Tyke packing (bike packing with kids) for family cycling holidays?
Adventure cycling is driven by comfort, reliability, luggage capacity and overall simplicity. Often you will see more robust Aluminium wheels and wider tyres, wide range groupsets, cable brakes and additional luggage on bikepacking bikes, but as with all HUP bikes, you can build how you want, so hydraulic brakes and carbon wheels are also available.
So why go Gravel?
Why limit yourself to the road, when you can venture down trails too? A change of tyres is all you need for your first gravel adventure on the HUP evo, add frame bags to go tyke packing (bike packing with kids) further afield. We have the kit to either build a dedicated gravel bike or convert your existing CX bike. Alterntively, for even more long-distance comfort you can use the HUP xc MTB frame as a basis for really big adventures.
Getting away from traffic, freedom to explore new places and immersing yourself in stunning scenery are all obvious appeals. Planning trips, good navigation and learning to be self-sufficient are also very useful experiences for kids. A lack of UK cycling infrastructure, staycations, environmental concerns and a fuel crisis only add to the appeal.
Safe cycling routes are limited on a Road bike (you can't head down that Bridleway) often putting you in conflict with the car. On a gravel bike, you're free to ride pretty much anywhere, opening-up new routes - that's a big deal riding with kids!
When we designed the HUP evo, dual-purpose was the brief. Once the CX season was over (with a change of tyres) it could be converted for Road or Gravel. But like racing, weight still matters on long days in the saddle. You don’t want to add luggage, to an already heavy bike!
Complete bikes or framesets
Frames to fit riders from 110cm+ on the HUP evo24 or from 125cm+ on the HUP evo (37cm to 58cm) with progressive geometry, triple-butted tubing and full carbon forks, they make lightweight gravel bikes. You can choose the standard fork or the luggage fork (extra carrying capacity) and HUP 700c or 650b carbon wheels.
Optional Ragley luggage forks
In addition to frame bags, luggage forks on the HUP evo add considerable extra carrying capacity for clothes, food or water using forks designed for load bearing, with 3 mounting bosses per leg. Dedicated, waterproof bags keep everything clean and dry.
Frame bags for essentials
Food, water, spares, tools, clothes, wet weather kit, you name it - there's space for it! Frame bags for the HUP evo from the Pro bike bag range.
700c or 650b wheelsets
Aluminium or carbon 700c wheels (up to 40c tyres) or go 650b for even wider tyres (upto 46c) and lower pressures, making long-distance off-road more comfortable!
Dropper posts, cage adaptors and more
Trick bits: HUP evo's can use a dropper set post if required (we've a selection of 27.2mm short /medium travel posts), adaptors to drop your bottle cage (make more room for bags) or easy access side-exit bottle cages.
Gravel groupsets
Wide range, 1x gearing is perfect for gravel adventures, our most popular being the awesome (and lightweight) Shimano GRX and the MicroSHIFT Advent X system with drop bar shifters, clutched rear mech and alloy spider 11-48t cassette.
Clothes for any weather
No such thing as the wrong weather, only the wrong clothes! HUP clothes have it all covered, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Just as Ruth and Rhoda Jones after their record-breaking 3 weeks in the saddle riding LeJog, all in HUP kit! Handmade in Italy (using Italian fabrics) for day-long comfort in the saddle.
Go GrvlMAX?
We can also build extreme gravel bikes using the HUP xc frameset, so you can enjoy the comforts of up to 2.4" tyres, front suspension forks and dropper seat posts. They literally go anywhere and ride like a limo. Beasts!
For all the best family gravel cycling and bikepacking kit, clothes & bikes for epic Summer adventures: CLICK HERE...
