Jim Kukula

Yeah, I am always amazed by how light people manage to travel! I think that traveling so light requires rather consistent discipline - removing what you don't need, and choosing lightweight items for what you do need. To get as heavy as I travel seems to need just the opposite: bring all kinds of extra stuff and might as well get stuff that is super sturdy too or just plain heavy!

Truth is, when I go digging around in my saddlebag, I am often surprised by all the stuff!

The Kryptonite NY STD lock is 4.3 pounds!
It's a Carradice SuperC saddlebag with the SQR mount: that about 3 pounds.
A biking multitool, a Leatherman, and then a bag of tools that includes a set of allen wrenches, a screw driver, an 8 mm wrench, tire patch kit, & probably other stuff.
pump
spare tire and small bottle of lube.
County maps for probably 5 counties.
Windblock fleece vest, nylon vest, nylon over-pants.
medical kit with who knows what, some big thing from CVS
seat cover and helmet cover.

In the handlebar bag I have some reading glasses, a head lamp, a balaklava and a head band and probably a neoprene face mask, i.e. whatever I am not wearing. The face mask is nice for going down big hills when it is below freezing! There are some snacks in there too.

I figure it will help me develop some power, climbing hills with all that! Fortunately I have a bottom gear around 18 inches! I use it a lot!

staehpj1

Thanks for the reply. Being at the other end of the spectrum with regard to packing styles I had a hard time imagining what it would take to add up to that much. As you suggest, packing style is a mindset and some of us are more inclined to be minimalists taking only what is absolutely necessary while others take every thing they think they might possibly want. The difference in the results between the two approaches can differ to a huge degree. As long as the rider is happy with their choices I guess either approach is fine.

rekmeyata

I do weekend tours only at this point, but these tours are actually teaching me how to pack lighter, I started out with around 45 pounds of gear last (11) year that's now down to 35 for the 12 season. I dropped about 3 pounds just getting rid of my sleeping bag and going with a Sol Thermal bag that weighs just a few ounces and it's cheap. And I got a smaller tent but made for 4 instead of 3 so the weight difference from the old to the new is about the same, but the old tent was quite a few years old and had seen better days. Lighter stove, lighter pad...basically some stuff I got I gleaned off of Adventure Cycling web site; see: https://adventurecycling.org/features/bikepacking.cfm

rodar y rodar

I love my weekends! Actually I plan to keep taking weekend trips as long as my body allows and might never go out for longer than a week.

Good point about short trips helping to sort things out, though. Every time you come back home you get another chance to make changes to your setup, so the more often you go out the faster your methods evolve. I think so, anyway
45# to 35# over the course of a year is a pretty good drop.

rekmeyata

I'm hoping when I retire to take a bike round trip across the USA, so hopefully has technology improves for camping I can par that down, but a trip that long would mean I would have to carry more, so I'm hoping I can carry just 45 to no more then 55 pounds. I'll see, but in the mean time I can evolve my camping gear more. I have seen a bit of a increase by various camping places to try to par down size and weight of things like tents, sleeping bags, and pads; this may be due to baby boomers retiring and wanting to go on an adventure.

Just kind of wish America would come out with a Federal fishing license, I think it's crazy that someone who wants to travel across the USA by any method has to get a fishing license in whatever state their in that they might want to do a little fishing.

staehpj1

I have not found that I need to carry more for a longer trip, like a coast to coast one. The load will vary to some extent with the climate, but really not very much.

It might be inconvenient, but it makes sense. The states typically are the jurisdiction that manages the resources, including stocking programs and enforcement. One thing that does help is that many states offer license purchase online so it can be done from your smart phone right at stream side assuming a cell signal. I don't know how common it is, but some states will also sell a license over a voice call, you don't get an actual card, but get a number to give the game warden if asked to. Also, while non-resident licenses can be pretty expensive, most states do offer short term licenses so if you want to fish for a day or a few days the cost isn't as bad.

rekmeyata

That's my point, the cost to fish in about 14 states I could be riding through would be expensive, and a nuisance as you pointed out of having to get online and order the licenses. And some states you can only get a day license and others up to 10 days and nothing longer unless you pay for the whole year. But to buy a non-resident license in 14 states could cost roughly $280. The same problem exist for people who travel by RV all over the US, they have to pay for every state they pop into if they want to fish there.

I think there should be a federal fishing and hunting license just as I think there should be a federal drivers license, but at least with a state drivers license I can drive through any state and not get ticket for not having a license for whatever particular state I happen to be driving through...and that's what they should do with fishing licenses, either make it federal or allow one state license to fish in any state.

By the way, in regards to touring across the USA and weight being carried, don't you take a bit more water and food with you then you would on a weekend trip? On my weekend trips there's always a source for water but while riding across the desert or some other area where water could be a bit difficult to find for a couple of days, don't you pack more water and food? Or has finding water & food been a non issue?

rodar y rodar

Where are you, Rekmeyata?

I can see how non-comsumeables wouldn`t be much different for along trip or a short one, but that buying food on the road thig gets me, too. For up to three days I bring most of it with me from the start. I buy stuff that doesn`t include its own water, repackage it at home, and it`s pretty light/compact. I read countless suggestions for shopping on the road, and they do make sense to me, but I still don`t trust I`ll be able to find "suitable" goods along the way. I rarely go through towns with supermarkets (which would make it a little easier) and the stuff I find in highway gas stations or lakeside bait shops just doesn`t often lend itself well to a single eater with limited hauling capacity and limited kitchen. Snacks are easy, but meals get tough. Maybe easier if I carried a stove better for actual cooking rather than just my water boiling system. That`s a skill I`ll definitely have to learn if I ever "go long".

