Packed bike weighIn Thread

[lune ranger]

Think I need to go this next time I pack properly. Haven't done a definitive weigh in since 1999 Lancaster to Cape Town - 42kg Though I gave the small excuse of carrying most of Mrs Rangers heavy gear - her price for agreeing to accompanying me.
Diary shows also 11kg of gear minus food for trans Iceland 2003 - thought that was impressively light at the time.
I think my load at pressent would be 5kg for a 2 nighter now. But that's a total guess.
Reg's 3.8kg for worn gear was a shock - never really considered that would amount to so much - but shoes,helmet,light and clothes have gotta add up.
Time for an all inclusive weigh in.

[Lazarus]

a combined weight of rider and kit would be interesting

it would but gives a massive advantage to those who start off very light [ also starting at 63 kg]

Oddly I know what everything weighs but the bags/harness [ and the clothes i wear]so i have no idea what my weight is but the main factors are

summer v winter
how many days = more food
Did i start with 3 litres of water or not

[whitestone]

Hmm, there's a big difference between heading out in the UK in summer, south of the border at least, for an overnighter and riding across the centre of Iceland

My kit by category for UK summer is roughly: 1.5kg for bivy; 800g for harnesses & bags; 800g for electricals; 800g for spare clothes; 700g for tools and spares; 400g for sundries.

Electricals, tools and spares always surprises me but then most of the items are metal and pretty solid. I usually think I'm doing well then add GPS, spare batteries and the like and the weight of what I'm taking seems to double.

Water? Take a water filter like the MSR Trailshot https://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.c ... =trailshot

[voodoo_simon]

a combined weight of rider and kit would be interesting

it would but gives a massive advantage to those who start off very light [ also starting at 63 kg]

Oddly I know what everything weighs but the bags/harness [ and the clothes i wear]so i have no idea what my weight is but the main factors are

summer v winter
how many days = more food
Did i start with 3 litres of water or not

I dunno, one thing working in the bike industry has taught me (here comes sweeping statement time) certainly with road and gravel riders, is that the heavier the rider, the more they chase the weight of a bicycle.

[RIP]

29lbs, wow. I think at the time he was testing some new experimental AK fabric which has a negative weight - it actually subtracts its own weight from the rest of the total - so that must have been how he did it.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I think at the time he was testing some new experimental AK fabric which has a negative weight - it actually subtracts its own weight from the rest of the total - so that must have been how he did it.

Not far from the truth Reg - he was testing a new 'sleeping bag' and nearly froze to death on Sat night. It's a long story but involves Alp Kenny waking up at 3am to the sight of Nick doing starjumps in the moonlight

[NorwayCalling]

My view: Unless you want to spend lots of cash (on saving weight of the bike itself and pack size) I think anywhere between 40 - 50 lbs (18 - 22.5kg) for bike and gear on the scales is what you should be looking for. Never mind what weight of the clothing you are wearing... that's just academic).

Anyway don't get hung up on it, take what you need, not what you don't and just enjoy it. Every year at the WRT I look around and wonder just what folk are going without to have such tiny packs, conversely wryly smile at the "kitchen-sinkers" too. I pack for bad weather (even last year when I still took a waterproof ) and a good nights sleep. On a bike with a base weight of around 29lbs (13 ish Kg) (the bike only costs all up less than the Travers-Prong-Fork-Sets...ummm....front forks) I am always between 41 - 48 lbs on the scales wet i.e. with the water bottles full.

Be sensible about what you take that's it - but you must cut the handle off your toohbrush - and enjoy.

[whitestone]

Crikey! That's 13.15kg, my Solaris weighs 11.5kg on its own so I'd have the thin end of a gnat's chuff to play with

Getting under 18kg (roughly 40lbs) is probably achievable for most with a little care, even if they don't realise it. Under 16kg (35lbs) starts to be tricky and there start to be some compromises - see Stu's "tale".

