Originally Posted by TheSergeant

I haven't had a chance to read through the entire thread but I've read the first first pages. Good stuff. I'll browse through the rest when I have time.

I just got back from a 500 mile trip and thought I'd share my setup. Last year I did a similar trip on a 28lbs Salsa Fargo towing a Bob Trailer and about 35lbs of gear. I ended the trip with pretty serious knee problems (quadricep tendonitis) and was a bit surprised to see how much slower my avg. speed was while touring compared to unloaded riding. I wanted something faster and lighter for my next trip.

My new setup is a 16lbs BH RX1 with my first set of handbuilt wheels that weigh in under 1550 grams but were still strong enough to handle my weight (150lbs) plus my load. My softbag setup (full DIY except for the tail bag) weighs in under 2 lbs, not including my backpack (wingnut hyper 3) which i use to carry fluffy lightweight stuff (down jacket, rain jacket, ~20-30oz of water).

Needless to say the difference was DRAMATIC. BH+softbags=18lbs Fargo+trailer/drybag=43lbs. So not even accounting for gear weight I was already saving 25lbs. I made a number of changes to my kit and dropped another 15lbs+ there. I also left the clipless pedals/SIDIs at home and tried this ride on flat pedals (which I loved) and had NO knee problems or achilles issues all.