I went bikepacking and canoepacking all in one with the Velduro Phantom e-gravel bike. Not everything went to plan.
Updated October 21, 2026 02:01PM
Practically since the invention of the first bicycle, people have taken them on adventures. Today, we know this kind of riding by a couple of different names. There’s touring and bikepacking—and then there’s this secret third option known, as far as we can tell, only to a couple of brave adventurers in northern Washington.
Follow along as Logan Patrick Nelson and Andrew Ford set out for a cycling adventure like no other. The goal is to bring a canoe to a “weird, funky lake” about 40 miles outside Bellingham, Washington, using only bicycles, then transfer all the bikes and gear into the canoe and paddle back down a river to the ocean. They’re going start-to-finish carrying all their gear with them, no doubling back in cars to retrieve anything.
Logan and Andy are packing everything they need on their bikes and in their canoe.
Now there’s only a few problems. Logan and Andy have never done this before: canoe-bikepacking, bike-canoepacking, or whatever you want to call it. In fact, it’s likely very few people have ever done this before, judging by the stares they get throughout the whole three-day trip.
The next problem: they have no way of bringing a canoe with them, so they have to devise their own trailer. That’s an adventure in and of itself, sending Logan all around the city looking for anything that will help him fabricate a solution to this niche problem. It’s part repurposed salvaged gear, part new fabrication, 100% DIY innovation.
The Velduro Phantom X – M2 – E – Gravel
Helping them make the dream of towing a 17-foot canoe up gravel climbs for this unconventional adventure is a Velduro Phantom e-gravel bike. With a 250-watt Avinox motor delivering 120Nm of torque, it’s up to the challenge of towing a loaded-down canoe. We can’t say for sure that Velduro had this use case in mind when drawing up the Phantom, but we can report that it’s squarely in the bike’s wheelhouse.
Logan was thankful for turbo mode and plenty of torque on the uphill gravel sections.
Our adventurers also make use of Aeroe bikepacking bags and mounts to bring all their gear along for the ride. Their waterproof dry bags are extra useful when the adventure turns amphibious and rapids threaten to capsize the canoe.
How does it all go? You’ll have to hit the play button to find out.
Our brave adventurers on their way to Bellingham. Don’t take this picture to mean that everything went well, though.
The Bike
The Velduro Phantom X – M2 – E – Gravel equipped with Aeroe bikepacking bags.
The Velduro Phantom X – M2 – E – Gravel
Avinox M2 Motor (250W 120Nm, Boost to 125Nm, 1100W peak power)
Avinox 36V 600Wh battery
Sram Rival XPLR drivetrain (44T chainring)
Gear attachment points in front triangle and fork for bikepacking
More info: velduro.com
Velduro is a New Zealand/China based brand that is available worldwide and is excited to be launching in the US at the end of the year. Riders in the US wanting to secure a Velduro can register their interest at: sales@northern45.com
The trip by the numbers
17: How many feet long the canoe is
40: Miles of canoeing
0: Number of times either Logan or Andy have done this before
3: Nights of camping
1: Weird, funky lake
Every good trip needs a snorkel interlude in a lake halfway through.