Further commuting weight reduction.

[Roadrider48]

Back pack for me.

 

[jagman.2003]

Strange as my Carradice Nelson is 15Litres and looks smaller.

I think the photo makes the bag look alot bigger than it is.

 

[jagman.2003]

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For me it's not so much an obsession with lightness & speed. But a desire not to be heavy & be able to keep up a reasonable pace. As mentioned above there is a temptation to throw in the bag everything bar the kitchen sink. My aim is just to be more efficient. Get to work even more comfortable & early.

 

[jonny jeez]

For my 40 mile commute through town i carry...well, i carry nothing. In the summer i use my jersey pockets and just take a spare tube, a co2 inflator, levers, spoke tool chain tool, keys wallet and phone.

Wallet and phone are the largest things really so i bought a tri bag but have yet to ever use it...its soooo ugly.

I also have a tiny seat bag ( the smallest they do, not because of weight, i just hate the look of huge seat bags wallowing away under the seat) for puncture stuff on longer rides...in the hot i dislike full jersey pockets as they start to sag and pull at my neck.

In the months when the weather is changeable i carry a small or medium rucksack in which i put all of the above along with a micro pump ( visits are more frequent in the wet) and various combinations of jacket/gillet maybe overshoes, maybe spare longs...depending on the forecast.

I try to ride with nothing and carry spare clothes, shirts etc on the motorcycle once a week. If i didnt have the motorbike, id use an ortleb weatherproof rucksack once a week and carry in shirts etc on that one day..would possibly have to invest in an office iron in that case.

I admit i would find it tough carrying everything...every day and am impressed with those that do.

J

 

[jonny jeez]

Not quite sure of this fixation that many commuters have with lightness or speed.

I'm 18 stone, ride flat bar bikes for my 28 mile round trip and carry two front panniers on the rear rack. Bikes have full mudguards with flaps. Two lights front and two rear. Wide puncture resistant tyres.

Commuting is about getting to my destination comfortably and on time.

I used to agree and in fairness still do think this is true for the vast majority of commuters. But then i (foolishly some would say) retired my trusty mtb which carried me to work for 4 years and bought a sexy red road bike. It literally changed my life. I now ride an awful lot more, am much..much...fitter...i ride at weekends and will happily do a friday or saturday 100 miler and have lost over 2 stone this year.

A few weeks ago, i road 1000 miles across Britain, something i never really thought about doing when i rode my old bike. This was a real life changer, in so many ways.

I blame all of this on the new bike, the old bike was about the function of riding, the new bike is about the sport and i find i really enjoy the sport, part of which is improving speed, efficiency, output, distance, stamina, strength, and... inevitably, lightness.

J

Edit, i should add that i don't believe in "racing" on the commute (I don't want to come across as some lycra lout) but i do like to ride every day in as close to the same way i always ride, same gear, same cadence, same average speed ( or improvement of each). I don't enjoy having to change everything for a weekend ride

 

[400bhp]

For my 40 mile commute through town i carry...well, i carry nothing. In the summer i use my jersey pockets and just take a spare tube, a co2 inflator, levers, spoke tool chain tool, keys wallet and phone.

Wallet and phone are the largest things really so i bought a tri bag but have yet to ever use it...its soooo ugly.

I also have a tiny seat bag ( the smallest they do, not because of weight, i just hate the look of huge seat bags wallowing away under the seat) for puncture stuff on longer rides...in the hot i dislike full jersey pockets as they start to sag and pull at my neck.

In the months when the weather is changeable i carry a small or medium rucksack in which i put all of the above along with a micro pump ( visits are more frequent in the wet) and various combinations of jacket/gillet maybe overshoes, maybe spare longs...depending on the forecast.

I try to ride with nothing and carry spare clothes, shirts etc on the motorcycle once a week. If i didnt have the motorbike, id use an ortleb weatherproof rucksack once a week and carry in shirts etc on that one day..would possibly have to invest in an office iron in that case.

I admit i would find it tough carrying everything...every day and am impressed with those that do.

J

Try the Topeak Wedge Large pack rather than a rucksack. Due to the 270 deg zip on the bag, you can really stuff the bag full of stuff.

 

[VamP]

Not quite sure of this fixation that many commuters have with lightness or speed.

I'm 18 stone, ride flat bar bikes for my 28 mile round trip and carry two front panniers on the rear rack. Bikes have full mudguards with flaps. Two lights front and two rear. Wide puncture resistant tyres.

Commuting is about getting to my destination comfortably and on time.

I on the other hand am not quite sure of this fixation with transporting a kitchen sink back and forth every day. I plan ahead, keep work clothes and other stuff at work, and if really necessary carry my lap top in a lightweight rucksack. Mostly it's not necessary. 95% of my training takes place on commutes - I'd get fed up real fast if I had to ride a clunker loaded up with shite.

