Using carbon road bike for light bikepacking/touring?
09-17-21, 05:01 PM
#26
Banned
So called "touring" bikes are gross overkill unless heading to Patagonia from North America. Road bikes can easily handle the load and it is only the wheels where on should be careful. I went so far as to lace my wheels 4 across to gain load capacity and make breakage from bumps nearly impossible. Three Across spoke lacing is quite adequate for touring. I have replaced the largest cog, usually a 24 or 26 tooth one with a 28 tooth for a granny gear with my 45T front chainring. That was a low enough gear for any grade.
Keep your gear in rear panniers mounted to a rack and then you can use the top of the rack for attaching your sleeping bag and ground cloth. Just be sure that the panniers will not interfere with your heels hitting them while pedaling. Twenty pounds is a good target weight for your packed load. I always have toured with a friend so we could share a cook stove and tools and ground cloth and it made it easy to keep our loads down at around 15 pounds each. Avoid front panniers and handlebar mounted bags if at all possible. Most people take way too much stuff and once they add front panniers in addition to the ones in the rear they feel the need to fill them.
I was delighted when clipless pedals first became available as that meant I could leave my tennis shoes behind. The mountain bike 2-bolt type of bike shoes work very well in terms of being able to walk around safely while off the bike. With my first bike shoes with the metal cleats nailed to the sole, it was very easy to lose my footing, and I was conspicuous entering a store or restaurant with the tapping noise from my shoes.
Keep your gear in rear panniers mounted to a rack and then you can use the top of the rack for attaching your sleeping bag and ground cloth. Just be sure that the panniers will not interfere with your heels hitting them while pedaling. Twenty pounds is a good target weight for your packed load. I always have toured with a friend so we could share a cook stove and tools and ground cloth and it made it easy to keep our loads down at around 15 pounds each. Avoid front panniers and handlebar mounted bags if at all possible. Most people take way too much stuff and once they add front panniers in addition to the ones in the rear they feel the need to fill them.
I was delighted when clipless pedals first became available as that meant I could leave my tennis shoes behind. The mountain bike 2-bolt type of bike shoes work very well in terms of being able to walk around safely while off the bike. With my first bike shoes with the metal cleats nailed to the sole, it was very easy to lose my footing, and I was conspicuous entering a store or restaurant with the tapping noise from my shoes.
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09-17-21, 05:16 PM
#27
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So called "touring" bikes are gross overkill unless heading to Patagonia from North America. Road bikes can easily handle the load and it is only the wheels where on should be careful. I went so far as to lace my wheels 4 across to gain load capacity and make breakage from bumps nearly impossible. Three Across spoke lacing is quite adequate for touring. I have replaced the largest cog, usually a 24 or 26 tooth one with a 28 tooth for a granny gear with my 45T front chainring. That was a low enough gear for any grade.
Keep your gear in rear panniers mounted to a rack and then you can use the top of the rack for attaching your sleeping bag and ground cloth. Just be sure that the panniers will not interfere with your heels hitting them while pedaling. Twenty pounds is a good target weight for your packed load. I always have toured with a friend so we could share a cook stove and tools and ground cloth and it made it easy to keep our loads down at around 15 pounds each. Avoid front panniers and handlebar mounted bags if at all possible. Most people take way too much stuff and once they add front panniers in addition to the ones in the rear they feel the need to fill them.
I was delighted when clipless pedals first became available as that meant I could leave my tennis shoes behind. The mountain bike 2-bolt type of bike shoes work very well in terms of being able to walk around safely while off the bike. With my first bike shoes with the metal cleats nailed to the sole, it was very easy to lose my footing, and I was conspicuous entering a store or restaurant with the tapping noise from my shoes.
Keep your gear in rear panniers mounted to a rack and then you can use the top of the rack for attaching your sleeping bag and ground cloth. Just be sure that the panniers will not interfere with your heels hitting them while pedaling. Twenty pounds is a good target weight for your packed load. I always have toured with a friend so we could share a cook stove and tools and ground cloth and it made it easy to keep our loads down at around 15 pounds each. Avoid front panniers and handlebar mounted bags if at all possible. Most people take way too much stuff and once they add front panniers in addition to the ones in the rear they feel the need to fill them.
I was delighted when clipless pedals first became available as that meant I could leave my tennis shoes behind. The mountain bike 2-bolt type of bike shoes work very well in terms of being able to walk around safely while off the bike. With my first bike shoes with the metal cleats nailed to the sole, it was very easy to lose my footing, and I was conspicuous entering a store or restaurant with the tapping noise from my shoes.
I'm not, not recommending that OP use any existing carbon road bike, but to simply understand there are better bikes purpose built for this.
09-17-21, 06:31 PM
#28
Banned
Some silly advice here, sorry. Touring bikes are built for exactly their purpose, carrying a load for self supported bicycling. They shine at this. The tubing and frame design is often robust enough to make for a stable ride with predictable steering. The chainstays are usually 44-45cm long so you have fewer issues with a shoe hitting a pannier, as you mentioned. Bikes with 39-40cm chainstays may be an issue. Loading the front is also a benefit if for no other reason that it splits up part of the load off the rear and that's better for the rear wheel. As well, many experienced touring cyclists prefer a front pannier arrangement - on a bike designed for it, as it steers predictably. Too much weight in the rear makes for a difficult handling bike. Is why I was going to recommend a bike packing style front bag that mounts in front of the handlebar. That's a very common loading method and can work if there are no fork eyelets. And of course touring bikes typically come equipped with gearing appropriate to get a loaded bike up serious hills.
