Touring - how heavy is heavy (loaded touring)

hi all
what is a safe weight to carry on rear,ok i have just tubus rear rack and ortlieb backpacker plus panniers,my tent is straped to top of rack ,now the panniers are full no room left the cloths seem to take up all the room everything else is small,i haven't weighed them yet but there not overly heavy so thats what i want to know how heavy is heavy before i start running into problems i weigh 11 stone 7pounds i ride thorn sherpa ,sun rhyno wheels600, marathon plus tyres.

Personally, I don't like to travel with a load that weighs more than half my body weight ... including the weight of the bicycle.

I have travelled with heavier loads, and it is a real slog for me ... more work than fun. But when I keep the bicycle+gear under half my body weight, it's a much nicer tour.

You have a sturdy rig there and at 11 stone 7 (161 lbs for the Americans on here) you are pretty light so the bike could probably take a 100lbs more. However, I think you are asking the question from the wrong perspective. You should be asking how light is a light load. In my experience anything over 50lbs of gear (not including the bike) is just stupid and people haven't thought about their gear in any sensible manner. Some thought should get you to between 30 and 40lbs, a bit more radical approach and some ultralight gear will get you to below 30lbs and you are at the hardcore ultralight end of things if you can go sub 20lbs on an unsupported tour.

You have a sturdy rig there and at 11 stone 7 (161 lbs for the Americans on here) you are pretty light so the bike could probably take a 100lbs more. However, I think you are asking the question from the wrong perspective. You should be asking how light is a light load. In my experience anything over 50lbs of gear (not including the bike) is just stupid and people haven't thought about their gear in any sensible manner. Some thought should get you to between 30 and 40lbs, a bit more radical approach and some ultralight gear will get you to below 30lbs and you are at the hardcore ultralight end of things if you can go sub 20lbs on an unsupported tour.

Oh, come on now, no need to call me or anyone else stupid for reasons of over packing, maybe other things but not luggage.:D

It sounds like you are a light rider on a strong bike, carry what you want, the more you carry the slower you go, that's the only penalty. I kind of like Machka's 1/2 your body weight rule of thumb, seems to make sense.

Shakedown rides, over nighter's should help you decide for youself what heavy or too heavy is. Generally speaking, lighter can not be a bad thing, but should not be the end goal on a bike, maybe for hiking but not a bike.

thanks machka /nun ,ok then im well under the weight ive just this moment weighed my loaded panniers 14lb in each now i still have more cloths to pack but not much.nun i bought all all the best gear i could like exped dowm mat/alpkit down sleeping bag/akto tent all this gear packs pretty small (with pratice)and not much weight im finding cloths take up most of the weight and room but i think ill need all iv'e packed .anyhow thanks for all the help .

25 lbs is pretty much a normal load. 40 lbs. I feel weighted down.

Oh, come on now, no need to call me or anyone else stupid for reasons of over packing, maybe other things but not luggage.:D


Sorry, maybe I was being a bit provocative there. Touring is a very personal thing, and personally I don't know how people with really loaded bikes (you know, front and rear panniers, handlebar bag and more stuff piled on the rear rack), enjoy touring, but if that's the way they like to go so be it.

Antokelly it sounds as if you have a really good setup. You have a good bike and top notch equipment and carrying between 30 and 40lbs puts you on the lighter side of touring loads.

nun just on the subject of buying the best gear ,my son came back from france he went with a friend to see the alp du huez stage slept on the mountain the night before in a cheap tent and cheap sleeping bag he said he nearly froze to death,so there a lot to be said for good gear i did offer him my bag and mat but he taught he new better.

There's no one answer for how much to carry - each tourer has to solve that problem for him/herself. There are things that I wouldn't want to do without - I wouldn't enjoy the tour. I met a guy this summer who didn't bring a sleeping pad or pillow. I couldn't do that; I'd be miserable. But he was happy to not carry the weight.

