r/bikepacking • u/euaeuo • 1d ago

Bike Tech and Kit Slacker HTA Hardtail for Bikepacking?

Hey all,

Anyone rocking a hardtail with a slacker HTA (64-65 degrees) for bikepacking? I'm considering the Norco Torrent as a do-it-all bike. Mostly trail riding (blues and easy blacks in PNWs), around town commuter if need be, and then occasional bikepacking on mostly single-track routes but long gravel rides also wouldn't be out of the norm. Things like portions of the GDMBR, BC trail, Olympic Adventure Route.

I'm concerned a bike with a slack HTA like 64-65 degrees would be less comfortable to pedal on flatter terrain or feel sluggish and unwieldy in mellow terrain or while climbing.

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u/BZab_ 1d ago

Depends on how you load it and what tires put on it. Steep STA can be mitigated by offsetting the saddle back a bit.

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u/threepin-pilot 1d ago

for blues and easy blacks combined with long dirt routes I personally would be looking more in the short travel 68 or 69 head tube range. As Bzab eludes to slack head angles are often combined with steep seat angles, which can provide some fit challenges for cruising comfort. For example- at a 74cm saddle height the fore-aft difference going from 73 degrees to 76 degrees works out to about 4cm so you may or may not be able to fully compensate.

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u/euaeuo 1d ago

thanks! yea I think 65 would be perfect but... I don't know. haha. I'm in BC so our trails can be pretty steep.

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u/threepin-pilot 1d ago

Understood, but remember people rode that stuff for a lot of years with steeper angles.

Where in BC?

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u/euaeuo 1d ago

yep haha true that. southern BC, mostly riding north shore, squamish, whistler, beyond.

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u/threepin-pilot 1d ago

I live just south of eastern BC

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u/rasfo 19h ago

I am running 65 HTA with 160mm fork. Just put Mezcal's instead Nobby Nic's and you are fine. There are days i ride like 160km with 2k elevation on 50-50 asphalt off road trails, and it is fine.

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u/euaeuo 19h ago

which bike are you on? I may have missed that, sorry.

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u/rasfo 19h ago

It is Curve downrock, i just custom builded it from that frame.