The “bike tent” is a really particular type of outside tenting tools designed for bicycle vacationers of all styles and sizes. The primary benefit (hypothetically) to this kind of tent is that, in contrast to a conventional tent which is held in place with a collection of steel poles, the bike tent requires no tent poles and is held within the air with the usage of a bicycle, motorbike or a pair of mountaineering poles.
I’ve reviewed different bike tents previously, however none of them have ever been any good. They had been both too low-cost, too gimmicky, too troublesome to arrange, too harmful to get into, or lacked the waterproof qualities you’d discover in different high-end tent designs.
That being stated, the brand new Üpon Nova bike tent, which was despatched to me particularly for the aim of this evaluate is, by far, the very best bike tent I’ve ever used. Right here’s why…
Substantial weight financial savings – The Üpon Nova weighs 1.3 kilograms (or 2.87 kilos) and packs all the way down to a reasonably small measurement for a two-man tent – making it excellent for bikepacking expeditions of all styles and sizes. As a result of the Nova lacks the additional weight that the majority tents posses from the usage of steel tent poles, there’s a first rate weight distinction between this tent and most of the different two-man tents of its identical measurement. For instance: When put next with the MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2-Man tent (which weighs 1.54 kg at its lightest), the Nova is just a little bit lighter, however not very a lot.
Comparatively simple arrange – Establishing a bicycle tent just like the Üpon Nova shouldn’t be as straight ahead as many conventional tent designs. After establishing the Nova only a single time, nevertheless, the method of erecting the tent a second and third time turns into method, method simpler. Merely stake the tent into the bottom, inflate and insert the included air pillar, then safe your bicycle in place on the head of the tent by utilizing the guy-lines and tent pegs to place within the bicycle in its correct place. The tent may also be held in place with the usage of a bike or a pair of mountaineering poles – that means you need to use this tent for extra than simply bicycle tenting expeditions.
Spacious inside – The Üpon Nova is marketed as a 2-person tent, and is certainly giant sufficient to sleep two individuals in relative consolation. Like most 2-man tents, the sleeping preparations contained in the Nova are fairly tight for 2 individuals, as your our bodies take up a lot of the flooring area – leaving little room for extra belongings. Fortunately, there’s a number of area exterior the tent (underneath the rain-fly/your bicycle) to retailer backpacks, panniers or every other gadgets you is perhaps carrying along with your in your bicycle tenting expedition. Regardless that the tent is marketed as a two-person tent, it could possibly be comfortably utilized by a single particular person, with a number of area inside for the storage of meals, packs and private gadgets.
Two-door entry – As a result of it is a two-man tent, it’s good that the Üpon Nova consists of not only one, however two exterior entry doorways – one on all sides of the tent. Every door is provided with a rainproof protecting, which could be rolled down within the occasion of poor climate, and a ventilated mesh display screen, which could be opened up in heat climate or rolled shut to maintain the bugs out. The most important plus to the two-door entry, nevertheless, is the easy proven fact that two individuals can enter and exit the tent with out both particular person having to crawl over the opposite in the course of the night time.
Effectively ventilated – As I simply talked about, the Üpon Nova has two giant doorways on all sides of then tent, and every of those doorways has a mesh mosquito netting on it, permitting you to open the doorways up and get some air inside contained in the tent when the climate is heat. Along with these two exterior doorways, there’s additionally a a lot bigger mesh opening on the head of the tent, which actually permits the air to move. Due to all this air flow, it ought to be famous that the tent shouldn’t be meant for use in cold-weather situations. As an alternative, the Üpon Nova is completely designed for warm-weather bicycle tenting journeys. (Suppose SUMMER!)
The Üpon Nova is well-thought out, it’s sufficiently big for 2 individuals, it’s comparatively simple to arrange with some follow, and it could possibly be used on a bicycle tenting journey to truly prevent just a little weight.
That being stated, there are some weaknesses to this tent, as is the case with nearly any product in the marketplace.
Gained’t maintain in robust winds – As a result of the tent is held in place with an air pillar (which is little greater than a balloon-like tent pole) and some guy-lines holding your bicycle in an upright place, I fear about the usage of this tent in robust winds. Not solely might the tent blow over in high-wind situations, however I fear concerning the bicycle falling on you if you end up laying down contained in the tent. Waking up in the course of the night time along with your bicycle’s handlebars smashing into your tooth could be a horrible technique to finish your bike tenting journey.
The bicycle falls over too simply – In case your bicycle has a kickstand, this can make the setup course of for the Nova an entire lot simpler, as my bike shouldn’t be outfitted with a kickstand and it fell over a number of instances earlier than I used to be in a position to lastly safe it in a secure place. Frankly, that is my greatest worry with the Nova. In case your bike doesn’t have kickstand and also you don’t safe it 100% accurately, there’s a good probability the tent will blow over or be knocked down on accident – inflicting damage to the occupants inside.
Requires the bicycle to remain erect – As a result of the Üpon Nova bike tent requires the usage of a number of bicycles to carry the tent in its upright place, I ponder what you’re imagined to do when you attain camp, arrange your tent, after which understand you forgot to select one thing up on the native grocery store. Whereas a bicycle camper utilizing a conventional tent with tent poles would be capable to simply bounce on his or her bicycle and journey again to the shop, somebody utilizing the Üpon Nova could be compelled to take their whole tent aside simply to cycle a brief distance again to the grocery store.
(It ought to be famous that the Üpon Nova could be erected with the usage of mountaineering poles as a substitute of a bicycle, which is perhaps good for these wishing to make use of this tent whereas on mountaineering or backpacking expeditions, however gained’t turn out to be useful for anybody touring by bike, as only a few bicycle campers can even be carrying a set of mountaineering poles.)
The air pillar is a degree of weak point – Similar to any good sleeping pad, inflatable pillow or blow-up pool toy, the air pillar included within the Üpon Nova is a degree of weak point. It really works fairly properly (straight out of the field) to maintain the bottom-half of the tent in place, however I fear concerning the pillar’s long-term reliability. If the pillar had been to develop even the slightest leak, you may end up waking up within the morning with the tent laying on prime of your physique, reasonably than being held within the air because it’s imagined to be.
Not examined in heavy rain – Lastly, I’ve not examined this tent in heavy rain and I’m undecided how it will carry out in these situations. Not like so many different high-end tent designs, the Üpon Nova doesn’t have an inside mesh/mosquito-proof core lined by a water-resistant rain fly. As an alternative, the Nova‘s yellow exterior materials acts because the one and solely barrier between you and the skin components. The doorways encompass each a mesh and rain-proof protecting, which is nice, however the remainder of the tent is susceptible to rain and snow.
General, the Üpon Nova might be the very best bike tent I’ve ever used. I like the dimensions of the tent, the load that it packs all the way down to, and the best way a number of bicycles can be utilized to maintain the tent in its erect place.
Good for summer season/seashore use – Whereas the Üpon Nova might be not going for use by skilled ultra-lite bicycle vacationers, I might see this tent being utilized by seashore goers, these taking part in a brief bikepacking expedition, or these tenting in close to good wilderness situations. A big floor area is required, little wind, and a few follow in establishing the tent. After getting these three issues, nevertheless, the Üpon Nova is certainly a motorbike tent design worthy of consideration.
To study extra concerning the Üpon Nova bike tent, or to buy this tent on your personal private use, head on over to Amazon.com, the place you should purchase this tent now for $299 USD.
PLEASE NOTE: This tent was despatched to Bicycle Touring Professional for the aim of this evaluate.