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Half your body weight

Old 11-05-06, 05:51 AM
  #26  
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HEY! WAKE UP! Snap out of it! this is the touring forum! weighing everything? spread sheets? percentages? wattage? come on, leave all that stuff to the anal retentive tech weanies in the track and triathlon forums. those guys are so constipated they've got to work out each bowel movement with a #2 pencil. (ha ha, get the pun?)

mark my words; startout with this kind of talk and before you know it you'll be bringing along a scale to weight the results of your bm's, entering the data into your cycling computer and uploading it into your p.c. for more spreadsheet analysis.

throw some stuff into your panniers & go out and have a nice ride, for cryin' out loud. relax!


(hey, by the way, nice pic there, soonerlater. keep it up)
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Old 11-05-06, 09:40 AM
  #27  
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"bringing along a scale to weight the results of your bm's"

HAHA!!! This brings back memories.
Last summer camping on the Natchez Trace met a gut that was planning an Atlantic crossing in his 27' sailboat. Was living in a small travel trailer that he had calculated had the same interior room as the boat.
He was on a very strict diet, practicing for this sea-going adventure.
He was measuring and weighing EVERYTHING. Including that which I quote above.
Interesting guy....
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Old 11-05-06, 01:54 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by philso
HEY! WAKE UP! Snap out of it! this is the touring forum! weighing everything?

If you've ever had to fly anywhere for a tour, you've got to know how much your stuff weighs!! Some airlines have weight restrictions, but even for those that don't, carrying it all around the airport is a huge pain!

When I flew back from a trip to Europe in 2003, I had about 90 lbs of stuff with me. I landed in Toronto which was the connector airport to my home city, and had to go through customs. I headed over to get a cart, only to discover that they required a particular Canadian coin which I did not have in my collection. So I had to carry all 90 lbs of stuff through the whole customs area. For a girl my size, that was quite a task!!

I've been in other situations in train stations and bus stations where all the carts had been stolen and not replaced, and I had to drag/haul everything from one end of the station to the other.

These experiences are all a part of touring, and believe me, when you are in those situations weight matters VERY much!!


And then when I get to the riding part of the tour, I'd like to enjoy the ride, but if I have too much stuff on the bicycle, and have to push it up every little hill, and it takes me literally all day to cover a relatively short distance ... I cease to enjoy myself. However, if I have a comfortable weight on the bicycle, I can ride the distance and enjoy it!
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Old 11-05-06, 07:34 PM
  #29  
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I was just leafing thru Bicycle Magazines book on Touring, and their basic recommendation was that you should be able to pick up the bicycle with everything loaded on it and be able to carry it for 100 yards without putting it down or dropping it. If you can't, according to them, it's too heavy.

Steve W.
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Old 11-05-06, 08:36 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Mentor58
I was just leafing thru Bicycle Magazines book on Touring, and their basic recommendation was that you should be able to pick up the bicycle with everything loaded on it and be able to carry it for 100 yards without putting it down or dropping it. If you can't, according to them, it's too heavy.

Steve W.
Is that without strapping it to your back? If you have to carry it one handed, that could be a problem if you have fairly weak wrists. Not easy to throw your bicycle over two shoulders, but if I had a convenient way of carrying it, I could march a pretty heavy load 100 yards. One handed im in trouble do to balancing so much weight on one side could cause muscle strain and such.
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Old 11-05-06, 08:41 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by Mentor58
I was just leafing thru Bicycle Magazines book on Touring, and their basic recommendation was that you should be able to pick up the bicycle with everything loaded on it and be able to carry it for 100 yards without putting it down or dropping it. If you can't, according to them, it's too heavy.

Steve W.

I would also suggest that a person should be able to carry their loaded bicycles up a flight of stairs too. I was faced with doing that on a few occasions while traveling in Europe.




And no, Adiankur, they aren't suggesting that you carry the bicycle one handed. You can use both hands ... like if you were going to lift it over a log on the road, or onto a train.
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Old 11-08-06, 05:09 PM
  #32  
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Matchka,
I read this thread a week ago and it has been in my mind ever since. Now that I have a heavy touring bike I must spend even more effort weeding out unnecessary stuff.
Thanks for the thought.
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Old 11-08-06, 05:17 PM
  #33  
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^^^ That's what I thought at first, but then I realized that I was going about it all wrong. I'm going to be training with a double cheese large pizza each night, toppped off with a quart of ben and jerry's finest for desert. Come touring season I shouldn't have any weight limitations about how much gear I can carry and still meet the standard of 1/2 body weight, and it will be so much nicer in the camp when I get my 48 plasma TV from the back rack. Heck, I might even be able to bring 2 tv's with me.


Steve
Who thinks that there may be SOMETHING wrong with his plan, but can't put a finger on it yet
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Old 11-08-06, 05:35 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Machka
I would also suggest that a person should be able to carry their loaded bicycles up a flight of stairs too. I was faced with doing that on a few occasions while traveling in Europe.
That is a really, really good measure. I've had to do that several times too.

