Originally Posted by
Cyclesafe
Of course less weight is always better than more weight. But one needs to find ones own sweet spot. This depends on personal preference, length of tour, and the conditions one is touring under. While multi-month touring I run into newbies who have bought into ultra-light, only to end up being miserable.
For a week long tour in non-inclement weather, one could (should?) go ultra-light. This means having a light weight bicycle and rack-less storage bags hanging off your bike. But if you try to take a long tour with this set-up I guarantee that you will be miserable from time to time even if you plan to bail indoors when possible.
The Katy trail is mostly flat so weight shouldn't make a ton of difference. With a rackless set up you'd sacrifice convenience and not really gain much with the lighter weight set-up. Packing for a week shouldn't be that much different than packing for a month--maybe an extra item of clothing or two for colder weather on a longer trip but these items can always be sent general delivery.