ADVENTURING WITH A CHILD

Having children does not mean you need to give up adventure. Just the way you set out inevitable changes. But if you see them as a new and welcoming challenge, rather than a problem, then you’re on the right path.

This is the third bigger Bikepacking trip we have undertaken with our now 6 year old daughter onboard. On the first two trips (first trip she was 11 months, second she was three years old) we rode our „regular” bikepacking rigs and just added a child seat (Yepp Mini) to the setup. This time however, we (she) wanted to bring her own bike, which added a new transport challenge. She rides 5 – 20km per day, but some days not at all, all depending on terrain, roads (traffic!) and mood.

We looked at several bikes, but once we saw and tested the OMNIUM Cargo the choice was an easy one., especially with the OMNIUM Backrest. The OMNIUM is small and light enough to be a real treat to ride, wether you ride road, gravel or trails, but sturdy enough to take on big loads, ia. my daughter, her bike and a huge load of luggage (you just need more stuff when you are traveling we kids…). We got the L, which for me with my 190cm was a little bit of a compromise, so my wife can ride it too. Hence the THOMSON SetBack seat post and the 110mm VELO ORANGE stem.

The build is not bling, bling, but rather a combination of new stuff and stuff from my bike part bin. It is still a very specific build, customized for this trip. Norway is basically one big mountain, meaning there are hardly any flat roads, you are either climbing or descending. And the limbs / descends have it in them; with an average of 10 – 15% on most climbs and suffer ramps up 25% the drive train needs to reflect that. Hence the ABSOLUTEBLACK Oval 28t chain ring mounted to a SRAM Rival GXP crank, paired with the SRAM GX Eagle 10 – 52 in the rear. The Oval works wonders once you get used to it, especially on climbs. On the point of the spin where you naturally have the least power, the shape of the rings makes it feel like a 26t and where you have most of the power it’s like a 30t. Real magic!

The front wheel is a Spank Spoon mounted to a SON 28 dynamo (expensive, but well worth it!), a must on any long distance bike. With the Supernova E3 Pro attached to the extender rack and the E3 tail light 2 we never have to worry about being seen. In addition I’m running A SINEWAVE Revolution USB port from the hub, which keeps the Wahoo Roam and other smaller gadgets top up. A neat little extra which makes life on the road a lot easier.

For the Rack we used the OMNIUM Webbing for the rear, but we wanted a solid sheet so my daughter could use it as a table during long rides (like snacks, pencils and so on), so we used a AUGUSTE86 meant for the rear and cut it to shape, so that it’s overlapped with the webbing. As it is slightly wider than the extender, I used bar tape to make the extender wider.

The build is finished up with a set of SRAM Code RCS brakes, with 180mm discs front and rear, a set I had in my parts bin. It gives me enough braking power for a the steep descends this place has to offer!

From the handlebar backward, the OMNIUM is set up like a classic bikepacking rig, with fully waterproof Apidura Expedition packs. I must say I particularly like the idea I had with the full frame pack giving us extra space and the axe mounted beneath the pack (a GRÄNSFORS small hatchet we bring on every tour to chop wood for fires and stuff), and the small pack mounted under the rack. It’s a great place to store all the stuff you seldom need, so I store all sorts of spare and repair kits there. Sure, it gets wet and dirty, but as it is waterproof it all stays on the outside… And it works a little as a fender!

For the rack we use a BENNO BIKES Utility Front Tray Bag, which takes up to 40L and is a perfect fit behind the backrest.

To tackle all the gnarly gravel, I’m running WTB Riddler in 29″ x 2.4″ (tubeless) mounted to the very sturdy WTB Proterra Light i27 MTB wheel and MAXXIS HolyRoller in 20″ x 2.2 in the front.

All text by Joachim Rosenlund