On my recent tour I carried about 60 lbs., for a total weight of about 290 - 200 for me, 30 pounds for my LHT with racks and fenders, and 60 lbs. of stuff, including the Ortlieb Classic Rollers panniers and Ortlieb handlebar bag.

There were 3 or 4 small items I could have done without. I may be able to cut 5 lbs. off of that for my next tour by various strategies, but that will be about it.

thanks big blue toe where did that guy sleep wow? well i packed my panniers a hundred times just to make sure i dident overpack or underpack ,so i think i have all that i need but getting out there and trying all the gear out will soon tell me if iv'e missed anything or not .

On one of my first tours I didn't bring a sleeping pad. I had one tiny, light sleeping bag and a pillow, and that was it. It was doable, but not very comfortable.

thanks big blue toe where did that guy sleep wow? well i packed my panniers a hundred times just to make sure i dident overpack or underpack ,so i think i have all that i need but getting out there and trying all the gear out will soon tell me if iv'e missed anything or not .

I make a complete list of everything I take on an actual tour. At the end, I look at what was used and not used and missing, and then I rethink and revise the list for the next time.

I find that bike touring and Mountaineering are very much in tune with each other. I seem to use the exact same items.... from my tent to my down bag to my thermarest and so forth. The stove and basic stuff is the same as well. The only real difference for me is that I don't have to carry a weeks worth of food at a time or a weeks worth of fuel. When I'm touring I get to eat like a king in comparison.

My list of items to pack is so similar that it's quite funny.

kyakdiver

I find that bike touring and Mountaineering are very much in tune with each other. I seem to use the exact same items.... from my tent to my down bag to my thermarest and so forth. The stove and basic stuff is the same as well. The only real difference for me is that I don't have to carry a weeks worth of food at a time or a weeks worth of fuel. When I'm touring I get to eat like a king in comparison.

My list of items to pack is so similar that it's quite funny.

kyakdiver

What do you do with the spare tubes and tire levers in the mtns?....j/k...:lol:

I make a complete list of everything I take on an actual tour. At the end, I look at what was used and not used and missing, and then I rethink and revise the list for the next time.
I do the same thing. By now, the base packing list is almost automatic, although there's always room to refine it.

I got back from a short four-day excursion yesterday. I could have left a couple of tools, a frying pan, a bottle of sunscreen (since I had two) and a few other items. If I wanted to go a lot lighter, I would have left the camping gear and taken motels each night, but camping is part of my cycle touring experience. If I try to go through my gear item by item, I could replace some things with smaller and lighter versions, but the weight savings would hardly be worth the money I'd spend.

30 pounds including the bags would be fairly normal load for me, but I have carried more. Much more than that is a hassle and not worth the discomfort of hauling it. I try to pack light, but there are a few "luxury" items that I find worthwhile (a small but real pillow for one). I don't get how people carry 50, 60 or more pounds of stuff "to be comfortable". To me the balance between a fairly light load while riding and reasonable comfort while sleeping is the key to comfort on tour. That said whatever works for you is the right answer.

What do you do with the spare tubes and tire levers in the mtns?....j/k...:lol:

Never mind that. How about the rope, rack, axe(s), and crampons on the bike?:twitchy:

I'd hate to carry my mountaineering load on my bike. Not that I really like it on my back either, but it's gotta be done. Harder to cut weight when your life is depending on some of the heaviest gear.

thanks big blue toe where did that guy sleep wow? well i packed my panniers a hundred times just to make sure i dident overpack or underpack ,so i think i have all that i need but getting out there and trying all the gear out will soon tell me if iv'e missed anything or not .

He had a single-wall tent and the lightest sleeping bag he could find (he said he got cold some nights.) He said lots of times he just slept in his sleeping bag on the ground somewhere in the woods - no campground fee.

I'm packing right now for a 12 day tour, leaving out my door in a couple days.