Also you mentioned about carrying the 90lbs of stuff in the airport. It isn't so much the weight as the awkwardness for me.

Two panniers, the main tent bag, small backpack, the tent poles, wait, where's the belt pouch gone? Oh I'm wearing it! What about the bar bag?!
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Old 11-08-06, 05:48 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by Alrocket
That is a really, really good measure. I've had to do that several times too.

Also you mentioned about carrying the 90lbs of stuff in the airport. It isn't so much the weight as the awkwardness for me.

Two panniers, the main tent bag, small backpack, the tent poles, wait, where's the belt pouch gone? Oh I'm wearing it! What about the bar bag?!
Hey, where's the BIKE!!!!!**********

I've just posted on my website my packing lists for my two North American trips in 2005 and 2006, complete with weights of each item (using kitchen scales, and the bathroom scales for the bike). Bear in mind, these two trips involved touring, two ultra-distance events, and extended periods without a home base -- that is, my bike carried my home.

In 2005, I departed with 44.93kg and this year with 48.72kg, including the bicycle and *bike box*. My weight was between 82kg and 88kg... so the half-bodyweight scenario wasn't too far off the mark.

I am still working on retrieving the 2003 packing list for Northern Europe and PBP, but if I remember rightly, that was under 40kg with bike box.
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Old 11-08-06, 06:13 PM
  #36  
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Hey, where's the BIKE!!!!!**********
Oh that? The Ryanair baggage handlers are outside kicking the spokes in, it'll be in at Belt No. 8 momentarily.

Did you see the new OED entry? "/severely high stress/ n; ex. modern air travel with unboxed bicycle"

I'm going to try the ferry thing this year.
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Old 06-28-15, 10:56 PM
  #37  
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I'm heading off on another month-long tour through NY state and New England, (Buffalo to Saratoga Springs, down the Hudson, up the N.England Coast to R.I and Boston. Bush camping, but not cooking, and I've got my complete rig down to 42 lbs. Bike with racks weighs 22lbs, Panniers with gear weighs 18 - 20lbs. Last year I did a similar trip and I was at just under 50 lbs. This equals just over 1/4th of my body weight of 162lbs. 204 lbs of rolling lightening, hold the thunder.

Last edited by neubilder; 06-28-15 at 10:59 PM.
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Old 06-28-15, 11:19 PM
  #38  
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We used to credit card tour on our tandem. We had pared our stuff down to a total of 22 pounds between the 2-of-us.
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Old 06-28-15, 11:55 PM
  #39  
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Thank you for a nice rule of thumb
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Old 06-29-15, 04:54 AM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by philso
HEY! WAKE UP! Snap out of it! this is the touring forum! weighing everything? spread sheets? percentages? wattage? come on, leave all that stuff to the anal retentive tech weanies in the track and triathlon forums.
Actually when I was racing I never weighed anything. For touring I find it much more important. If you are going to be flying with your gear you need to know it makes weight limits, which might actually be a problem for heavier packers. If you are doing high daily mileage and/or frequently going over mountain passes having a light load is a pretty nice thing.

I have toured with weights ranging from 50 pounds plus a 30 pound bike to 14 pounds with a 24 pound bike. I went coast to coast with both setups and both trips were great, but I found the lighter setup much more pleasant to live with. I would not have gotten to anywhere near that low weight without a spreadsheet, culling the list over and over, and weighing everything.
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Old 06-29-15, 06:02 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by neubilder
I'm heading off on another month-long tour through NY state and New England, (Buffalo to Saratoga Springs, down the Hudson, up the N.England Coast to R.I and Boston. Bush camping, but not cooking, and I've got my complete rig down to 42 lbs. Bike with racks weighs 22lbs, Panniers with gear weighs 18 - 20lbs. Last year I did a similar trip and I was at just under 50 lbs. This equals just over 1/4th of my body weight of 162lbs. 204 lbs of rolling lightening, hold the thunder.
Am I dreaming, or did you just resurrect a thread that hadn't been posted to in NINE YEARS? Wow.
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Old 06-29-15, 07:03 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by stevage
Am I dreaming, or did you just resurrect a thread that hadn't been posted to in NINE YEARS? Wow.
Yup, that is exactly what I was thinking.

Originally Posted by staehpj1
Actually when I was racing I never weighed anything. ...
I did not know you raced. Maybe that is why a lighter feeling bike is important to you.

For several years when I was a kid I had a single speed bike that I used for delivering newspapers. I think my touring load is probably as heavy as my bike weighed with a load of newspapers.
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Old 06-29-15, 08:17 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN
I did not know you raced. Maybe that is why a lighter feeling bike is important to you.

For several years when I was a kid I had a single speed bike that I used for delivering newspapers. I think my touring load is probably as heavy as my bike weighed with a load of newspapers.
Me too (except for the part about your touring load). I had a paper route from age 12 until I graduated high school (1963-1969). I had one of those 1930's or 40's vintage delivery bikes with a little 20" front wheel to make room for a big wooden box in the front. It must have weighed about 100 pounds. To make it a bit harder my paper route was spread out and very hilly. I think maybe dealing with that behemoth followed closely by my first (relatively) light weight bike influenced my riding preferences.

