Originally Posted by
Atlas Shrugged
I presently run a 2x 46-30 and an 11-42 (11-speed) and find the gearing appropriate, and although not approved by Shimano, it is a totally stock GRX system. Shifts well and functions well at both extremes. I agree that it would be nice to have factory-approved wide-range gearing available. However, since I am using lighter, modern gear, the extreme low gearing has not been necessary for me as it was in the past (I am older and less fit now).
Personally I feel anything higher than 18 gear inches will get a bit iffy when riding 10%+ grades. Most people would agree
Most people would not agree with your view that past triples were ideal.
Got any data for that claim?
The huge panniers of the past, no longer necessary, are not a YouTube thing but rather the result of improvements across all aspects of touring gear. Travel clothing has improved substantially, becoming lighter and more compact. I would never pack a pair of cotton chinos anymore; instead, I would pack lightweight alternatives. I can easily get by for months with smaller, streamlined panniers. All my bags are easily removable, unlike the typical frame bags and seat packs used by adventure racers and backcountry riders.
Firstly: Do you dislike comfort?
Synthetic fibers are great for some things but I would never consider wearing just synthetics for lounging about in hot weather (most touring happens in the summer). I suppose you could pack linen chinos as well, since those are lighter and work better in heat. I'd consider it a bare minimum to have some sort of natural fiber outfit on tour since constantly wearing nylon, polyester or other synthetics gets nasty after a while.
Also synthetic fibers haven't really advanced that much in the recent decades. We have some new cool stuff like membrane fiber laminates (eg. cuben fiber) but those are prohibitively expensive still and only offer a fairly modes decrease in weight. And laminates often have their own issues. Travel clothing hasn't really gotten any lighter over the last two decades, but prices have come down for certain items. Nylon is still nylon and polyester is still polyester.
Do you have any examples of what clothing items have gotten significantly lighter?
If the bike and system are lighter and more streamlined, everything becomes easier and more enjoyable for most. I agree pace is determined by the rider; however the heavier the setup, the more problematic everything becomes.
Care to elaborate how everything becomes more problematic with more weight? With realistic weights? Lets assume you have a pack weight of 10kg for one rider and 20kg for another. How is the heavier weight significantly more problematic and in what situations does this occur?
[QUOTE]Modern gear is more than durable enough for me and other lightweight activities that use the same gear, notably lightweight backpackers. As they say, light, durable, and cheap, pick two, but you can't have all three. Other items, such as replacing maps with digital sources, are huge weight and space savers. Cooking & Sleep systems are very lightweight and compact. But yes, this comes at a cost.
I think you're mistaking gear (that has been available for decades now) for experience. It's well known that more experienced backpackers and tourists do shed gear weight as they gain experience on what they need/want for their trips. But that's not always the case. For example Using a super lightweight cooking stove sans windscreen or with a lightweight windscreen would be a waste of time and fuel in certain places. On the other hand the most reliable cooking solution (trangia) works everywhere in all conditions but you pay for that reliability with weight. Experience will tell you which system to choose. If you always choose the light one regardless of conditions, well...
GPS systems have existed for decades now. Paper maps have been largely obsolete (not to mention difficult to find) as long as I have been touring.
Sleeping systems have only really advanced in terms of pads, but the lightweight ones are very fragile. There's not getting around the fact that lower denier nylons won't stand up to as much as higher denier nylons. Insulation hasn't advanced at all in the last 20 years, since down is still the best around. You won't get anything lighter with a better insulation value.
Some more experienced tourists also actually increase their gear weight when they realize that roughing it actually kinda sucks. I wouldn't be caught dead touring without a decent chair for example (helinox chair one). And some newbies go out with wildly insufficient gear thinking they can manage with near nothing. I've helped a few stranded tourists with mechanicals when they lacked something as simple as a tube, when a patch kit unsurprisingly didn't work in heavy rain.
Fortunately, bicycle touring has become an activity of more mature and established individuals, the most affluent demographic.
How exactly is this a good thing?
Regardless, traditional touring with bikes fully loaded with huge panniers, duffel bags, and bar bags is becoming increasingly rare, replaced by individuals using much more efficient systems.
Again I'm curious where you draw your information from. I live right alongside the most popular touring route in my country (the route goes literally past my house) and I haven't seen such change. Panniers still make up for the vast majority of luggage options. But perhaps it's again US vs EU kind of thing.