Reader’s Rig: Matty’s Bombtrack Beyond+ ADV

Words and photos by Matty Waudby (@getwildmatty)

I’m Matty Waudby and I’m from York, North Yorkshire, and have been on a bikepacking trip with my girlfriend Clare Nattress for the last 10 months. I’ve been heavily into bikes since I was 11 years old, mainly riding BMX but also dabbling in downhill, fixed gears, and now off-road touring.

My BMX upbringing made me who I am today, the DIY vibe, punk music, strong sense of community, travel, and being a bit of an outcast were all good forerunners to the life I now lead. I find bikepacking to have a very similar DIY/community vibe and absolutely love that there are so many people running fun events, creating cool stuff in their bedrooms, generally helping each other out, and making a stronger community.

We are currently taking a short break back home in Yorkshire but we’re planning to explore Japan later this month. We’ve already been to some amazing places, including Tasmania, Nepal, Spain, and Norway, but with every trip the wanderlust grows!

We are lucky enough to be a part of the Bombtrack family, which is obviously fantastic, but to help support and be supported by a company that is made up of our good friends and is always giving back to the community through sponsoring events and other like-minded riders is huge. I couldn’t support some faceless company that jumps on every new bandwagon because some marketing guru told them to. I think bikepacking is at a crucial stage where it is still in the hands of the riders and I believe we need to try our best to keep it this way!

My Bombtrack Beyond+ ADV is a perfect backcountry touring rig. It has been through thick and thin with me over the last 10 months. My girlfriend, Clare, and I set off on our world bikepacking trip last August and I’ve slowly been honing the bike to suit what we ride. It originally came with Jones loop handlebars that were awesome, especially for gravel roads, but as we began to ride more and more singletrack I felt the need for a slightly straighter bar, hence the SQ Lab bars.

• Frame Bombtrack Beyond ADV (XL)
• Fork Bombtrack Carbon
• Rims WTB Scraper i45
• Hubs BT Sealed
• Tires WTB Rangers
• Handlebar SQ Lab 30x 16 Degree
• Crankset SRAM Eagle GX
• Cassette SRAM Eagle GX
• Derailleur SRAM Eagle GX
• Brakes Avid BB7
• Shifter SRAM Eagle GX
• Saddle Brooks C17 All Weather
• Front Bag Road Runner Bags Jumbo Jammer
• Rear Bag Carradice Super C
• Frame Bag Porcelain Rocket 52Hz
• Accessory Bags Revelate Designs feed bag, homemade camera bag

I cherry picked the bags to suit my needs. I like easy access saddlebag-style bags, but also needed them to be super stable for rough riding. The Road Runner Bags Jumbo Jammer has been rock solid, and after a few modifications (namely the removal of the pockets and the addition of a daisy chain) the Super C is the perfect companion.

After trying several ways of carrying my camera, I found the best option to be a homemade bar-mounted bag made out of coroplast. It keeps out the dirt and water and keeps my camera close to hand. Also it’s super cheap and a perfect fit for my camera! I also recently taped a piece of wet and dry to the downtube as a reminder of my friend Bertie who recently passed away.

Overall, the ADV feels like a giant BMX, which suits me perfectly. It just demolishes everything in its path. I’m currently looking at upgrading to a dropper post and bag to further enhance the singletrack fun…

You can follow along with Matty on Instagram @getwildmatty. And be sure to check out his beautiful hand-stiched hats on Etsy and his photography portfolio for some extra inspiration.

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