Originally Posted by
scale
any tricks here? I built up my first touring rig with front and rear racks. I went out with about 20lbs of crap strapped to the back rack to see how things would go. Ive built up an old mtb for the job...full fenders and all. I love it. I have a triple on the front and a 12/32 rear right now.
I typically ride my road bike ss or my geared road bike and i am out of the saddle a lot on climbs and to give my ass a rest. I throw the bike around quite a bit and that is what am used to. I found that you cant do that on bike bike with weight on it
or it throws you around. Perhaps the trick is to build some upperbody and core muscle to help. Any tricks here? I have to imagine ppl still get out of the saddle for a change if nothing else....while climbing while in the hard stuff.
Perhaps it is just a matter of getting used to it.
Wait a minute...I have to get on the fire suit.
Go with an aluminum bike. One of the things I found when I got my Cannondale in 2003 was that I
could ride out of the saddle with a touring load. It was about the first thing I noticed. I could never climb on my old steel touring bike that way. The frame would wiggle around and wander all over the road. If I
did manage to stand and pedal, I had to do it by pedaling straight up and down without throwing the bike from side to side like you would an unloaded bike. I detail my first impressions with the Cannondale under load in Solo Without Pie: First Ride, in my sig line. I'm still very glad I went to an aluminum touring bike instead of sticking with a steel one.