Whats on your bike ?

On 9 Oct 2006 09:23:39 -0700, "Mark W" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Just weighed my bike in its normal "morning on the country lanes and
odd bridle path / green lane" guise. Came on at just a smidgeon over
20kg (sold as a "trek" bike - front suspension and long mudguards,
700x38 smooth tyres) , which made me look to see if any of what what I
was carrying was surplus to requirements, vis :

1 rack (often carrying nothing, but reluctant to ditch as this is not
always the case)
Mudguards (also reluctant to ditch, ref green lanes / bridlepaths)
Lock
Water bottle
Pump
Handlebar mounted bag containing : waterproof jacket, inner tube,
suitable "wheelnut size" spanner, p-word kit, tyre levers, small allen
key set, rag, small first aid kit (plasters, clean cloth and savlon !),
bungee cord for rack, map as reqd and LED light set. Munchies, mobile
and wallet also ride here.

Can't see anything I'd like to leave at home, but what do the more
experienced among you carry ?

Dump the suspension forks.

Quoted message said:

On a lighter note, almost had the case made for me for the wearing of
a H****t this weekend - the seedpod of an Aesculus hippocastanum*
descending at speed and walloping onto the map on the 'barbag :O)

* Horse Chestnut

Mark W said:

Just weighed my bike in its normal "morning on the country lanes and
odd bridle path / green lane" guise. Came on at just a smidgeon over
20kg (sold as a "trek" bike - front suspension and long mudguards,
700x38 smooth tyres) , which made me look to see if any of what what I
was carrying was surplus to requirements, vis :

1 rack (often carrying nothing, but reluctant to ditch as this is not
always the case)
Mudguards (also reluctant to ditch, ref green lanes / bridlepaths)
Lock
Water bottle
Pump
Handlebar mounted bag containing : waterproof jacket, inner tube,
suitable "wheelnut size" spanner, p-word kit, tyre levers, small allen
key set, rag, small first aid kit (plasters, clean cloth and savlon
!), bungee cord for rack, map as reqd and LED light set. Munchies,
mobile and wallet also ride here.

Wouldn't necessarily have to do without anything, but you might save a few
hundred grams in total if you replaced each item with a lighter version,
though your wallet would also be a lot lighter.

Rack, lock, jacket and pump is what I'd look into first. I bet you could
even find a lighter bungee!

~PB

Tom Crispin said the following on 09/10/2006 17:46:

Quoted message said:

Dump the suspension forks.

That is a good suggestion. You don't need suspension on "country lanes
and odd bridle path / green lane", and depending on make and model, you
could save a good few pounds there.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Mark W said:

20kg (sold as a "trek" bike - front suspension and long mudguards,
700x38 smooth tyres) , which made me look to see if any of what what I

This sort of bike is never light. Built to last not for speed.

--
Arthur Clune

On Mon, 09 Oct 2006 17:55:16 +0100, Paul Boyd <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Dump the suspension forks.

That is a good suggestion. You don't need suspension

Reply trimmed.

On 09/10/2006 20:11, Tom Crispin said,

Quoted message said:

Reply trimmed.

Someone who never does serious off-roading, I guess!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Mark W said:

On a lighter note, almost had the case made for me for the wearing of
a H****t this weekend - the seedpod of an Aesculus hippocastanum*
descending at speed and walloping onto the map on the 'barbag :O)

* Horse Chestnut

Don't mind those, its those crazy spiked seeds that can hook into bare
skin that I hate, pull it off your arm and its stuck to your finger,
pull it off your finger its stuck to the other hand grrrrrr.

Steve

On Mon, 09 Oct 2006 21:37:01 GMT, Steve <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Mark W said:

On a lighter note, almost had the case made for me for the wearing of
a H****t this weekend - the seedpod of an Aesculus hippocastanum*
descending at speed and walloping onto the map on the 'barbag :O)

* Horse Chestnut

Don't mind those, its those crazy spiked seeds that can hook into bare
skin that I hate, pull it off your arm and its stuck to your finger,
pull it off your finger its stuck to the other hand grrrrrr.

But then you take them home and roast them and everything is forgiven!

Jim.

Mark W said:

Can't see anything I'd like to leave at home, but what do the more
experienced among you carry ?