 

[400bhp]

Same as me really, plus it means I'm more organised at work and am less inclined to bring work home.

 

[Moodyman]

I on the other hand am not quite sure of this fixation with transporting a kitchen sink back and forth every day. I plan ahead, keep work clothes and other stuff at work, and if really necessary carry my lap top in a lightweight rucksack. Mostly it's not necessary. 95% of my training takes place on commutes - I'd get fed up real fast if I had to ride a clunker loaded up with s***e.

Yebbutt, you're not a normal commuter are you Vamp? I always had you down as an almost Marco Pantani.

 

[VamP]

Yebbutt, you're not a normal commuter are you Vamp? I always had you down as an almost Marco Pantani.

Very flattering but completely misinformed. I'm pretty normal.

 

[StuUngar]

Just thought I'd share my long but hopefully sensible attempts at commuting weight reduction. I started commuting to my present job four years ago. My fitness was pretty good & I was using an old mountain bike. I carried all my clothes, shower gear, some food, bike tools, pump & cycling jacket. This was spread between two medium panniers on a rack. Being pretty fit at the time I didn't really notice the weight. But slowly noticed the general reduction in speed based on other commuters. Eventually I was able to get a small locker at work & stored the shower gear & brought clothes in on my off days. That left me with tools & some food. After some thought I thought I would make a significant upgrade to my bike. I went around town to all the bike shops & chose a Specialized Sirrus sport on sale. (My wife was under anesthetic at the time & completely unable to dispute my actions). This was furnished with my existing rack & panniers. A very impressive 10 minutes was reduced from my travel time. A short time later I decided to reduce the pannier size. This was to make sure it forced me to only take the items I could fit. Additionally reducing wind resistance (not scientifically tested). There was also periodic reductions by buying better lightweight tools. This worked very well until recently. Having tried to have a 'non-competitive' summer season commuting, during a commute in with some colleagues I found myself seriously beaten by my boss! I took this constructively & vowed to improve fitness. This will take place in stages over the winter to come out fighting in the spring. But there was no doubt when lifting the rear of the bike up. It still weighed alot. So returning to an earlier principal I have further reduced again the carrying capacity. Now I have removed the rack & replaced the whole lot with a single bag on the seatpost. I had before I believe 2x10 litre panniers. Now I have a single 7 litre. It's a handlebar bag on a klik fix seatpost adaptor. I will be moving the tool bag just under the adaptor. This means I will be only carrying the absolute minimum for that day. Some food may be transported, but if I get myself organised I can stash food in the fridge at work in advance. In case you were wondering I prefer not to have a back pack. I sweat enough on the hills as it is. I also don't like the weight that high on me. It took some rearranging of the lights without the rack. But I managed to locate the main rear on a rack adaptor screwed onto the bag. Photo below. I will add another of the tool bag location tomorrow. Hopefully this might help someone else with their luggage system. Also any opinions on the durability of the klik fix brackets?

Sorry mate but do you think you could use the enter key in future?

Cheers

 

[Lincov]

I carry a 17kg boy for half of my regular journey (plus bike seat and nursery bag). He seems to knock about 2mph off my speed (ok 20%!), which isn't too much in the big scheme of things. So I'm not convinced that worrying too much about 500g here or there makes a huge difference. Plus I could easily lose the entire weight of my bike from my body, if only I could set my mind to it!

 

[Sara_H]

I'm a person who likes to be prepared for every eventuality. I take quite a lot of stuff to work, a few basics as well as packing up, work clothes and whatever paperwork I need for that particular day all carried at the moment in Basil double panniers.I also take a u-lock and a really heavy chain lock (one never knows where you mights need to stop and lock on the way home). I always carry a waterproof and at the minute I'm carrying my Leggitts boot covers too. Also in panniers, one of those cans of squirty puncture repair.
I also have a basket on the front, but this is used mostly for throwing in my coat, cardigan, scarf, hat and gloves in as I start to warm up.

I have a seat post bag with a couple of tools, inner tube, latex gloves in case of roadside repairs.

God knows how much it all weights, but I'd rather have all my stuff than manage without and shave two minutes off the journey.

 

[captainhastings]

I do notice big bulging panniers sticking out really catch the wind. So I might look into some sort of trunk thing that goes long ways on top

 

[jagman.2003]

I do notice big bulging panniers sticking out really catch the wind. So I might look into some sort of trunk thing that goes long ways on top

There are rack bags that go along the top of the rack. I have one that has lots of pockets, straps for a pump & a slot for a lock. Only drawback is they may not be as big as panniers & they raise the weight up higher on the bike.