What weight do you carry?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

RedBike

New Member
Location
Beside the road
May well have to if it feels heavy on the bars. I was just trying to move some weight forward but maybe on the bars isnt such a good idea.

I've never noticed any issues with loading up just the rear of the bike but I have had a few problems with having weight too high up, particuarly at the front.

The first time I went cycle-touring I fastened a sleeping mat under my handlebars (probably 1.5kg) and a HEAVY cheap tent and sleeping back ontop of my rack 7.5kg.

The effect on the bikes handling was dramatic and scary. The bike was very reluctant to become upright after being lent into a turn and it felt highly unstable at speed while off-road. I soon learnt that packing anything heavy as low down as possible really helps keep with keeping the bike stable.

Curiously, I never had any issues with riding with a heavy rucksack?
 

doog

....
Most long distance tourers cycle camping that I have met on the road throughout Europe have at least as much as that - A tent that you can live in in my view is not a luxury but an essential - after all you spend at least as much time camped as on the road



What tent do you have?


Im going through a bit of a tent crisis at the moment. What would be your minimum requirements for practicality / comfort and weight?

Ive just sold a 3.3 kg very nice 2 person job with big porch and got a 1.9kg Vaude Taurus Ultralight 2 person with a small porch.......inside both tents not much difference room wise but the weight difference and ease of putting up the Vaude seems to endorse Willem's views on weight ..however havent used the Vaude in anger yet!
 

willem

Über Member
The Vaude is an excellent tent that you will not regret, and as far as I am concerned is not in the ultralight minimalist deprivation mode (for me that would be the Laser Competion and that kind of tents). It is true that you spend many hours in your tent, but equally, most of those are while you are asleep. Normally, I do not spend a serious amount of time awake inside my tent, even with some of our larger family tents. I think the most important question is on the one hand if you can comfortably fit your gear inside, if you can sit up, and if you can get in and out comfortably including getting in and out with wet clothing (which is where the porch comes in). I must confess that even though I value light weight, a slightly roomier tent is one of the most attractive things to spend weight on. Up to a point, however. A tent that is too large is only cold.
Willem
 
Location
Midlands
What tent do you have?

This one but it is time expired and I am now looking for another one like it

I must confess that even though I value light weight, a slightly roomier tent is one of the most attractive things to spend weight on. Up to a point, however. A tent that is too large is only cold.
Willem

Something that we agree on at last - however - most tent inners that you can practically carry on a bike (assuming that they are not made of mesh) are pretty warm (relatively speaking) if completly zipped up - eg. In Norway my spare water froze when left in the porch but my drinking water by my hand stayed well liquid.
 

sgw

New Member
This one but it is time expired and I am now looking for another one like it

Shame about that MSR tent, are you sure it's not worth refurbing for a season or two?

I would like something similar. Perhaps don't always need such a big inner, but I like the big porch. Let us know what you go for.


Hope we are not turning into too much of another "which tent" thread. (The OP did suggest he was happy with his.)
 

Klaus

Senior Member
Location
High Wycombe
Out of interest I weighed my currend city bike and it comes in at a whopping 19 kg, including D-lock, rear pannier rack, kick stand, mud guards & and bell I do fancy getting a touring bike at some stage. Looking at a Dawes Karakum I note that it weighs 14.6 kg per specifications. Wowwww!!
Anyone done touring with a heavy bike like mine, plus the luggage of course? I know I could give it go and probably will next year some time, fancy Norfolk/Suffolk for a few days.
TIA for your advice!
 

willem

Über Member
Lots of people tour with heavy city bikes. Weight only really matters when you are climbing (but then it does, seriously so). City bikes may also have hub gears and less than stellar brakes. Again, those are not big problems, as long as you avoid the hills and mountains. Any well maintained bike can be used to tour, provided you appreciate the limitations on what you can take and where you can go. If you have such a bike, I would use it, choose my destination accordingly, and spend your budget on getting decent lightweight camping gear. Lighter gear can easily save 5 kg, and leaving unnecessary stuff at home another 5 kg. It is usually cheaper to loose weight on the gear side than on the bike side of things. My loaded tourer weighs just over 15 kg, and getting much below that is really hard unless you give up functionality and reliability. My frame builder recently built a front suspension off road tourer with integrated rack of 13.7 kg, and an ultralight audax bike for just over 10 kg. You could use the latter for credit card touring or ultralight camping witjh 8-10 kg of luggage.
Willem
 

andym

Über Member
For a three day trip you can get away with just your cycling clothes and something warmer to wear at nightb- although a set of dry cycling clothes can be a god thing to have if you are camping and there's no way to dry you stuff in time for the next day.

My top tips are merino wool clothes (eg Ground Effect) - you really can get away with wearing merino for day's on end (if you have to) and it doesn't get stinky like synthetics; and a small quantity of Travelwash.
 

ttony002

Über Member
Location
Norfolk
Is this actually the case? Does anyone have experience of losing a lot of weight and noticing the difference?

I carry about 30kg which I have decided is far too much, but I'm not sure I can sleep in a nylon coffin which most lightweight tents tend to be.


Over the last 12 months i have lost 20kg . I would say there is a great differance . Not only am i lighter i'm also some what fitter . This year i went from 2 rear panniers to a set of four really just to give myself more room but of course i now take more with me but not 20kg's. It is much easier since i lost the weight
 
OP
OP
Banjo

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
I am posting this from inside my little tent out on the brecon beacons .did abnout 60 hilly miles today and have to say the extra weighjt made a big difference.will certainly sleep well.I put everything in or on top of the panniiers on the back.bike handled great even fast downhill.just a few sheep and a book for company buyt comfortable enoiugh.Cheers people
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
I am posting this from inside my little tent out on the brecon beacons .did abnout 60 hilly miles today and have to say the extra weighjt made a big difference.will certainly sleep well.I put everything in or on top of the panniiers on the back.bike handled great even fast downhill.just a few sheep and a book for company buyt comfortable enoiugh.Cheers people


:eek:
 

jarushby

Active Member
I am posting this from inside my little tent out on the brecon beacons .did abnout 60 hilly miles today and have to say the extra weighjt made a big difference.will certainly sleep well.I put everything in or on top of the panniiers on the back.bike handled great even fast downhill.just a few sheep and a book for company buyt comfortable enoiugh.Cheers people

Enjoy!!!, beautiful part of the world. What route(s) are you taking

J
 
Attached is a pic of my fully laden bike as I was used on my recent Northern Scotland trip.

The Front Panniers contained my wet weather clothes and my cooking equipment and first aid Kit. The Rear Left carried my tent, and sleeping bag and food, the rear right Pannier had my spares clothes, and sleeping mat and spare folding tyre, and tools, spare spokes, etc. Bar bag contained my camera, sweeties, head torch, radio and spare batteries for the camera and GPS

Total weight : Front Panniers: 4Kgs

Rear Panniers: 14Kgs

Bar Bag: Heavy as It carried my Nikon
 

Attachments

  • Custom_bike.jpg
    Custom_bike.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 80
OP
OP
Banjo

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
On the way back now.went up from Barry to pencoed nantymoel bwlch treorchy rhigos pontneddfechan ystradffelte. Back down the esy way Penderyn hirwaun merthyr taff trail to cardiff then home via sully. A465 and A470 were a bit of a nghtmare lifted the bike over the barrier by the cefn coed viaduct to get off the A470 onto the taff trail so now its a peacefull slow roll downn to cardiff.
 
Top Bottom