Long distance with small rucksack

setanta159

Am looking at doing my longest cycle to date next month. Distance wise it's 215 kms. My dilemma is that I'll need a change of clothes at the end of it and a pair of trainers/shoes. Would a small light rucksack do the job or would it just make me feel very uncomfortable and make the cycle more of a chore? Should I be looking at another method for carrying these items, if so what?

seamus

Some lightweight panniers would be your best bet. There's not a lot of weight in what you're planning to carry, but over 215km you'll feel it badly in your lower back and shoulders.

When it's on your back you don't really feel the extra weight, but you'll be in agony probably halfway through.

Topeak do panniers which click onto the seatpost if you don't fancy hooking up a full set to your frame. Not cheap though.

Paco Rodriguez

You will get used to it very quickly, and a small rucksac wont be much of a chore. Just make sure the shoulder straps are comfortable, and are evenly tight.
I did long distance cycles with a 35litre rucksac, with clothes for two weeks, runners and bike lock in it, and i got used to it. Plus if you fall, it helps on landing =P I cant see a problem for you,

papac

I wouldn't use a rucksack over a distance like that.(Or any distace really). Ime it just makes life miserable.
If its a one off and you don't want to fit rack/panniers you can alway use bungees to fix stuff to bars/toptube/seatpost. You would be amazed how much you can carry this way.

DualFrontDiscs

+1 for rack and panniers.

DFD.

petethedrummer

You could get something like this from carradice. I have one and its pretty good. The only problem is the weight is high up and it can be annoying when you are out of the saddle and climbing. It would take a change of clothes

http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.php?page_id=product&under=range&product_id=19

Does your bike have eyelets for a rack? I'm a recent convert to rack and panniers. The advantage is that the weight is lower down and you don't notice it as much when you're cornering or climbing and you can carry loads.
I have these: http://www.cycleways.com/store/category/86/546/Panniers-Front/

A good quality rucksack like something from deuter would probably be grand though. if you keep the weight to a minimum. These ones have a mesh that lets air in around your back and spreads the weight nicely on your back. I use one of these for commuting to work, when I don't have to carry a laptop. http://www.deuter.com/en/products/aclite.php

Captain Havoc

setanta159 wrote: »

Am looking at doing my longest cycle to date next month. Distance wise it's 215 kms. My dilemma is that I'll need a change of clothes at the end of it and a pair of trainers/shoes. Would a small light rucksack do the job or would it just make me feel very uncomfortable and make the cycle more of a chore? Should I be looking at another method for carrying these items, if so what?

This is the bag I had with me for a week:


€40 in my local LBS. It's enough for shoes and jeans etc.....

Tonyandthewhale

I practically live out of my ortleib panniers and would highly recommend a set if you're going to make a habit out of carrying stuff long distances or just have some money lying around you're hoping to get rid of, they're well worth the investment.
Having said that I've done 200+ km many a time with a standard rucksack carrying raingear, lock etc. A rucksack will do the job and for the sake of a few hours on the bike you're unlikely to do yourself any serious damage, you'll just be more sweaty and uncomfortable than you might otherwise be but there's no need to be buying new kit for every trip.

thebouldwhacker

I have a light frame rack for sale of you are looking to buy one. It is as new, I bought it off Cramcycle a few weeks ago but my gf decided she didnt want it in favour for another (the bags I got are great though). Drop me a pm if your intrested.

tomasrojo

Panniers and rack are the best for doing any sort of distance, I find. Clipping on a single pannier takes no time, so even if you're carrying a relatively light load, I'd still favour a pannier over a rucksack.

Going down to the local shops to buy milk, I'd favour a small rucksack, but that's the only time I use one on the bike.

Lumen

I wouldn't, though I have a weak back.

Depends somewhat on position. I'd happily walk all day with a rucksack because then torso is vertical, but on a racer the weight is acting perpendicularly to the spine.

Man != horse.

setanta159

I like the idea of the saddle bag but have also looked at a small handlebar bag. I've read that handlebar bags can be akward on a road bike and limit the cyclist's control etc. This trip will be a once off kind of thing for me as I have managed to 'talk' my way into it so don't want to invest in anything overly expensive. Thanks for all the replies.

Signal_ rabbit

You could always try a saddle bag like the carradice ones that attach to the saddle bag loops, if you don't have saddle bag loops they also do quick release bracket instead which is handy.

blorg

setanta159 wrote: »

I like the idea of the saddle bag but have also looked at a small handlebar bag. I've read that handlebar bags can be akward on a road bike and limit the cyclist's control etc. This trip will be a once off kind of thing for me as I have managed to 'talk' my way into it so don't want to invest in anything overly expensive. Thanks for all the replies.

Handlebar bags are fine on a road bike but you won't generally get them big enough for a pair of trainers and change of clothes. Why do you need these things incidentally? If you must carry them I would go for the saddlebag. Sandals pack up a lot smaller.

Lumen

Anyone got a link to one of those racks which attach to the rear skewer and caliper boss?

edit: maybe the Tubus Fly?

setanta159

Blorg, the trip is one way, Holyhead to Manchester and the people I'm staying with are substantially taller and wider than me. Going by boat and returning on the train to Holyhead unless I go completely nuts and decide to cycle back. Have thought about sending a bag by fedex etc. or asking them to buy me some clothes. Problem with doing that is pricewise I might as well buy something I could use again for the bike. Anyone been on that route? it's not along the coast but inland on the A5 in North Wales direct to Chester, then up to Manchester.

petethedrummer

http://www.oldmanmountain.com/Pages/RackPages/RearRacks.html

Lumen

petethedrummer wrote: »

http://www.oldmanmountain.com/Pages/RackPages/RearRacks.html

Not sure if that was a response to my post, but these racks seem to require dual canti bosses. My road bikes have a single hole in the centre of the brake bridge.

blorg

I would suggest a saddlebag. Regarding the shoes, using SPD shoes would be an option. If you don't want to go to such lengths sandals are a lot smaller to carry. If you take the shoes out of the equation you might just get trousers and a T shirt into a bar bag.

petethedrummer

They have band clamps. Which I would trust for the upper part of rack mouting but NOT lower.

http://www.oldmanmountain.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=O&Category_Code=MH

I had a link to those rack mounting skewers, but lost it in the Great Windows Reinstallation of June 2009.

blorg

Lumen wrote: »

Not sure if that was a response to my post, but these racks seem to require dual canti bosses. My road bikes have a single hole in the centre of the brake bridge.

They apparently clamp to the stays if you don't have canti bosses. Not sure I would like to do that on carbon; attaching to the brake hole would seem to make a lot more sense all round.

kcphoto

I recently did 400km over 4 days with just a handlebar bag and a deuter race small backpack . Used spd shoes - as suggested here also- for walking and cycling.
The bag had a change of clothes for evenings (shorts, t-shirt and long sleeve top) , some toiletries and a spare pair of cycling shorts and jersey.
I think my rucksack was about 15l and genuinely, I didn't even notice it was there. Whatever way the bag is designed, the load seems to be perfectly distributed on your back - no strain on my shoulders back or neck.

BostonB

Does the rucksack not make your back sweaty?