I like the 50% of your weight rule, but I only weigh 110! My bike (LHT) is 30lbs, plus weight of panniers (4 Jandd panniers). My SO weighs 200, but he doesn't want to pack heavy either. He is pulling a Bob trailer with his Crosscheck.

I did a 5 day backpack trip in March so I am keeping in mind what I took on that. I went out with 35lbs (my target was 30lbs, but I didn't want to skimp on food too much.)

We plan on climbing big passes in SW Colorado, so we may be making some hard decisions on what to take at the last minute.

I'm packing right now for a 12 day tour, leaving out my door in a couple days.

I like the 50% of your weight rule, but I only weigh 110! My bike (LHT) is 30lbs, plus weight of panniers (4 Jandd panniers). My SO weighs 200, but he doesn't want to pack heavy either. He is pulling a Bob trailer with his Crosscheck.

I did a 5 day backpack trip in March so I am keeping in mind what I took on that. I went out with 35lbs (my target was 30lbs, but I didn't want to skimp on food too much.)

We plan on climbing big passes in SW Colorado, so we may be making some hard decisions on what to take at the last minute.
That sounds do-able. Half your body weight is 55 pounds minus 30 for the LHT leaves 25. You don't need to carry food so dropping the 5 days worth of food probably gets you down to the 25 pounds or at least close. Let the SO carry the tent if you have to.

The half body weight thing is a good rule of thumb to calculate a maximum, but only that. Someone exactly like you, but with 20 pounds more fat obviously can't automatically carry another 10 pounds. My point is to not obsess if the rule doesn't work. If you get down to 25 you will be fine, if you wind up at 30 it won't be the end of the world.

BTW: Don't hesitate to mail stuff home if you decide you took too much. Also if one of you is a lot stronger on the climbs, redistribute some of the community gear, AFTER you have pared down your load to the minimum.

Update on our packing progress:

My SO with his Surly Crosscheck and a Bob trailer has his bike at 43lbs with his small panniers (tools and day stuff) and 32 lbs for the dry bag to go in the Bob, plus the weight of the trailer. 89lbs total without water. He weighs 210, and he's ok with this load.

My bike is 31 lbs. My front panniers are 11lbs total. I'm still packing my rear panniers, but they feel light.

We are staying at a friends house the second night and can stash stuff there if we want to jettison it.

eofelis.im not been smart here but why pack stuff you not going to use or sure of useing ,when i started planning what to take i decided im going to need tool's just in case i need them, stove for cooking pots and pan ,mug /tea/coffee/and cleaning gear,then some cloths to wear on and off the bike,sleeping is down to my tent sleeping bag and mat ,i reckon ive packed all i need and maby a bit more but im sure i wont be mailing thing home so what have you packed that's,, emm maby i might need that ,if you know what i mean.

I will bow to Machka's rule of 1/2 your body weight. I had not thought about it much until I saw a posting of her rule a couple of years ago. Now I have weighed everything and found that her rule rules. I also am a firm believer that tourers carry way too much stuff. If your clothes take up all the room in your panniers, you have way too many clothes. Reduce the clothes pile by 1/2 and begin again.

lighthorse thats what i've done (a hundred times) i still have loads of cloths for both on and off the bike everybody's packing list will be different but not by much ,i bet cloths are the big issue with most people certainly was with me.

For all those '40 lbs is too much' people - is that food and water included? And is that for a 4-season tour? That is our real killer. Right now we are carrying winter gear we won't use for quite a while but nowhere to leave it either and shipping is really expensive. If we were on a fair-weather tour then we'd easily be a lot lighter but weight is the price of our extended, go-everywhere, do-everything tour.

For all those '40 lbs is too much' people - is that food and water included? And is that for a 4-season tour? That is our real killer. Right now we are carrying winter gear we won't use for quite a while but nowhere to leave it either and shipping is really expensive. If we were on a fair-weather tour then we'd easily be a lot lighter but weight is the price of our extended, go-everywhere, do-everything tour.

