Originally Posted by
CliffordK
But I wouldn't get too excited about super-light food either.
Nor would I, at least if by super-light you mean freeze dried meals; I don't even use those for backpacking. I too buy food daily or nearly daily on tour so I never carry much food weight on most trips.
Originally Posted by
CliffordK
If you are cycling with a group that you know, then plan on distributing some items among the group (any way to get group interchangeable parts?). So, everyone might carry a pump and tubes, but only carry a spare tire for the whole group, and oil, grease, cone wrenches, spoke wrenches, and etc could be carried by the group not the individual.
That depends... Unless I am travelling with family I much prefer to have the option to go it alone if group dynamics don't work out. So I seldom do gear sharing unless touring with my daughter. I see a problem or two with your list of potential shared items, at least for me.
Just me, but...
I never bother with a spare tire and wouldn't carry one even with a group. Worst case I'd hitch a ride to a bike shop. I figure that is very unlikely though since in literally hundreds of thousands of miles I have always been able to patch or boot tires well enough to have never been stranded.
I do carry chain oil and have shared that. I have never carried grease. In the unlikely event that I had to redo bearings, oil would get me to the next place that I could buy grease. On the spoke wrench and cone wrenches, sharing only works if you plan to always ride together. I never bother with carrying cone wrenches, but if I did I'd probably carry my own unless with family.
When with a group where we were committed to staying together we have shared a tent, cook gear, and stuff like suntan lotion and bug dope.