Originally Posted by
antokelly
yes i can see how you think it was a daft question to ask ,ok maybe i could get away with it for a weekend trip but a week would be pushing it.i normally carry my tent hilleberg akto on the rear rack ,but everything else is in both panniers.all the gear i have is lightweight dosent take up to much room ,but my cloths does.no forget i asked that question ,i also need my comfort after a hard day's cycling guess i could survive the cycling but not the comfort.
Seems to me that the weight difference between a touring bike (pretty heavy to begin with) carrying a minimalist load (enough to survive) and a the same bike carrying a "full touring load" would not be that great.
For example, my bike weighs in at 31 pounds with racks only. Four full panniers (carrying what I'd describe as enough to let me camp and cook comfortably) weighs in at 33 pounds...for a total weight of 64 pounds. If I could shed half the weight and get down to two panniers, I'm still left with 48 pounds...no lightweight bike by any means. Add my 220 pounds and the comparison is now 284 pounds vs. 268 pounds. Climbing might be a tad easier with the "half load", but I'd still have about the same wind resistance, so pedaling on the flats would be the same.
To me, it's just not worth it to leave things like pillows, a book, "walking around clothes", a second pair of shoes, etc. back at the ranch. For anything over a couple of days, if it fits, I'm taking it.