Let's talk about lightweight cycle touring

As I've done a quick search and couldn't find a proper thread about.

I'm gearing up for the spring knocking at the door, hopefully starting next week.

Share your bike setup, packing list, journeys.

My idea a.t.m. is to avoid long journeys, concentrating on long weekends (2-3 nights out), using a road bike, and only two bags (handlebar and saddle) with a target weight of <20kg between bike and bags+equipment.
I'm also gathering the set of bags for off-road unsupported long rides, using an XC bike.

Both the options will include cooking, and all that is strictly necessary for camping with a minimum of decency and comforts: not planning to do like those "uber light guys" that won't carry a small bar of soap or toothpaste! :notrust:

Calling DarrenCT and JustinB

Years ago I toured for 6 weeks in England and ireland.
Light bags, stayed at b&bs.
Had a fantastic time.
No set rt or time.

Some days very short ...as in.
I thk I'll stay here. It's beautiful.

I went a week down the cape and through the islands with this set-up and could have gone much further with the occasional laundry. I'll have pics of my mtb with light bags in a week or so.

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Originally Posted by Jonathan

I went a week down the cape and through the islands with this set-up and could have gone much further with the occasional laundry. I'll have pics of my mtb with light bags in a week or so.

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I'll have almost exactly the same setup: Carradice Camper behind the saddle, and a 9lt handlebar bag (a modified Carradice Junior).
Being careful with the packing, one can keep all the stuff for a long weekend and more; just not much space for the food, 1-2 days at most, but on the road is easy to plan the re-fuel stops

Why is this in OT?

Also, check out: bikepacking.net and Home - Bikepackers Magazine

My advice is don't overthink it. Do some cursory research but don't aim for the perfect bag or bike setup to start anyway. The most important part is the ride so jump out the door however you think is best and after one or two you'll start to find what works for you. Touring is a really mixed bag; there is no right or wrong way. You will see more diversity in tour setups than road and mtb combined. Run what ya brung is my moxie.

The bike I used was a borrowed race bike.. dbl crank, freewheel, hbar bag and small panniers. Worked fine other than I had to rebuild the rear wheel on the side of the road in the midlands. Lucky to find the spokes really.

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Originally Posted by holliscx

My advice is don't overthink it. Do some cursory research but don't aim for the perfect bag or bike setup to start anyway. The most important part is the ride so jump out the door however you think is best and after one or two you'll start to find what works for you. Touring is a really mixed bag; there is no right or wrong way. You will see more diversity in tour setups than road and mtb combined. Run what ya brung is my moxie.

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True.
You don't want to lose the spirit of the adventure. I am in fact looking for those "necessary discomforts".
On the other hand, I have always done a packing list since I was teen, and going to the campsites for summer holidays. I can be very resourceful, but I don't want things to go bad either. Last week, I didn't follow a colleague who went riding 2 days out, and without having planned the whole thing. He was nearly starving, cold, and couldn't do the whole route.

IMO the web and all the info you can collect from it, both beforehand and real-time, allow for much more spontaneity.

Leave work early on Friday, toss the bike in the back of the car, fill a gym-bag with shorts, jerseys, Woolite (or the UK equivalent) if you're going to be gone a whole week and want to wash stuff in the sink), and drive for a few hours in a promising direction. (or make reservations at a B&B first)

Ride there for a few days, and move on. Each night you get a warm shower and a comfy bed. Not quite as glorious as sleeping out under the stars, but there's no reason you can't do that on the same trip too. No need for fancy cross-country touring panniers, or other stuff like that, just a few extra tubes / tubulars, a mini-pump, etc, and you're good to go.

Have fun!

While doing a web search for something completely unrelated to this thread I came across this:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5281/...cfb66bdb_o.jpg

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Originally Posted by Mabouya

While doing a web search for something completely unrelated to this thread I came across this:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5281/...cfb66bdb_o.jpg

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Cannot see how that could go wrong.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mabouya

While doing a web search for something completely unrelated to this thread I came across this:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5281/...cfb66bdb_o.jpg

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Reminds me of a customer that wrecked a lovely Panasonic track bike, due to the shopping bag caught in the front wheel. That trip to the Sainsburys was expensive, damn....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mabouya

IMO the web and all the info you can collect from it, both beforehand and real-time, allow for much more spontaneity.

Leave work early on Friday, toss the bike in the back of the car, fill a gym-bag with shorts, jerseys, Woolite (or the UK equivalent) if you're going to be gone a whole week and want to wash stuff in the sink), and drive for a few hours in a promising direction. (or make reservations at a B&B first)

Ride there for a few days, and move on. Each night you get a warm shower and a comfy bed. Not quite as glorious as sleeping out under the stars, but there's no reason you can't do that on the same trip too. No need for fancy cross-country touring panniers, or other stuff like that, just a few extra tubes / tubulars, a mini-pump, etc, and you're good to go.

Have fun!

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I have a set of Carradice that I'm using a lot for commuting: rear bag for the bigger loads (i.e., when going to the gym after work); or the smaller bag either on the bars or the rear Bagman, when I would only carry lunch and a clean tshirt

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mabouya

IMO the web and all the info you can collect from it, both beforehand and real-time, allow for much more spontaneity.

Leave work early on Friday, toss the bike in the back of the car, fill a gym-bag with shorts, jerseys, Woolite (or the UK equivalent) if you're going to be gone a whole week and want to wash stuff in the sink), and drive for a few hours in a promising direction. (or make reservations at a B&B first)

Ride there for a few days, and move on. Each night you get a warm shower and a comfy bed. Not quite as glorious as sleeping out under the stars, but there's no reason you can't do that on the same trip too. No need for fancy cross-country touring panniers, or other stuff like that, just a few extra tubes / tubulars, a mini-pump, etc, and you're good to go.

Have fun!

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There is a laundry soap that comes in a little dissolvable tube that packs well. I also like routes that have hostels if I'm solo. You minimize what you can carry and get a clean bed at night with a blanket.

If no cooking and no camping is the choice, I could do with a 10lt saddle bag :noworry:

But I'm stubborn, and despite the wind of the Isle of Wight, I'll camp AND cook.
Still, by using commons sense and logic, I can fit everything I need for 3-4 days out in less than 35lt. Those are the bags, front and rear, and while trying to fit everything, I weighted them 'cause I've been impressed by how light they came up: on monday mornings I go to work with a heavier bag! :nuts: