Bike Check: Robin Pyle's Custom Bikepacking Rig
Robin Pyle is a killer videographer, solid rider, a great follow on Instagram - @verticalsandbox, and an all-around rad dude. We caught a picture of his backpacking set up and knew we needed to feature it on our site. It's always great to have cool people doing cool stuff on our wheels. We'll let Robin go into the details:
"My 2011 Niner SIR 9 1.1 spent its first 8 years as a super lightweight, rigid single speed. Last September while ogling gravel bikes I realized I already had a great base, dug the derailleur hanger out of the random parts drawer, and got on it. Knowing the bike would occasionally be loaded down I chose SNT ZTR Arch MK3s laced to Neo hubs for stability and reliability. Tan wall Maxis Ikon 2.2’s for practical and aesthetic reasons. A Sram Eagle group, mostly GX but opted for the XO1 derailleur for the stronger pulley cage and XX1 gold chain because, c’mon. 10-50T cassette and 32T up front that’ll climb a tree but keep up enough on the smooth sections. Some Jones Loop H riser bars for smiles and cargo real estate. Swapped out the carbon post for a stiffer Thompson and wrapped it in texture wrap to keep the bags locked in. FSA headset, trusty Time ATAC pedals and mismatched XO and Elixir brakes all stayed on the bike from its original build. After helicopter taping the frame and fork for when it gets wild, I decked it out with Nittany Mountain Works bags; Jones Bar bag, Fastpack 1/2 frame bag, Stem bag on top tube / seatpost, 2 Manything bags, Tool Roll, and an early prototype seat bag. Also using a 15L dry bag under the bars and 5L dry bag on the fork. Little things, like a single piece of red housing running to the derailleur, make my heart happy. This bike's flexibility is inspiring and the fun factor is through the roof. Shout out Lucky’s Bicycles and Outpost Richmond for all of the love and lube."
Photos by Robin Pyle
