I have a Specialized AWOL I've been commuting on for a few years, and I'd like to start doing some light bike touring with it, too. Relative to other bikes, however, my AWOL takes a good amount of effort to push along—much more than my road bike, which is to be expected, but also more than other, lighter touring bikes I've tried. This never bothered me on my daily commute (yay, better workout!), but I suspect it would annoy me on longer, multi-day rides.
So I'm wondering what, if anything, I can do to make this bike roll easier. I've checked the obvious stuff: the brake pads aren't rubbing against the discs, the tires aren't rubbing against the fenders, and the drivetrain and bearings all seem to be in good shape.
Some possible factors do come to mind, but I don't have a good intuition about their probable impact:
- The tires are stiff, heavy, Kevlar-lined 700x45c Specialized Boroughs. They're also more knobby than I need, but only along the sides and not where the tires actually contact the road.
- The wide front rack, which I don't use all that often, probably adds some wind resistance. (Though I don't know how much, relative to the human aerodynamic disaster on the saddle.)
- It has a Shimano DH-3N72 dynamo hub, and Shimano dynamos may not have the lowest rolling resistance: https://www.cyclingabout.com/dynamo-...g-lab-testing/
- The fenders and mud flaps presumably add some weight and a minor amount of wind resistance (but I really want to keep those...).
- The bike is heavy, overall, as equipped: it has a steel frame and weighs something like 37 lbs / 17 kg with my usual gear attached.
Which of these factors is likely to have the biggest impact on this bike's "speed"? I'm especially eager to try any tire upgrades that are likely to help, since I'm just about due for a new pair of tires anyway. Or am I just out of luck, short of getting a bike with a lighter frame?
Thanks for any recommendations. Photo of the bike in question:
