If you want to ride the trail unsupported (camping at the shelters) you will need to carry about 20kg of gear for your overnight stay on the back of your bike. For this you will need a sturdy rack and the bags (panniers) that hang off it. Parts of the track are quite rough so it needs to be sturdy. Here is a picture of the Toppeak rack I bought for my 29in bike. Note that it has lower extenders so that it clears the disk brakes. They bolt onto the frame quite easily.
Pannier Anchor Points
You may see near that in the frame near the rear wheel axle there may be threaded holes. One or two on each side. There may also be 2 more in the frame closer to the saddle.
If your bike does or does not have these will determine what kind of rack you can use. The lightweight higher performance bicycles often don't have them. The only solutions to this are: -
Pannier Bags
There are many available. I originally bought a cheap pair of Tioga Rear Panniers, but found them a bit of a hassle on the trail. They are strapped to the rack using hooks and stretchable shock cord. Over rough terrain they tended to slowly come loose. I also noticed on a couple of guys that came down the trail from Perth that by the time they got here the stitching was coming loose and they had had some difficulties with them.
So I have bought myself a pair of Ortlieb Panniers for my next trip. They are German made with a great reputation and are pretty much a classic for touring cycle rider. Waterproof with a roll top, lets see how they stand up to the rigours of the Munda Biddi.
Pannier Anchor Points
You may see near that in the frame near the rear wheel axle there may be threaded holes. One or two on each side. There may also be 2 more in the frame closer to the saddle.
If your bike does or does not have these will determine what kind of rack you can use. The lightweight higher performance bicycles often don't have them. The only solutions to this are: -
- Use a trailer or :-
- Get a Thule "Pack and Pedal Sport Rack". These are quite recent products which I have yet to see or use, but they would seem to be the only solution to fitting a rack on a performance MTB.
There are many available. I originally bought a cheap pair of Tioga Rear Panniers, but found them a bit of a hassle on the trail. They are strapped to the rack using hooks and stretchable shock cord. Over rough terrain they tended to slowly come loose. I also noticed on a couple of guys that came down the trail from Perth that by the time they got here the stitching was coming loose and they had had some difficulties with them.
So I have bought myself a pair of Ortlieb Panniers for my next trip. They are German made with a great reputation and are pretty much a classic for touring cycle rider. Waterproof with a roll top, lets see how they stand up to the rigours of the Munda Biddi.
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