I'm not, not recommending that OP use any existing carbon road bike, but to simply understand there are better bikes purpose built for this.
I'm not, not recommending that OP use any existing carbon road bike, but to simply understand there are better bikes purpose built for this.
The Vietnamese defeated the U.S. military in part because they transported tons of supplies over jungle trails using ordinary bicycles. The frames of the cheapest bike is stong enough and where bikes fail on tours is with a dished cog, broken chain, broken spoke, or flat tire. See if you can find anyone at a bike shop who has every seen a frame failure on a bike with a 531 or 6061 frame.
I have seen people on "touring" bikes photographed in China or South America and the guys were seriously overloaded. If someone puts a 100 lb load on a bike then many things can break as a result. I do not know where one can even buy a heavy duty touring bike as even the "world touring" models being sold today are simply road bikes with better wheels and tires and possibly disc brakes. Some have stronger racks but then then the most I every carried on a rear rack was a 25 lb load when I was a novice and took too much stuff - and that was at a time where bike shops for 10-speed bikes were few and far between as in only one between the Oregon border and Marin California.
The frame geometry and the wheels are what counts. Everything else is trivial by comparison.
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09-17-21, 06:57 PM
#29
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I have gone tens of thousands of miles on my "road" bike. I had it custom built in 1975 and had it done to my specifications. It was made from 531 Reynolds steel. The only modification for touring was to build two wheels with 3-across spoke lacing (never have broken a spoke with these wheels). Today its geometry is common to triathalon bikes. At that time the standard road bike geometry was usually that of a criterium race bike and not at all suited for use on long road trips with or without gear.
The Vietnamese defeated the U.S. military in part because they transported tons of supplies over jungle trails using ordinary bicycles. The frames of the cheapest bike is stong enough and where bikes fail on tours is with a dished cog, broken chain, broken spoke, or flat tire. See if you can find anyone at a bike shop who has every seen a frame failure on a bike with a 531 or 6061 frame.
I have seen people on "touring" bikes photographed in China or South America and the guys were seriously overloaded. If someone puts a 100 lb load on a bike then many things can break as a result. I do not know where one can even buy a heavy duty touring bike as even the "world touring" models being sold today are simply road bikes with better wheels and tires and possibly disc brakes. Some have stronger racks but then then the most I every carried on a rear rack was a 25 lb load when I was a novice and took too much stuff - and that was at a time where bike shops for 10-speed bikes were few and far between as in only one between the Oregon border and Marin California.
The frame geometry and the wheels are what counts. Everything else is trivial by comparison.
The Vietnamese defeated the U.S. military in part because they transported tons of supplies over jungle trails using ordinary bicycles. The frames of the cheapest bike is stong enough and where bikes fail on tours is with a dished cog, broken chain, broken spoke, or flat tire. See if you can find anyone at a bike shop who has every seen a frame failure on a bike with a 531 or 6061 frame.
I have seen people on "touring" bikes photographed in China or South America and the guys were seriously overloaded. If someone puts a 100 lb load on a bike then many things can break as a result. I do not know where one can even buy a heavy duty touring bike as even the "world touring" models being sold today are simply road bikes with better wheels and tires and possibly disc brakes. Some have stronger racks but then then the most I every carried on a rear rack was a 25 lb load when I was a novice and took too much stuff - and that was at a time where bike shops for 10-speed bikes were few and far between as in only one between the Oregon border and Marin California.
The frame geometry and the wheels are what counts. Everything else is trivial by comparison.
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09-17-21, 08:10 PM
#30
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I’m on tour right now, camping in Westhampton, MA. Surly LHT from 2010. Full camping and cooking gear.
09-18-21, 12:39 AM
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I had a steel touring bike where the downtube snapped at about 14000km. Indestructible, eh.
Anyway, if touring within Europe I would, myself, use a road bike with a tailfin rack, use just the rack top bag and no panniers, and just pack light and sleep in hotels. Maybe small handlebar bag in front.
Anyway, if touring within Europe I would, myself, use a road bike with a tailfin rack, use just the rack top bag and no panniers, and just pack light and sleep in hotels. Maybe small handlebar bag in front.
09-20-21, 02:58 AM
#32
Full Member
No issue with rubbing. It's an Altura Vortex saddle bag. Waterproof and a decent price.
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09-21-21, 12:50 AM
#33
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Here's an update. After trying various setups I'm finding a full frame bag with a large saddle bag is working out to hold a minimalist setup. With two full water bottles and all the gear the total weight of the bike and gear is 30lbs. This is with a tent, sleeping bag, matt, cookware and some food. Handling of the bike is quite nice and no annoying rattling either. Did a test ride today and was quite pleased with the results.
Apidura frame bag and Rockbros saddle bag
Apidura frame bag and Rockbros saddle bag
09-21-21, 03:56 AM
#34
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Wow that’s lite. What tent, sleeping bag, matt, and cookware do you have? Is the sleep set up for warm/hot weather?
09-21-21, 03:49 PM
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This will be my first bike packing trip and it is for warm weather. I'm using an ALPS Lynx 1 person tent, a cheap inflatable matt and sleeping bag from Amazon, a tiny primus stove with a 4oz cannister and a 20oz stainless mug/pot from GSI. I'm using Mountain House meals so I only need to boil water (and they need 16ish oz of water so the mug is plenty big). I use rolled up clothes for a pillow
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09-21-21, 04:50 PM
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I have an 11 liter Ortlieb that I got on sale. It was expensive, but is very secure, waterproof, and I've had no issues with rubbing. I use it for commuting; at least 1 day a week I do a group ride on the way to work. No issues with it even at high speeds.
