Touring without a pannier - possible?

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Comments

  • TheStone
    TheStone Posts: 2,291
    I've not done as long as you're suggesting, but have always found a rucsac fine.

    Most of my trips have been a week, with 100-150km per day. A good Deuter 30L bag
    is very comfortable (you forget it's there).

    It limits how much you can take, which is a good thing IMO.

    Tried panniers on one trip and couldn't get on with them. Heavy and extra wind resistance
    quite noticeable. People also tend to fill whatever space they have, so you carry a lot more
    that you probably don't need.
    exercise.png
  • cycladelic
    cycladelic Posts: 641
    A rucsack like the Deuter Speedlite 30 weighs 850 grams and will cost about 50-odd quid

    I reckon these will old Karrimor panniers weigh about the same and should go for less than 20 quid... you could put them on the back rack:

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KARRIMOR-FRONT-WH ... 3359d21ffa

    ....And sell them once you get home.
    It's an uphill climb to the bottom
  • Tim Farr
    Tim Farr Posts: 665
    For me a barbag and a saddle bag or one largish pannier are quite sufficient for hostelling/B&Bing. For camping I need the second pannier.
    T Farr
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    you don't want to be carrying stuff on your back while touring long distances day after day

    the end

    no exceptions

    if one is hauling camping gear, racks and panniers are pretty unavoidable sans support vehicle

    OTOH

    credit card style touring can be paired right right right down to virtually nothing
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • andrew_s
    andrew_s Posts: 2,511
    mididoctors wrote:
    credit card style touring can be paired right right right down to virtually nothing
    There was a chap who posted on here (I think) claiming to have done 2 weeks on what he could carry in his jersey pockets and 2nd bottle cage.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    As a cycling dad, it just occurred to me that as well as getting your pals to carry your gear, you could get one of these
    gator.jpg
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    andrew_s wrote:
    mididoctors wrote:
    credit card style touring can be paired right right right down to virtually nothing
    There was a chap who posted on here (I think) claiming to have done 2 weeks on what he could carry in his jersey pockets and 2nd bottle cage.
    I guess he may have been quite smelly by the end :shock: :wink:
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    alfablue wrote:
    andrew_s wrote:
    mididoctors wrote:
    credit card style touring can be paired right right right down to virtually nothing
    There was a chap who posted on here (I think) claiming to have done 2 weeks on what he could carry in his jersey pockets and 2nd bottle cage.
    I guess he may have been quite smelly by the end :shock: :wink:


    i have ridden all summer on a ortlieb saddle bag the small one! AND time off the bike in non cycling apparel except the shoes

    so the idea you have to wear your cycling apparel off the bike is le myth

    0.8L of minimalism

    350__1_Ortlieb-M2-saddle-bag-med.jpg

    actually thats bigger than mine!
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • bike-a-swan
    bike-a-swan Posts: 1,235
    the big issue I find is that weight on your back combined with the forward lean of a roadie (I have trek 1200) puts quite a bit of weight on your wrists, which can get sore after a while. I'm going with the panniers , but see if you can jerry rig something to carry something small but heavy up front- I found there was a tendency to start a wheelie on steeper hills. also, might be worth thinking about what gears you're running- i've found a standard double at the end of a long day with extra load can make a hill that wouldn't normally be a problem a real slog. you'll survive, but it might not be pretty!
    Rock Lobster 853, Trek 1200 and a very old, tired and loved Apollo Javelin.
  • unCivilServant
    unCivilServant Posts: 600
    andymiller wrote:

    One option you might want to consider is a rack and then a drybag (see alpkit.com) and bungee the tent and bits and pieces to it.

    +1 to the idea behind this.

    I've done several trips where I've had a rack but used something other than panniers--because the big rucsac (bodged onto the rack) was all I had, big rucsac because I was going on a combined bike-n-hike expedition, or conversely a couple of small sacks because I wasn't carrying enough to justify panniers. Using non-pannier arrangements isn't totally ideal from the efficiency-of-cycling-or-loading pov but is workable.

    You can even save on the cost of the drybags, by picking up a few heavy duty polythene sacks (rubble sacks or similar from the hardware shop). The obvious disadvantage of not using panniers is having to carry your luggage as several pieces rather than 1 or 2.

    Oh, and one more vote here for relying on your mates to carry the gear being a bad idea. Even if they were absolutely delighted to do so, it reduces your flexibility--you could be a bit stuck if your mate has to drop out, or you decide to separate for a while, or you find something amazing you just have to buy.
  • Brassknocker
    Brassknocker Posts: 209
    I cycled the transalp (Garmish PK to lake Garda) on my Stumpy HT last year and used only a light KIMM sack with very light sleepingbag/tarp and minimal extra clothes. It was for about 5 days, high mileage, and wasn't too bad with a rucksac.
    Infact, it was good to have it when I had to carry the bike in the snow (on one or two of the high passes)

    If I was to do it again I'd buy a fairly large barbag (good for food on the move + camera access!) and use the bottle cage on the underside of the down tube for storing tools/mini cooker along with a very small rucksac for the lighter stuff.


    I've just started using a single pannier on my commuter and have to say that they're great on the road, and for any longer tours involving more luggage I think a rack/pannier is the way forward!

    Enjoy your trip!
  • fermion
    fermion Posts: 44
    Thanks for the responses guys.

    @ bike-a-swan, my Trek 1.2 has a triple chainring so if I'm really struggling on some of the climbs with a loaded bike I can always swallow my pride and change into the granny ring :)

    We are now talking about finishing in Lake Garda, Italy, and spending a couple of days at the lake at the end of the trip as one of my mates grandparents own a villa on the lake which we have been given permission to use. We're meeting tomorow to have our first proper discussion on the details of the trip tomorow, exciting :P

    I've decide to go with the pannier, and will PM alfablue to take him up on his kind offer after I've spoken to my friends tomorow.

    Will keep you all updated on the trip and the training which will need to begin soon!
  • nun
    nun Posts: 434
    Ditch the backpack and get a saddlebag. I tour with saddlebag, bar bag and strap my tent underneath the saddle.

    http://wheelsofchance.org/2010/02/02/ultralight-setup/

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