HOW TO FIND BIKEPACKING EQUIPMENT FOR A SMALL FRAME?

Bikepacking equipment can often be a tetris game! With all your bags, bottle cages and other equipment, it can be difficult to fit everything onto a single bike, especially when it's geometrically tight! Fortunately, there are a number of solutions and tricks available today, so find out in this article how to get the best bikepacking equipment when you've got a small frame!

Bikepacking bags

Your choice of bikepacking bags will play a decisive role in saving space on your bike. It's at the frame level that everything will come into play, as it's here that geometries can vary on a bike. For smaller frames, we advise you to save space on the top tube, where you can fit 2 bags: one above and one below, while making sure that the latter is not too high. The aim is to avoid obstructing the insertion of the bottle into your bottle cage.

We recommend the Z Adventure C2, which is the perfect balance between small size and capacity. For the upper part of the top tube, you can opt for the Z Adventure T3, but if this is too big, the Z Adventure T1 proved to be a very good bag that will serve you just as well on bikepacking outings as on day trips! In any case, always make sure that the bags sizes match those of your bike!

When it comes to the front bag, you'll have to play it tight, too! Depending on the width of your handlebars (under 38 cm) and the distance between them and your tire, some front bags with a large capacity won't be optimal. You can opt for a small bag mounted on your handlebars, like the Z Adventure F2 for example, which gives you access to items you may need quickly. However, if you're riding a mountain bike with straight handlebars, you can install a larger bag and save space!

You'll save maximum space in the fork, where you can easily fit luggage such as two Z Adventure Fork Pack. Finally, make the most of your space with the saddlebag! This is where you'll be able to store as much gear as possible, as it's relatively easy to fit, even on frames with a small geometry. A saddlebag like the Z Adventure R11 will be perfect for storing your stuff. Just be careful not to overload the front or rear of your bike.

Pack smart

You've fitted your bike with bags, now it's time to organise your belongings. First of all, pack light! Make an initial selection of the clothes and items you need to make sure you only take what you need, with no extras! To help you, here's some advice on how to pack your equipment when bikepacking. You should also learn how to optimise the space in your bags, by putting the 'least' necessary and heaviest items at the bottom of them, so as to balance out the weight and have easier access to the items you might need during the day without having to disturb all your belongings.

As far as your equipment is concerned, the loss of space caused by bags needs to be compensated for, particularly on the frame. That's why you need the right bottle cages! Our Pulse Z2 bottle cages are perfect for this, as they have a side entry on the side of your choice, so you can save a lot of space when inserting your bottle! And when it comes to hydration, you'll certainly have room for just one bottle, so the option of a hydration backpack may be worth considering for rides in particularly hot weather.

Finally, the last piece of advice we can give you is to test and adjust before you set off. Don't put all this equipment on your bike just for the day, hoping that it will fit and that the bags will be adapted to the geometry of your frame. Do some tests beforehand, rebalance your equipment as you go along and see what you need to keep on hand to make sure everything will fit on your bike!