How heavy is your touring bike (unloaded)?

[tbessie]

I bought a Bruce Gordon Rock n' Road Tour last year for my birthday, and am finally using it for touring this year.

I bought it because of Bruce's reputation, and I always wanted one of his bikes.

One thing I'm finding, though, is that even with just racks and nothing else on it, it's super-heavy.  I know it's designed to take anything you can throw at it, and to be able to carry a ton of gear while riding over bumpy roads and such.  But it still seems a bit of overkill.

What's the range of weight-to-amount-you-can-carry of bikes out there, do you suppose?  Is your bike heavy, or just average weight for a road-style bike, say?

Riding the Bruce Gordon fully loaded feels a bit like driving a tank down the road, tho' it *is* very stable.

- Tim

[Pat Lamb]

Both of mine come in at 32 pounds with fenders, racks, bottle cages, and seat pouch with tube and tools.

You might try taking a wheel set off one of your other bikes and putting it on the BG.  I have a theory that most of the heavy feeling comes from wheel and tire weight.  It's sometimes surprising how much difference I feel when I take a heavy 35 tire off the front and put a light 28 tire in its place.

[DwarvenChef]

Surly Disc Trucker base 28lbs, with racks, peddles, and other mounting gear just over 32lbs.  I ride it all the time in this configuration and just have to drop on the bags and a trailer and I'm off.... or I would be if I could ride currently...

[John Nelson]

Tim, what's your answer to your own question?

My Trek 520 with two racks, a tail light, three (empty) water-bottle cages and mini fenders is 31.1 pounds (14.1 Kg). That's with Marathon Supreme 700x35 tires. To that, I would normally add a pump (7.4 ounces) and a bike computer (0.9 ounces), one or more water bottles (3 ounces each empty) and some water. Of course, at a minimum I'd also need to add some puncture repair tools and parts if I went for a ride, and maybe a lock if I was going to stop anywhere sketchy.

[Venchka]

Co-Motion Americano. 26.5 pounds with bottle cages, Cateye speedo & Jandd handlebar bag bracket. I just replaced the heavy 34.6 mm Conti Top Touring 2000 tires with 38mm X'Plor MSO tires. I reckon I lost about half a pound from the wheels.
Fisher HK-II. 30 pounds nekkid. My other touring possibility. It needs lighter tires too.
Decisions. Decisions.

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[tbessie]

Tim, what's your answer to your own question?

My Trek 520 with two racks, a tail light, three (empty) water-bottle cages and mini fenders is 31.1 pounds (14.1 Kg). That's with Marathon Supreme 700x35 tires. To that, I would normally add a pump (7.4 ounces) and a bike computer (0.9 ounces), one or more water bottles (3 ounces each empty) and some water. Of course, at a minimum I'd also need to add some puncture repair tools and parts if I went for a ride, and maybe a lock if I was going to stop anywhere sketchy.

I dunno - I'm using it for my first longish tour (Portland, OR to San Francisco, CA) starting this weekend - taking the train from San Francisco to Portland on Friday; hopefully at the train station they can tell me how heavy it is. :-)

After that, I'll post it here.

- Tim

[staehpj1]

I have used different bikes depending on tour.  For heavier touring the bike weighed about 30 pounds.  As I packed lighter and lighter I used lighter bikes.  My last road tour the bike was 24 pounds including blinkie light, tool kit, pump, rack, handlebar bag bracket, and bottles and cages.  I could see myself going lighter yet for an ultralight load (camping with 8-14 pounds of UL camping and cooking gear and clothing).

[Dreux]

My Surly CrossCheck with racks, fenders, tool bag, lights, Marathon plus tires weights in at 32 lbs. this seems to be inline with a steel touring bike. I'm somewhat new to long distance touring, but the bike really handles well and is smooth fully loaded.
I use my weight compulsion for my carbon racing bike.

[indyfabz]

My Surly LHT is heavy even without racks. It's also 60cm, which means a larger frame, more stem and more bars than smaller rides. I also put a heavier, more adjustable seat post on it. Saddle is a Terry Liberator Gel, which isn't the lightest thing out there.

[SlowAndSlower]

My Bruce Gordon R&R with racks fenders and bottle cages is about 30 pounds give or take a pound or two.
Fully loaded wet for dry camping three days including 4 Ortlieb panniers it clocked in at 70 pounds.

In the overall scheme of things the bike weight it pretty immaterial. Its in the loading where the bike becomes "heavy." So out of my 300 pound moving weight 1/10 is actually the bike.

[tbessie]

Update - I called up Bruce Gordon and he said he didn't know how heavy his bikes were, but he estimated 25-30 pounds with racks.

- Tim

[John Nelson]

It is almost unheard of for a bicycle manufacturer to provide weights for their bikes. There is no standard for how bicycle weight is measured, and publishing weights would allow competitors to attack them based on the weight. Before manufacturers quit providing weights, they would either lie or go to ridiculous lengths to weigh their bikes in a favorable but highly misleading manner. That's kind of what tent manufacturers do today. Tents are always smaller and weigh more than the specs. And tent manufacturers quote something called a "minimum weight", which isn't a useful number in any practical situation.

[tbessie]

It is almost unheard of for a bicycle manufacturer to provide weights for their bikes. There is no standard for how bicycle weight is measured, and publishing weights would allow competitors to attack them based on the weight. Before manufacturers quit providing weights, they would either lie or go to ridiculous lengths to weigh their bikes in a favorable but highly misleading manner. That's kind of what tent manufacturers do today. Tents are always smaller and weigh more than the specs. And tent manufacturers quote something called a "minimum weight", which isn't a useful number in any practical situation.

Interesting - I seem to recall a time when they all used to tout how light their bikes were.  So this changed due to inter-brand rivalry and such?  Weird!

Anyway, I'll weigh my bike when I get the chance, just so I know.

- Tim

[RussSeaton]

30.2 pounds for the aluminum Redline Conquest Tour loaded touring bike.  Including fenders, lowrider rack in front, rear rack, pedals, 2 bottle cages, computer, rear blinkie, and a little compass bobble on the handlebars.  No tire pump or saddlebag.  Your question prompted me to take the scale to the basement and weigh the bike, first time I ever weighed it.  Bike has 35mm Specialized tires that weigh about 2 pounds each.  I would not worry much about the weight of your Bruce Gordon bike.  Its probably around 30 pounds, like all the other bikes mentioned here.  Seems like a good weight to me.  The tires alone will make it feel very different than a racing bike.

[Csm]

My salsa Fargo came in at 30.3 lbs Thursday night when I was cleaning the drivetrain and decided to weigh it. This is with a salsa expedition rack, 2 cages, a bell and garmin 800.



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