Transporting kit on a self-guided tour

Specific board for this popular undertaking.
eileithyia
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Re: Transporting kit on a self-guided tour

Post by eileithyia »

3 sets of shorts, lightweight wickable vests, a couple of short sleeve shirts, pair of leg warmers and pair of armwarmers, long sleeve top that can double for evening wear, spare socks (again 3 pairs), lightweight walking trousers and some undies... small very basic wash kit. If you are using B&Bs hotels they supply towels and basic wash items.

3 pairs = 1 on, 1 washed and maybe drying on back of panniers if not fully dry overnight, 1 packed ready for wearing.
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mumbojumbo
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Re: Transporting kit on a self-guided tour

Post by mumbojumbo »

Whats the difference in mph or kph>
andrewwillans49
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Joined: 11 Aug 2018, 7:38am

Re: Transporting kit on a self-guided tour

Post by andrewwillans49 »

1 mph equals 1.609 kmph, that's the difference
Vorpal
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Re: Transporting kit on a self-guided tour

Post by Vorpal »

mumbojumbo wrote:Whats the difference in mph or kph>

It varies by person, how many hills, how much they are carrying, etc.

For me, my cruising speed isn't much different on the flat, but it takes me much longer to get up hills. The more I am carrying, the slower I go. I live in Norway, and carrying camping gear, I generally end up pushing my bike a bit most days. Unladen, or lightly laden, I don't need to do that, even on a road bike with much higher gearing than my tourer.
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Tigerbiten
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Re: Transporting kit on a self-guided tour

Post by Tigerbiten »

mumbojumbo wrote:I am surprised at your claim that extra weight will not affect cruising speed.Have you measured this objectively or is it based on your feelings?

All the studies I've seen on this area are in line with my finding.
In basic rolling terrain an extra 10 kg of kit carried will slow you down by roughly 1 mph.
Less if it's flat, more if it's mountainous.
I've checked this with both shopping loads and on tour.

Along the Danube valley where it's pancake flat, I climbed ~100' all day, it was easy to keep 12-14 mph.
In that situation what slows you down the most is the extra air resistance from your panniers.
And on tour you're not normally fast enough for the aero resistance to make that much difference.

Then again in Cornwall and Devon, when you can hit a lot of silly steep hills, the above speed could easily be cut in half with a full touring load.
All the extra weight slows you down lugging it uphill.
Plus do you trust your brakes to safely slow both you and the extra weight down from a silly fast descent on narrow twisty lanes.

Luck ........... :D
pwa
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Re: Transporting kit on a self-guided tour

Post by pwa »

Vorpal wrote:
mumbojumbo wrote:Whats the difference in mph or kph>

It varies by person, how many hills, how much they are carrying, etc.

For me, my cruising speed isn't much different on the flat, but it takes me much longer to get up hills. The more I am carrying, the slower I go. I live in Norway, and carrying camping gear, I generally end up pushing my bike a bit most days. Unladen, or lightly laden, I don't need to do that, even on a road bike with much higher gearing than my tourer.

Same for me. A full load of four panniers has little effect on the flat, where I cruise at 16mph or thereabouts, but when it gets hilly the extra load makes climbing a bit harder work, and I don't compensate with faster descending because usually descending speed is limited by what is safe around corners, which is similar with or without the load. But a full load doesn't slow me down as much as some might think.
mumbojumbo
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Re: Transporting kit on a self-guided tour

Post by mumbojumbo »

Cruising at 16 mph is some going when loaded-cant manage thaty going dowhill.
pwa
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Re: Transporting kit on a self-guided tour

Post by pwa »

mumbojumbo wrote:Cruising at 16 mph is some going when loaded-cant manage thaty going dowhill.

My top speed downhill with four panniers is about 50mph. Only when I can see clear road far enough ahead, of course.
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