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will bike weight make a difference to an old guy like me?

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will bike weight make a difference to an old guy like me?

Old 09-02-20, 12:11 PM
  #26  
djb
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Thanks monsieur T for all that. Great to see the details and how you organize it. Haven't had to organize so many days food, and the last time I would have done similar (less days though) would have been canoe trips, and that's been years now.

Sort of blurb I'd print up to serve as a reminder for the future.
Cheers
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Old 09-02-20, 01:46 PM
  #27  
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Your a kid!
I'm 4 years older than you.
I bought a LHT and used it for a tour of USA in 2016 then last year went from England to Spain. I love the bike and am glad I never thought twice about the extra cash it cost me. It rode like a champ! Once in France I was not looking forward and ran up and over a curb. No damage and I didn't fall off. The bike just went up on the sidewalk and I kept riding!
Most comfortable bike I have ever ridden. I rode day after day 60 - 120 miles and I was never sore, tired and hungry yes but never sore! Planing 3 tours fro when covid allows.

I I kept a Journal on CGONAB
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/..._id=21887&v=qY

Good luck

Rob
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Old 09-02-20, 04:35 PM
  #28  
JohnJ80
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Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN
I hope you put this to use, I spent a lot of time writing this up so I hope the time was not wasted.
great write up - thank you! I’ve stored this in my offline archive for future reference.

j.
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Old 09-02-20, 04:35 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by djb
Thanks monsieur T for all that. Great to see the details and how you organize it. Haven't had to organize so many days food, and the last time I would have done similar (less days though) would have been canoe trips, and that's been years now.

Sort of blurb I'd print up to serve as a reminder for the future.
Cheers
I am used to canoe and kayak trips where I need to carry a lot of food, so it is pretty easy to plan, takes more time to explain it and dig out photos than it actually takes to do it.

Even my Canadian Maritimes trip last year, I started at Halifax and then rode up to Cabot Trail. I had read before I got there that the northern part of the Cabot Trail is a food desert, so I packed accordingly and had no problems. Once I got back down to the mainland, then grocery stores were easy to find every couple days.

I think it is easier to buy beer in Nova Scotia than food, but not by much. But PEI, the beer was harder to find than food. Was not in New Brunswick long enough to have an opinion on that.

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Old 09-02-20, 05:35 PM
  #30  
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Tourist, thanks for the great meal expose.
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Old 09-02-20, 07:14 PM
  #31  
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Re the Cabot trail, have thought about it but have never really really looked into it. It's a heck of a long drive from here and generally am more inclined to go to Europe for the next bike trip, hopefully next summer but who knows....
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Old 09-03-20, 05:22 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by djb
Re the Cabot trail, have thought about it but have never really really looked into it. It's a heck of a long drive from here and generally am more inclined to go to Europe for the next bike trip, hopefully next summer but who knows....
I think Cabot Trail is more marketing than anything else. The northern part where it is National Park is nice, but otherwise I did not think it was that special.

The photos I have seen on line were more scenic than I saw, but that was bad luck with weather on my part.

First day riding through the National Park



Next day in the park.



But, day three it was nice weather, but by then it was not that scenic.

In retrospect, I think the changes in elevation are a big part of the scenery, great in a car or RV, less so on a bicycle.

My route, this is from GPS overlaid onto google earth after I got home. Numbers are locations I stayed, number is the first night I was there in YYMMDD format.



I liked Bay of Fundy more than Cabot Trail, but again that could be luck with weather.

Also liked Charlottetown PEI, but that was more by accident. I had heard that you need reservations for campsites for Canada Day holiday weekend, but I had not been making any campground reservations. When I looked at the forecast and saw five consecutive days of rain, I decided to stay at the Hostel in Charlottetown and sit out the weekend under a roof at night, sightseeing during the day.

Many of my days were short mileage days, I was there more to enjoy the trip than to log miles for bragging rights. If you go there, bring repellent.

