This week’s reader’s ride comes from Ali Becker as she rides across the Great Northern Bike Route. She talks about her journey from overstuffing panniers to her current svelt bikepacking setup and entertains us with a poem about packing her rig up…
My name is Ali Becker and I’ve spent the last ten summers of my life setting off on multi-month bike odysseys around and across Canada and the United States.
From traditional road touring on a Surly Disc Trucker with four giant, overstuffed panniers and a duffle bag, to the more slimmed down micro panniers paired with a handlebar roll on my ’94 Kona Fire Mountain to my present day, streamlined set up on my 2024 Panorama Cycles Taïga EXP 2 for unpaved terrain – it has been a gentle transition of downsizing my packlist with a “take less, do more” mindset.
It’s taken me this whole decade to get good at letting go of the superfluous, and learning not to pack my fears and also figuring out what I want out of an adventure bike – something light, fun, nimble and dependable.
The Taïga EXP 2 is my first ever custom built bike, (which I even turned some screws on!) and I feel really empowered and confident knowing more about the components and companies that are behind the make up of this sweet, drop bar adventure bike.
A Bike Packing Poem
I bought some Rockgeist bags last spring,
To carry all my cycling things.
In the rear I packed some shorts,
Two underwear, a bra for sports.
One t-shirt and one long sleeved,
To keep me warm among the breeze.
Some lightweight pants, a woolen sweater,
A puffy jacket to make life better.
One brimmed hat to shade the light,
A toque to keep me warm at night.
A Gore-tex jacket and matching pants,
Waterproof gloves, in French, are gants.
A pink frame bag I stuffed with things,
I figured that I ought to bring.
A water filter and first aid kit,
One small trowel to bury shit.
Battery banks, cables and blocks,
A headlamp, bug net and an Ottolock.
One spare tube, some sealant, and lights,
A polka dot shower cap for my saddle at night.
2 liters of water in a Platypus bag,
A lighter, a sat com and a dirty chain rag.
Up on the front, strapped to my bars,
Is the gear I need to sleep under the stars.
Cinched up in a harness that’s perfectly built,
Is a dry bag that houses our air pad and quilt.
The tent and its poles, tools and stakes,
Are some of the things that my partner, Mat takes.
My beautiful Horton bag sits in the lead,
Stuffed with the snacks that our bellies will need.
Two HoneyPot feed bags ride up with me,
Housing bear spray, more snacks and a stash of TP.
Tweezers, clippers, floss, brush and paste,
Diva Cup & Wag Bag for untimely waste.
Everything I own fits on my bike,
And I get to bring it wherever I like.
And I still can’t imagine a finer way,
To spend my time, and live each day,
Than pedaling around with all I need
Strapped to my noble bikepacking steed.
Panorama Cycles Taïga EXP 2
- RedShift – Kitchen Sink Handlebar
- RedShift – ShockStop Pro Suspension Stem
- Hope Tech – Tapered Headset
- Hope Tech – Seat Collar
- RedShift – ShockStop Pro Endurance Suspension Seatpost
- Brooks – B17 Leather Saddle
Custom Wheels
- Mavic – XC 1025 Rims – 29” x 32 holes
- Hope Tech – Pro 5 Hub
- Maxxis – Recon Race tires – 29.5 x 2.3”
- Orange Seal – Endurance Sealant
- Reserve Wheels – Fillmore Tubeless Valves – 50mm
- Sapim – Race Spokes – 2.0mm
- Brass Nipples
Drivetrain
- Shimano – M7100-12, Cassette 10 – 51T
- Shimano – GRS RX822, SGS – 12 Speed Derailleur
- Shimano – M7100 Chain
- RaceFace – Team BSA Bottom Bracket
- RaceFace – Aeffect 170mm Cranks w/32T chainring
- Chromag – Synth Composite Pedals
Shifter & Brakes
- Shimano – GRX RX 610 Shifter/Brake
- Hope Tech – RX 4+ Piston Calipers
- Hope Tech – 6 Bolt Floating Rotors
160 rear
180 front - Galfer x Hope – Brake Pads
Bags
- Rockgeist – BarJam, Front Harness & Ultra PE DryBag
- Rockgeist – 52HZ Waterproof Frame Bag – Mountain Tour – Small
- Rockgeist – Horton Front Pouch
- Rockgeist – Mr. Fusion Seat Pack w/ Waterproof 10L bag
- Rockgeist – Honey Pot feed bags x 2
Check their full gear list and follow along as they ride the Great Northern Bike Route
We’d like to thank all of you who submitted Readers Rides builds to be shared here at The Radavist. The response has been incredible and we have so many to share over the next few months. Feel free to submit your bike, listing details, components, and other information. You can also include a portrait of yourself with your bike and your Instagram account! Please, shoot landscape-orientation photos, not portrait. Thanks!
