Touring with a Dolce?

[Apollonius]

Slightly strange conversation with a fellow rider on today's club ride. I would like opinions, please, though I guess the LBS will have the best view.

I'll call her Steph. Me: "Your chain is a bit dry, Steph, could do with some oil."
Steph: "It's OK, the bike is going in for service next week. They are going to put a rack and panniers on it for me as I am off touring soon."
Now the bike in question is a racy Dolce with not even a mudguard mount.
Me: "But you already have a bike with a rack and panniers." (It is another Specialized something - quite decent.) (For a Specialized, that is.)
Steph: But this bike is so much nicer to ride. I want to take this one.
Me: "It might not be so nice to ride with panniers and a rack on it. I am not even sure it will handle OK. They are very light at the front."

As I said, the LBS will know one way or another and advise, but I know that my "modern" bikes are very light up front and would be a nightmare with weight at the back. What do you people out there think?

 

[vickster]

My Genesis weighs under 10kg, happy with rack attached with p clips and mudguards

Not sure what the issue is?

 

[Jerry Atrik]

Toured on my Giant defy with panniers and rack on the back and also a carradice camper with no problems at all .

 

[fossyant]

My fixed gear commuter is 8kg without the rack and panniers with carbon bits. Not been an issue with weight in panniers, but I have proper mounts.

It changes a bike's ride massively, so you are best using the bike that's already equipped to do it. My fixed was made for panniers, the rest of the fleet isn't.

She is best using the bike equipped for it. Anyone thinking a racy bike won't be changed, it will, massively.

 

[KneesUp]

Slightly strange conversation with a fellow rider on today's club ride. I would like opinions, please, though I guess the LBS will have the best view.

I'll call her Steph. Me: "Your chain is a bit dry, Steph, could do with some oil."
Steph: "It's OK, the bike is going in for service next week. They are going to put a rack and panniers on it for me as I am off touring soon."
Now the bike in question is a racy Dolce with not even a mudguard mount.
Me: "But you already have a bike with a rack and panniers." (It is another Specialized something - quite decent.) (For a Specialized, that is.)
Steph: But this bike is so much nicer to ride. I want to take this one.
Me: "It might not be so nice to ride with panniers and a rack on it. I am not even sure it will handle OK. They are very light at the front."

As I said, the LBS will know one way or another and advise, but I know that my "modern" bikes are very light up front and would be a nightmare with weight at the back. What do you people out there think?

I note that the Dolce frame has rack mounts on the rear ...



Perhaps Steph knows more about the bike and her plans than you do, and doesn't want unsolicited - albeit I'm sure it was well meaning - advice from someone who is judgemental of her maintenance, choice of bike brand and ability to make her own choices about which of her bikes she wants to use?

 

[Levo-Lon]

My good lady has a Dolce..Everything is there ready..
mudguard mounts on forks and rear..and rack mounts so no problem

 

[mcshroom]

Looks like you are able to fit the stuff so the bike should be fine. It will feel different than un-laden, just as I'm sure you've experienced with your other bike, but that doesn't mean it is particularly worse, just different

 

[youngoldbloke]

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=41665

 

[Apollonius]

Pleased to hear that she will have no problems. I will say she bought the Dolce on my recommendation and I do do the odd bit of maintenance on it for her, so my comments were not that inappropriate.

 

[Milkfloat]

Not all the models and model years have rack mounts. However, I would probably have asked why she wanted to take one bike over another and then left it as that.