For a 1 week tour (wild camping) ... How much does your bike weigh?

[nsew]

You’re going for a 5 day cycle tour of Ireland with 2 days arsing around ports and on ferries. You could take a kids tricycle from the tip and a bin liner. Total weight 5kg.

[dim]

You’re going for a 5 day cycle tour of Ireland with 2 days arsing around ports and on ferries. You could take a kids tricycle from the tip and a bin liner. Total weight 5kg.

something that I've learned from posting on several forums for the past several years:

'There's always at least one clown in every circus'

[nsew]

'There's always at least one clown in every circus'

[ossie]

1 week tour is no different than a 4 week tour if camping. Same weight all in.

[nsew]

There’s that endurance cyclist, Conway I believe his name is, who covers thousands upon thousands of miles with 6-8 kg of full kit. Though frankly, if he were to get a hair cut he’d dramatically improve his times.

[Bmblbzzz]

I question the need to get new wheels unless there's something wrong with the current ones but if you do, anything more than 36 spokes is going to be overkill. I'm happy with 32 on my tourer (similar weight to you) but OTOH "the best place to carry spare spokes is in your wheel" so 35 seems good.

As for how much weight you'll carry, best way to find out is to try it! Clearly a lot depends on things like size and construction of tent. Yes, you could cut it down to less then 10kg if you wanted to, but that's bivvying rather than camping. Or at least spending a lot of money on a very light, small tent.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
[youtube]56bkaEyScX0[/youtube]

[nsew]

1 week tour is no different than a 4 week tour if camping. Same weight all in.

The variables make this statement of supposed fact unanswerable.

[ossie]

1 week tour is no different than a 4 week tour if camping. Same weight all in.

The variables make this statement of supposed fact unanswerable.

How so ? I never presented it as a supposed fact, more of a personal opinion.

If you are camping and say cooking that will be the majority of your weight. Tent / sleebing bag / Mat / stove etc. That weight won't change for one week or four. Toolkit, water bottles and everything to service the bike will the same. Clothes ? Well your waterproofs will be the same, your cycling gear will be the same. You may save weight on a one week tour with less clothes but why would you take more clothes for a four week tour when you can simply wash the same clothes you would take on a one week tour.

Can you offer any advice on how I could save weight on a one week camping tour compared to a four week ? I always take the same kit, it always weighs the same. Clothes just gets washed more often on a longer tour.

[Bmblbzzz]

Hmm. Confusing. "You may save weight on a one week tour with less clothes but why would you take more clothes for a four week tour when you can simply wash the same clothes you would take on a one week tour." Clearly, if you take less for one week than four, you must take more for four weeks than one.

As to why, that would fall into the "variables" nsew mentions. Personal choice, variety of activities, variation in seasons or locations, dislike of washing?

[ossie]

We could always stick to the subject which is wild camping in Ireland. I'm not sure I've met many tourers who have a burning desire to go rock climbing or engage in any other hobby other than cycling and enjoying the surroundings and visiting local sites. As for seasons, well I'm still struggling to see how warmer clothing for one week would necessitate more warmer clothing for four weeks.

If you dont get the washing clothing thing, then I suggest you may have missed the point completely or are being ever so slightly obtuse. I think you know what I meant. Clothing for one week will usually do for four weeks.

[Tigerbiten]

Can you offer any advice on how I could save weight on a one week camping tour compared to a four week ? I always take the same kit, it always weighs the same. Clothes just gets washed more often on a longer tour.

It tends to be the one-off stuff that makes a difference.
The longer the tour, the more washing up liquid, shampoo, etc, etc you need.
So you start with more.
If I'm doing a 1 week tour, I may start with only 100 ml bottles of both and a 4 week tour with 250ml.
For a pure weight weenie it may be less than a 500g difference, but it's there.

YMMV ............

[yutkoxpo]

Reason that I'm asking is that I am in the process of deciding which wheelset to have built, and I'm planning a solo wild camping/fishing tour in Ireland along the coast. I'm tyring to figure out what rims and spoke amount to use (I will have dynamo lighting aswell)

I weigh 73Kg and my bike (1985 Miyata 1000 )weighs 12.6kg and I have no idea what weight a tent/sleeping bag, etc etc will weigh when packed (I'm planning on using 2 Orlieb rear Pannier bags (70 litre total) ....

I have a front rack aswell with low rider attachments but I don't want to add front pannier bags

my current wheels are 1980's Araia rims (40 spokes front and 40 spokes in the rear)

When I wanted to upgrade my wheels I spoke to SJS to get their recommendations and had them build up the wheels based on their advice which was in turn based on the information I gave them.