My 25lbs of stuff includes food and water and is for a 3 season touring. If I was going on a Winter tour I'd change my sleeping quilt to an sleeping bag, something like a Western Mountaineering Ultralight, pack my Montbell thermawrap jacket, include my balaclava, an extra pair of gloves and take thicker socks. I might also include a siltarp, extra poles and stakes to turn my tarptent into a double walled shelter. The gear should still be below 30lbs.

Ann,
After reading all of the posts, I believe that your original question may have been more about how much your bike could safely carry rather than how much you personally should expect to propell along the route. I can't imagine that your bike would be overloaded with any amount of stuff that you wanted to attach to it, given your light weight. I don't know that much about your tubus rear rack. If the one you have is made from solid aluminum stock then it should hold whatever you put on it. If it is made from hollow stock (the metal tubes from which it is built are hollow tubes) then it would carry less of a load. Just load the bike up with the most weight you might end up carrying and ride it that way for a month before you depart to get a good shakedown.

As for how many clothes to take along. This is such a personal preference thing. I only take along one pair of shoes, the ones I ride in, and I am fine with that. I only take one set of off bike clothes, and I always use my riding jackets for off bike jackets. I also wash clothes every day so I only take two sets of riding clothes.

If you end up way above the 1/2 your weight rule when you depart, just accept it and go about your business. Try to train with the bike loaded as it will be when you depart, that way the weight will seem familiar when you begin. The first few days of a long tour is made much more enjoyable if you train as you are going to tour.

Good luck.

Quite a while ago A Round-the-World bike tourist passed through Denver. He was financing the trip with slide shows and selling copies of a book about most of his ride. He let me try to lift his bike. Being young and foolish and actively weight training at the time I lifted the loaded bike. That loaded bike was at least 100 pounds. I still have the book he sold me.

lighthorse i like the bit about my light weight thanks ,my rack is tubular steel very solid i think it will hold my load no problem i did try the bike before loaded up but not as heavy as i have now ,it preformed brilliantly i had to keep looking behind to see if the panniers had fallen off it was so smooth so i think a few extra pounds won't make that much difference.but i thought i better ask the question from you experience tourers if my load was safe ,seems it is thanks all

For all those '40 lbs is too much' people - is that food and water included? And is that for a 4-season tour? That is our real killer. Right now we are carrying winter gear we won't use for quite a while but nowhere to leave it either and shipping is really expensive. If we were on a fair-weather tour then we'd easily be a lot lighter but weight is the price of our extended, go-everywhere, do-everything tour.

For me, the weight of my bicycle + gear equalling half my body weight includes two bottles of water, some granola bars, a small jar of coffee, and a cheese. Unless you're going somewhere very remote you don't need to carry a whole lot of water with you, and you don't need to carry a whole lot of food. Most towns have a small grocery store or something in them where you can pick up supplies for the next day or so.

And of course you'd carry more gear for a full-on winter tour.

Unless you're going somewhere very remote you don't need to carry a whole lot of water with you, and you don't need to carry a whole lot of food. Most towns have a small grocery store or something in them where you can pick up supplies for the next day or so.
Since 2004, all my touring has been in southern British Columbia (and there's still more to discover here.) Where I'm going will determine what I'll take for food and water. In dry areas or in areas where I don't know the quality of streams, creeks and lakes, I'll take up to six water bottles. In the Columbias and West Kootenay area, three bottles is plenty as there are small waterfalls and pristine streams almost everywhere I turn. I'll also carry water purification tablets and hope I don't need them.

For food, I prefer to carry rice, lentils, spices and tea. I'll supplement these things with food I've picked up in town, but I have enough with me so I can have a passible although simple meal anywhere. For a snack when I'm riding, I'll carry a bit of fresh fruit, some trail mix or some fruit leather.