I'm not one of the more experience but on my Galaxy (with racks,
mudguards and the other bits it came with I think its ~16kg)

I also carry;
- a big heavy lock and a cable (quick release wheels you see)
- pump
- water bottle (+ a spare water bottle for those long/hot rides)
- front and back lights
- saddle mounted bag containing: inner tube, p*ncture fairy kit, tyre
levers, set of allen keys and spanners for every bolt and nut on the
bike, chain tool, spoke rench, cable ties, a short length of string,
rag, spare batteries for lights, and a spare ankle clip (don't have a
first aid kit yet... not sure I have room!)

Normally have at least 1 pannier attached (even if it just contains
waterproofs).. and depending on the reason for the trip, could contain:
bungees, food, extra water, change of clothes, laptop, or stuff to take
to recycling et al

Mobile and wallet are always on my person.

Not much different from you..

The only things I haven't needed on a ride (yet) are cable ties, the
short length of string, chain tool, spare ankle clip... but I know if I
remove them I'll need them on the next ride :o)

Regards
Mark

Umm.. difficult one.

Depends on the trip.

1. Me
2. Mini me
3. Single bed (OK, only the once)
4. mobile phone (cos I live dangerously)

But seriously..

Tonight I went for a ride. The bike has mudguards, rack, trailer hitch.
I had a rear LED thingy, a bar bag fitted with dual halogen (5/10W) and
a SLA battery. pump. bottle of water. Toolkit containing multitool,
puncture kit, spoke key, allen keys, 5" adjustable, cable ties, tyre
levers. a miscellaneous collection of pens. Phone, wallet, keys, clear
glasses.

That's for an hours ride in the quiet lumpy roads.

If I venture further afield for a leisure ride I add the saddlebag with
waterproof, food etc.

Utility riding sees the addition of panniers/trailer as needed.

...d

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Jim Ley) said:

Quoted message said:

Don't mind those, its those crazy spiked seeds that can hook into bare
skin that I hate, pull it off your arm and its stuck to your finger,
pull it off your finger its stuck to the other hand grrrrrr.

But then you take them home and roast them and everything is forgiven!

Roast burrs?

--
not me guv

"mblewett" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mark W said:

Can't see anything I'd like to leave at home, but what do the more
experienced among you carry ?

I'm not one of the more experience but on my Galaxy (with racks, mudguards
and the other bits it came with I think its ~16kg)

I also carry;
- a big heavy lock and a cable (quick release wheels you see)
- pump
- water bottle (+ a spare water bottle for those long/hot rides)
- front and back lights
- saddle mounted bag containing: inner tube, p*ncture fairy kit, tyre
levers, set of allen keys and spanners for every bolt and nut on the bike,
chain tool, spoke rench, cable ties, a short length of string, rag, spare
batteries for lights, and a spare ankle clip (don't have a first aid kit
yet... not sure I have room!)

Normally have at least 1 pannier attached (even if it just contains
waterproofs).. and depending on the reason for the trip, could contain:
bungees, food, extra water, change of clothes, laptop, or stuff to take to
recycling et al

Mobile and wallet are always on my person.

Not much different from you..

The only things I haven't needed on a ride (yet) are cable ties, the short
length of string, chain tool, spare ankle clip... but I know if I remove
them I'll need them on the next ride :o)

Regards
Mark

yep -- that's just about the same that I carry -- plus a roll of insulating
tape. Always have one pannier on -- and it is useful for impulse shopping
Just weighed it with its winter daily travelling load --- 21.4 kg. I
weighed in at 91 kg with shorts, but winter LS shirt and wind/showerproof
jacket and helmet ( with extra lights attached) wallet, mobile, loose change
and bunch of keys The bunch of keys weighs 250 gms 'cos I have all my keys
on one bunch so that I only have to panic about one set of keys!

{Touch wood, I haven't had a visit from the p*ncture Fairy in over 3500
miles this year ( marathon Plus on the rear wheel) But I always carry 2
spare tubes and assorted repair/maintenance gear -- and always my first aid
kit -- it has been useful several times for scratches and so on -- as a type
2 diabetic I like to clean up a minor wounds pretty much immediately.}
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Mark W said:

Just weighed my bike in its normal "morning on the country lanes and
odd bridle path / green lane" guise. Came on at just a smidgeon over
20kg (sold as a "trek" bike - front suspension and long mudguards,
700x38 smooth tyres) , which made me look to see if any of what what I
was carrying was surplus to requirements, vis :

You must know rougher green lane and bridle paths than I do. The last
serious rough stuff I did was on a road bike with a saddle bag, when
off on a weekend youth hostel run. I'd say that suspension is for
severe lumps and bumps.

