Lightweight Touring on a singlespeed?

[AlexStevens]

I am building a singlespeed bicycle [nearly finished] : http://buildingabicycle.tumblr.com/

I would like to do a cycle tour at some point and I was wondering what the lightest kit list you could take would be...

Like :

Bicycle
Tent
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Mat
Camping Stove
Pan
Cutlery

2 cycling jerseys
2 cycling short
7 socks
7 underwear
Shoes
Waterproof gear

Phone
iPod
Tablet computer

And the other essentials like wallet etc.


I am thinking of the lightest tour possible!

 

[middleagecyclist]

Cycle touring and gears are made for each other. Why make it harder than it has to be? (and why 7 pairs of socks and underwear???).

If you want to go really light just use a credit card, basic toolkit and a change of clothes.

 

[AlexStevens]

Because I dont have a lot of money and I like my singlespeed mate

 

[palinurus]

I've done a short tour on fixed before- I pretty much tour on whatever bike I have at the time that'll take a rack. It was fine, perhaps gear down a bit and accept you might have to walk up the odd hill.

Don't take so many socks, you won't need underwear if you are cycling.

 

[david1701]

chuck in something to go to the pub in and reduce socks/pants and wash them. My friend lived for months in Beijing washing everything in the sink

 

[andrew_s]

Vancouver to New York on 16.8kg, including tent, bike, full water bottle

http://ultralightcycling.blogspot.com/

On cooking: don't - stick to cold food or restaurants

I can't emphasize enough the importance of this: there's no cooker, no mugs, no pots, no plates, no cutlery, no fuel, no fuel container, no cleaning utensils, no bags for storing all this junk, no additional cooking water and no bags of raw, useless food. In addition, you don't waste your time in cooking, cleaning and searching for fuel and can concentrate on cycling instead.

On sleeping mats:

I now have a body-sized strip of bubble-wrap as a sleeping pad (less than 100 grams). The bubbles don't pop or flatten that easily. You can have the same strip for 50++ nights. And by the time the bubbles flatten you will be trained - in the manner of great Asian martial artists - to sleep on hard packed ground without anything beneath.

Edit:
Even lighter this year: 2.9kg + bike = 11.9kg
http://iikinfrance.blogspot.com/

 

[tbtb]

I was going to link to the ultralight site but Andrew S beat me to it. It's an interesting read, even for those who prefer the fully-loaded approach. The guy is clearly an expert at what he does. Quite humorous too. There's a bit where he writes about how no-one at his local cycle cafe will talk to him since he started wearing lightweight Crocs!

 

[Zoiders]

If you must cook for yourself keep it simple and make sure you can heat it and eat it from a simple steel mug with just a spoon/spork.

Don't go out in the sticks without the means to make a hot brew with sugar in, consider it first aid equipment.

 

[rich p]

Alex is pretty young IIRC. Go for it mate, I did something similar on a singlr speed when I was 15. Go somewhere that isn't too hilly and dump the underpants. Make everything as light as possible and you'll have an experience to rememberhowever hard it is.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

7 socks
7 underwear

You strike me as being the most mature 15 year old boy I have ever know

 

[AlexStevens]

14* ;]

 

[Angelfishsolo]

14* ;]

Amazing. Best wishes when you start the tour

 

[the snail]

Phone
iPod
Tablet computer

I think the phone could be considered essential, but not the other two? A smartphone should suffice, plus presumably you would need chargers too?

 

[hubbike]

I think the phone could be considered essential, but not the other two? A smartphone should suffice, plus presumably you would need chargers too?

+1 you don't need all these. if you have to choose, loose the ipad. but the most pared down option is

the most insane attention I've seen to weight-weenie-ing is here:

http://www2.arnes.si/~ikovse/weight1.htm

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

the ultra light website link above, thanks guys.

i've always been a kitchen sink type of rider. since reading that site, i have ditched the rack, the heavy carradice long flap camper and cape roll, gone back to super light spd's, dumped the bidons and gone for the more sensible and hygienic 1l pvc bottles, oh and i dumped the side stand (as he says, useful but the bike falls over just when you don't expect it). i've got an old army goretex 'stuff sack', so i bungie-it to the saddle. i lost over 4kg's.

wow what a difference it made to the fixie, 2mph added to my average over my local hilly 30 mile ride (+1800ft/520m) and going up hill, it felt like i'd lost an anchor, ive done it twice since and it was the same, 2mph quicker.