Touring - weight of touring supplies

I've always wondered something about bike touring. I have backpacked the AT and know a lot about how to pack a backpack. I've only tried bike touring a couple of times. I could be wrong but it seems that bike loads tend to be heavier. What caused this difference. Is it just a difference in philosophies? Tools don't weight that much. OR... am I mistaken on this idea?
Scott

Well weight on your back is much more of a burden than weight on a bike particularly a touring bike designed to carry that weight.But keep in mind these trends also seem to run in cycles as it was not too many years ago that 7 or 8 lb. Dana Designs backpacks were all the rage with thruhikers.I was a lightweight backpacker well before and through that heavyweight rage and would still classify myself as such during the ultralightweight rage though I am moving in an ultralightweight direction.Also keep in mind touring cyclists that camp don't have convenient shelters available to camp in 90% or more of the time like many thruhikers do so they need a shelter that will absolutely stand up to adverse/rainy conditions.Having said all that there does seem to be somewhat of a movement towards lighterweight and even ultralightweight cycle touring by a few tourers inspired by ultralightweight hikers(Ray Jardine for instance has been ultralightweight cycle touring the last few years).However in my opinion one thing that will hold it back is given the small market of tourers(many set in their ways) and thus touring bikes you won't see any rapid innovation in the bikes themselves thus one would have to be innovative here on ones own as you seem to be trying to do by adapting a racing bike.Anyway good luck.

I've always wondered something about bike touring. I have backpacked the AT and know a lot about how to pack a backpack. I've only tried bike touring a couple of times. I could be wrong but it seems that bike loads tend to be heavier. What caused this difference. Is it just a difference in philosophies? Tools don't weight that much. OR... am I mistaken on this idea?
Scott

I asked this question in a similar post a long time ago. After seeing lots of bikers on the road and in campgrounds, I have come to the conclusion that bike tourers could and should take a lesson from backpackers. I just don't understand why someone would want to haul around 50, 60, or 75 pounds of gear when 35 pounds gets it done just as effectively (that is my gear load including food and I'm VERY comfortable in camp).

Go figure...

I come from a backpacking background also... and one of the joy of bike touring carrying more comfort goodies and not suffering too much for it. Canned food is a big no-no while backpacking but I don't hesitate a second on bike. If i want it, I take it. Same for clothing. I don't want to wash my bike shorts and top every single night hoping it will not rain the next day so my clothes can dry. I just carry more. I would never carry both tent and tarp on a backpacking trip but I do on a cycling trip.

On my first transcontinental tour (north to south, east coast of the US), I traveled pretty lightly-- about 40 pounds. I definetely skimped in areas such as numbers of changes of clothing and repair parts.

Dave

No one mentioned that cyclists need to carry a good number of tools and extra parts like tubes, tires, spokes, wrenches, ect... Those add 10+ pounds by themselves.

tim

You can do ultra light touring - see the crane brothers (http://www.koopmann.lightup.net/crane/) for details but I think most cycle tourers have a somewhat different philosophy. I'm used to lightweight backpacking and alpine mountaineering yet my bike load is always heavier than it could be. The extra things I take/acquire en-route are amongst others....

non bike t-shirt
the half bottle of wine from the night before
fresh food
a book or two
often a two man tent for just me
a radio
mobile phone charger

you get the idea, and now my bob ibex has arrived things can only get worse!

No one mentioned that cyclists need to carry a good number of tools and extra parts like tubes, tires, spokes, wrenches, ect... Those add 10+ pounds by themselves.

tim

I think you're carrying too much stuff :-)

I carry two spare tubes, a patch kit, oil, and two multitools. Treads? Never. Only if I was traveling some where where traffic was only a couple cars a day and 100km from a town.

I think you're carrying too much stuff :-)

I carry two spare tubes, a patch kit, oil, and two multitools. Treads? Never. Only if I was traveling some where where traffic was only a couple cars a day and 100km from a town.


