(Apologies if this belongs in the general section, but I figured things are a little more 'technical' in here.)
So while taking the ferry with my bike, I sometimes like to think about, or plan for, what I would do in an emergency situation. Naturally this led me to consider the fate of my bike/bikes as well. The ferry I take does not allow bikes in the passenger cabin area, so they are generally left out on the front deck, and I never put mine on the racks provided (they flop and bang around...)
This brings me to my question: should something bad happen, would my bikes be able to float if they were free from entanglement? I know that the tires and tubes probably provide some buoyancy, but would it be enough to compensate for the weight of the bikes?
To make it a little more complicated, here are three spec levels that pretty much cover the range:
- Aprox. 25 lb steel frame, plastic fenders, 700 x 35c tires
- Approx 21 lb steel frame, 700 x 25c tires
- Approx 18 lb aluminum (or carbon) frame, 700 x 25c tires
Thoughts?