Speaking strictly from my own stomping grounds (NV, northern CA, and a little bit into southern OR), water is definitely something to think about, but rarely need to carry more than a half day`s worth if you stick to paved routes. Just look at what`s ahead of you and plan accordingly. Keep in mind that not all locations marked on maps are actually populated or have services, so good idea to ask regionally if Thatplaceville is really still an active town. Generally speaking, in the mountains you can find creeks or rivers year round, not so much in Geat Basin valleys or in the CA lowlands. On a trip where I know I`ll have to carry a lot, I bring plenty of bottles or bladder capacity from the start. I`ve changed plans mid trip and decided to go through drier country than I had in mind and have always been able to scrounge a few extra bottles from a garbage can. Top loading panniers are great for stuffing in a little bit extra cargo like that.

staehpj1

I actually have never done weekend tours. The two shortest ones I have done were each 9 days.

That said I figure that location has far more to do with how much is carried than trip length. I have never needed to carry more than two days of food and have never carried more than 24 hours worth of water. On the Trans America I was always able to get water in the morning and again in the evening even in the driest sections. On the Southern Tier there were a couple days where I got water in the morning and again the next morning, but I could gave ridden a bit farther and stayed in town if I wanted to. I elected to sleep in a roadside picnic area and stop in town in the morning though. Generally I carry a gallon in the desert.

As far as gear and clothing I carry the same regardless of trip length.

KirkBeiser

Luckily I wrote everything down in my blog 2 years ago from my 9 day trip. My ordinary mt bike that still had knobby tires weighed 37 lbs. I had very little gear since it was absolutely ideal riding weather (80/60F with no rain). All camping gear/food/water including a 4.5 lb tent was 25 lbs. It was one of those 'just go' trips with zero planning because time was available. I am an experienced lightweight backpacker since I've hiked most of the PCT with 10-12 lbs of gear.

Travel plans are being hatched. The bike will be about 10 lbs lighter and the gear will be about 10 lbs heavier due to electronics and cooler temps. And the trip will be much longer.

mdilthey

40lbs, loaded for a 30-day tour. 4lbs of camera gear worn on my body.

LucF

Like nun, I use a Cervélo R3 to tour.

The bike weighs 24 lbs with fenders, aerobars, Thudbuster, Brooks, SP dynamo hub and lights, Vaude seat bag, frame bag and vibration alarm, no water.

I use it to pull a Nomad trailer that weighs 15 lbs + 55 lbs of touring gear and typical food supply + 15 pounds of camera gear when I shoot.

Singlespeed92

Just under 50lbs empty

bradtx

WE HAVE A WINNER!

nun

I use a Cervelo RS. The bike weighs 19lbs and the gear is 18lbs.

Singlespeed92

Thankee kindly

bradtx

For grins I compared my regular touring bike to my recently completed back-up touring bike. The regular T bike also has a new set of tires and I was curious about the difference, if any.

With the items that are always attached (rear rack, pedals and bottle cages) minus the tire pump the regular T bike weighed 26.75 lb. and the back-up T bike weighed 26.5 lb. The tire change to a 32 mm from a 35 mm set of tires dropped weight about 75 grams on my regular T bike.

Brad

Leebo

It weighs one bike. Never thought to weigh it until the end of the last tour. It's and xl Burley runabout, steel, 26" disc wheels with a 3x9 drivetrain. 85 lbs at the end of tour but was fully loaded with food and water and stuff.

martianone

My bikes ask me the same question.
i use their answer, we are all part of the issue.

LuckySailor

My new Trek 520 with Tubus rear rack, Brooks B-17, SON28 Dyno, headlight, taillight, 2 bottle cages, double kickstand 35.4 pounds! eeeek!

I had in my mind when I started this bike building project, that the bike would be around 25 pounds- now I gotta loose 10 pounds!

hueyhoolihan

the trouble starts when two riders as described above encounter, at the end of a long day, a 1000 foot climb between the campsite on the far side with hot showers, running water and nearby restaurant and the near side primitive campsite with no food, no running water and pit toilets...

egear

I can honestly say I have no idea how much the Cassenroll weighs. Nitto Campree rack in the rear and a Jannd front rack. I really don't want to know. I do know that I can pack for a 3-4 day trip with camp gear and food for under 25 lbs. This includes the water filter. I gather everything together and then sift through it and dump what i can do without. Having done extensive climbing and backpacking over the years helps you realize what you can do without. Like a camera I just use my trusty phone.
I know the Fargo weighs at least 5 lbs more then then the roll. Its a real truck and can haul a ridiculous load of stuff and still keep its composure. Wallmart sells a luggage scale ah. I'll need to grab one and find out what I am dealing with. No matter as I out weigh both of them combined so I see the weight thing as my issue not the bikes.

RhinoDave

This one weighs 30 lbs.

This one weighs 30.5 lbs. unloaded.


Loaded weights are anywhere between 70 & 80 lbs depending on the amount of food and water and the time of year.

mdilthey

40lbs with everything in 2012. Probably a bit more now.

Edit: someone ressurected the thread! Dang! I commented twice!

seeker333

I built a Surly Disc Trucker in 2013. With rear rack, cages, metal fenders, pedals, computer, taillight and 700x34 tires it weighs 29.5lbs.

Adding a front rack to make it tour-ready would increase weight to 30.5-31 lbs.

The disc brakes, larger tires and rims mostly account for the extra 1.5 lbs weight increase above the LHT referenced in my earlier post.