Spring Gear 2019: The Complete Guide to Bikepacking

Santa Cruz Highball

This speedy, carbon-fiber hardtail takes the sting out of craggy trails with a new seat-stay design that dampens more vibration than previous builds, so you can ride longer. With the manual lockout of this 29er, you can tweak the suspension’s feedback over bumps or clamp it in place to cruise over flat runs, and the open triangle will fit most packs.

[From $2,379; backcountry.com]

REI Co-op Superlight Bivy

At 22 ounces, this new tent collapses down to almost nothing in your handlebar pack, but has a smart, single aluminum hoop design that incorporates an overhang, so you can sleep with the door open during a light rain. A screen blocks out biting critters while a ripstop nylon shell keeps you dry.

[$149; rei.com]

Big Agnes V Notch UL 40° Sleeping Bag

This 21-ounce bag compresses to a bike pack–friendly size, and, come summer, the recycled polyester insulation won’t trap sweat like lesser builds can.

[From $190; backcountry.com]

Topeak Frontloader

This handlebar system’s eight-liter drybag holds bulky, light gear like sleeping bags and tents, and releases quickly when you set up camp. Bungee items you need access to during the ride, like a rain shell, to the bag’s exteral mounting points.

[From $63; amazon.com]

Specialized Ambush Helmet With ANGi

A spill alone on a quiet country road could be disastrous. Pair the small sensor on this MIPS helmet with your smartphone and it notifies emergency contacts with your GPS coordinates if you crash.

[$200; specialized.com]

Salsa Warbird Carbon Apex 1 700

This capable carbon commuter bike morphs into a serious adventure rig on weekends—this year’s build holds four water bottles, and it has mounts for racks and bags on the fork, the fender, and even the top tube. On the trail, the shorter reach gives the rig an agile, mountain-bike feel (with wheels up to two inches thick), which helps you take on fast, technical routes with confidence. 

[$2,699; salsacycles.com]

Rab Microlight Jacket

The hydrophobic 750-fill down in this easily packable, 13.5-ounce puffy won’t wet out from showers like untreated insulation can. The breathable liner reduces clamminess while the Pertex shell keeps you toasty (and dry) with downhill speed.

[$250; backcountry.com]

Kitsbow Adjuster Short V4

Thank the elastane in these shorts for the hours of chafe-free pedaling. The bombproof shell’s ready for anything on the trail—sticks, mud, a tumble—and a smart magnetic buckle that nearly closes itself, even with gloves on.

[from $199; backcountry.com]

Blackburn Outpost Elite Universal Seat Pack