The OBED MMR Bikepacking Norway's Lofoten Islands
A couple of months ago, we introduced the world to the new OBED MMR. Named for the rough “minimum maintenance roads” that gravel racers, bikepackers, and adventurers often find themselves exploring when they ride off the beaten path, the MMR represents the next evolution of OBED Bikes. As our first dedicated gravel adventure bike, it’s designed to go bigger, ride farther, and maximize your comfort and confidence.
Throughout the development process, we put the MMR through its paces on the roughest, rockiest gravel roads and singletrack trails. We’ve taken it bikepacking and even secretly rode unpainted prototypes at Unbound Gravel and SBT GRVL. After months of testing, we’re confident the MMR can take on anything. That’s why it was the bike our ace photographer and videographer, Calvin Serban, chose for a five-day bikepacking trip through Norway’s Lofoten Islands. This was the MMR’s first international adventure, and it’s sure to be the first of many!
Calvin’s OBED MMR Bikepacking Build
- Color: Desert Sand
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Fork: OBED Adventure Fork
- Groupset: SRAM Rival XPLR
- Handlebars: FSA Pro-Wing AGX
- Stem: FSA SMR
- Seatpost: FSA Gossamer
- Saddle: WTB Volt
- Wheels: DT Swiss G1800 Spline 25 DB
- Tires: Maxxis Ikon, 29x2.2”
- Computer: Garmin Edge 540
To create our dream gravel adventure bike, we gave the MMR big tire clearance to fit 2.25” (57mm) wide MTB tires, suspension-correct geometry to match the latest gravel suspension forks, and even provided an optional dropper post. We added a spacious internal downtube storage compartment for tools and spares and designed a clever downtube hatch that adds frame protection while keeping things easily accessible with a full-size frame bag installed. Speaking of bags, there are plenty of mounts, too!
Calvin’s regular gravel rides involve a lot of chunky jeep roads and singletrack in the Appalachians, so he ordered his MMR with 2.2” Maxxis Ikons, an XC MTB tire option that provides ample traction, comfort, and puncture protection for rough and sharp gravel. He left them on his bike for Norway, but quickly realized they were a bit overkill for the smooth roads found throughout the Lofoten Islands!
“I just really wanted the big knobby tires to cover most of my riding at home,” Calvin explained. “It really wasn’t ideal for the riding we were doing in Norway, especially with the amount of pavement, but it actually rolled pretty well, and it provided a super comfy ride.
"Overall, the bike was super comfortable and stable both on and off-road, and it handled long climbs and fast descents well, even when fully loaded (for climbing steeper bits I would've liked an eagle cassette lol). It felt really suited to these types of epic long-distance rides. I can’t wait to do more trips on it, and maybe even try racing on it next year!”
Besides the tires, Calvin kept his bikepacking build sensible with a reliable set of DT Swiss alloy wheels, a rigid fork with mounts to carry more bags, and his trusty Garmin Edge 540 to navigate. This was also his first-ever electronic bike, equipped with SRAM’s latest wireless Rival XPLR groupset. As a photographer and videographer, he constantly worries about battery life, so he found himself obsessively charging his derailleur every night.
“I’m new to this whole AXS drivetrain stuff,” he explained. “I just wanted to make sure I was always charged up, so I didn’t end up singlespeeding it. I realized later that it was really unnecessary. I probably could have made it all five days on a single charge, or maybe with only one top-up.”
To his surprise, his favorite component of his new bike ended up being the one he had the most doubts about: the FSA Pro-Wing AGX handlebars. They have an integrated U-shape extension that provides additional hand positions and support.
“I wasn't sure how I felt about them at first,” Calvin said. “I actually regretted it initially because it kind of got in the way of where I had my burrito bar bag. But it really grew on me as we racked up the miles. It was nice to change hand positions on some of those longer days.”
Calvin’s Bikepacking Bag Setup
- Top Tube Bag: Blackburn Outpost
- Frame Bag: Blackburn Outpost Elite
- Seat Bag: Oveja Negra Gearjammer
- Handlebar Bag: Cedaero Bar Hopper Pack V1
- Fork Bag: Sea to Summit Big River Dry Bag 5L
- Fork Cage: Wolf Tooth Morse Cargo Cage + Voile Straps
Calvin’s bikepacking bag setup is made up of a mix of brands he’s collected over the years, and he gathered every bag he owned for this trip. This five-day Lofoten Island trip was actually his first multi-day bikepacking adventure, so he didn’t really know what to expect. Despite that, he packed a relatively minimal amount of gear.
“The other bikepackers we met out there were pretty surprised at how little we packed,” he said. “But we decided to stay at an Airbnb every night, so we didn’t need to carry any camping gear.”
We’re fans of roughing it, but sometimes keeping your bikepacking plans simple and approachable makes adventure more accessible. Since Calvin and his riding partner were simultaneously doing their first multi-day trip while exploring a foreign country, they decided to reduce complications and stress by booking a place to stay indoors every night. This let them focus a lot more on the riding aspect of their trip. It also meant they could keep their bikes very light.
“I didn’t bring much,” Calvin said. “In the seat bag, I had an extra pair of pants, an extra pair of long thermal bibs, and a jacket. The only thing I carried on my back was my camera, and with the extra room, I could stuff it in there whenever we got rain.
“In the frame bag, I had two extra t-shirts, an extra long-sleeve jersey, socks, and underwear in the top section. In the bottom section, I had all my toiletries and electronic stuff like charging cords.
“In the top tube bag, I just had my phone and some extra snacks. The handlebar bag was also mainly for food and snacks. Unfortunately, that was the only bag that wasn’t waterproof. I had to toss a dry bag over it in the rain. It wasn’t the worst, and I didn't care as much if it got wet, but I’ll tell you, eating soggy bread ain't it.
“I had a dry bag on the fork where I kept a more cycling-specific GoreTex rain jacket, some rain pants, and another warmer thermal jacket. The forecast initially showed that it was going to rain every single day we were out there. Luckily, we only had one day of really heavy rain.
“In the MMR’s downtube storage, I had the OBED Essentials Tool Roll Kit. Then I stuffed a bunch of Ziplocs in there, just in case I needed Ziploc bags for anything. The only mistake I made by doing that is that I put all these Ziploc bags in first, and then I stuffed the tool roll in. I ended up wedging all those Ziploc bags way up in there. There's definitely one or two still stuck in there!”
Overall, Calvin’s trip to Norway was full of new and interesting experiences, and it sparked a desire to do more multi-day trips. Fortunately, now that he’s on an MMR, he has the perfect bike for the job!
Calvin is writing a first-hand account of his bikepacking experience in Norway that will feature even more beautiful photos from riding in the Lofoten Islands. It will be published in our upcoming issue of Spoke & Terrain Magazine, so stay tuned!