BTW, I wasn't a very good racer, most often middle of the pack or slightly better in long MTB races and I was probably a bit worse on the road in citizen races and cat 4 stuff. Later I did manage to place as high as second in the senior class in MTB races a few times when the course suited me (the longer and harder the better), but never had a 1st even in those.
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Old 06-29-15, 09:22 AM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by stevage
Am I dreaming, or did you just resurrect a thread that hadn't been posted to in NINE YEARS? Wow.
Yep, and it seems to have fired up again like a charm too!

Originally Posted by philso
HEY! WAKE UP! Snap out of it! this is the touring forum! weighing everything? spread sheets? percentages? wattage? come on, leave all that stuff to the anal retentive tech weanies in the track and triathlon forums. those guys are so constipated they've got to work out each bowel movement with a #2 pencil. (ha ha, get the pun?)

mark my words; startout with this kind of talk and before you know it you'll be bringing along a scale to weight the results of your bm's, entering the data into your cycling computer and uploading it into your p.c. for more spreadsheet analysis.

throw some stuff into your panniers & go out and have a nice ride, for cryin' out loud. relax!


(hey, by the way, nice pic there, soonerlater. keep it up)
The thing is, it's only when you're carrying *too much weight* that you find yourself having to think about it. When you're packed nice and light you can focus on the scenery, and how swiftly you glide through the landscape!
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Old 06-29-15, 09:37 AM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by SoonerLater
Hmmm... half the bodyweight, eh? How about 3/4?

I weigh 240 lbs. and this is my preferred way to travel:

22 bike
30 Trek Mt. Train single-wheeled pedal trailer for son
55 six year old son
30 Bell two-wheeled trailer for daughter
44 five year old daughter
5 picnic supplies, toys and water.

186 lbs. or 77.5% of my body weight. 89% if I take the 22 mos. old also.

Granted, we never go more than 25 miles this way, make frequent unscheduled stops to chase butterflies, look at interesting bugs, collect leaves and generally explore stuff, and, yes, we do slow down a lot going up hills (but I still never get to my lowest gear, undoubtedly because I have such a fine stoker behind me), but I can't think of a finer way to travel. They ain't heavy. They're my kids.
Yes, yes, I'm 9 years late, but I have to say it, this is the best post ever. The Lyle Lovett reference is great, too.

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Old 06-29-15, 09:41 AM
  #46  
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after 40 I just seemed to put more weight on the saddle, (and the bathroom Scale)

I guess that was to allow me to carry more comfortable sleeping gear , though it weighed a bit more.
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Old 06-29-15, 03:36 PM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by philso
HEY! WAKE UP! Snap out of it! this is the touring forum! weighing everything? spread sheets? percentages? wattage? come on, leave all that stuff to the anal retentive tech weanies in the track and triathlon forums. those guys are so constipated they've got to work out each bowel movement with a #2 pencil. (ha ha, get the pun?)

mark my words; startout with this kind of talk and before you know it you'll be bringing along a scale to weight the results of your bm's, entering the data into your cycling computer and uploading it into your p.c. for more spreadsheet analysis.

throw some stuff into your panniers & go out and have a nice ride, for cryin' out loud. relax!


(hey, by the way, nice pic there, soonerlater. keep it up)
brilliant post i love it
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Old 06-29-15, 03:53 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by stevage
Am I dreaming, or did you just resurrect a thread that hadn't been posted to in NINE YEARS? Wow.
Wow indeed. I missed that since there were already a few new replies when I saw it.

I hate it when folks do that and would never have replied to the old part of the thread if I had been paying attention to the post dates. Personally I wish that the mods would set the preferences to freeze threads more than a few years old and not allow replies to them.

I wouldn't mind folks linking to an old thread as a reference in a new thread if there was a good reason to refer to it, but even then I wish that they would mention that they were referring to a very old thread.

It is the mods call though and not mine. If it was mine they would probably be locked after a year or so of inactivity and certainly in way less than 9 years.

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Old 06-29-15, 07:35 PM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by staehpj1
Wow indeed. I missed that since there were already a few new replies when I saw it.

I hate it when folks do that and would never have replied to the old part of the thread if I had been paying attention to the post dates. Personally I wish that the mods would set the preferences to freeze threads more than a few years old and not allow replies to them.

I wouldn't mind folks linking to an old thread as a reference in a new thread if there was a good reason to refer to it, but even then I wish that they would mention that they were referring to a very old thread.

It is the mods call though and not mine. If it was mine they would probably be locked after a year or so of inactivity and certainly in way less than 9 years.
Agree. One year.
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Old 06-29-15, 10:18 PM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by staehpj1
Actually when I was racing I never weighed anything.
Somehow I didn't realise you raced either.
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