Budget bikepacking: a vintage Trek, DIY guides and new bags for your autumn rides

Fancy sleeping out with your bike, but your budget won't stretch to buying all the kit from scratch? Budget bikepacking is more doable than it looks. The weekly round-up from Bikepacking.com makes it clear: it brings a handful of low-budget and do-it-yourself guides, the rebuild of a vintage Trek and a talk by Calvin Jones about bike co-ops.

Alongside that come some new kit: two new gravel forks, new Garmin GPS units, bikepacking bags from Gramm and Atwater Atelier, some ultralight down mittens and four events to follow live. That's a lot, so let's get to what's useful if you want to ride loaded without emptying your bank account.

Budget bikepacking: start with the bike you already have

The idea running through much of the round-up is simple: the best bike to start with is usually the one already in your garage, or a well-chosen used one. Rescuing an old mountain bike or town bike, checking it over and adapting it is the most direct way to get started without spending much.

If you don't have one, a second-hand bike is the most sensible way to begin. A classic hardtail mountain bike or a gravel bike with a few years on it can carry a load, takes wide tyres and can be fixed with parts that are easy to find. Have a look at second-hand gravel bikes or second-hand Trek models if the classics are your thing.

What to check on an old bike before loading it

A rebuild like that vintage Trek always comes down to the same points. Before you hang any bags on it, check this:

• Frame and fork: look for cracks, rust on the welds and make sure the fork isn't bent.
• Bearings: headset, bottom bracket and hubs should turn smoothly with no play.
• Wheels: even spoke tension and rims without excessive wear on the braking surface.
• Drivetrain: a stretched chain eats cassettes and chainrings; replace it in time.
• Brakes and cables: new housing and fresh pads cost little and make a big difference to the bike's safety.
• Mounting points: check whether it has threads for a rack or bottle cages; if not, strapless-mount bags are your friend.

This is where the co-ops and community workshops Calvin Jones talks about come in: spaces where you learn to fix your bike with shared tools. If you have one nearby, make the most of it.

Kit: where to spend and where to save

The round-up brings new bags from Gramm and Atwater Atelier and some ultralight down mittens, a sign that autumn and winter bikepacking calls for warm layers. You don't need to buy everything at once. A useful rule of thumb:

• Save on bags at first: used ones, or even homemade solutions with straps and dry bags, work for your first trips.
• Invest in what keeps you warm and dry: gloves, layers and a sleeping bag suited to the temperature.
• The GPS can wait: your phone with a good power bank covers plenty of routes; the new Garmins are an upgrade, not a requirement.

To find bags, lights or racks at a good price, have a look at the second-hand bike accessories section.

New gravel forks: are they for you?

The two gravel forks out this week point to a trend: more tyre clearance and more versatility for gravel bikes. If your current bike falls short on tyre width, swapping the fork can be a worthwhile upgrade, but first check that the axle, steerer tube and brake are compatible with your frame.

Pick a short route close to home, pack just what you need and try your first night out this autumn. And if there's a bike in your garage you no longer use, list it for free and let someone else turn it into their adventure companion.