To quote the Vikings: "Better weight than wisdom a traveller cannot carry"

[RIP]

Nah sorry NC, I'm standing firm here , worn clothing can't be academic - it's on the bike so it's being lugged around over hill and dale same as the rest of the junk we carry, and as Mr Ranger says it can almost weigh as much as the bike-mounted stuff. Bob's obv right that 'extreme' trips aren't the same as 'normal' ones so my list was for the latter - although that was what I had for the bonkers Winter Bivi so who knows. Only way I can reduce further by much is by investing in some carbon-based machinery but I"m happy with P7. Certainly water is a biggie - 500ml for me as I rarely traverse the Gobi (and the Cranes took little when they crossed that either!)

[chris n]

The last time I weighed my kit was at the WRT last year: 16.4kg. However I was only out for one night, I was wearing my hat and jacket and there was nothing in my bottles (edit to add: I was on my gravel bike too, which is at least 3kg lighter than my MTB). I was carrying 1.6kg of stuff that I didn't use but wouldn't have left at home (I think it was tarp, poles, tools and first aid kit).

[RIP]

Bob's 35 lb 'red line' is interesting in that that's what many of us have reached and then sort of stopped. Apart from Nick of course, who to be fair takes the prize even though it was almost awarded posthumously which takes a certain beyond-the-call-of-duty dedication .

[whitestone]

Gear (weight) reduction is asymptotic in that early on we make big gains by either leaving stuff at home (cheap) or buying lightweight alternatives (not so cheap). Over time the gains (losses?) to be made become harder to achieve and we sort of bubble along at around our own optimum weight.

What hasn't been discussed is practicality, it's all well and good having the lightest whadjamaflip or doodah but if you are unable to use them out on the trail when ordure and fan meet then the weight saving isn't worth it.

[Asposium]

What hasn't been discussed is practicality, it's all well and good having the lightest whadjamaflip or doodah but if you are unable to use them out on the trail when ordure and fan meet then the weight saving isn't worth it.

why i use a tent.
yes, it weighs 800g
but it is nice having a full tent
and keeps the ticks and midges outside

[Bearbonesnorm]

keeps the ticks and midges outside

Give over, they've all got inside with you and now have no means of escape. It's good though as it means the rest of us can sleep in our bivvy bags safe in the knowledge that every tick within a 3 mile radius is chomping on you

[PaulB2]

My WRT weight last year was 53lb (24kg) - 31lb of that is the bike. I could save weight with a) a lighter bike ($$$$), b) lighter sleep system ($$$) or c) TLS ($).

The extra stuff that I took for insurance (waterproofs, cooking gear, extra baselayer, extra pair of liner shorts, silk sleeping bag liner, enough snacks to feed me for a week) could be pared down depending on weather. After that, most of my weight savings would be in my 'sleep system' - everything is over a decade old and quite heavy and bulky by modern standards. If I ever stop buying new bits for the bikes themselves itself that's where my money will go.

[Asposium]

My WRT weight last year was 53lb (24kg) - 31lb of that is the bike. I could save weight with a) a lighter bike ($$$$), b) lighter sleep system ($$$) or c) TLS ($).

surely TLS is (-$) as the extras can go on eBay.

[whitestone]

most of my weight savings would be in my 'sleep system' - everything is over a decade old and quite heavy and bulky by modern standards. If I ever stop buying new bits for the bikes themselves itself that's where my money will go.

Back in the 1980s I did a lot of Alpine climbing using what was then cutting edge lightweight gear. These days the equivalent kit would be half the weight, I'm not kidding, things have moved on masses, or should that be "not so much mass(es)"? Carabiners used to be around 60g+ each, then wire gates and stress analysis software came along and most carabiners are now in the 20-30g range.

Sleeping bag/quilt and sleeping mat are pretty big unit cost items but they get a lot of use so the "per night" cost does come down: I've used my Cumulus quilt on nearly 90 nights as an example.

[ScotRoutes]

Bob's 35 lb 'red line' is interesting in that that's what many of us have reached and then sort of stopped. Apart from Nick of course, who to be fair takes the prize even though it was almost awarded posthumously which takes a certain beyond-the-call-of-duty dedication .

I'd say that 35lb is a difficult/expensive target for most. A look at the WRT spreadsheet embedded above would back that up. I'm guessing I'm around 44-45lbs all up and getting another 10lbs off that would be a challenge for me.

[PaulB2]

Sleeping bag/quilt and sleeping mat are pretty big unit cost items but they get a lot of use so the "per night" cost does come down: I've used my Cumulus quilt on nearly 90 nights as an example.

