Advice for Touring bicycle?

[apophis2036]

Hello,
Thanks again for your advice. In case I go for the Karakum again, will the aluminium frame and aluminium carriers will be strong enough for the heavy weight - I weigh about 90 kg plus I am taking nearly 40 kg baggage, i.e. about 130 kg in total? I know Karakum is a touring bike but is it designed for heavy baggage or is it designed as a light tourer? Thank you!

 

[vernon]

Hello,
Thanks again for your advice. In case I go for the Karakum again, will the aluminium frame and aluminium carriers will be strong enough for the heavy weight - I weigh about 90 kg plus I am taking nearly 40 kg baggage, i.e. about 130 kg in total? I know Karakum is a touring bike but is it designed for heavy baggage or is it designed as a light tourer? Thank you!

Are you sure about 40kg of luggage? I take what I consider to be a lot and was pleasantly surprised when I weighed it and found came to 21kg.

 

[Alex H]

Hello,
Thanks again for your advice. In case I go for the Karakum again, will the aluminium frame and aluminium carriers will be strong enough for the heavy weight - I weigh about 90 kg plus I am taking nearly 40 kg baggage, i.e. about 130 kg in total? I know Karakum is a touring bike but is it designed for heavy baggage or is it designed as a light tourer? Thank you!

as vernon says '40kg'? We've done that trip on a tandem and we didn't have 40kg between us

 

[mcshroom]

My aluminium framed Dawes Vantage carried more than that without a problem, you should be fine

 

[apophis2036]

I haven't weighed the luggage yet as I don't have many of the things I am considering to take - 2 sleeping bags, a tent, mats to put the sleeping bags on, cooking stuff, the lockers for the bike (one lock is 2kg), SLR camera (1kg), navigation devices, tablet, mobile phones, a number of chargers, clothes, shoes plus I will carry also water and food. I hope all of this will be less than 40kg, but still not sure.

 

[Thegiantpeanut]

Surly cross check and long haul trucker are both bikes for what you are looking for, Pathans more the long haul trucker.

 

[Iainj837]

Hello,
Thanks again for your advice. In case I go for the Karakum again, will the aluminium frame and aluminium carriers will be strong enough for the heavy weight - I weigh about 90 kg plus I am taking nearly 40 kg baggage, i.e. about 130 kg in total? I know Karakum is a touring bike but is it designed for heavy baggage or is it designed as a light tourer? Thank you!

As Vernon and Alex have said 40 kg sounds a lot.
Have you considered a cycle trailer.
IIRC the KaraKum has a maximum weight stamped on the rack that it can be safely carried.
I will have a look on my KaraKum and let you know .
You said you girls friend has a KaraKum have a look on hers.

 

[Thegiantpeanut]

Still not sure what you plan on carrying if its going to mount to 40k! Perhaps you should rethink what you really really need. Rather than thinking, "I may need this" think "could I not need this". And you must be able to find a lighter lock then 2kg!

 

[Yellow7]

Are you sure about 40kg of luggage? I take what I consider to be a lot and was pleasantly surprised when I weighed it and found came to 21kg.

I met people on my last tour with panniers & a trailer, they carried an accordion, a banjo, a small didgeridoo, art / painting material. My point being we all have different ‘requirements’ as to what we take on tour, as to whether we need said items are a different matter but if you’re jumping out of your comfort zone for an extended period on a big tour then a few extra’s make it a little easier, so it’s not really fair to stipulate other’s weight limitations.

 

[apophis2036]

As Vernon and Alex have said 40 kg sounds a lot.
Have you considered a cycle trailer.
IIRC the KaraKum has a maximum weight stamped on the rack that it can be safely carried.
I will have a look on my KaraKum and let you know .
You said you girls friend has a KaraKum have a look on hers.

I had a look on the Ladies Karakum but didn't find such information...If you do find it on your bike, please advise me Thanks!

 

[Iainj837]

No It wasn't on there, my mistake sorry but one my bikes did say max load 35 kg which was stamped on the rear carrier

 

[P.H]

No It wasn't on there, my mistake sorry but one my bikes did say max load 35 kg which was stamped on the rear carrier

That's likely to be the recommended max weight of the rack rather than the bike. It's quite common for racks to have a limit, it's not unheard of for people to ignore them. I'd agree with others that 40kg seems a lot to carry, though I can see how carrying for two could get to that. If I was carrying that much I'd prefer a trailer or at least spread it around the bike.

 

[Bodhbh]

I met people on my last tour with panniers & a trailer, they carried an accordion, a banjo, a small didgeridoo, art / painting material. My point being we all have different ‘requirements’ as to what we take on tour, as to whether we need said items are a different matter but if you’re jumping out of your comfort zone for an extended period on a big tour then a few extra’s make it a little easier, so it’s not really fair to stipulate other’s weight limitations.

I think it's a fair point to highlight it *seems* like an overestimate, at least if you're staying in civilisation - and it's either worth sanity checking the pack list, or estimated weight. At my worst I only lugged about 25kg about, including such highly imporant items as jeans, doc martins and a ghettoblaster I'm not sure how you'd hit 40kg without carrying a lot gear. But yes fair play to people to carry whatever they feel like.