I agree that touring weight is an individual thing. Having what you want and what you like, while on tour, can easily increase your load rather quickly.

With respect to water bottles, I carry seven. I have no problem justifying the weight penalty because I have been in remote areas, or areas where the water was dodgy. I've only gone to bed thirsty once, and I would never want to do that again.

I agree that touring weight is an individual thing. Having what you want and what you like, while on tour, can easily increase your load rather quickly.

With respect to water bottles, I carry seven. I have no problem justifying the weight penalty because I have been in remote areas, or areas where the water was dodgy. I've only gone to bed thirsty once, and I would never want to do that again.

Wow, people have crossed the Gobi with less, I'm being serious

http://web.archive.org/web/20041211122336/www.koopmann.lightup.net/crane/journey_10.html

But having enough water is essential and it's easy to go through a gallon on a hot day. My baseline is 2x 1 Liter bottles in the usual water bottle cages. If I want a bit more I carry it in my 3rd bottle cage under the
downtube. If I was expedition touring I might take more, but I'd definitely include some "Puritabs" or a water filter

My baseline food includes, instant oatmeal, couscous, honey, salt, dehydrated soups, rice noodles, beef jerky, tea bags. I will only use these (except the tea bags) if I can't buy food and I replenish as soon as possible. The couscous is very versatile, it comes with flavor packs, I like the curry. Sometimes I'll dissolve some honey in the boiling water before I add the couscous to make a sweet carbohydrate laden meal.

As with many items in cycling, personal preference and individual biological needs drive one's choices. On a hot day with a high work load, e.g., hill climbing, I have found through experimentation that my optimum performance comes with consuming approx. 48oz of fluid per hour. Therefore, I'm consuming approx. 3lbs of fluid/hr. When I'm riding in an area with sparse resources I will carry up to (and sometimes more than) 2 gallons of water/16lbs. This provides for both my current needs and a reserve in the evident of an emergency. Some of my touring colleagues get by with half of what I need. When I've experimented with significantly reducing my fluid intake my performance drops considerably. When I'm riding to/from home I weigh myself before and after a ride to determine my degree, if any, of dehydration. It is through this process that I've determined my needs.

As with many items in cycling, personal preference and individual biological needs drive one's choices. On a hot day with a high work load, e.g., hill climbing, I have found through experimentation that my optimum performance comes with consuming approx. 48oz of fluid per hour.

That sounds like an awful lot or water. I would suggest caution regarding Hyponatremia. If you need to drink that much water consider watching other factors if you aren't already. See http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/hydrationandfluid/a/Hyponatremia.htm for more details.

Also, have you been tested for diabetes. If not maybe you should be, just to be sure as excessive thirst can be a symptom.

FWIW: I always found the color of my urine to be the standard test of whether I am drinking enough. I expect it to be slightly yellow immediately after riding for the day is done, but clear pretty quickly after drinking some more.

I would be inclined to think that you should lose a bit of fluid weight during a strenuous ride in hot weather. So I would question the expectation that weighing the same after a ride meant that you drank the appropriate amount.

Wow, people have crossed the Gobi with less, I'm being serious

And that is understandable. One has to tailor their loads, eating habits and such to the route. From what I read, they were not cooking their food or making their own chai, which saves carrying lots of water.

Everybody has different habits while cycle touring. I cook most of my meals, thus I must also wash the dishes as well. One pot meals are convenient, but that can get old...real fast. One can travel with less water, and that's fine. I don't. Cycle touring while being thirsty can really suck.

