Loaded bike weight

[jaminb]

Can you lift your fully laden winter bikepacking set up over a locked gate without stripping off your luggage?

I can’t - am I doing it wrong?

Thanks

[Bearbonesnorm]

Can you lift your fully laden winter bikepacking set up over a locked gate without stripping off your luggage?

Yes.

I can’t - am I doing it wrong?

Maybe yes, maybe no. Is this you?

[JohnClimber]

Or CLS

[ScotRoutes]

Yes.

But then I'm thinking a load for a night or two. Might be different if it's for an extended ride, if water is hard to find and it's exceedingly baltic (the latter two are linked).

[jaminb]

I can’t believe someone took a picture of my pre WRT warm up routine - beware of stalkers in the car park!

[Bearbonesnorm]

Seriously, it'd be handy to see a list of just what you're taking. People may be able to suggest things to reduce weight aside from simply TLS.

[benp1]

It's either a really heavy bike, or a poor lifting technique. Or maybe both

[Moder-dye]

I can but its not particularly easy. I've a steel charge cooker 3 so not the lightest bike before you add luggage anyway.

[Bearbonesnorm]

It did once take 3 of us to lift Tim's fatbike over a gate, so there is hope.

[Moder-dye]

Reminds me of this video
https://youtu.be/eUL56vrK75I

[jaminb]

I was cold last week so not sure where I can strip out any more but see a picture of my bike set up

https://imgur.com/5CgpDgr

And list of kit

Genesis longitude

Wildcat luggage with some random cheap dry bags

Alp kit
pipedream 400
Dirtbag + snugpack inflatable pillow
Hunka xl
bicycle 3.5
Tiny stove and gas cylinder
Pots and spork

Bearbones
Poles
Pegs
Guy lines
Tyvek

Food
Porridge oats
Boil in bag food for one night
Coffee
Hip flask
2.5 litres of water

Spare Clothes to change into
Thermals
Alpkit puffa jacket nylon
Howies thin jacket
Socks

Plus riding gear, lights and a few tools and spares and pump

Honestly can’t see there is any TLS there so is it a case of MTFU.

I wasn’t the only one who needed a hand lifting on to the BB scales of shame

[whitestone]

Doesn't look that much for winter TBH. What's your lifting technique like?

The trick with lifting heavy(ish) weights is momentum. Squat down by the side of the bike and with one hand grab the forks about halfway between the crown and axle. With the other grab the seat tube either just below or just above the top tube whichever is easier. Tense your arms and hold them rigid and stand up as quickly as possible, as your legs almost become straight use the momentum that the bike has to continue the lift with your arms until they are straight. Lock out your arms and manoeuvre yourself so you can lower the bike on the other side of the gate.

Alternatively set the pedals so that the drive side is at 6 o'clock, lift the bike from the drive side and hook the non-drive side pedal on the top of the gate. Climb over the gate and pivot the bike towards you and lift off.

[ScotRoutes]

That's a hefty looking barbag.

I'm not anal about weights, or the lightest packer. The only time I've ever weighed everything it came to just under 50lbs all in, including 1.5l of water. 2.5l is quite a lot to be carrying in tbis country, though it can sometimes be necessary/preferred.

[ScotRoutes]

Good point Bob. Bags strapped everywhere make lifting even more difficult. Fork leg bags in particular.

I'd rather carry a small rucksack than overload the bike and make it difficult to lift.

[ton]

cold last thursday.

merino leggings and base layer top
snugpak softee kip bag
hunka bivi
alpkit numo

i could manage to carry my bike around for a while.

[Jurassic pusher]

I can lift my loaded bike over a gate early on when having a long loaded ride but once I start to get knackered it`s a different story!
The last BB200 I did I needed help ! (Thanks Mac)

[sean_iow]

My loaded bike weighs 49 lbs, it seems to always come out at this +/- 1 lb no matter how much I try to TLS. Can I lift it over a gate? It depends on how high the gate is It's very exceptional I have to lift it over a gate, down my way there are no locked gates on the legal rights of way and even the 'cheeky' trails don't have them, the odd stile but that's much easier. When I have had to lift it over a gate it's the putting it down on the other side that's usually the issue.

