Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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foxyrider
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Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by foxyrider »

Just got home with the weekly shop, it seemed a bit weighty so I thought i'd weigh the bags - 14.75kg. My all up touring weight with tent etc is 14.4kg, the rear bags as used for shopping are 8.4kg for touring.

It occurred to me that many of us overload our steeds with resulting service and wear issues. My machine was very front light and less than stable with this weight on the rear only, I usually run 5 bags for this weight! Although the weight is similar I certainly wouldn't want to tour with this weight distribution, i'd be frightened of rear wheel damage at every pothole!

So if you run all the weight at the rear do you get rear wheel issues or handling problems? Do you regularly carry the touring weight when commuting etc?
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
bainbridge
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by bainbridge »

I weigh in the panniers prior to a tour but have a good idea of the weight I'm carrying at any given time because I weigh everything.

My touring has been rear panniers only so rear heavy, but it's easy enough to adapt to the front being light.
Psamathe
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by Psamathe »

Most days I carry around 5Kg. That includes the single pannier itself. The bulk is D-lock (New York - heavy) and cable. Also tools, inner tube, pump, waterproof, lights and some accumulated junk.

Undoubtedly I could reduce it on a per ride basis (depending on weather, light, etc.) but I prefer to just pick-up my pannier and know everything is there and never have to bother to pack. Makes the overhead (time wise) to go for a ride minimal.

Ian
ambodach
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by ambodach »

I recently weighed the saddlebag I normally have permanently attached as I seemed a bit heavy when I took it off during maintenance. Nearly 5 kilos tho' the bag itself ( a 40 year old carradice ) is pretty heavy. The rest is tools plus assorted bits which have somehow accumulated. Severe pruning brought this down but still more than I would have liked still "essential".
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al_yrpal
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by al_yrpal »

My loads are about 9 kg cc touring, and 16 kg camping. On day rides I just take the bar bag, about 2kg.

I dislike front panniers and heavy bar bags. My Salsa Vaya 3 gets a bit lively when I add camping stuff on the top of the rear rack, to the point of instability.

A little project for the winter is to make myself a decent light fitted frame bag so that I can concentrate a lot of weighty things within the frame triangle. I think I will only have one bottle cage on tbe downtube to maximise storage, and I may go for a velcro on bag over the top too. I am hoping that will cure the metranome effect.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
robing
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by robing »

My touring weight with camping is about 17kg. Steel tourers are built to carry weight, and provided the weight is evenly distributed it shouldn't cause a problem. My bike actually feels more stable when fully loaded.
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Mick F
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by Mick F »

Use a trailer.
No weight on the bike, so your bike still feels like your bike.
Mick F. Cornwall
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pjclinch
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by pjclinch »

Shopping, I use an 8-Freight, so no stability/handling issues with the weight low and in front of the rear wheel.

Touring is on a Streetmachine recumbent so I can get the heavy stuff under the seat and between the wheels where the only affect on handling is to glue you to the road a bit better.

Both will take stupid loads without complaint.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
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Mick F
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by Mick F »

Mick F wrote:Use a trailer.
No weight on the bike, so your bike still feels like your bike.
Here's a photo of my wooden box I made for my trailer.
PICT0132.JPG
Mick F. Cornwall
iandriver
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by iandriver »

Any perceived handling problems went away when I swapped from a cheap Tortek alloy rack to a Tubus stainless one. Now the load seems to make no discernable difference to the handling.

I regularly make trips to the farm shop with a 7.5KG sack of spuds in one side and the other side packed full with other veg. Doesn't make one iota of difference.
Supporter of the A10 corridor cycling campaign serving Royston to Cambridge http://a10corridorcycle.com. Never knew gardening secateurs were an essential part of the on bike tool kit until I took up campaigning.....
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foxyrider
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by foxyrider »

iandriver wrote:Any perceived handling problems went away when I swapped from a cheap Tortek alloy rack to a Tubus stainless one. Now the load seems to make no discernable difference to the handling.

I regularly make trips to the farm shop with a 7.5KG sack of spuds in one side and the other side packed full with other veg. Doesn't make one iota of difference.


but you are in the Fens! it would make a difference if you had to tackle a climb or two :lol:
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
iandriver
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by iandriver »

foxyrider wrote:
iandriver wrote:Any perceived handling problems went away when I swapped from a cheap Tortek alloy rack to a Tubus stainless one. Now the load seems to make no discernable difference to the handling.

I regularly make trips to the farm shop with a 7.5KG sack of spuds in one side and the other side packed full with other veg. Doesn't make one iota of difference.


but you are in the Fens! it would make a difference if you had to tackle a climb or two :lol:


To climbing, yes, to handling, no.

PS, I'm south of the Gog Magog hills, its actually quite undulating here, I've got a couple of 1 in 10s within a couple of miles of home, not super steep, but flat it isn't. I don't do Fens, north of the border to me :D
Supporter of the A10 corridor cycling campaign serving Royston to Cambridge http://a10corridorcycle.com. Never knew gardening secateurs were an essential part of the on bike tool kit until I took up campaigning.....
PJ520
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by PJ520 »

This summer I happened to go through Missoula Montana and called in at Adventure Cycling Association's headquarters for my free ice cream. They have an arrangement whereby you can weigh your bike and kit. My Trek520 with 4 panniers and barbag weighed 80 lb (36.3 kg). That seemed about right to me but they told me that most people are surprised at how much weight they are hauling as was a young man who'd rode down from Alaska who's rig weighed 79 lbs. He thought he was traveling light.
You only live once, which is enough if you do it right. - Mae West
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syklist
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Re: Do you know how much weight you are carting about?

Post by syklist »

bainbridge wrote:My touring has been rear panniers only so rear heavy, but it's easy enough to adapt to the front being light.

Even going uphill on rough tracks? I found it hard to keep the front end down and the bike stable in such situations. It is not a problem with front panniers + bar bag + 2 l water bag on the front end. Even when towing a trailer.
So long and thanks for all the fish...
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