Three Bikepacking Rigs of the Straddle and Paddle

The Straddle and Paddle bikepacking route loops around the north shore of Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. It’s a beautiful route for beginners that allows riders to pedal through the Northwoods and paddle a canoe on the best short day-trip loop the Boundary Waters area has to offer. Originally published in September 2017, Straddle and Paddle just got a major update featuring new remote tracks, a visit to an abandoned railroad tunnel, and more. Neil and two friends rode the route a couple of weeks ago and put this video together to talk a little bit about how they geared up for the revised route. Watch it below, and find details about each rig and gear list further down.

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Mitch’s Salsa El Mariachi

Mitch was lucky enough to have a few bikes to choose from for this route. Still, in hindsight after the ride, he said he’d still choose the El Mariachi if he could do it over again. The tire clearance and geometry offer the perfect combination of stability and comfort. The bike is still snappy and responsive, even when loaded down, and it was quick to accelerate and maintain speed. Mitch added, “I stripped the paint because I wanted to repaint it, but I ended up liking the raw look and clear-coated it instead. Plus, it’s a bike that isn’t made anymore, so I found it fitting. What is dead may never die.” Mitch also ended up acquiring a first-generation Cutthroat fork, painting it, and installing it. He picked this fork because it had all the mounts and wiring options he wanted and the spacing and post-mount brake mounts he needed. Mitch said the bike was perfect for this route.

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“The one thing I would do differently is bring different pedals, as I never actually rode in my sandals,” Mitch added. “Had I known I would have tire issues, I would also have brought a Wolf Tooth Encase pump. And a spare AXS battery—I only had one and had to charge it during the climb out of Grand Marais in the morning, which meant I was riding singlespeed out of town.”

Andrew’s Otso Fenrir Ti

Andrew Nepsund works at Otso Cycles and was lucky enough to use this bike for the trip. Andrew loves drop-bar 29ers and said the Fenrir Ti might be his favorite yet. “It handled great loaded up, climbs like a champ, and felt like a longboard surfboard on the descents in North Country,” Andrew explains. “It really just surfs over all the chunk and rain crevices. Stable, planted, surfy, fun—you get the idea.” Being a self-proclaimed Rivendell nerd, Andrew added a bit of his own style and flair to the setup. That included a few of his favorites: Newbaums bar tape, a Carradice rear bag and bag support, and a Swift Industries Zeitgeist.

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Neil’s Esker Lorax

I was unsure which bike I’d use for this route until just before I left. Initially, I was considering a Surly Bridge Club, but then I got the opportunity to ride the new Esker Lorax, and it turned out to be the perfect bike for the job. There were a few rough sections where the extra volume was beneficial, but what really stood out to me was the quickness of the Lorax. It was fast up the punchy climbs, never felt like it was working against me, and remained relatively stiff even when loaded down—something I really enjoyed on this route.

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I ended up trying something a bit different with my gear on this bike: I used some Old Man Mountain panniers. Panniers aren’t typical for me as I tend to find them to be overkill, but I enjoyed them a lot. I never really filled them up, granted, but paired with the Elkhorn rack, it was a solid setup and allowed me to carry some extras such as a camp chair, my Tread Labs sandals, and other items I normally wouldn’t bring. If I could change anything, I think I would have added my Bags by Bird Piccolo just because both Mitch and Andrew were using top-loader front bags. However, I really liked the waterproofness of both the panniers and the Rockgeist dry bag I used up front.

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...