Riding with a very heavy backpack
 

I need to take some tools in to work tomorrow. This evening I put them all in a backpack, and was surprised at how much it weighed - 80 pounds on my kitchen scale! Now I'm debating whether I should ride tomorrow at all.

The tools are in a frame pack, strapped down with compression straps, so the load shifting won't be an issue, and 80 pounds is a smaller fraction of my body weight (I'm 6'5", 245 lbs.). It's still a lot of weight. Should I expect any odd handling or problems? I'm planning on taking my hardtail mountain bike, and its disc brakes should mitigate any stopping distance problems. What about handling, though? Have any of you ever carried that much weight?

My ride is 8 miles each way, somewhat downhill at the start (I drop perhaps 300 feet in the first mile and a half), then flat except for a short but steep climb onto the UNM campus. Five miles or so are on MUP or on campus, so only 3 miles or thereabouts shared with cars.

Am I crazy? Am I letting my love of riding cloud my judgement? Should I punt and drive my car tomorrow, and try to sneak in a weekend ride to make up for the loss of a day of commuting?

What you should expect is a sore butt. All that extra weight will be noticeable at the bike seat. Trust me.

Funny story.

One winter, for training. I tried a Bob Roll training session. I put 50lbs worth of barbell weights in a back pack and rode 30 mins to the base of a mountain and hiked up, came down and rode home.

I was badly bruised down there.....took weeks to heal.

The end.

I get sore with 20-30 pounds on my bike over a 3 mile ride.

I wouldn't do it if I were you.

Tough. I've carried 40 pounds or so on several occasions. My problem was pain from the bag, not bike handling issues. Using a messenger style bag it's just too much weight.

A backpack with good straps would be better supported and hurt less I imagine. Just try to stay low and support the weight with your back as much as possible instead of the straps.

Are you a masochist? lol If it were me, I'd drive instead of biking. They're calling for a high of 92° tomorrow. I don't think the Earth will shake rattle and roll if you take the car just this once:)

I wouldn't do it on anything like a regular basis, that's for sure. It's doable, but be aware of how the extra weight may affect your riding...not just comfort issues. And since you mention your miles on the MUP vs. miles on the road...don't assume that you're "safe" on the MUP. With a load like that, ride with extra caution no matter where you are.

Do not do it!!!

The ride won't be pleasant, but you'll be OK if the pack is decent. I've carried around 50 pounds in backpacks on bikes and not had any problems. Groceries add up to a lot of weight. Keep in mind that the twisting you need to do to see traffic is going to be slower and more difficult, so move slowly and anticipate what you'll need to do.

Hey that dude on your avatar pic seems to be able to carry a large load. Are you inspired by him?
Seriously, there's a time and place for everything. Same with using the right tool. For this case, bicycle is not a good idea. I'd drive in instead.

did he make it?

Just do what I do, rope + skateboard:D

Taking loads by bike is one of the many reasons I got an Xtracycle. If you have to do this often, consider one. :)

+1

I have no problems with carrying heavy loads from time to time, usually less than 60 lbs. As Lord Chaos stated, move slowly since the added weight can easily throw you off balance.

If this is a one time thing, then it should be okay of you take it easy.

If it becomes a regular thing, consider getting a trailer.

The lower you can put the weight the better. Ideally in a trailer :)

80lbs... that says trailer with two wheels or drive. Might even collapse your rims if it were on your back depending on how they were built.

So did you do it and how'd it go?

Indeed. I've hijacked my kid's chariot for such cargo-related purposes. Makes for relatively easy cruisin'.

Finally, a post-ride report!

It went fine - no major problems. It was a bit of a challenge at intersections, since the extra weight at torso level threw off my balance when I was standing and mounting the bike (although not once I got on the bike). I loaded it into a frame pack and tightened down the compression straps on the sides of the pack, so the load shifting was minimal, which helped. Most of the weight was supported directly on my back or on the hip belt of the pack. The only real discomfort was that my lower back hurt the entire time I was riding - I think the case for the hydraulic ram kit was digging into my hips and spine a bit. As soon as I took off the pack, it quit hurting, and it was never particularly bad, just a dull ache.

I thought seriously about putting it the Trek (Chariot) trailer that I haul my kids in - it routinely handles more weight than that, and other than the extra effort I hardly know it's there. I opted not to partly because I don't want to risk damaging the trailer, as I really depend on it at times, partly because there's not really room to park it at work (too many people in the office bike to work - what a wonderful problem to have!), partly because I'm stubborn, and partly because maybe I do have a bit of a masochistic streak in me. :-)

I was surprised at how much extra work it was to ride; I routinely pull one kid on a Trail-A-Bike and a second in the trailer, which adds perhaps 130 lbs., and it's easier to ride with that setup. Maybe my son pedaling on the Trail-A-Bike helps more than I'd though, or maybe it's more efficient for my muscles since I'm not also working to support a lot of weight on my back. My upper legs got a little sore, which never happens in any of my regular rides, so I'm thinking I was using some different muscles.

The ride home was uneventful, if a bit slow. I wasn't particularly sore, but I also wasn't motivated to hammer into the headwind.

Indeed. To me, the difference between the road the the MUP isn't that one is safer or more dangerous, but rather that each has its own set of hazards that have to be taken into account to ride safely. The local MUPs tend not to have huge amounts of traffic, and the majority is bicycles, so pedestrian problems are minimized, although a sharp eye for dogs on 30-foot leashes is always a good idea. Most of the problem cyclists are the slow wobblers, and it's easier to take ownership of the situation and make sure that I can pass them in a safe manner when I'm the overtaking vehicle.

I was glad not to be on the road for a lot of the time - I couldn't see anything behind me with the pack. My riding partner was quite good about calling out things behind me, though, so I was never surprised by anybody overtaking us. Given the choice, though, I'd rather hear him say, "Bike back!" than "Car back!"