There was a single locked gate I came across on the BB200 (or maybe I just couldn't work out how to open it) and it was on a section of track going downhill. I lifted my bike over easy enough but once I had lifted it over the gate I ended up in a position where the top of the gate was under my armpits, I was leant forward as much as I could and due to the ground being lower on the far side the wheels were still some way off the ground! I ended up sort of half dropping it whilst trying to change my grip to still keep a hold of it and at the same time not get dragged over the top of the gate or pull an arm our of the socket, luckily no one was around to witness this display of ineptness

[whitestone]

"Dropping" a bike on to its wheels isn't going to do much damage - after all there's plenty of riders doing jumps and the bike handles that even with the extra weight of the rider.

[ianfitz]

I guess that was the welded shut one up on the tops before we hit the mountain road descent.

I took quite a while trying to open that too. Despite there very obviously being a large post keeping it shut.

But on topic, I’ve rairly weighed my bike. Just tried to not take much and try to buy the ‘lightest stuff that still works properly’. On longer rides and events I’m often guilty of carrying too much food.

[sean_iow]

"Dropping" a bike on to its wheels isn't going to do much damage - after all there's plenty of riders doing jumps and the bike handles that even with the extra weight of the rider.

It wast't the landing on it's wheels I was worried about, it was the lever hitting the gate on the way down or when it did land I had visions of it bouncing off and landing on it's side breaking a lever on the other end of the bars, I may have been over-thinking it?

I guess that was the welded shut one up on the tops before we hit the mountain road descent.

I took quite a while trying to open that too. Despite there very obviously being a large post keeping it shut.

But on topic, I’ve rairly weighed my bike. Just tried to not take much and try to buy the ‘lightest stuff that still works properly’. On longer rides and events I’m often guilty of carrying too much food.

That sounds like the gate. I've weighed my unloaded bike and with the new bars/saddle it's now up to about 27 lbs, which seems a lot for a rigid singlepeed? I'm also guilty of taking too much food which soon adds to the weight. As losing any significant weight off my unloaded bike (well any weight) would cost a large sum I going to be even more ruthless with the TLS in May I've also been on the scales and think I could loose 10 to 12 lbs so I'm aiming to do that as well. To get the bare bike down to 17 lbs would require changing just about all of it and even then I don't think it's possible. I should be able to loose 10 lbs and save money as my plan is simply to eat less oh, and give up the ale

[whitestone]

Sean - very close to the end of the HT550 is a gate where you cross under the railway. You have to lift your bike uphill to plonk it on the gate then get over and retrieve it. After five days on the go I could hardly lift it!

What was worse, as a "gentleman" was that I was riding with Jenny Graham who was equally struggling. I knew that even if I had offered to help her she'd have refused. It's really hard to have to stand by in those circumstances.

[Bearbonesnorm]

2.5 litres of water

There's nearly 4lb to be shed right there.

Pots

Implies more than one?

[RIP]

As 'Routes says: "2.5 litres of water" - forgive the usual response: = 2.5kg right there. Filter? Steripen? Can't remember the last time I took more than 500ml. Also: knock on doors, graveyard/church taps, pubs (drink 568ml while you're there ).

R

(EDIT: bu88er - just crossed with Stu's post!)

[whitestone]

The only time I've wished I had more than 750ml in the UK was on the 2016 YD200 where there was a long section between water sources across limestone based terrain and it was a warm day. I think everyone struggled on that bit - I ended up having a couple of pints of orange juice in the Moorcock Inn before carrying on.

I now carry an MSR Trailshot - Stu covered it in the review section http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co ... water.html

[ScotRoutes]

I've struggled to find a good water source in two scenarios;

Long distance night riding (thinking mostly road here). Facilities can be scant/closed and it's difficult to ascertain the quality of natural supplies when you are at road level and it's dark. I've been known to carry 3x750ml bottles for this reason.

Winter. Even in the UK it's possible for natural sources to freeze.

I usually take 2x750ml bottles so that I have some flexibility about bivvy spot too.