Bombtrack Beyond+: a “Sans Souci” expedition machine

Here we are with another review of a famous bike model. This time, we interviewed a passionate French bikepacking enthusiast whom we met halfway through a great journey around the world and who shared with us his opinions on his trusty steed and how it performed on the Baja Divide.

Hi Clo! Would you introduce yourself please?

I’m Clotaire Mandel, a 33yo french cyclist, currently officialy unemployed. I could also say full time traveller.

Can you tell us shortly about your cycling and bikepacking background?

I’ve always cycled, one way or another. Mainly mountain biking when I was younger, and I started traveling when I was around 14. I’ve always been interested in the world tour side of bike culture. But also, I still don’t have a driver’s license, so I’ve always been commuting and getting around by bike. I love the object itself just as much as the power it gives to someone willing to push the pedals.

And if you just keep going straight, if you keep pushing, I realized that you could start in Europe and end up in China—on the same continuous stretch of land. So, I got into long-term bike travel for many reasons, and I’m currently on a big cycling journey that I started about seven years ago in France, from my dad’s doorstep.

What bike do you ride/have ridden in Baja?

I ride a Bombtrack Beyond+ 2021, medium size. It has 27.5+ wheels, and I was riding 2.8 width. Steel frame and fork, no suspension. I’m currently riding on a SRAM Eagle GX groupset, and with a set of very basic mechanical disk brakes and Tektro calipers.

How did you choose this bike?

Well, Baja California is part of a much longer journey, before and after. So it’s not a bike that’s been selected to only ride the Baja divide.
I bought it second hand in New Zealand to replace a surly LHT which I loved, but who wasn’t nearly as versatile.
It was close to 2400 euros at first, and bought it second hand for a little less than half of it I think.

Do you like it?

I love it, big time. It’s a very good, comfortable and versatile bike. I love the comfort of the steel frame and fork, as I’m a big fan of very strictly rigid frames.
Except a few aluminium frames that I might have been commuting with, I have pretty much always been riding steel.

What’s the best feature of this bike in your opinion?

I would say its versatility. It’s very comfortable to ride when the terrain gets technical, but it’s also a tank that can endure a lot and carry heavy loads. I love this combination—like a steed that can take you far into remote places while still allowing you to enjoy technical singletracks.

Which brings me to another point: it’s a bike I fully trust. I don’t hesitate to go remote with it because I’ve kept the components simple, allowing me to fix a wide range of potential issues.

Also, the brand’s customer service makes it pretty special, I’d say. I know I can ask questions and get quick, solid answers. For a worldwide bike traveler, that means a lot.

What are the downside features that you would change or you don’t like on this bike?

Honestly, is nothing on other people’s bike I’m dreaming of or would look for. So I guess is nothing I dislike about this bike. I’m not pretending it’s perfect, but it suits me well as it is.
Ok maybe moving to 29” would make life easier when the time comes to change and choose tires!

Not necessarily. It’s a pretty straight forward bike, no faff, just purely designed for adventure. And it does its job well.
I woudn’t mind a fancier bike for couple of days/weeks adventure when around home. But for now, for financial and practical reasons, I want an easy-to-deal-with bike.

How the geometry fits?

It’s a medium size, and size and geometry fit me well. I feel really lucky as I worked in a bike store at some point in Canada and some people struggle to find the right size in terms of comfort but also in terms of availability.
I sat on it and said : I take it!
I barely touched anything. Never been in pain, like everything fitted miraculously. Maybe the Jones H bar that gives me more comfort for long hours are a good add-up, but the original flat bars were fitting just fine.

Tire clearance is great with room for up to 3″ tires.

It’s a fairly heavy bike—over 14 kg. But it’s a playful and reliable tank. Or maybe it’s not too bad at all, and I just carry too much random stuff—like a complete tattoo kit, printer included. So, let’s not blame the bike then!

What about cargo capacity?

It has it all! I have two racks, front and rear, plus double bottle cages on each side of the fork and one on the down tube. I only had to tinker with the second cage on the fork, and I also have a small dry bag on the down tube on top of a two-liter bottle. But the bike was designed for this, so no crazy adjustments or calculations were needed to fit a rack—it was built to be loaded up.

It also has mounts on the top tube that I don’t use, as well as a few on the rear fork that I don’t use either. I wish I could take advantage of those, but I haven’t found a use for them yet, as my feet touch them when pedaling. I guess they’re designed to fit different types of rear racks?

And since the whole bike is made of steel, you can even get creative and add welded mounts if needed.

During your time in Baja did any part of the frame brake, crack or fail?

Not at all, thank the spokes’ god! Nothing happened. I guess the bike is already beaten up—haha—so I probably wouldn’t even notice any new rust spots.

The front rack did weaken, though, and I had to fix it later on in Michoacán.

Baja is a funny place. You don’t want to have any issues because stuff is hard to find, but at the same time, you’ll always come across a random bloke who can weld your rack, fork, or frame.

Would you recommend this bike to someone planning to bikepack Baja?

I would recommend this bike anyway. And for Baja specifically, I don’t think there’s a perfect bike for such a wide variety of rough terrains, but in my eyes, the Bombtrack Beyond is the ideal middle ground.

As for recommendations, just a few basics:

• Tubeless, for sure. And a proper repair kit—along with the skills to use it.

• As few zip ties as possible. And as much steel as possible (racks, bike, etc.).

• Enough capacity for food and water, probably slightly more than you planned for. Extra dates or bars are always welcome.

• Tires as wide as possible—you won’t regret it.

• And maybe my new favorite item: an electronic pump. GAME CHANGER. Effortlessly adjusting your tire pressure between different terrains has been a true game changer for me! A little luxury item that makes you feel happy at camp after a long day.

What’s up with Baja in your opinion?

Well, I guess I could talk for hours about Baja—haha.

First of all, it’s even harder than you’d expect, and I found the rewards to be somewhat underwhelming. But that’s just my humble opinion.

I was constantly torn between two options: the Baja Divide trail and the main road. For each one, you have to pick your poison. On the former the relentless repetition of bad conditions, and on the later the mostly unexisting shoulder lane and semi-trucks .