Carrying a crash pad on a bike

Has anyone here experimented with biking to the [bouldering] crag while carrying a full-sized crash pad? If so, what seems to work well and what doesn't? I'm wondering how reasonable it is to carry one on a regular rack compared to using a trailer. I found one guy who managed to mount his on a regular rear rack, but it looks pretty janky and like it might make pedaling annoying. I also saw that there is an option for an inflatable crash pad which would be easy to carry, but I doubt it works as well as a regular pad.

Don't do it in windy conditions. . .

Get a trailer and use a cam strap to keep everything secure. I use a burly trailer and it works great. With that trailer you'll have room for 20ish inches of foam (2 x 5in big pad). I carry 2.5 organic pads (19in of foam) and there's a bit of wiggle room.

You can try to mod a regular rack to carry a pad but it sounds more trouble than it's worth since it'll affect your handling and weight distribution more than a trailer. Plus you won't be able to carry as many pads. 

Carrying on your back on a bike sucks major @$$. Its fine for short distances up double track. Longer rides 15min+ (or single track) not recommended - use a trailer. 

I've contemplated this. Other than the hilarious photos of going up Flagstaff Rd. with a bouldering pad, I think the trailer is the way to go. Or just "borrow" one of the endless stashed pads "clever": boulderers "think" are "totally hidden" lol. 

Or steal one of those long tail e-bikes all the moms are riding around with 2.5 kids in tow. 

I use a rear bike rack, attaching pads with ratchet straps and bungees.  

Go inflatable? https://sicksequence.com/

Rprops wrote:

Go inflatable? https://sicksequence.com/

Do you actually own one of these? What do you think of it? I feel like they would be terrible for rocky landings since they can't fold.

Theyre kinda sick. They blow up in 90 seconds. Very adjustable as to bounce. So far seem durable. They are a bit small but that has some advantages too as far as positioning goes. One crash pad and 2 of these stuffed in is a pretty sweet set up. Also for traveling you cant beat em.  
Cons: no handles and you’re the guy with the inflatable crash pad. Which for a V1 crusher such as myself, sort of just reinforces my whole mystique. 

I really don't need more crash pads but now I'm really curious to try these sicksequence pads. Being able to shove a bunch of these things in a pannier would be a lot nicer than hauling foam. I can't find any real reviews though. Rprops, would you mind expanding on your comment a bit more? How does actually falling on them compare to foam? Have you taken big falls on them? If the landing is rocky do they stick up in weird ways?

I haven't used them a ton yet because bouldering is obviously dumb (why do I own these?). The falls are fine. I was worried it would be either you slip off with a hard plastic feel or too soft and you roll an ankle. Nope. Totally fine and micro-adjustable based on scenario. As to rocky/uneven landings, I dont have enough experience w them yet, but do know you can use the velcro straps to help keep them in awkward positions w some creativity.  

It is borderline crazy to me that I can't find single video of anyone using these pads. (Aside from Kickstarter vid of the creator jumping directly on the pad from a ladder from 3 feet.) 

There is not a single youtube vid of climbers using it. There isn't even a single video on the company's instagram! The promo images look like those bad drop ship Amazon pages.  

The person behind Sick Sequence is obviously an engineer and not a business person. Please, if you're reading this, hire me to do your marketing. 

I am a motorcyclist, but I have not ridden with a crashpad on my back.

I strongly warn against it. IMO if you go anything over 15mph that thing is going to turn into a sail, likely leading to catastrophic failure.

I mean, even riding your motorcycle with a slightly billowy jacket you can feel the difference in drag, let alone with a crashpad on your back.

Best wishes and safe travels.

In case anyone is still curious about the Sick Sequence pads, I bought one after the discussion in this thread to try it out and have played with it for 2ish months. Here are some thoughts

• If you are space or weight limited (like on a bike) these things are incredible. I can fit one sick sequence pad + foot pump + climbing stuff (2 pairs shoes, minibar, tape, chalk, bands) in one standard 20L ortlieb back pannier. If you don't use the stuff sack, you could probably fit 3 pads in one 20L ortlieb. With my one ortlieb, I don't really notice much extra weight, even on the steep climbs.
• Incredibly easy to fit both the sick sequence pad and foot pump inside of a standard pad, this is great when there is a long hike and you want a lot of pads but don't want to suffer. Compared to a normal foam pad, the sick sequence pad has pretty negligible weight. Also nice when using a bike trailer, I can now carry 2.5 organic pads + a sick sequence pad in my burly trailer which is a very comfy number of pads.
• The dynamics of falling onto an inflatable pad are quite different than a foam pad. The best way I can describe it is slightly bouncy and unstable. With a foam pad you sink into the foam and the foam more or less cradles you. With the inflatable pad, there is a returning force after impact which the climber has to account for and do some of the stabilization themselves with their legs. The pad dynamics take some getting used to but ultimately the falls are fine once you learn to use it. If you bring it to the crag, expect people to be very skeptical and not want to try it since it feels so different.
• Since the pad is so light, it is easy to accidentally kick it out of position or for the pad to creep out of position after falls. It is also easy to kick back into position, so for me it is a wash. Just something to look out for.
• The pad doesn't deform under it's own weight like a foam pad will; which can be weird on uneven terrain since the pad will not deform until you fall on it. This behavior makes it very difficult to judge what will happen once you fall and whether or not you will bottom out on a pointy rock. It's not the end of the world, but it is yet another learning curve.
• Inflation is quick and easy (60ish seconds with provided foot pump), but the sound the provided air tube makes as air enters and exits the tube is a truly horrible whistling. I feel the need to apologize if others are around. There is probably a way to fix this but I'm not totally sure yet.
• Sometimes when you step on the edges, the whole pad flips up, like stepping on the back of a skateboard.
• The velcro strips for attaching pads together can also be used for wiping your feet. The main body of the pad is not good for wiping your feet due to the smooth fabric.

