for your phone and GPS. The dynamo guide explains the four parts.
Can you build a dynamo wheel in carbon?
Yes. Any Nextie rim and a SON dynamo hub, built by hand in Rochford. About 7 weeks.
Can I see a real bikepacking setup?
Yes: the bike I rode on the Great British Divide, part by part, in the Journal, with the posts from each day.
Planning a bike for the long way round?
Tell me about the trip. It is free to ask, and I will say honestly what I would do.