What's the heaviest load you've carried on a bike?

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TheDoctor

Europe Endless
Moderator
Location
The TerrorVortex
Heaviest load I've been a part of was three of us on a gaspipe 'racer'. All up weight, maybe 200 kg.
 

Roseland triker

Cheese ..... It's all about the cheese
Location
By the sea
Probably about 250kg .
On a trailer I had a petrol powered wood chipper and chainsaws. I even built a bike for the job with massive disc brakes. Used to load up logs too at the end of the day.
I also towed a triple section 14ft ladder for tree work so I could get up 30ft without having to climb.
Regularly tow chainsaws and climbing kit. Petrol etc.
 
I'd reckon about 80-100kg, on the Bakfiets. It's a toss up between a load of scrap for the tip, fertiliser bags or reclaimed 3m wood planks. I also managed to roll with 21 children in, on, or hanging of the back of the bike, although that was only for a few metres during a festival.
 
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classic33

Leg End Member
I'd reckon about 80-100kg, on the Bakfiets. It's a toss up between a load of scrap for the tip, fertiliser bags or reclaimed 3m wood planks. I also managed to roll with 21 children in, on, or hanging of the back of the bike, although that was only for a few metres during a festival.
All yours?
 

BoldonLad

Not part of the Elite
Location
South Tyneside
I once walked 3 miles home with an oak ships wheel fitted with a brass hub, balanced precariously on the pedal of my dads old Lenton sports. The wheel was just a little under 6 ft in diameter but I have no idea how much it weighed. At about that time it was quite common to see blokes riding their beat up old work bikes the 6 miles to Seaton Carew where they would gather sea coal off the beach. When they had a couple of sacks full of the stuff they would load it onto their bikes, one sack through the frame, and the other over the crossbar, then they walked home with their booty. I imagine that would have been in the late fifties when I was just a lad Cheeky young bugger.

I wondered if someone would mention transporting coal in that way!

Locally, a similar thing happened, except, we scavenger coal from the spoil heaps, and/or along the railway lines, and, then, transported it home, as you described.
 
Seem to remember a Last of Summer Wine episode where a bike was used, there was a 2.75 ton motor bike made for Russia

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idea it seems was to travel on tracks designed for horses, the Gyrocar was it seemed never delivered, made by Wolseley Tool and Motorcar Company in England in 1914 and demonstrated in London the same year. It likely holds the record for a bike weight, but as to weight carried on a pedal cycle there has to be a big difference between carried and ridden and simply used as a wheel barrow.

The problem with rear rack and panniers is one tyre taking the weight, and two being able to steer with so little weight on the front wheel, so likely carried more with a back pack, but likely no more than 56 pounds and riding the bike.
 

cycleking

Member
I weight about 76kg and ive had about another 50 in a backpack. was pretty hard and going down has was a little dangerous
 

Tom B

Guru
Location
Lancashire
Watched this thread for a while. I think I mentioned the several grow bags I carried home once.

But just remembered as kids we used to race down our street which was on a big hill and then onto the busier estate distributor road. One of the gang would be on the road to signal if the main road was clear and try to flag the car or bus down if the rider didn't / couldn't slow down.

Anyway of the nutty ideas we tried to go faster (including pumping up the tyres with water and filling the frame with water) one idea was to strap bottles of water to the bike fill a rucksack bag with water / bricks to increase weight. Of course it got taken to extremes with bottles cable tied to any bits of frame we could.

I seem to recall several "spills" some stitches and scarring.
 

taximan

senex crepitu iuvenis cordi esse
Watched this thread for a while. I think I mentioned the several grow bags I carried home once.

But just remembered as kids we used to race down our street which was on a big hill and then onto the busier estate distributor road. One of the gang would be on the road to signal if the main road was clear and try to flag the car or bus down if the rider didn't / couldn't slow down.

Anyway of the nutty ideas we tried to go faster (including pumping up the tyres with water and filling the frame with water) one idea was to strap bottles of water to the bike fill a rucksack bag with water / bricks to increase weight. Of course it got taken to extremes with bottles cable tied to any bits of frame we could.

I seem to recall several "spills" some stitches and scarring.

Sounds like fun
 

Fredo76

Über Member
Location
Española, NM
Probably the 110 Thursday newspapers, or the 70 or so that would fit on Sundays, with two pannier wire baskets, plus a bigger one up front. The mounting on the front one wasn't the stiffest, which made it forgiving, until it didn't. Probably 70 lbs. or so total, on my Raleigh 3-speed, in my teenage years.

"The paper holds their folded faces to the floor,
And every day, the paperboy brings more...
 
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