The seven bottles I carry equate to 5.5L of water, which is 5.5kg. Considering my touring rig averages around 70kg (with full water), a difference of a few kg isn't going to break me. But as stated, it's a personal preference.

hi all
what is a safe weight to carry on rear,
Hi antokelly, you have a very strong bike there, if you want to carry more stuff why not use some front racks.
Myself I like to keep my 50 lbs max about 60% rear 40% front on my Cannondale T2000.
This ratio seems to work for me. I would never go over the 50 lbs, above that weight the riding becomes too much work and my enjoyment level goes down.
Me + Bike + Stuff = 305 lbs
Happy touring!

cyberpep i really dont like front racks i reckon i can get all i need into to rear panniers as i said the same packing list should do for a week or a month ,now i could be wrong here when i get all this work out of the way (i work for myself )im heading off for a week so that should give me a good idea how my list fair's out .living in ireland your never to far away from village's or town's so food will be bought on the day same with water.machka how did you figure out that plan on carrying half your body weight ,what is the reason behind it im thinking a slim little girl like yourself and most likely super fit ,cant weigh that much in the first place so your load is always going to be light.

cyberpep i really dont like front racks i reckon i can get all i need into to rear panniers as i said the same packing list should do for a week or a month ,now i could be wrong here when i get all this work out of the way (i work for myself )im heading off for a week so that should give me a good idea how my list fair's out .living in ireland your never to far away from village's or town's so food will be bought on the day same with water.machka how did you figure out that plan on carrying half your body weight ,what is the reason behind it im thinking a slim little girl like yourself and most likely super fit ,cant weigh that much in the first place so your load is always going to be light.

Are you just using 2 rear panniers, if so I think you could improve your setup by including a handlebar bag. This isn't so much for weight distribution, but more for convenience. A quickly removable handlebar bag bag is the best place to keep important items like your wallet, cell phone, snacks etc. They are close at hand while riding and you can easily take the bag with you when yo leave your bike.

sorry nun i should have said i do have a barbag and that's what im useing it for .thank's.

You certainly can go with just rear panniers. The panniers in the picture below are 42L and I was "fully loaded", ie 4 changes of bike clothes, one change of street clothes with some warm ones, raingear, stove and pot, tent, sleeping bag and pad, even a towel and tripod! The handlebar bag was occupied by a big SLR camera. It was packed tightly and there weren't much room for food but with two changes of bike clothes, the tent on top of the rack and no SLR, there's plenty of room. Most of my gear is an older generation of light equipment so you can find even lighter and smaller gear nowadays. I'm still surprised of what could fit in those panniers. The handling is twitchy but you get used to it.

http://www.borealphoto.com/photos/254797849_P7moU-L.jpg

I'm a credit card tourist, so obviously I don't carry a tent, sleeping bag, cooking utensils, etc.

Let me tell you how easily it is to overpack: I have done trips carrying 18 lbs in luggage, and I have done other trips carrying 28 lbs. And I have no idea where the extra 10 lbs came from! I suspect that I have been gathering more and more "weightless" items, which eventually and inevitably start to add up.

That sounds like an awful lot or water. I would suggest caution regarding Hyponatremia. ... So I would question the expectation that weighing the same after a ride meant that you drank the appropriate amount.

Hyponatremia is a concern when the fluid intake is not balanced with an appropriate level of electrolyte intake. I should have stated that I tailor my electrolyte intake (sodium, potassium, calcium, etc.) to the type of riding I'm doing and the weather I"m experiencing. From years of experimentation I know the levels I need to move toward optimum performance. On cool days with easy to medium efforts I use approximately 500mg sodium/120mg of potassium/hr. On hot days with multiple hours of hard effort I use approximately 1500mg sodium/400mg of potassium/hr. A cyclist can sweat out 500-2000mg/hr sodium depending upon effort level. In some extreme cases, 5000mg/hr has been recorded.

Diabetes - tested - normal.

Weighing oneself before and after a ride to determine hydration intake levels is a standard practice for bike racers.

