|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Using racing bike for touring
Has anyone used a racing bike for touring (carrying 15kg/35lbs max)?
If you have, what pannier system did you use, and was it succesful or were there any problems? I've been looking at an entry level racing bike for this purpose. It doesn't have braze-ons for panniers and have been advised that a seatpost carrier would be unsuitable for this weight. |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Using racing bike for touring
"Yvonne" wrote:
Has anyone used a racing bike for touring (carrying 15kg/35lbs max)? If you have, what pannier system did you use, and was it succesful or were there any problems? I've been looking at an entry level racing bike for this purpose. It doesn't have braze-ons for panniers and have been advised that a seatpost carrier would be unsuitable for this weight. It can be done, but it's not a good idea. Carrying 35 pounds on a true racing bike is pushing it. Touring bikes have longer seat stays for heel clearance, and will accomodate wider tires. In general, a touring bike works better for fast recreational riding than a racing bike does for touring. A "sport touring" bike might be a better choice for what you want. Art Harris |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Using racing bike for touring
Yvonne wrote:
Has anyone used a racing bike for touring (carrying 15kg/35lbs max)? If you have, what pannier system did you use, and was it succesful or were there any problems? I've been looking at an entry level racing bike for this purpose. It doesn't have braze-ons for panniers and have been advised that a seatpost carrier would be unsuitable for this weight. P-Clamps will attach a rack to your seat stays. Blackburn makes some that have rubber coating to help protect the finish. An addition of some front bag, like a handle bar bag would help put some of the weight up front. A trailer might be a better solution. The best solutions is a touring bicycle. I went through this migration. Each one works, but the stability and ease of use of a touring bicycle is hard to beat. I found the a true racing bicycle was not stable under load when going fast. I also had significant challenges loading the gear on the rack and have my heels not hit the panniers. With the extra load, I found I wanted wider tires. I could only fit 25 mm tires, but I wanted 28 mm or more. -- -------------------------- Posted via cyclingforums.com http://www.cyclingforums.com |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
For occasional use, it's fine
Although I agree that a touring bike is better for routine touring use, there is absolutely no need one can't tour on a racing bike. The additional 35lbs to a bike will have no effect on the frame. Statements like that are speculative, and not proven by any fact. The heel clearance is an issue, but there are setups and panniers that will accomadate that problem. I recently went on a four day ride with six friends. We carried our own equipment, about 30lbs each, and stayed in a motel each night. Riding was about 90 miles per day accross all sorts of roads. There were three Trek 5500's, one Seven, one Colnago, and one Spectrum. Everyone carried there own weight, and other than the occasional flat, no mechanical breakdowns. The pannier of choice for those without eyelets was one by Old Man Mountain. http://www.oldmanmountain.com/sherpa_rear_details.htm It mounts through the axle. It does not put additional stress on the frame. I touring bike with front and rear eyelets may allow for easier use of fenders and racks, but a racing bike is not necessarily a fragile item that is meant only to be raced. I know people who take older Ti frames, that were state of the art when made, and turn them into daily commute beater bikes. In ten years, the Trek 5900's may be on e-bay for someone looking for a beater frame. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Using racing bike for touring
"Yvonne" wrote in message om... Has anyone used a racing bike for touring (carrying 15kg/35lbs max)? If you have, what pannier system did you use, and was it succesful or were there any problems? I've been looking at an entry level racing bike for this purpose. It doesn't have braze-ons for panniers and have been advised that a seatpost carrier would be unsuitable for this weight. I don't know about panniers on a light weight, but I've toured on my Cannondale R1000 light bike pulling a BOB trailer. It can be done, but the R1000 geometry, gearing, and low weight makes it hard. It was very squirrelly especially when standing. Trying to stand up on steeper grades (necessary with higher gearing) made the whole works wobble dangerously, and high speed descents were not safe especially on curves. Maybe panniers work better on a lightweight bike. I finally broke down and bought a real touring bike which handles the BOB and panniers better. My preference on long extended tours are the latter. Low rider front panniers add a lot of stability but also add a lot of wind resistance. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Using racing bike for touring
Yvonne wrote:
Has anyone used a racing bike for touring (carrying 15kg/35lbs max)? If you have, what pannier system did you use, and was it succesful or were there any problems? I've been looking at an entry level racing bike for this purpose. It doesn't have braze-ons for panniers and have been advised that a seatpost carrier would be unsuitable for this weight. The most common mechanical failure with bikes overloaded for touring is spoke breakage in the rear wheel. For a load like this, I'd recommend a pair of low-rider _front_ panniers. Most front wheels are way overbuilt compared with rears, and it is very unusual to have any problems in front. This also will provide more even weight distribution, and avoid issues of heel clearance with the rear panniers. There are a number of front racks/panniers that don't require braze ons. It's also sometimes feasible to temporarily install a touring fork on a racing bike for this purpose. You might also use a seatpost rack for light/bulky stuff like a sleeping bag. Sheldon "Front Loading" Brown +-----------------------------------------------------------+ | Oh, my ways are strange ways and new ways and old ways, | | And deep ways and steep ways and high ways and low, | | I'm at home and at ease on a track that I know not, | | And restless and lost on a road that I know. | | --Henry Lawson, Australian poet. | +-----------------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