...Which means all the time I tour. Then I'll send you to Newfoundland (or in the middle of Nevada) where the next bike shop is 600 km away

hey scott, i'll be leaving raleigh next week to do the transam, i'll obviously be passing through the mountains on my way-maybe we can say "hi"-

i to started my outdoor adventures backpacking & reading ray jardine 5+ years ago totally changed my way of thinking as per gear & techniques required to be safe & comfortable-as gear has gotten better over the last couple years, my kit is a little more "luxurious" these days than my old breeze pack, but my backpacking load is still only 10ish lbs base weight-i'll probably go a litte extra plush & reach 15lbs while on my cross country tour (basically just adding some extra clothes) w/ a bit of food/fuel/water/spares/tools i expect to average around 30/35lbs & my bikes weight (a trek2000 w/ an xtracycle) will be about 30lbs-i'm not straining to be ultralight on my bike, just weight conscious, & it helps that i already have lightweight backpacking gear-

i figure my weights are reasonable in this regard, not extreme, i does set me back when i hear of of loads anywhere from 50-100lbs (& sometimes beyond)

another thought gleaned from the ultralight crowd is how sometimes that carrying extra weight for those "just in case"/emergency situations, can actually put you in an emergency situation, ie:heavier load, more likely your bike might brake, etc.

another thought gleaned from the ultralight crowd is how sometimes that carrying extra weight for those "just in case"/emergency situations, can actually put you in an emergency situation, ie:heavier load, more likely your bike might brake, etc.

Very true.

There is a balance to be struck, and where that balance is found depends on where one lies on the following continuum:

Cowboy nutcase (see Cranes, above)<-------------------------------------------------------------------->Risk-averse weenie (dime a dozen)

Experience will move you in various directions along the continuum as well.

...I could be wrong but it seems that bike loads tend to be heavier [than backpacking loads]. What caused this difference. Is it just a difference in philosophies? Tools don't weight that much...

All of the above.

Tools may weight a lot. I don't have a weight scale at home, but second-guessing their weight against my Kriptonite, I guess my touring tool chest weights about 10-15 lb. I don'T carry such tools when riding in town (only patch kit, pump and 2 extra tubes), but on the road, I have screwdrivers, pliers, bulbs, batteries, zip ties...

Lock Yes, I'm one of those who carry the U-lock and cable to lock the bike on the road.

Food. I like fresh food and especially fresh produce. In my limited backpacking experience, I noticed I couldn't afford to carry too much produce because of weight and because it spoils quickly. On the bike, I may hit a shop, fruit stand... every day, every 2 days at the most, so it entices me to carry fresher and healthier, but heavier food.

Clothing. I like not to wash daily, as drying clothes in the rain isn't easy. I also want to be presentable when I hit cities... a concern I wouldn't have while backpacking.
I may also cross more terrain, with more diversified weather, and one really bad experience told me I need to be ready for rain, snow or shine, -5 C to 35 C... even in the same tour.

Other. Details often make the difference. And since the weight is carried by the bike, it's tempting to add "just one more item".

i'm one that likes to be prepared for almost anything. riding away from
civilisation, i need to be self-sufficient. i also like to enjoy my time off
the bike, so all of this tends to increase the packed weight. so if my
baggage comes to 100 pounds, it's really no big deal. i get used to
hauling the weight, and i've found that no matter how much stuff
i'm carrying, i still cover 85-100 mpd regardless of terrain, with tours
lasting from 2 months to 2 years.

camping gear: 2person/3season tent. big enough to stretch out in,
for me and my gear for a couple days during the monsoons. couple
paperbacks, shortwave radio. cooking gear (whisperlite) and fuel.
enough food for 3-6 days, depending on the next grocery. sleeping
bag rated to 20 degrees. no camp stool (yet).

clothes: 2 sets of cycling duds, 3 pairs sox. set of polypro including
glove liners and balaclava - add a rainsuit, and you can stay warm
to 30 degrees. couple days a week, i like to hike the national parks,
add a set of lightweight hiking boots and hiking shorts, a boonie hat,
and a buttpack for water bottles. now add a light nylon button-up
shirt to look presentable in town. is there space still for sandals?

tools: lots. fix just about anything but a broken frame. hex keys,
crescent wrench, spoke wrench and spokes, tires and tubes, extra
derailler pulley, spare nuts and bolts, a couple chainring bolts,
freewheel tool. spare cables. super glue and duct tape. tube of
lithium grease, chain lube. i go over each component on the bike
before the tour, ask 'if this breaks, what do i need to fix?'

misc: you got your incidentals, maps, journal, camera and film,
batteries. sunscreen and first aid kit. cable lock. maybe a water filter.
thin rope for bear country. it all adds up, ounce by ounce. bug spray?
(some people carry cell phones and chargers, pda's, laptops, fishing
poles or guitars.)

water: one liter in town, five gallons across the desert.

is it all too much? maybe, but over the tours, i've used all this stuff.
how do i then throw it out as unnecessary? on longer tours, i'll
occasionally store the bike in a hostel, rent a backpack, and do a
week-long hike.

food/cookset go in the small front panniers. anything with food
smells that can be hung. heavy stuff in the trailer. no rear panniers
if i can help it. sleeping bag only on the rear rack.