Maximum Weight on a Tourer

[HormyAJP]

Hi all,

I have a Ridgeback Horizon (tourer) with rear panniers and tyres that can run up to 110psi. I did a weeks cycling last year with two full panniers and a ruck sack but never actually thought about the max weight the bike can take (both the tyres and the rear of the frame).

I'm due to go away again soon for 4 weeks and was planning to take roughly the same amount of stuff. It had never really occured to me to check that I wasn't over loading (mainly because I thought there would be no harm in filling a pannier bag up full else they wouldn't design them that size).

Anyone any idea of what sort of upper weight limit is sensible for this sort of bike?

Thanks,
Andy

 

[Bigtwin]

Likely that the wheel will give out before the frame by a way. Or more likely still, if they are decent, that you will be done trying to get it up anything of a hill.

That said of course, the more weight, the more hitting a pot hole etc is likely to do damage. That's the usual cause of problems, not the thing just folding under the sheer weight of luggage, so it's rather hard to say.

 

[Brains]

The maximum weight is what you can lift up a flight of stairs.

Some years ago 6 of us were doing a fully loaded tour of southern France, so had 3 tents, 3 stoves, sleeping bags, food, water etc.

We then bought 4 cases of wine (48 bottles) we were then forced to drink a bottle each as there was simply nowhere to put them all, the maximum capacity of a fully loaded touring bike being 7 bottles of wine each.

This was fine until we got to the station to go home. We found we simply could not lift the bikes, the extra 8KG of wine and glass per bike made them impossible to lift up and down the stairs between the platforms (OK so the bottle of wine being shipped internally may have had someting to do with it) but you get the idea.

 

[Ben M]

we were then forced to drink a bottle each as there was simply nowhere to put them all

The terrible hardships that we face!

 

[pinkkaz]

the maximum capacity of a fully loaded touring bike being 7 bottles of wine each.

LOL!

Is this an official statistic?

This was fine until we got to the station to go home. We found we simply could not lift the bikes, the extra 8KG of wine and glass per bike made them impossible to lift up and down the stairs between the platforms (OK so the bottle of wine being shipped internally may have had someting to do with it) but you get the idea.

Next time make sure you choose stations with lifts.

 

[Bigtwin]

Poor planning.

Any decent rack will take 3 wine boxes each side, and you can substitute the inner of one for your Camelbak bladder.

 

[srw]

Anyone any idea of what sort of upper weight limit is sensible for this sort of bike?

How much do you weigh yourself? If this isn't the sort of thing you've considered before, the chances are good that you yourself are considerably lighter than some touring bike riders, and that whatever you can stuff in your paniers won't come close to making up the difference.

 

[Chonker]

Don't forget the inner tubes, if they're air tight they should be able to hold other fluids too

 

[Bigtwin]

Don't forget the inner tubes, if they're air tight they should be able to hold other fluids too

What - as well as the frame? You're hardcore there!

 

[HormyAJP]

Haha, so basically as long as I take bucket loads of wine I'll be fine!

Anyway, after much research I've realised that given I'm 80kg and my total pack weighs less than 20kg I think I'll be fine.

That said, I spent a long time the other night trying to find out any details on how much weight a bike, frame, tyre, wheel can take and got almost nowhere. It's amazing, you'd have thought this would be a fairly key stat if you're selling bikes, and equip, for touring. Oh well!

 

[srw]

Anyway, after much research I've realised that given I'm 80kg and my total pack weighs less than 20kg I think I'll be fine.

Lightweight!

 

[JackE]

I'm fairly sure that the Horizon was advertised as an Audax/light tourer. I remember reading (on the CTC forum) that the maximum weight advisable on an Audax bike was around 10kg. I used to have a Dawes Audax and even with 700x28 Marathons, I wouldn't have wanted to go above this weight. The Panorama is the Ridgeback "weight carrier".

 

[Brains]

10KG !! - What sort of as tourer is that ?

A full case of wine comes weighs in at over 10KG, that is before the less critical items such as sleeping bag, stove and tent, sandles, beard trimmer, pipe, tankard and the CAMRA guide.

You need a proper tourer

 

[andrew_s]

Many racks have a published weight limit, generally in the 20-30kg range for a rear.

The bike frame should stand up to lots, if you look at some of the very large people who ride.For weight as luggage, the practical limit is probably the point at which frame flex makes the handling go squiffy, though you can get used to a fair bit.

Tyres will need to be pumped harder. This is probably best judged by inflating so that the width of the weighted section at the bottom of the tyre remains similar when you compare you with you + luggage. A measuring assistant would be required.

Wheels will depend on the build. The weight on a wheel should be less than the spoke tension. You can go over, but it's asking for fatigue and spoke failure if you carry too much too long. Allocate your weight 1/3 front, 2/3 rear, then add the luggage. Spoke tension should be somewhere in the 70-120kgf range. You really need access to a tensiometer to find out.

 

[snorri]

I've just come home from a tour and have been doing some weighing on the bathroom scales.
My weight 79kg.
Bike weight (Dawes Galaxy) 16Kg.
Luggage weight, including water 26kg.