Our contributor Carlo talks a bout his bike packing surf journey in search of perfect waves along the Baja peninsula.
Carlo is a dedicated rider that lives in London who, after cycling across Great Britain to raise money for charity, took a recent trip on board of his Sonder Frontier 29 pedaling the Baja Divide where a lot weight has been carried and a lot of gear has been tested, readjusted, strapped and engineered. Here are the pieces of equipment and tips that excelled and passed the BAJA-PROOF test.
(Full list of all BAJA-PROOF products tested so far here )
Terms of use: The tips and modifications suggested in this section of the site are to be considered as potential ideas only and should be followed at your own risk. Bikepackingbaja.com, its partners, associates, and contributors are in no way liable for personal injury, damage to personal property, or any other such situation that might happen to individual riders who decide to implement these suggestions.
product:
BONTRAGER MIK REAR RACK
When I decided to cycle across Great Britain along the GB Divide for my first-ever bikepacking trip, I had little to no knowledge about rear racks.
I walked into a high-street bike shop in central London and browsed the racks they had available. The Bontrager MIK immediately caught my attention cause of its sturdiness and price ( less than £30 !! ). I decided to give it a go to carry my two fully loaded 20L panniers, and I never looked back.
The GB Divide spans 2,000 km with 32,000 meters of elevation gain. Some sections are highly technical and hard on both the rider and the bike. Despite the rough terrain, the rack comfortably supported the weight of the two 20L Ortlieb for the entire trip. The constant vibrations were so intense that the panniers attachment hooks wore down the aluminum of the rack itself.
Ah yes, aluminum!— hard to weld and definitely not ideal for rugged routes like the Baja Divide. When I arrived in San Diego, I had the option to switch to the highly recommended Tubus rack but i decided to stick to my MIK and try it anyway on the famous Mexican bike packing route because I had a good feeling about this rear rack and was still impressed by how great of a job it did on the GB Divide.
It never shifted, the screws never needed tightening and it remained completely free of cracks despite what i was warned and despite the very heavy load it had to bear on probably the roughest terrain I’ve ever pedaled on.
I wasn’t a purist. During my 19-day journey along the Baja Divide, I skipped a few sections here and there, but the rack was still tested extensively.
For the price and the features it offers, I can’t imagine anything better and in my opinion this rack can be considered 100% BAJA-PROOF.
product:
MOVED BY BIKES LONGBOARD SURF RACK
Baja is one of the best places in the world to surf with empty remote spots and world-class waves, good weather and the possibility of camping right in font of the lineup.
If you’re traveling by bike, carrying a surfboard seems nearly impossible, especially if you don’t ride on Highway 1 and stick to the rocky and sandy Baja Divide. Fortunately, the Moved by Bikes Longboard Rack was all I needed to safely carry my surfboard from San Francisco down south on the coast of the Mexican desert.
When I landed in San Francisco, I met Greg, the founder of Moved by Bikes. He was incredibly kind and even offered to help install the rack for me. The rack hardware is highly adaptable and fits nearly any bike and any surfboard all the way up to big SUPs ( company declares a max. carry weight limit of 25 lbs !!! ). All parts are made out of either aluminum or stainless steel to make it durable in salty coastal areas. You can mount the front and rear bars in different positions and very wide spread if you buy the longboard version of the rack which we highly recommend being the most versatile and capable — mine were attached to the fork and the seat post.
Beyond being easy to install, the rack main structure is made with lightweight, strong and flexible aluminum tubes that thanks to that great flexibility can really handle any kind o terrain for very long time without having to be readjusted or retightened. Its best feature are the quick release spline bars. This patented system allows you to quickly retract or remove the bars by just pressing button when you’re not using the rack without needing to fully detach it. Leaving the bars on though would actually sometimes work a good shield for my bike when leaning it on a wall or on the ground.
I carried a 5’9” Lost Swordfish Lib Tech edition board packed in a Dakine surf bag, along with the leash and fins. Despite a few falls, the advanced Lib Tech construction kept it completely ding-free. Plus, Lib Tech boards don’t absorb water, making them ideal for trips where repairs might be difficult. The total weight was about 8 kg, well within the rack’s capacity.
The MBB surf rack can be absolutely considered a once-in-a-lifetime investment and THE surf rack for a bike packing adventure ( product link: https://amzn.to/4aQ3AFO ).
tip:
USE WETSUIT AS PADDING
Holy neoprene always comes useful somehow! Unfortunately one of the biggest environmental surfers shames and an inevitable byproduct of surf culture is hard too beat when we think about material efficiency and properties. Keeps you warm in the coldest conditions and can work as padding on nearly anything.
In this trip I carried a bulky 4.3 wetsuit which in a plastic bag. I placed it between the front rack and handlebar bag, where it served as a cushion to prevent the handlebar bag from bouncing around on Baja’s rough terrain. I also met a bikepacker that fixed a major rubbing defect issue on his expensive panniers with a piece of old wetsuit, So I say that to carry a spare few square inches of neoprene in the patches box doesn’t hurt and doesn’t weight much plus you won’t need to cut a piece of your own wetsuit for emergency if you are a surfer like me!!
product:
RAB CIRRUS FLEX HOODED JACKET
The Rab Cirrus Flex Hooded Jacket proved to be an invaluable piece of gear while cycling the Baja Divide, offering an ideal balance of warmth, breathability, and mobility for long days in the saddle.
The insulation kept me comfortably warm during chilly mornings and cold desert nights, while remaining breathable enough to wear through brisk early rides before temperatures rose. Stretch fleece panels under the arms and along the sides provided excellent freedom of movement — so much so that I slept in it every night during my time in Baja. Despite its warmth, the jacket packed down compactly, fitting seamlessly into my bikepacking setup without adding unnecessary bulk.
While the wind resistance was decent, it wasn’t a significant concern since I primarily wore it inside my tent at night. The outer fabric handled light drizzles and mist well also during my bikepacking trip through Great Britain few years ago. However, it’s not fully waterproof, which is worth considering for wetter adventures.
After weeks on the rugged terrain of the Baja Divide, the Cirrus Flex demonstrated impressive durability, resisting snags and abrasions from cacti and rough trails. Overall, it proved to be an essential layer, delivering reliable warmth and versatility. I highly recommend it for bikepackers seeking a lightweight, functional insulating baja-proof jacket. ( link to product: https://amzn.to/3Es3g48 )
Carlo
bikepackingbaja.com 
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