2.5kg on the bars and 1kg each fork leg is that too much, god it's so much easier when it's all on your back

Good question... I hate ruts and feel that with too much weight on the front I wouldn’t be able to pop the wheel out of them easily when needed

I try and keep the load up front to about 1-1.5kg but does depend on ride, etc. That figure includes harness and bag and is in front of the head tube - I might have a kilo of food in stem cells as well but count that as "in frame".

firestarter wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2020 6:57 pm 2.5kg on the bars and 1kg each fork leg is that too much, god it's so much easier when it's all on your back

Ride it and see!

My front end is way heavier than the rear, but having a small frame means I don’t have the luxury of being able to balance things out.

Have run a 15L bag up front, with two feed bags and two bottles on the forks without issue, whilst the rear will only have a 5-8l bag if my memory is correct on bag sizes

When I did touring I ran two front panniers a bar bag and a saddle bag as I preferred the front weighted, I guess the only way is to try, apologises for all the questions not only have I gone lockdown mad but I've been very poorly with covid too and I'm now on the way out the other side :)

Keep asking away!

Perhaps I should have expanded my ‘ride it and see’ to something about how we all like different setups and weight in different places.

Lock down is the perfect time to practice setups, it won’t seem like a wasted day trying various setups and shorts rides when we can’t bivi outside*

I spent a day in my new bike trying a few things out, not quite happy with it, but plenty of time to adjust

*lets not turn this into another loop hole discussion

Can depend on the bike. Some feel wandery and impossible to loft the front with 3kg there, others handle it pretty well. Terrain changes it too. I'd go to 2kg on the bar on my Jones, not much over 1kg on the road/gravel-packer. 4.5kg if that's not inc water would be fine on a tourer but more than I'd want on anything going off-road? (more than I'd usually carry in total but that's another topic!)

I tend to put my sleeping kit on the front. A quick mental tally would suggest that outside of 'proper' winter that probably weighs around 1.5kg and is packed fairly close to the bars on a harness / bag of some sort. I rarely have anything else up front - no separate bags on the bars or forks. However, in times gone by I have had more weight on the front and I can't say that I recall any real difference in handling.

I would also say that, I haven't removed weight from the front and simply stuck it ont' back. Instead, I've reduced the entire weight and amount of stuff carried across the board.

firestarter wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2020 6:57 pm 2.5kg on the bars and 1kg each fork leg is that too much, god it's so much easier when it's all on your back

When I've not ridden the bike loaded for a while and then head out it always seems way too heavy on the front (and the rear) and I really notice it as I steer. it doesn't take long to get used to it again. After a multi-day trip when I first ride the bike unloaded it seems really light.

Having said that, 4.5 kg for just the bars and forks is quite a lot of stuff? My total kit for the Dales Divide last year was less than that. But you may be taking more luxuries than I had. I also gambled it would be dry for 3 days based on the forecast the night before the start and took the tarp/poles/pegs out so save weight, this might mot be appropriate if the forecast isn't as good.

voodoo_simon wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:32 pm
Lock down is the perfect time to practice setups, it won’t seem like a wasted day trying various setups and shorts rides

Indeed. If you've got a local loop you can use it to see the effect of different weights and setups. You don't have to carry what you would on a genuine trip but just have something representative to give you an idea. Start with the harnesses and bags and make up to 1kg. The next day/evening increase the weight to 1.5kg, etc. There'll be a point where you think: "the bike's handling a bit sluggishly/odd" so back off as you've found your particular limit.

Of course you can also pack the bags as if you were heading out on a real trip to check for rattles, uneven distribution, effect on turning circle, etc. Having weight on the back or in the frame might change things again.

I think most of us on here have been down the path of "I couldn't possibly take less than this" that eventually leads to "Why was I taking so much stuff?". One of our first bikepacking trips was the northern part of the West Highland Way five years ago, Cath got an "anniversary reminder" or somesuch of a photo she'd taken. Her comment was: "Look at the size of those bags on the bike, they're massive!"

Edit: Stu's point about winter is worth stating - most of the "stupid light" weights for kit that get bandied about are for summer in reasonable weather and often for ITTs where comfort is of secondary concern. Quite easy to add 2kg for winter kit. Also they tend to be "base weight" so don't include food and water which will obviously vary throughout a trip.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:43 pmI would also say that, I haven't removed weight from the front and simply stuck it ont' back. Instead, I've reduced the entire weight and amount of stuff carried across the board.

This is the key, it’s taken me some time having come from touring on a big dummy but my shelter and sleep kit is under 2kg unless it’s biting. Once you embrace Stu’s TLS philosophy you don’t need as much as you feared, do save some space for beer however, it always gets used

On my town/shopping bike, anything over about 4.5kg in the basket on the front starts to mess with the steering.
For off-road, I'd say try to keep it to 2kg-ish

whitestone wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:53 pm Indeed. If you've got a local loop you can use it to see the effect of different weights and setups. You don't have to carry what you would on a genuine trip but just have something representative to give you an idea. Start with the harnesses and bags and make up to 1kg. The next day/evening increase the weight to 1.5kg, etc. There'll be a point where you think: "the bike's handling a bit sluggishly/odd" so back off as you've found your particular limit

I've used 1 and 2l plastic bottles full of water for short road tests to find a reasonable limit for a couple of bikes, or just to see how a bike feels loaded - easy to strap to the bar and repeatable.

I guess the main problem I have Is my tent is 2.2kg , perhaps I'll have to bite the bullet doh..

firestarter wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:17 am I guess the main problem I have Is my tent is 2.2kg , perhaps I'll have to bite the bullet doh..

Therein the madness starts

I started bikepacking at about the same time as some of my kit such as sleeping bag (20yr old cheap synthetic), etc. had come to the end of its life so jumped several iterations of ever lighter stuff and just went whole hog. Seemed like a lot of cash at the time but the stuff's still as new despite a lot of use.

I do love my big spacious tent though

the three man tent with two vestibules, I use with the kids or a mate weighs 800g less than than that and i would never take it for solo camping- unless i wanted the bike in the tent with me
I assume i have about 1.5 kg up front summer

that's what I need for me and the boy