Suspension forks on Touring Bikes
02-03-23, 02:47 PM
#51
Banned
The Vietnamese handily defeated the U.S. military invaders and they relied heavily on bicyles carrying up to 500 lb loads on jungle trails. They had very simple bikes and wheels.
For a touring bike a 3 cross lacing of the wheels is very effective and avoids the weight gained with suspension forks. I used 4 cross wheels I laced myself and never had a spoke (and rim) failure with them. I also had a 25 lb load on my first trip from Oregon to Los Angeles and on succeeding trips my load was never more than 14 lbs and today with bike shoes that are good enough for walking my load is even lighter.
Unless one is traveling in remote areas in Latin America or Asia there is no real need for front panniers. There is an old adage that people tend to fill up their backpacks and best to use as small a one as possible. University friends in the 1970's started long trips through the Sierras and took 10 lb loads that was mostly food for a 2 week trip in the wilderness. With the lighter load they could wear walking shoes instead of heavy boots and make more miles each day. It was a very different approach that they took and then refined over a period of years. Much the same took place with mountain climbers where a few pioneers did accents solo and climbed 3 times as fast and made it to the summits much faster and were far less at risk of weather changes.
Rear panniers and a rack to attach a sleeping bag and ground cloth and a very small handlebar bag to hold snacks and a map are all that is needed outside of the winter months. When I see people with front panniers and multiple water bottles and tents and such I feel sorry for them.
For a touring bike a 3 cross lacing of the wheels is very effective and avoids the weight gained with suspension forks. I used 4 cross wheels I laced myself and never had a spoke (and rim) failure with them. I also had a 25 lb load on my first trip from Oregon to Los Angeles and on succeeding trips my load was never more than 14 lbs and today with bike shoes that are good enough for walking my load is even lighter.
Unless one is traveling in remote areas in Latin America or Asia there is no real need for front panniers. There is an old adage that people tend to fill up their backpacks and best to use as small a one as possible. University friends in the 1970's started long trips through the Sierras and took 10 lb loads that was mostly food for a 2 week trip in the wilderness. With the lighter load they could wear walking shoes instead of heavy boots and make more miles each day. It was a very different approach that they took and then refined over a period of years. Much the same took place with mountain climbers where a few pioneers did accents solo and climbed 3 times as fast and made it to the summits much faster and were far less at risk of weather changes.
Rear panniers and a rack to attach a sleeping bag and ground cloth and a very small handlebar bag to hold snacks and a map are all that is needed outside of the winter months. When I see people with front panniers and multiple water bottles and tents and such I feel sorry for them.
02-03-23, 03:08 PM
#52
Senior Member
The Vietnamese handily defeated the U.S. military invaders and they relied heavily on bicyles carrying up to 500 lb loads on jungle trails. They had very simple bikes and wheels.
For a touring bike a 3 cross lacing of the wheels is very effective and avoids the weight gained with suspension forks. I used 4 cross wheels I laced myself and never had a spoke (and rim) failure with them. I also had a 25 lb load on my first trip from Oregon to Los Angeles and on succeeding trips my load was never more than 14 lbs and today with bike shoes that are good enough for walking my load is even lighter.
Unless one is traveling in remote areas in Latin America or Asia there is no real need for front panniers. There is an old adage that people tend to fill up their backpacks and best to use as small a one as possible. University friends in the 1970's started long trips through the Sierras and took 10 lb loads that was mostly food for a 2 week trip in the wilderness. With the lighter load they could wear walking shoes instead of heavy boots and make more miles each day. It was a very different approach that they took and then refined over a period of years. Much the same took place with mountain climbers where a few pioneers did accents solo and climbed 3 times as fast and made it to the summits much faster and were far less at risk of weather changes.
Rear panniers and a rack to attach a sleeping bag and ground cloth and a very small handlebar bag to hold snacks and a map are all that is needed outside of the winter months. When I see people with front panniers and multiple water bottles and tents and such I feel sorry for them.
For a touring bike a 3 cross lacing of the wheels is very effective and avoids the weight gained with suspension forks. I used 4 cross wheels I laced myself and never had a spoke (and rim) failure with them. I also had a 25 lb load on my first trip from Oregon to Los Angeles and on succeeding trips my load was never more than 14 lbs and today with bike shoes that are good enough for walking my load is even lighter.
Unless one is traveling in remote areas in Latin America or Asia there is no real need for front panniers. There is an old adage that people tend to fill up their backpacks and best to use as small a one as possible. University friends in the 1970's started long trips through the Sierras and took 10 lb loads that was mostly food for a 2 week trip in the wilderness. With the lighter load they could wear walking shoes instead of heavy boots and make more miles each day. It was a very different approach that they took and then refined over a period of years. Much the same took place with mountain climbers where a few pioneers did accents solo and climbed 3 times as fast and made it to the summits much faster and were far less at risk of weather changes.
Rear panniers and a rack to attach a sleeping bag and ground cloth and a very small handlebar bag to hold snacks and a map are all that is needed outside of the winter months. When I see people with front panniers and multiple water bottles and tents and such I feel sorry for them.
2 weeks of food and clothes etc, only 10 pounds? Sure, guess one could do it, but then one can also go on a starvation march under gunpoint--you get my drift, all comes down to what one considers fun and comfort.
I get going light and all the advantages of it, and I guess I am glad that you feel sorry for us, but really, we are ok. Really.
Again, it often comes down to what stuff we own, ie not throwing money at all the lightest stuff (of which there are so many great light options nowadays), but also comes back to what one considers fun and comfort for given situations and not finding oneself without water, or cold, or wet and cold, or whatever.
And of course, there are four panniers, and there are FOUR BURSTING AT THE SEAMS WITH A LOT OF HEAVY CRAP IN THEM panniers, and often I find four panniers really handy to have spare room for groceries, ie not filling them up, and having a more balanced bike load.
but to each his own, you gotta ride your own ride with the amount of stuff that are comfortable with for a given situation.
02-03-23, 04:02 PM
#53
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
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Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
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... ... and on succeeding trips my load was never more than 14 lbs and today with bike shoes that are good enough for walking my load is even lighter.
...
Rear panniers and a rack to attach a sleeping bag and ground cloth and a very small handlebar bag to hold snacks and a map are all that is needed outside of the winter months. When I see people with front panniers and multiple water bottles and tents and such I feel sorry for them.
...
Rear panniers and a rack to attach a sleeping bag and ground cloth and a very small handlebar bag to hold snacks and a map are all that is needed outside of the winter months. When I see people with front panniers and multiple water bottles and tents and such I feel sorry for them.
Backpacking, I carry about two pounds of food per day packed weight. That is a minor calorie deficit, but not too bad. But that is with the weight on my feet.
Will carry heavier food on a bike tour where the weight is on wheels. Life is too short to eat unpalatable food for over a month.
I could have easily done a rack top bag without front panniers, but moving some of the weight from the rear to the front makes a bike handle better,
Since the photo was taken, I have cut new tent poles that are short enough to fit in the front pannier with the tent body, the green tent pole bag on the rear rack is no longer used.