Mind you, I was able to give them a breakdown of the weight I'd be carrying the size of tyres I'd be fitting etc. The advice is only as good as the information I supply.

Just FYI, I generally prefer to split my weight over front & rear racks, even if I can carry everything on the back. I believe that splitting the weight reduces stress on the back wheel and on normal surfaces the bike feels more stable. But that may just be me.

For more off-road, think gravel, single-track etc. I prefer to use an ExtaWheel trailer. The steering is lighter & more responsive and again the weight is not all on the rear wheel.

I generally agree that a 4 week tour is about the same gear as a 1 week tour, unless the 4 week tour involves very different weather conditions. Having said that, I am not a weight weenie and prefer to be comfortable than light.

A trip to Ireland last September

[dim]

Reason that I'm asking is that I am in the process of deciding which wheelset to have built, and I'm planning a solo wild camping/fishing tour in Ireland along the coast. I'm tyring to figure out what rims and spoke amount to use (I will have dynamo lighting aswell)

I weigh 73Kg and my bike (1985 Miyata 1000 )weighs 12.6kg and I have no idea what weight a tent/sleeping bag, etc etc will weigh when packed (I'm planning on using 2 Orlieb rear Pannier bags (70 litre total) ....

I have a front rack aswell with low rider attachments but I don't want to add front pannier bags

my current wheels are 1980's Araia rims (40 spokes front and 40 spokes in the rear)

When I wanted to upgrade my wheels I spoke to SJS to get their recommendations and had them build up the wheels based on their advice which was in turn based on the information I gave them.

Mind you, I was able to give them a breakdown of the weight I'd be carrying the size of tyres I'd be fitting etc. The advice is only as good as the information I supply.

Just FYI, I generally prefer to split my weight over front & rear racks, even if I can carry everything on the back. I believe that splitting the weight reduces stress on the back wheel and on normal surfaces the bike feels more stable. But that may just be me.

For more off-road, think gravel, single-track etc. I prefer to use an ExtaWheel trailer. The steering is lighter & more responsive and again the weight is not all on the rear wheel.

I generally agree that a 4 week tour is about the same gear as a 1 week tour, unless the 4 week tour involves very different weather conditions. Having said that, I am not a weight weenie and prefer to be comfortable than light.

IMG_20180915_161711906.jpg
A trip to Ireland last September

thank you ... good info!

One of the reasons that I posted this thread is that I read on a USA touring forum that some people tour with 60 pounds (27Kg) of kit....

that makes a big difference in wheel selection. I weigh 73kg, bike is 12 and a bit Kg .... I've never done a bike tour with tent etc etc

so, assuming a long tour with kit of 27 Kg ... the total weight works out to approx 112Kg .... and that needs a strong rim and good wheel build and I want to use tubeless tyres (For the Ireland trip I might try Panaracer Gravel Kings SK (tubeless version in 38mm wide)

Obviously, I want to travel as light as possible for my Ireland trip, but maybe in time I might try a much longer trip so I may as well get a wheelset that will allow this

I don't like guessing and would rather have a stronger quality wheelset built ... I done the same on my other wheelset for my Trek Emonda .... HED Belgium Plus rims (tubeless or clincher), Chris King R45 hubs (ceramic bearing upgrade), Sapim Cx Ray spokes .... quality ... I've ridden thousands of miles on these on poor roads and they have never had to be trued

[yutkoxpo]

thank you ... good info!

One of the reasons that I posted this thread is that I read on a USA touring forum that some people tour with 60 pounds (27Kg) of kit....

that makes a big difference in wheel selection. I weigh 73kg, bike is 12 and a bit Kg .... I've never done a bike tour with tent etc etc

so, assuming a long tour with kit of 27 Kg ... the total weight works out to approx 112Kg .... and that needs a strong rim and good wheel build and I want to use tubeless tyres (For the Ireland trip I might try anaracer Gravel Kings SK (tubeless version in 38mm wide)

Obviously, I want to travel as light as possible for my Ireland trip, but maybe in time I might try a much longer trip so I may as well get a wheelset that will allow this

I don't like guessing and would rather have a stronger quality wheelset built ... I done the same on my other wheelset for my Trek Emonda .... HED Belgium Plus rims, Chris King R45 hubs (ceramic bearing upgrade), Sapim Cx Ray spokes ....

Well, one of the things I learned is that it doesn't matter too much what other people do...... it only matters what I do. Just remember that there are big differences between touring in different countries, never mind continents!

I'm not a tubeless expert, but from my reading there can be a love/hate attitude to them. Some people have little or no problems while others can have serious issues. My rule of thumb is to test out any significant change I make before heading away to unfamiliar places. I'd rather figure out the problems close to home.

Good luck!