For occasional use, it's fine
On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 15:54:02 GMT, "MGS" may have said:
In ten years, the Trek 5900's may be on e-bay for someone looking for a beater frame. If they're still in one piece. While that particular frame might be, there are plenty of current racing frames that will probably have developed failures well before then. Bleeding-edge frames are no longer built for long-term durability...and it's particularly hard to say what any given carbon fiber frame's longevity will be since there are so many variables involved. I would be amazed if the resins reliably and consistently remained stable in actual usage environments for ten years; some certainly will, but I have no doubt that many will not. On the other hand, as you point out, most all things come cheaply to those willing to wait. -- My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail. Yes, I have a killfile. If I don't respond to something, it's also possible that I'm busy. Words processed in a facility that contains nuts. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
For occasional use, it's fine
MGS wrote:
Although I agree that a touring bike is better for routine touring use, there is absolutely no need one can't tour on a racing bike. You can probably tour on a Razor scooter, too. The differences are ones of degree. With a racing bike, nobody is suggesting that you will have a frame failure. Here are some common issues using a racing bike for touring: -spoke breakage with lighter weight wheels -heel clearance with panniers -no clearance for fatter tires or fenders -less stability with a heavy load -high-speed shimmy with a heavy load -less comfortable position for long distance riding -shorter wheelbase means a harsher ride We see a lot of cross-country tourists at our shop. Since we are in Illinois, we typically see them somewhere in the middle of the trip. So, we get to see a lot of what works and what doesn't. We sell a lot of saddles (after a rider finds that the saddle that was comfortable on 30 mile local rides doesn't necessarily work for 80 miles a day for several weeks). We also sell a lot of replacement tires. By the time we see folks, they don't care what the tire weighs as long as it is durable and fairly flat-resistant. Fatter is better since they generally last longer. We also do a lot of wheel repair and rebuilding. Todd Kuzma Heron Bicycles Tullio's Big Dog Cyclery LaSalle, Il 815-223-1776 http://www.heronbicycles.com http://www.tullios.com |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Using racing bike for touring
"Commuter Cyclist" -an-address wrote in message newsan.2003.11.23.19.28.37.138989@cyclist... On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 01:33:15 -0800, Yvonne wrote: Has anyone used a racing bike for touring (carrying 15kg/35lbs max)? If you have, what pannier system did you use, and was it succesful or were there any problems? I've been looking at an entry level racing bike for this purpose. It doesn't have braze-ons for panniers and have been advised that a seatpost carrier would be unsuitable for this weight. My experience touring with a lightweight bike was that it wanted to oscillate unless I kept my weight on it. Less load made it more stable, but it wasn't as fun as a rock solid bike. No harm done, but nothing would beat the heavier construction and conveniences of a real touring bike (e.g. braze-ons front and back, relaxed geometry, better gearing and so on). This guy http://www-math.science.unitn.it/Bik...3-0339_IMG.JPG (large file) would disagree with you. Another photo shows two bikes with this setup http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/alps_photos/f27.html (btw, if I were to be gay, I'd be on that Bill Roberson guy ... ain't he pretty?!) FWIW, check out his pack list http://www-math.science.unitn.it/Bik...king_List.html, all of which goes into that transverse saddle bag, the type you can find here http://rivendellbicycles.com/webalog/baggage_racks/ Saddlebag size can be an issue with smaller frames but you can also find supports at the last link above. I used to do a fair amount of fully loaded, unsupported, primitive camping touring on full-fledged touring bikes. I haven't toured in quite a while but, when I get around to it again, I'm going to take my road bike and forget about sleeping on hard, cold ground after a long day in the saddle lugging around all that camping gear. Of course you might want to rethink if your road bike is a stupid-light and/or stupid-short racer. Mine is neither (but technically a racer nonetheless). Robin Hubert |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Using racing bike for touring
On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 01:33:15 +0000, Yvonne wrote:
Has anyone used a racing bike for touring (carrying 15kg/35lbs max)? If you have, what pannier system did you use, and was it succesful or were there any problems? I've been looking at an entry level racing bike for this purpose. It doesn't have braze-ons for panniers and have been advised that a seatpost carrier would be unsuitable for this weight. There is no problem. I*have used two different racing bikes for touring, with no trouble from the bike. You are not carrying that much weight, so could use just rear panniers with maybe a front handlebar bag. That's what I use. I secure the rear rack to the frame with "P-clamps" from a hardware store. The "P" is their shape, and the rack mounts attach to the leg. They even come with rubber padding to protect the frame. BTW, they are meant to hold cable, so look in the electrical section. You need to be careful to get the panniers back far enough to avoid heel contact, but that can be done. My stays are quite short and it works well for me. You will also want to get triple chainrings. The extra weight, even 35lbs, makes climbing much harder. -- David L. Johnson __o | "What am I on? I'm on my bike, six hours a day, busting my ass. _`\(,_ | What are you on?" --Lance Armstrong (_)/ (_) | |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Trips for Kids 13th Annual Bike Swap & Sale | Marilyn Price | Racing | 0 | June 1st 04 04:53 AM |
Came accross a KHS Classic racing bike in mother inlaws Garage | chris | Racing | 2 | March 31st 04 08:09 PM |
Canadian Tire bike: Super Cycle Gravity | cam | Mountain Biking | 15 | March 22nd 04 08:11 AM |
local race fees : road versus mountain bike racing | WooGoogle | Racing | 2 | December 28th 03 08:00 PM |
This bike racing is so serious....lighten up! | jp | Racing | 4 | November 29th 03 12:17 AM |