Ultimately, the weight one carries on a tour is the result of one's preferences and needs. I tend to carry more weight (water, food, gear) than others but it is what I have found to work for me. The weight of a loaded touring bike is easy for me compared to the volunteering I do taking folks who have difficultly riding out on a tandem. Last weekend I rode with a person who is unable to pedal. Our total weight (him, me, tandem, panniers, food, water) was about 375lbs. That is about 100lbs more than my normal touring weight. We weren't breaking any speed records going up the 6-8% grades in the central Rockies but we had a great time.

srs your a person who know what your talking about but it's all to technical for me ,but fair play to you dont think i could push a tandem up any kind of hill let alone a mountain,

Good that you have the electolyte situation well handled and that diabetes isn't an issue for you. It sounds like you know what works for you. I brought it up because, with the amount of water you drink, both were things you need to be aware of. Since you already were, perhaps the comments wouldn't have been necessary. Then again they might be useful to someone else who tries to follow the same regimen or just needs similar amount of fluid intake.


When I'm riding to/from home I weigh myself before and after a ride to determine my degree, if any, of dehydration. It is through this process that I've determined my needs.
What are your expectations for weight loss during a tough ride in hot weather? Do you expect to weigh the same after a hard day in hot weather or do expect some percentage of dehydration?

I am curious... Exactly how did you use that process to determine your needs? Did you adjust your fluid intake until there was some percentage of weight loss or none?


Weighing oneself before and after a ride to determine hydration intake levels is a standard practice for bike racers.
I agree, but I don't think they weigh the same at the finish of a hard race as at the beginning. I bet most expect to dehydrate to some extent. The weighing is just to determine the degree. They then know how much they need to rehydrate an if it was too much they will adjust in the future. From what I have observed and read racers typically drink a bit more than 20 ounces per hour for a hard effort in the heat. Marathon runners are typically advised to drink a similar amount or a bit less. It seems likely that bike tourists are likely to work less hard and therefore need less fluid intake than bike racers or marathon runners.

All that said humans vary widely in how much fluid they sweat out and therefore need to replace. You apparently are an extreme case.

machka how did you figure out that plan on carrying half your body weight ,what is the reason behind it im thinking a slim little girl like yourself and most likely super fit ,cant weigh that much in the first place so your load is always going to be light.

On my first tour of any distance I was hauling about 80-90 lbs of stuff (27 lb bicycle + ~60 lbs of stuff) up and down the hills of Wales. I nearly died out there! I had to walk everything and plodded along at about 2 mph. Thankfully we weren't covering any major distances.

My next long tour was in Australia, and I brought my bicycle (27 lbs) and about 50 lbs of gear. When I couldn't climb the hills in Sydney, my cycling partner made me drop off 10 lbs of stuff ... so that I was closer to half my body weight. Along the way I mailed home more stuff and over the three months there, I brought the load just about down to half my body weight.

Since then, I've pared the load down even more ... a little bit more. It's just so much easier to cycle, and to ride up hills rather than walk them, when you're carrying less.

Then again they might be useful to someone else who tries to follow the same regimen or just needs similar amount of fluid intake.

I agree that one must be aware of the potential consequences of hyponatremia. An acquaintance of mine died from hyponatremia when I was in high school. He had been working outdoors all day in very hot weather. It was determined he had consumed over 2 gallons of plain water. They found him lying in a field.


What are your expectations for weight loss during a tough ride in hot weather? Do you expect to weigh the same after a hard day in hot weather or do expect some percentage of dehydration? I am curious... Exactly how did you use that process to determine your needs? Did you adjust your fluid intake until there was some percentage of weight loss or none?

The general rule of thumb is weight loss during a ride beyond 2% of one's body weight will adversely affect one's performance level. The 2% isn't a magic number, i.e., one's performance is fine at 1.99% and degraded at 2.00%. I'm able to notice a drop in performance level even at 1% of body weight loss on a hot day. A caveat in this is that most home scales have a margin of error that can make this determination somewhat of an art. When one uses the same scale over time the errors may become predictable.