Quoted message said:

1 rack (often carrying nothing, but reluctant to ditch as this is not
always the case)
Mudguards (also reluctant to ditch, ref green lanes / bridlepaths)
Lock
Water bottle
Pump
Handlebar mounted bag containing : waterproof jacket, inner tube,
suitable "wheelnut size" spanner, p-word kit, tyre levers, small allen
key set, rag, small first aid kit (plasters, clean cloth and savlon !),
bungee cord for rack, map as reqd and LED light set. Munchies, mobile
and wallet also ride here.

Can't see anything I'd like to leave at home, but what do the more
experienced among you carry ?

How long are the rides that you take on your bike in this guise?

Being of road bike persuasion, I'd go for quick release wheels and
ditch the spanner. The allen keys and other screw drivers are handy if
kept together as part of a multi-tool. My p-word repair kit has been
replaced with self-adhesive patches. I was dubiousof these at first,
but they handle 110psi OK, so no problem. I plan my longer rides around
known cafes, so I don't carry food, with the execption of the enegy
drink in my water bottle. Put the lights on the bike and you liberate
the space in your bar bag.

Most of what you have in your bar bag you can fit in rear pockets of
decent cycling jerseys and a smaller saddle pack.

David Lloyd
The pub is responsible for my opinions.

Sirius631 said:

You must know rougher green lane and bridle paths than I do. The last
serious rough stuff I did was on a road bike with a saddle bag, when
off on a weekend youth hostel run. I'd say that suspension is for
severe lumps and bumps.

The main problem round here (W. Cambs) is that they are very tractored.
Its not the ruts that are the problem as such, but the corrugations
left by the tread patterns. They feel like they can loosen teeth,
particularly on the route I use most often - the short hop over the
fields (the alternative is several miles of the A1) out to the nearest
decent LBS, at Grafham Water - and will take me down to single figure
kph.

Quoted message said:

How long are the rides that you take on your bike in this guise?

At present, approx 30 miles is about it ... a gyppy knee starts to
protest after that. Have just invested in some (semi) proper footwear
to hopefully help keep it a bit straighter (tends to some lateral
movement when the legs get tired)

in message <[email hidden]>, Mark W

(') said:

Just weighed my bike in its normal "morning on the country lanes and
odd bridle path / green lane" guise. Came on at just a smidgeon over
20kg (sold as a "trek" bike - front suspension and long mudguards,
700x38 smooth tyres) , which made me look to see if any of what what I
was carrying was surplus to requirements, vis :

1 rack (often carrying nothing, but reluctant to ditch as this is not
always the case)
Mudguards (also reluctant to ditch, ref green lanes / bridlepaths)
Lock
Water bottle
Pump
Handlebar mounted bag containing : waterproof jacket, inner tube,
suitable "wheelnut size" spanner, p-word kit, tyre levers, small allen
key set, rag, small first aid kit (plasters, clean cloth and savlon !),
bungee cord for rack, map as reqd and LED light set. Munchies, mobile
and wallet also ride here.

Can't see anything I'd like to leave at home, but what do the more
experienced among you carry ?

OK, I have more than one bike...

All the bikes have bottle cages and pumps mounted on the frame.

My good road bike has virtually nothing excess on it. It has no mudguards
and (apart from a vestigial underseat pack which just fits a spare tube,
two tyre levers and a couple of allen keys) no means of carrying luggage.
It weighs eight and a half kilos and is a complete joy to ride. I have a
sort of rucksacky thing which came from Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op free with
my Cannondale, which folds up and fits in a back pocket; so if I go into
town I quite often stuff that in my pocket in case I need to carry
anything.

