My bicycle weighs a bit more than 40 pounds. I typically add to that, 80 pounds of gear - sometimes more (like prepping for a wide range of temperature) - sometimes less (overnight camping in the middle of the summer). As I'm sure you've seen, my load is on the heavy side. Learn what you can from others, but also find comfort in knowing that there's no "correct" answer about how to load your bicycle. In the end it is a set of very personal choices