At the conclusion of a ride I'll weigh myself, compare it to my start weight, note how much fluid I drank and judge my energy and performance level. This takes a minute or so and provides me another datapoint that I can use for determining hydration requirements for future rides and tours. I make similar notes for carb intake and electrolyte levels. A few minutes of time for each ride provides me very useful data that I can use to adjust each of these elements during a ride. I carry loose sodium and potassium chloride with me on all rides so that I can make electrolyte adjustments on the fly.


(regarding bike racers - my addition - srs) I agree, but I don't think they weigh the same at the finish of a hard race as at the beginning. I bet most expect to dehydrate to some extent. The weighing is just to determine the degree. They then know how much they need to rehydrate an if it was too much they will adjust in the future. From what I have observed and read racers typically drink a bit more than 20 ounces per hour for a hard effort in the heat. Marathon runners are typically advised to drink a similar amount or a bit less. It seems likely that bike tourists are likely to work less hard and therefore need less fluid intake than bike racers or marathon runners.

Sweat rates when working hard can range from 1 to 3 qts/hr and this fluid loss must be replaced if one wishes his/her performance level to remain high. While some racers may only consume 20oz/hr, you'll find many take in much than that (32,40, more - I heard one team director say some of his riders were taking in 4 to 5 bottles/hr) especially on long, hot days in the saddle. When one's body begins moving toward a degree of dehydration (even slight) the body attempts to hold on to fluid and sweat rates are reduced. The result is a catch-22 for the body. Lower sweat rates keep the sodium balance in check but can increase the core temperature. Proper hydration allows the body to properly perform both functions.

My objective is to suggest people experiment and see what works for them. Many people simply take guidelines published by 'experts' and use the guideline without considering that he/she may be different. Even after I find what works for me I continue to experiment over time since one's body bio-chemistry will change.

Thanks for the thoughtful comments.


My objective is to suggest people experiment and see what works for them. Many people simply take guidelines published by 'experts' and use the guideline without considering that he/she may be different. Even after I find what works for me I continue to experiment over time since one's body bio-chemistry will change.

I will add that one's body bio-chemistry will not only change over time, but will adapt to prevalent conditions. I know that when living in 100 degree heat day in and day out my body adjusts and seems to need less water than it did on the first hot day and at the same time my performance improves as I acclimate. I find that on tour my body tells me how much I need to drink and what foods and beverages I need if I just listen to it. I always seem to crave what is needed at the time. If I am low on certain minerals I tend to crave things that are rich in them. For me the key is to listen to my body while watching for signs of dehydration.

BTW: I am inclined to rely on stopping for cold drinks where it is possible and in most places get a substantial portion of my liquid intake that way. This is usually in the form of a cold Gatorade or Poweraid. It gets a bit expensive, but when stopping in a small town and using their bathroom and ice machine I feel obligated to spend at least a bit of money and that is usually in the form of snacks and sports drinks.

Obviously there are places where you can't rely on finding a store for 40-80 miles and enough water needs to be carried in those places. That said most of the time I can get by with carrying only a couple regular sized bottles. In the places where that will be inadequate I fill and additional 2+ liter Platypus water bladder and in the most extreme cases an additional large Gatorade bottle filled with water.

I have always managed to stay at a place where water was available nearby, so I have not had to carry washing or cooking water. Sometimes this has required longer days that I might have otherwise liked.

The volume of water you take really depends on two things, the weather and your route. Know your route and adjust your water as required. I can ride in 90F high humidity weather for about 4 hours, or 50 miles, on 2 litres of water. If there were no services for 100 miles I'd buy 2 more litres and strap it to my rack before I set off.

machka thanks for that but here's the thing and dont get me wrong but how ,a woman of your touring experience manage to take way to much gear with you on tour ,as you said yourself ,obviously you have packing down to a fine art now but is it not the mistake of less experience tourers to take all but the kitchen sink.before you came up with this plan of half your body weight (brilliant idea) what extra stuff were you packing that was makeing touring a chore as in to much weight.