My old road bike/winter bike (which is the one I use for most utility
journeys) has raceblade mudguards which are only fitted in the wetter
months of the year. It has a klickfix mount for a bar bag, and my bar bag
contains, inter alia, spare tube, puncture repair kit, tyre levers,
multitool, duct tape, cable ties, cleaning wipes, first aid stuff, cereal
bars, bike lock. It used also to contain my Altura Nevis jacket, but I've
now got a Campag jacket which weighs 105 grammes and packs down to half
the size of a coke can, and that lives in my back pocket. The bike weighs
about 13Kg without the bar bag, the bar bag weighs 2.2Kg. If I had to
carry more luggage than will conveniently fit in the bar bag, I'd use a
trailer.

My good mountain bike also has a klickfix mount for the bar bag. That may
seem eccentric, but on long explores up in wild country it's quite handy.
However, for most mountain bike rides I carry just an under seat pack with
a spare inner tube, tyre levers, gas cartridge inflater, first aid stuff,
cleaning wipes. The bike weighs about 12Kg.

Over the past couple of years I've been progressively shedding weight from
my bikes, as I've discovered just how much more enjoyable a light bike is
to ride. I /strongly/ recommend that, as an experiment, you take a test
ride on a really light bike - you will be amazed by the difference!

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

'graveyards are full of indispensable people'

Mark W said:

Can't see anything I'd like to leave at home, but what do the more
experienced among you carry ?

I don't expect that I count as more experienced, but my (lightish) town
rat bike carries:

- Me.
- in Winter:
* Mudguards, black Chromoplastic, red reflectives on rear.
* Rebuilt front wheel (all my own work), containing a:
* Shimano DH-3N70 hub dynamo, feeding a:
- Dr Frankenstein's own Lumotec Oval lamp, stitched together from two
dead ones, fitted with a 3w halogen bulb, and fixed on the fork
crown.
- in summer:
* The nice light front wheel.
- Cable lock that looks stronger than it is.
- Blank spaces to confuse those who expect gears, rear brakes, freewheels.
- Carradice SQR mount, typically hanging a:
* Carradice Barley saddlebag, green, containing:
- Allen wrenches and small spanner in a plastic baggie while the winter
extras are still settling in.
- Extra toestrap (unbelievably useful, even if you ride clipless),
- Bidon (they just slot in the side pockets),
- Emergency LED front light, of the rubber strap variety.
* Waterproof tool roll, attached with toestrap, holding:
- Tyre levers, crevaisson kit, spare bulbs, compact "Harpoon" pump.
* Red blinkie on toestrap on the back of the saddlebag. Don't use
the thin leather loop that comes with it; too thin.
- Lovely old Brooks saddle, with Somerfields's finest all-weather
protection and nick-appeal-reduction system stuffed underneath.

Fuel, maps and small furry mammals all go in the saddlebag. Mobile,
notebook, keys and wallet live on me. The best bits? I *seriously*
recommend that kind of lighting rig for any bike just for sheer
reliability and forgettability, at least until cheap 1+ Watt dynamo LEDs
hit the market. The Carradice setup works very well too: just disconnect
the quick release when leaving the bike, and everything nickable comes
with you, assuming you've locked the wheels you need to lock in place.
Waterproofing your tools is just a good idea generally.

--
Andrew Chadwick

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Mark W

(') said:

Just weighed my bike in its normal "morning on the country lanes and
odd bridle path / green lane" guise. Came on at just a smidgeon over
20kg

20 Kg!

Quoted message said:

Over the past couple of years I've been progressively shedding weight from
my bikes, as I've discovered just how much more enjoyable a light bike is
to ride. I /strongly/ recommend that, as an experiment, you take a test
ride on a really light bike - you will be amazed by the difference!

I strongly concur. IMHO it's more fun riding a bare bike with a light
pack than using a bar or saddle bag, too, though significant luggage is
more comfortable on the bike.

My "commuter" is partway through a fixie conversion at the moment and
weighs about 10-11 Kg. My good bike is a full-on tourer (rack, leather
saddle, wide-range gears etc) and weighs a bit more. I'd love to get
down to 9Kg or so but I doubt I can afford it.

I don't understand why saving a kilo or two on the bike makes a big
difference, but it does...

I've done some reasonable length tours (week to ten days, typically
about 50 miles a day in the Highlands) and I continue to avoid camping,
because the extra weight makes it a lot less fun.

Cheers,
W.