Cycling and backpacking

You can easily strap a backpack on the back rack of your bicycle with bungee cords. Leave the bike and panniers with your friend and continue on with the backpack. Put a rain cover over the backpack before your strap it so that it stays nice and dry under rain showers.

As far as panniers go, the Ortlieb Back Rollers are the most popular touring panniers. Hunt around, as you can get them much cheaper on some internet shops than others.

Why didn't I think of that? Cheers for the advice!! Yep, I see that Ortlieb are the most popular. Waterproof too which is important as I'll be arriving in the rainy season. Thanks :-)

Good advice from Anabase.
Forget altogether ever carrying a backpack on your back while cycling. I have seen one giy doing that and he looked very uncomfortable, which I was not at surprised to see.

In addition to panniers I think you should also get a bar-bag for small things that you need easy access to.
Personally I like Ortlieb panniers but have been very disappointed with their bar-bag.

"At the end of the journey I can leave my bike with a mate, but until I get there I I'd have my backpack on me the whole way."

Can you post your backpack ahead to the mate you plan on leaving your bike with?

For panniers I'd recommend the Ortleib Backroller Classics. You can get a pair of them starting from about 90 Euros from Bike24.com.

@Manonbike: that's an idea. Not sure how reliable the Mexican post is though. Big and bulky so would cost a fair bit too. Appreciate the recommendation. Looks like it's definitely going to be Ortlieb panniers then. Will check out that site.

@Albin_2: Thanks, mate! Why were you unhappy with the Ortlieb bar-bag? Any other make you recommend for one of those?

Really appreciate there are guys like you out there willing to take time over helping guys like me. Thanks!

I don't travel with a bar bag. I don't think its essential. A luxury if anything.

Also why don't you just forget the backpacking idea and continue on with your bike trip. It can be a pain but you can put your bike on buses and trains if you want to jump large distances quickly.

Thanks, Newslander. A long bike trip just wouldn't be practical. I just wouldn't have the time to see all the places I want to see. I'm sure I can't be the first one who's had this problem.

Do you reckon 40l is enough storage? Will back panniers be enough? Really want to keep the load down to a minimum.

That's what i travel with but i don't try to put my big sleeping bag and tent inside them. I suppose as you won't need any cold weather gear for central america it should be fine.

I would never like to bother with front panniers. Although on this trip that i am supposed to be embarking on today, if i don't change my mind about the guy who's giving me a lift, I don't know how i'm going to carry 20 litres of water on the back wheel as well as 10 days food and all the rest of it.

Sorry that was a bit of a ramble. I"ve had a dodgy night. But generally i travel with 2 often quite full ortlieb classic roll top panniers only and a sleeping bag and tent. You can fit a lot in those panniers and the trick is to leave out stuff you don't need.

Take bare minimum of clothes and stuff.

I just did a (heinous) 'bike packing' trip in the mountains in Canada. I stuffed one of these (http://www.arcteryx.com/Product.aspx?language=EN&gender=mens&model=Cierzo-35) into my panniers so i could transfer the heavier items from my panniers onto my back while carrying my bike and junk over a trail-less pass. Worked out nicely... the pack that is... the bush bash on the other hand was brutally hard. I rolled the pack up and tied it to the top of the rack on the way out.. by the end of the trip i could fit it into my pannier.

Edited by: jibs00

Edited by: jibs00