A lunar solo, exped mat and a cumulus 250 would be just over half the weight (and bulk probably) of my current gear but since that adds up to about 500 quid and I'm not allowed to sell any children it's going to be a slow process.

[voodoo_simon]

From a few years ago, if I remember correctly, about 36-38lbs but can't say exact weight as my memory fades.

No stove, so no pans

Up front, Rab eVent bevy bag, MHW phantom 32 bag, roll mat and lightweight down coat.

In the rear, tarp, waterproof jacket, water filter, leg warmers etc

Frame bag, spare tubes, repair stuff etc

Feedbag -naturally, food...

[whitestone]

Bob's 35 lb 'red line' is interesting in that that's what many of us have reached and then sort of stopped. Apart from Nick of course, who to be fair takes the prize even though it was almost awarded posthumously which takes a certain beyond-the-call-of-duty dedication .

I'd say that 35lb is a difficult/expensive target for most. A look at the WRT spreadsheet embedded above would back that up. I'm guessing I'm around 44-45lbs all up and getting another 10lbs off that would be a challenge for me.

Yes, I looked at that list and saw very few under 40lbs, maybe it's a bit harder than I thought. I suspect that living where you do you need slightly beefier kit than those of us in the soft south Most hardtails seem to be in the 11-13kg range (the sub 10kg bikes are nearly always carbon fibre race machines) which leaves 5-7kg for kit to get under 18kg(40lbs). Bivy kit would be the largest items both financially and weight wise. Going with Alpkit's offerings as an example: Pipedream 200, R1g3.5 tarp, Hunka bivy, Cloudbase mat. Comes to circa £300 and 1.6kg if my mental maths is right but you need poles and pegs for the tarp. Swap out the bag for a Cumulus 150 quilt and you save £15 and 200g so going lighter doesn't necessarily mean more money.

[whitestone]

Sleeping bag/quilt and sleeping mat are pretty big unit cost items but they get a lot of use so the "per night" cost does come down: I've used my Cumulus quilt on nearly 90 nights as an example.

A lunar solo, exped mat and a cumulus 250 would be just over half the weight (and bulk probably) of my current gear but since that adds up to about 500 quid and I'm not allowed to sell any children it's going to be a slow process.

It is a lot of money in one hit, there's no getting away from that.

[redefined_cycles]

Sleeping bag/quilt and sleeping mat are pretty big unit cost items but they get a lot of use so the "per night" cost does come down: I've used my Cumulus quilt on nearly 90 nights as an example.

A lunar solo, exped mat and a cumulus 250 would be just over half the weight (and bulk probably) of my current gear but since that adds up to about 500 quid and I'm not allowed to sell any children it's going to be a slow process.

It is a lot of money in one hit, there's no getting away from that.

Only one thing for it Bob... I'm gonna sell a kidney (well kindof... maybe my best Crikey, how much winter windshell merino jersey and my phd bag if the new one is up to the challenge of 3 seasons with only an extra 100g weight) and save up for the 500g Nordisk Lofoten 1 man tent...

https://www.alpkit.com/news/sun-warms-t ... ride-thing judging from this Nick seemed to have spent a few years compacting down to the weight mentioned by Scattamah a few posts above...

I'm on a carbon Sonder Transmitter (weighed it in at around sub 1300g if I remember correvtly) and 700g Prong forks... so no reason for me to be in the 17kg dept just need to think through the water/milk carrying issues...

[redefined_cycles]

Bob's 35 lb 'red line' is interesting in that that's what many of us have reached and then sort of stopped. Apart from Nick of course, who to be fair takes the prize even though it was almost awarded posthumously which takes a certain beyond-the-call-of-duty dedication .

I'd say that 35lb is a difficult/expensive target for most. A look at the WRT spreadsheet embedded above would back that up. I'm guessing I'm around 44-45lbs all up and getting another 10lbs off that would be a challenge for me.

Wheres the spreadsheet embedded??

[Borderer]

It's interesting to look back at those 40kg touring setups we had. What on earth were we doing.

In Sarah Outen's book Dare To Do she recounts her journey across Canada in winter, during which she encountered temperatures of -30C. She was camping in that too. Her bike and gear weighed 70kg.