How convenient is it for you to get to Maritimes by rail?
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Old 09-03-20, 07:59 AM
  #33  
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Thanks Tmsn for your take on it. By train, not sure, but I think the main thing is that as a kid we went out east a bunch, and as a parent we did go out there by car once with the kids, so I'm really more keen on biking in Holland and Scotland where I've never been.
thanks though for showing the photos. And yes, weather luck does play a big part of it doesn't it?
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Old 09-12-20, 05:47 PM
  #34  
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One of my riding buddies is in his 60's - he's the one that got me in to touring (and I got him in to backpacking - so far we haven't toured together, but rides and backpacking trips - still trying to find an opportunity to tour). He rides a 56cm LHT, not sure from what year but he had it several years before I got mine.

If you are going to tour - that means you are going to be carrying gear. When you talk "weight" - between backpacking and biking - when you're backpacking weight really matters. When you are biking - weight doesn't matter nearly as much. It still does, but not to the extent of carrying all the weight on your body - the bike carries it. Yeah, you still have the weight when you are climbing hills = slows you down, but the impact to your body is much less riding than backpacking.

I don't think a couple of pounds difference is going to matter to your bare bike weight. If you are touring you are going to be heavy, no two ways around it. On an 80lb combined weight bike and gear - what is 2lbs? Now, if you trim 15lbs off that's different - but that is way more than the difference between a "heavy bike" and a "light bike" (that is capable of touring - yeah some super light carbon fiber race bike set up might be 15lbs, but I don't think you're going to find an affordable touring capable bike anywhere near that).

So I say get the Trucker and start Truckin'.

As to the trailers - I have to second the motion of the Bob style trailer, or converted kid carrier, that has 2 side-by-side wheels, as being a big no-no when touring. I rode a couple thousand miles (not at once, over a few years) through Illinois on some of the canal trails etc and most of those are gravel, grass, and otherwise unpaved. Being able to ride in 1 track is a blessing so as to maintain a smooth(ER - not necessarily smooth, but smoothER) ride. With the extra 2 tracks of the wheels on a trailer that would be a really rough ride. Therein lies the major benefit to the single wheel trailers - it follows close enough in the same track of the bike to be able to dodge the pot holes and rough spots. Major blessing, in my book.

Best of luck with what the OP decides on. Happy riding!
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Old 09-15-20, 12:12 AM
  #35  
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I'd wait and try out the lighter bike. IMO, yes the weight makes a difference. I have a Trek 520. When I cycled across Canada, I had the heaviest bike of our group of 13. I turned 50 on the tour. I was slower than almost everyone. I'm in pretty good physical health I should add. But guys that were 68, 66, 59, kicked my ass every day. And they all had (much) lighter bikes. After the tour, I changed out my wheels on the bike to single wall, 24 flat spoke wheels with 25's and whoa nellie what a difference! Not exactly "tour" wheels, but the experiment was what would happen if I made the load lighter. I went from double wall 36 spoke wheels with Marathon Tour Plus 32's, and dropped 6 pounds off the bike if memory serves me. HUGE difference. And, depending on your weight, and the roads where you are day tripping to, the lighter wheels may just serve you fine. They did for some of the people that toured across Canada with me in 2015. Supported tour, Cycle Canada. Good luck!
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Old 09-15-20, 11:15 AM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by LuckySailor
I'd wait and try out the lighter bike. IMO, yes the weight makes a difference. I have a Trek 520. When I cycled across Canada, I had the heaviest bike of our group of 13. I turned 50 on the tour. I was slower than almost everyone. I'm in pretty good physical health I should add. But guys that were 68, 66, 59, kicked my ass every day. And they all had (much) lighter bikes. After the tour, I changed out my wheels on the bike to single wall, 24 flat spoke wheels with 25's and whoa nellie what a difference! Not exactly "tour" wheels, but the experiment was what would happen if I made the load lighter. I went from double wall 36 spoke wheels with Marathon Tour Plus 32's, and dropped 6 pounds off the bike if memory serves me. HUGE difference. And, depending on your weight, and the roads where you are day tripping to, the lighter wheels may just serve you fine. They did for some of the people that toured across Canada with me in 2015. Supported tour, Cycle Canada. Good luck!
Changing wheel weight, unsprung weight, is a lot different than simply taking weight off the bike. Wheel weight will be felt much more than frame/load weight. Wheels are also the one place I would not want to reduce weight over strength.
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Old 09-15-20, 12:07 PM
  #37  
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Sorry, I don't understand what is meant by "unsprung weight". If a person weighs 200 pounds, using double wall 32-36 spoke wheels probably is in order for a loaded tour. If a person weighs say 150, why would that person need such a robust wheel to haul the same weight? Doesn't make sense to me. Also, a person at a heavier weight will require and use more energy than a lighter person. Every pound (or ounce) that has to be moved requires a certain amount of energy. I know this firsthand, since I learned that lesson cycling up the Coquihalla in BC. I didn't think that weight was an issue, because you're just riding a bike. We just take it for granted. Ha! I was probably 198 pounds at that time with 46 pounds of bike and water. I have a road triple 52-39-30, and ten in the back (36 on down). Gearing wasn't the issue. Just ran out of energy (and water!) Bad day, but I made it thru it. As mentioned earlier, most of the group that I went with across Canada only had single wall wheels and 25's, but we weren't loaded beyond what was needed on the bike that day. They were way faster than me. Way faster. Lighter physically, and lighter bikes.
One guy heavier than me riding a cross bike that had single wall wheels and I'm pretty sure with 24 spokes, split his rear rim twice which had to be replaced obviously on the road. One of the times it split, he road nearly 700 kms on a tacoed wheel. Pretty amazing feat I have to say. Sometimes you gotta roll with what you got!
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Old 09-15-20, 12:18 PM
  #38  
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Motorcycle-suspension term .. the wheel and the bottom half of the suspension fork follow the undulating terrain better if they're lighter..
so it is cast Magnesium on the more expensive forks (MTB)