Overall, I think the Sick Sequence pads are not really as performant as modern foam pads (with the caveat that I'd take a sick sequence over a metolius that had a couple years of use). Combine the performance with the price and I think it would be hard to justify the Sick Sequence over an Organic pad for road side cragging with a car as transport. However, if space or weight is at all a concern, the tradeoff is absolutely worth it. Heck, they are even great as a supplemental pad for long approaches/the alpine, that way you can mostly fall on foam but have the inflatable for extra coverage without a significant weight penalty. Truly eye opening how light and packable these things are while still being functional.

Considering that this is a first generation product made by some random dude, I think the future is bright for inflatable pads. I think both the price and performance could be improved on if a bigger company got in the game.

Israel R wrote:

In case anyone is still curious about the Sick Sequence pads, I bought one after the discussion in this thread to try it out and have played with it for 2ish months. Here are some thoughts

• If you are space or weight limited (like on a bike) these things are incredible. I can fit one sick sequence pad + foot pump + climbing stuff (2 pairs shoes, minibar, tape, chalk, bands) in one standard 20L ortlieb back pannier. If you don't use the stuff sack, you could probably fit 3 pads in one 20L ortlieb. With my one ortlieb, I don't really notice much extra weight, even on the steep climbs.
• Incredibly easy to fit both the sick sequence pad and foot pump inside of a standard pad, this is great when there is a long hike and you want a lot of pads but don't want to suffer. Compared to a normal foam pad, the sick sequence pad has pretty negligible weight. Also nice when using a bike trailer, I can now carry 2.5 organic pads + a sick sequence pad in my burly trailer which is a very comfy number of pads.
• The dynamics of falling onto an inflatable pad are quite different than a foam pad. The best way I can describe it is slightly bouncy and unstable. With a foam pad you sink into the foam and the foam more or less cradles you. With the inflatable pad, there is a returning force after impact which the climber has to account for and do some of the stabilization themselves with their legs. The pad dynamics take some getting used to but ultimately the falls are fine once you learn to use it. If you bring it to the crag, expect people to be very skeptical and not want to try it since it feels so different.
• Since the pad is so light, it is easy to accidentally kick it out of position or for the pad to creep out of position after falls. It is also easy to kick back into position, so for me it is a wash. Just something to look out for.
• The pad doesn't deform under it's own weight like a foam pad will; which can be weird on uneven terrain since the pad will not deform until you fall on it. This behavior makes it very difficult to judge what will happen once you fall and whether or not you will bottom out on a pointy rock. It's not the end of the world, but it is yet another learning curve.
• Inflation is quick and easy (60ish seconds with provided foot pump), but the sound the provided air tube makes as air enters and exits the tube is a truly horrible whistling. I feel the need to apologize if others are around. There is probably a way to fix this but I'm not totally sure yet.
• Sometimes when you step on the edges, the whole pad flips up, like stepping on the back of a skateboard.
• The velcro strips for attaching pads together can also be used for wiping your feet. The main body of the pad is not good for wiping your feet due to the smooth fabric.

Overall, I think the Sick Sequence pads are not really as performant as modern foam pads (with the caveat that I'd take a sick sequence over a metolius that had a couple years of use). Combine the performance with the price and I think it would be hard to justify the Sick Sequence over an Organic pad for road side cragging with a car as transport. However, if space or weight is at all a concern, the tradeoff is absolutely worth it. Heck, they are even great as a supplemental pad for long approaches/the alpine, that way you can mostly fall on foam but have the inflatable for extra coverage without a significant weight penalty. Truly eye opening how light and packable these things are while still being functional.

Considering that this is a first generation product made by some random dude, I think the future is bright for inflatable pads. I think both the price and performance could be improved on if a bigger company got in the game.

I use the Kalias. About the size a Mondo in a burly pack. It does have some weight to it but it's great for bushwhacking since it doesn't catch on every branch.

I was walking on the carriage road in the Gunks last year when a guy flew up from behind us on a bike with a pad on his back. I was also carrying a pad and as he passed us his pad clipped mine, causing him to veer off course and almost fly straight off the downhill edge of the carriage road into the talus field. He was going pretty fast and just barely managed to stop within a couple inches of the edge. So I guess my advice is... don't do that if you're gonna bike with a pad on. 

https://youtu.be/5w_HIko84Sc?si=w6nMQ_DLWT44L9FS

an example of my set-up in action. also used this off-road to great success. 

I like to use the burley cargo trailer. holds 2 big Organic Pads, with room for more. blubber and scratch mat easily. also easy to lash a fan, and your kit to the pads whilst on the trailer. good handling, lightweight, easy to break down and store. 

5 pads. Highly successful. I bike all over the place like this, pads sit on the crate so I don’t even feel them much.

Elliot White wrote:

5 pads. Highly successful. I bike all over the place like this, pads sit on the crate so I don’t even feel them much.

I'm glad that works for you but that looks pretty awful ngl.