V20 Camping

[devonian]

A rather odd and possibly bad idea: what if instead of having to bring a tent to go bike camping, you could just use the V20's seat as a bed?
I've taken to storing my Vendetta in my apartment's living room on one of the front wheel bike stands that Cruzbike recommends, and every now and then I decide to use it as a comfy chair. Even standing still, the bike is incredibly comfortable - it's on the same level as a genuine bed. So it got me wondering, how feasible would it be to get/make a sturdy locking system to keep the bike upright on the ground and then cover it with something approximating tent fabric? With a well enough designed system, I would think it'd be possible to stay at least fairly insulated and waterproof, and just sleep on the bike with my feet on the pedals. That way there wouldn't be any need for a full tent to go bikecamping, and I could sleep in comfort on the seat and headrest. Carrying the bike stabilizing system might be inconvenient, but I wonder what it would be possible to build nonetheless.

 

[Frito Bandito]

I have joked and heard roadies joke about falling asleep on it while riding, but you have obviously put more thought into it. How about attaching fold-up kickstands on each side near the wheels, maybe through the QR or clamps on the forks and frame? You could pull them off for the ride.

When I was competing in Long Drive we used 50" golf shafts so a pair of those could be tall enough to connect a tarp over you. IIRC each 1 was about 100g and could be stuck under the seat when not in use. Or, just tie the tarp to trees using fishing line.

 

[Henri]

What's the smallest size you have ever seen for any kind of bed? I have never seen one as small as a recumbent seat. Neither have I seen one that doesn't try to be as flat as possible.
The seat of a recumbent is great compared to the seat of a conventional bike, but it doesn't even come close to a recliner and I wouldn't want to sleep in one of those. Also keep in mind that on a bike packing trip you will be riding the bike all day for multiple days. You need some veriety in body positions, not the same pose for 16h per day, especially with your feet locked to the pedals. Where would you even put your hands? This all sounds like actual torture for most of your joints, your spine and the skin of your back.
I have tried to sleep in a velomobile (Milan SL) when I accidentally rode through the night. Didn't manage anything more than a few 20min naps.

And then your tent needs to be very high. You not only need to lie on the bike without touching the tent fabric, you also need to got on and off. Also nothing like a sleeping back would work, so you can only use this when the nights are really warm or you need very warm night clothes.

I don't see much benefit either. The special gear you need would be nearly as heavy and harder to set up than conventional camping gear. Only advantage is that your bike will be hard to steal without you noticing. (So a thief will have to harm you instead. )


I have thought about the idea of a sturdy stand for quick stops on short to medium trips, though. I think of the wide bars that you often see under the loading area of a Long John cargo bike. Just lower it for some support on a traffic light for instand start when the light turns green and lift over the hump to sit sturdy at the lake for a while

 

[Boreen bimbler]

Many people use bikes to support a tarp but sleeping on the bike is usually unintentional. And very weird. I used to use a bivvy bag. Sometimes just with a survival bag inside which is very surprisingly warm. If you need more cover a small tarp too. Not "comfort touring" but neither is sleeping on a recumbent.
I couldn't sleep on my S40 but I have enough trouble in a comfy bed tbh. If you do manage please put some pics up.

 

[Henri]

I just imagined that the head might roll off of a narrow headrest. That either disturbes sleep or worse you wake up with a wrecked neck.

 

[Frito Bandito]

I've seen a few thin blow up mattresses that you can roll up. If you blow them up yourself you have to be careful of the humidity damage inside but some people use a battery powered pump that allows you to get more than 1 season out of it. My custom headrest is concave so my head stays fixed pretty well, but I don't think I would honestly try sleeping on my V20 and a tarp for multi day rides, a single overnighter or even a few hours unless something extremely drastic happened.

 

[Karl42]

I have once slept on my V20 leaned against a wall during a 400k brevet that went overnight. It was surprisingly doable, even without locking the brakes. The trick was to lean against the wall in a way that would allow me to relax completely. I also had the shoes clipped into the pedals. The main problem was that it was a bit too cold, even though it was already a corner protected from wind:



So while it kind of worked, it really came out of "I'm too tired to go on and must take a break", rather than anything planned. These days I bring a bivy bag and perhaps even a light sleeping bag on these long rides and sleep somewhere on the side of the road or in the forest, and for a full-on camping trip I would certainly bring everything needed to sleep on the ground, as that gives me a much better rest than sleeping on the bike.

It's not hard to fit a full camping setup into a set of Radical Banana M panniers for long tours on the V20:




However, if you do want to try sleeping on the bike, bring some straps to lock the brakes to ensure the bike doesn't move (perhaps even tying it to a fence with another strap), and bring enough clothing or a small sleeping bag to make sure you stay warm.
I would consider sleeping on the bike an extremely minimalist solution for a quick nap on the side of the road (as I have done). The initial posters suggestion of making the bike free standing and building a tarp over it would probably require more materials and add more weight than a small tent and lightweight mat. Realistically, you need to lean the bike against a wall or fence and already be under a roof, hope that it stays dry, or wear your raingear, so that this works without bringing any support to keep the bike upright (other than perhaps some straps) and without a tarp.

 

[Karl42]

Here is my current sleep setup for overnight trips with minimal gear in the summer - just a bivy bag and perhaps a light mattress:

 

[Henri]

I have once slept on my V20 leaned against a wall

Damn, that sounds scary. I would rather put the seat mat on the floor. I'd be so worried. XD

 

[Mathew Fy]

I imagine using your seat pad and headrest between your bivy and the ground can improve comfort.

 

[Frito Bandito]

I saw these 5L Brooks frame bags that would be an aero solution for each side under the seat. Brooks also makes a 3L version that could be fitted under the seat as well. A bit pricey, but they are waterproof.

 

[Midnight]

Different bikes and trips, S40 with Blackburn frame bags. V20c with some army surplus bags fitted beneath the seat pad

 

[Henri]

Blackburn from bags

Wanted to say "frame"??

 

[Midnight]

Wanted to say "frame"??

Correct - spell check got me