Weight when touring - how much is too much?

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
oneten
Posts: 177
Joined: 11 Aug 2014, 2:49pm
Location: Whitstable, Kent

Re: Weight when touring - how much is too much?

Post by oneten »

Hi Chris. Yes, at first I had the same concern but if you look closely, the front wheel rim is suspended on a padded hook while the bracket below just serves to keep the frame in line. I was amazed at how stable the set up proved to be.

I've attached another photo of a rack on another train where the bike is literally suspended vertically by the front wheel rim with a hook yet the weight is also distributed via the locating hoops. A bit difficult to get it on and off on your own given the weight, but efficient none the less. Although I was quite shocked by the prospect at first, other cyclists assured me it was quite safe and gave me a hand to heave-ho the bike up into place.

On a busy train, you have to use the designated place that bears the number of your booking so it could either be a horizontal or a vertical type of rack as there are both types in the same carriage on the IC trains.

When I booked my ticket the week before, booked places were guaranteed on the Deutsche Bundesbahn trains but I was told that place couldn't be definitely booked for the two local Dutch trains which which took me to the Hoek. However, people soon made room and the conductor on the final train from Rotterdam said that if I was using an international ticket, then that was good enough and let me on.
Attachments
It may look horrendous but it was quite safe and the weight was well supported.
It may look horrendous but it was quite safe and the weight was well supported.
Vertical storage rack.jpg (22.03 KiB) Viewed 626 times
ossie
Posts: 1793
Joined: 15 Apr 2011, 7:52pm

Re: Weight when touring - how much is too much?

Post by ossie »

oneten wrote:Hi Chris. Yes, at first I had the same concern but if you look closely, the front wheel rim is suspended on a padded hook while the bracket below just serves to keep the frame in line. I was amazed at how stable the set up proved to be.

I've attached another photo of a rack on another train where the bike is literally suspended vertically by the front wheel rim with a hook yet the weight is also distributed via the locating hoops. A bit difficult to get it on and off on your own given the weight, but efficient none the less. Although I was quite shocked by the prospect at first, other cyclists assured me it was quite safe and gave me a hand to heave-ho the bike up into place.

On a busy train, you have to use the designated place that bears the number of your booking so it could either be a horizontal or a vertical type of rack as there are both types in the same carriage on the IC trains.

When I booked my ticket the week before, booked places were guaranteed on the Deutsche Bundesbahn trains but I was told that place couldn't be definitely booked for the two local Dutch trains which which took me to the Hoek. However, people soon made room and the conductor on the final train from Rotterdam said that if I was using an international ticket, then that was good enough and let me on.


Im pretty sure the idea is that you take your panniers off before sticking the bike on the hook. Lets be honest its a 2 minute job and saves lugging the thing up there fully loaded.

ps I hope your bottles werent full :D
oneten
Posts: 177
Joined: 11 Aug 2014, 2:49pm
Location: Whitstable, Kent

Re: Weight when touring - how much is too much?

Post by oneten »

ossie wrote:
Im pretty sure the idea is that you take your panniers off before sticking the bike on the hook. Lets be honest its a 2 minute job and saves lugging the thing up there fully loaded.

ps I hope your bottles werent full :D


Well, that's a good point but where would you then put the stuff? I had a separate seat reservation further along the carriage and frankly it would've been a pain to have had to lug all the gear needlessly to my seat as hand luggage! I didn't notice other cyclists unloading everything, they stowed their bikes panniers and all. It came as quite a relief that I didn't have to unpack and repack the bike when I had to change three times! The front panniers were held on with cable ties due to earlier damage to the clips and with four lots of bungee straps and an elasticated net holding the sleeping bag and tent, it would have taken a lot longer than being a 2 minute job. One of my changes gave me just two minutes to get from one train to the other on the opposite platform and it was a darn site easier being able to wheel the loaded bike off one train, across the platform and straight onto the next in one go.
Besides, though I'd had help on the first train, on my second one, I didn't have too much difficulty shouldering the weight and getting the wheel rim over the hook. Simples :mrgreen:
ukpacker
Posts: 49
Joined: 28 Sep 2015, 8:26pm

Re: Weight when touring - how much is too much?

Post by ukpacker »

Next time you could save the weight of the hot water bottle by using your water bottle to fill this function. Or use the hot water bottle as a drinks bottle?
ukpacker
oneten
Posts: 177
Joined: 11 Aug 2014, 2:49pm
Location: Whitstable, Kent

Re: Weight when touring - how much is too much?

Post by oneten »

ukpacker wrote:Next time you could save the weight of the hot water bottle by using your water bottle to fill this function. Or use the hot water bottle as a drinks bottle?
ukpacker


Now that's an excellent suggestion - the first one I mean! (I seem to remember an episode of Mr. Bean when he brewed tea by putting everything in a hot water bottle and shaking it, but the rubbery taste would have spoiled it me thinks! :lol: ).
ukpacker
Posts: 49
Joined: 28 Sep 2015, 8:26pm

Re: Weight when touring - how much is too much?

Post by ukpacker »

I'ts a technique that was born of necessity after I got caught out by the early onset of winter one year, a barely adequate summer bag with frosts of -10 at the end of September. But anyone trying this should test the bottle with boiling water at home first, with some the seals can't cope. I have found the ally Sigg bottles are reliable but the hole is a bit narrow to fill from a pan without some kind of spout, the wide mouth Sigg with the fancy 2 part top is no good because one of the seals will leak, i have found lifeventure wide mouth alloy bottles work as do polycarbonate Nalgene type bottles, but i would still put them in a waterproof stuffsack with a few clothes to regulate the heat output.
ukpacker
oneten
Posts: 177
Joined: 11 Aug 2014, 2:49pm
Location: Whitstable, Kent

Re: Weight when touring - how much is too much?

Post by oneten »

ukpacker wrote:But anyone trying this should test the bottle with boiling water at home first, with some the seals can't cope.
ukpacker


Yes, thought about it after reading your first post and wondered about the reliability of my two usual bottles with pull/push tops. But my other bottle - the Camelbak one - has a lever to lock the spout closed and also has a reliable seal. I can imagine if it were wrapped in a towel or tee shirt, it would make a really good warmer.After losing my melamine mug, I brewed tea in this bottle for a few days and it coped with the hot water very well! :)
Post Reply