Mid drive Mountain bikes just have the wheel hub & 1 sprocket at the end of the rear swing arm . to same benefit..
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Old 09-15-20, 02:50 PM
  #39  
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I am not sure how "un-sprung" weight comes into play on a bike without suspension. As Fietsbob noted, un-sprung weight on a motorcycle is the weight that is not supported by the suspension. You want to minimize un-sprung weight, the weight above the suspension "springs" is not "un-sprung".

For example, recently on a different thread I noted that someone had a front rack (Tubus Swing) that put the pannier weight above the suspension fork, minimizing un-sprung weight. If a low rider had been attached to the suspension below the stantions, the pannier weight would have been un-sprung which would impair the handling and ride.
https://www.bikeforums.net/21686428-post44.html
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Old 09-16-20, 11:04 AM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN
I am not sure how "un-sprung" weight comes into play on a bike without suspension. As Fietsbob noted, un-sprung weight on a motorcycle is the weight that is not supported by the suspension. You want to minimize un-sprung weight, the weight above the suspension "springs" is not "un-sprung".

For example, recently on a different thread I noted that someone had a front rack (Tubus Swing) that put the pannier weight above the suspension fork, minimizing un-sprung weight. If a low rider had been attached to the suspension below the stantions, the pannier weight would have been un-sprung which would impair the handling and ride.
https://www.bikeforums.net/21686428-post44.html
Okay, bad term used out of habit. The weight of wheels though will make more of a difference in the feel of a bike than weight on a frame. Lighter wheels will enable you to accelerate quicker, and they feel lighter in turns, more significantly than the same weight shed on the bike frame itself.
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Old 09-17-20, 08:36 AM
  #41  
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hey Mr Juggler, I just was out using my about 25lb faster bike for a commute, and really from what you say ("maybe" some touring, mostly not) as someone who rides and owns the two types of bikes you say you are interested in, the lighter bike is always going to be more fun to ride--IF it fits you well and has the seating and riding position that you are comfortable on.
My lighter bike (and is by no means a light bike, there are tons of bikes in the low 20lb range, but for more money) is a perfectly capable light to medium tourer, so given that you "might" try touring at some point, and possibly go the light load route, a zippier more fun bike to ride unloaded or lightly loaded is certainly a lot of fun to ride.

so as someone said, you can always have a couple of bikes, but if that isnt in the cards, you've got my perspective that a lighter bike could very well work perfectly fine for what you expect to do.
cheers
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