nun

I did a shake down on the Cervelo RS with my gear today and my impressions are good. Climbing was fun and the bike is very comfortable. I had to shift the saddle back more that I wanted so that I could fit my Bagman support on the rails so I'll change out the 3T seat post for another one I have. I also changed the rather low spoke count Shimano R-500 wheels the bike came with for some 32 spoke Mavic-Open Pros. I plan to do a 2 week tour on the Cervelo RS this summer.

Cyclebum

Nice set up for cc touring. The weight difference would really add up over multiple days/climbs.

10 Wheels

You will crack the frame above the bottom bracket.

Open Pro rims are too lite for touring.

nun

If the frame cracks I'll post a picture of that.

I've ridden many miles on the Open Pros and like them for light touring.

nun

Actually I'm "loaded" I have tent, sleeping bag, pad etc

10 Wheels

I hope they don't...Have fun on your tour and take many pics to share.

kayakdiver

I could see doing the same thing with my TCR SL if I was touring in warmer weather so I could limit my gear a little. Figure if I can ride it all day when not touring I should be able to do the same thing on a tour. I don't even know if i'd bother changing anything but the rear wheel(Open Pro should be more than fine) on my bike. The only problem i'd have to figure out is the seat post on the TCR is not round.

Looks like a fun set up. Enjoy.

Cheyou

Nice looking rig . They make a great bike .

Thom

hueyhoolihan

i can't see from the pic, how is that rear rack supported?

BTW, i like your "to hell with others may say. try it, then form opinion" attitude. shows objectivity and enterprise!

spinnaker

In my opinion a touring bicycle goes through too much torture to use carbon. My aluminum frame is full of scratches. Mainly from other people on planes, trains, buses etc. If you can avoid other people then it might be OK.

BigAura

It's hard to believe that any bike carrying less than 200 pounds total weight, on regular roads, for two weeks, would crack. Those rims will be fine too.

sstorkel

I thought about touring on my Cervelo RS. Decided it made a much too tempting target for any thieves I might encounter along the way. Bought a $100 Nashbar frame and don't really worry if the bike gets stolen. Or dropped. Or placed on the bottom of an Amtrak baggage cart with all the other checked luggage from the train stacked on top of it...

nun

Yes the picture isn't great because it has a lot of shadows. I'll post some more with better lighting. The saddlebag is supported by a Carradice Bagman that clamps to the seat rails. My tent then straps below the saddle and the handlebar bag just attaches with a couple of straps. The gear weighs 20lbs.

MassiveD

Carbon is a very tough material if it is built tough. The problem is only when it is built mostly for weight, as tends to be the case with bikes.

This is a video of an SUV being driven repeatedly over a bow riser. These are normally made of billet aluminum, quite beefy. Carbon is lighter, which allows a better moment of inertial, so they don't build them for tough only, weight savings are part of the deal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqfvItAT_7E

nubcake

x2

skilsaw

Only 20 lbs!!! You are a real minimalist.
I carry 20 lbs in tools, tubes and tire, plus rain gear, stove & fuel, pots and pans.

Then there is the tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag, clothing, food and up to 3 litres of water.

The water alone weighs 6.6 lbs.

MichaelW

Carbon fibre is strong rather than tough. You can build a touring bike strong enough to cope with the load. The issue is the resistance to the dings, knocks and scratches that touring bikes endure.

nun

Here is a clearer picture of the baggage arrangement

nun

I didn't include water in that 20lbs, I usually carry 2 liters. My tent, pad, sleeping bag and cooking equipment weigh 4lbs. The anachronism in my set up is the Carradice saddlebag. I could replace that with a nylon compression sack and save some weight, but the saddlebag works better than just a nylon bag. I like to save weight but not at the expense of reducing functionality. The choice to go to a Cervelo RS was about saving weight while sill having a bike that would be comfortable and could take a 28mm tyre at the back. Right now the gearing is not perfect, but I'll probably get a bigger rear cassette and a derailleur with a bit more capacity in a few months time.

Barrettscv 

You might consider wider rims than the Open Pro. Velocity A23 and HED C2 are 23mm wide and a good match for a 700x28 rear tire on a touring trip.

egear

Question, Have you flip tested it? That looks like alot of weight fairly high up. I remember pulling on the handalbars of an old tour bike to hop up a small curb and wham the thing flipped. No harm but lesson learned. No weight on the front and all the weight on the back. Nice setup if it works for you.

sstorkel

I'm not sure a 700x28 will fit on an RS. My 54cm RS won't take anything larger than a 700x25 in the front. There's a bit more space in the back, but the fit would be pretty tight for a 28mm. A larger frame might offer more tire clearance, though clearing the brake calipers will still be an issue.

hueyhoolihan

i've toured extensively in an arrangement that was similar and found that the weight cantelivered off the saddle/seatpost eventually (5-10000) miles bent the seatclamp. (it's also possible that something else, entirely, caused the problem, i will never really know)

i would be concerned, in this case, about the rails of the saddle eventually pulling the rivets through the leather. of course, you may have to ride 5/10000 miles first, or you could just add more weight and find out sooner.

nun

I took the the Open Pro rims off another bike as the Shimano 500 rims the bike came with have a low spoke count and don't inspire much confidence. As I'm not carrying 50lbs of gear I think the 32 spoke open pros are fine, but some HED C2 with 32 spokes coupled with some Ultegra hubs will be a nice reasonably priced combo for my lightweight touring.

nun

25mm is the max up front, but there's plenty of room for 28mm at the back. In the pictures I have 25mm ultragator skins on front and back