Thread: How Dy Do It?

If panniers are out of the question and you don't have a support vehicle then its just travelling light. Decent sized backpack ride light. Plan your ride to stop near/in towns where you can pick up food from supermarkets. You only need a couple of sets of riding gear which don't take up too much space. Where you thinking of going?

carry,
any gear that you carry attached to the bike is "dead weight" I would suggest that you look at getting a good light-weight back pack that you can carry slung low on your back and pack only light stuff in it.
the

Originally Posted by witch1

carry,
any gear that you carry attached to the bike is "dead weight" I would suggest that you look at getting a good light-weight back pack that you can carry slung low on your back and pack only light stuff in it.
the

So how does carrying it on your back make it less of a load????
If you put a set of scales under both wheels they will show the same weight whether you carry ten kilos on your back or in panniers. Panniers will keep the weight down low and your stability good, whereas the same weight in a backpack will tire you out and decrease your stability.

Mick

Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

So how does carrying it on your back make it less of a load????
If you put a set of scales under both wheels they will show the same weight whether you carry ten kilos on your back or in panniers. Panniers will keep the weight down low and your stability good, whereas the same weight in a backpack will tire you out and decrease your stability.

Mick

mick,
I did say "dead" weight.
weight carried on the cyclists body rather than fixed to the bike is more easily utilised in the dynamic energy used to turn the pedals, that is to say the bike isn't heavier, the rider is.
As far as weight fixed to the bike goes, it makes the bike more difficult to manoeuver particularly when descending at higher than usual speeds.
On climbing hills and on flat roads weight on the rider is exerted on the pedals with each downward thrust, rather than being a "dead" weight which must be dragged up the hill.
You may notice if you watch racing cyclists that they carry most of their food in pockets on their backs, sewn into the lower part of their shirts and usually divided down the centre.
The bidons in which they carry their drinks are mounted on the bikes, but you will notice that they are usually thrown away before before the riders come to a mountain descent.
Weight carried on the body can be more readily managed on winding descents whereas when fixed to the bike it is a dead weight with no opportunity to redistribute it to your best advantage.
best regards
witch1

Originally Posted by corbs

. Where you thinking of going?

On the weekend they promoted a ride from Robe (SA) to Bendigo (Vic) called the Golden trail. The trail of the early Chinese gold diggers who walked it. I just wondered if there was a way to do it minus panniers and a support car. Perhaps a bit like Peter Fonda without the motor!

CP

Is it along the lines of the Great Victorian Bike Ride? If it is I am pretty sure they have support vehicles (trucks) that carry the gear from camp to camp? Sounds like a nice ride, enjoy if you go ahead with it

Originally Posted by witch1

...........On climbing hills and on flat roads weight on the rider is exerted on the pedals with each downward thrust, rather than being a "dead" weight which must be dragged up the hill........

But your energy will still be exerted to get that weight up the hill whether it's mounted on the bike or the rider. The extra weight will only be exerted on the pedals if the rider is "honking" ie, standing up which is usually only done for a sprint or a fast hill climb. Plus, your leg muscles will be working harder to support that extra weight when you're up off the saddle. If you are touring and want to be able to ride all day I doubt you'll want to be "honking".

Good cycling practice means your legs are spinning the pedals rather than just pushing down. If you just push down you'll find that your legs will actually be fighting against each other as you'll still have downwards pressure on the pedal that's coming up. Look at any cyclists that go touring with luggage and you'll find that they either carry it in pannier bags or in a trailer.

Mick

Originally Posted by corbs

Is it along the lines of the Great Victorian Bike Ride? If it is I am pretty sure they have support vehicles (trucks) that carry the gear from camp to camp? Sounds like a nice ride, enjoy if you go ahead with it

No, you do this one by yourself 'in your own time'. (What was the quote?- Doing your own thing in your own time?)

CP

Originally Posted by Carry Pine

From time to time I get the urge to do a longer ride over a few days but the idea of carrying gear on the bike takes away the fun of it. How do other people go about going on trips- not counting having a back-up car?

Carry Pine

always stay in a pub, so you only need one change of clothing — wash the cycling gear every night

pay someone to be the back-up vehicle – if there's a few of you, you could send luggage on to the next town in a cab



ian

Originally Posted by ian

always stay in a pub, so you only need one change of clothing — wash the cycling gear every night

pay someone to be the back-up vehicle – if there's a few of you, you could send luggage on to the next town in a cab



ian

Now we're talking the same language! Thanks ian.

Graham

Originally Posted by Carry Pine

Now we're talking the same language! Thanks ian.

Graham

carry,
Top advice from ian, go with it (and travel light).

Have you done the ride across kangaroo valley climbing cambewarra and barrengarry - a great challenge and not far from home in bowral.
If you want to overnight in bombaderry then go back home via the coast road, it would be a good warm-up for the 500k (about) from robe to bendigo.
enjoy!
regards
witch 1

Originally Posted by witch1

carry,
Top advice from ian, go with it (and travel light).

Have you done the ride across kangaroo valley climbing cambewarra and barrengarry - a great challenge and not far from home in bowral.
If you want to overnight in bombaderry then go back home via the coast road, it would be a good warm-up for the 500k (about) from robe to bendigo.
enjoy!
regards
witch 1

mick
regarding honking: most of the top riders throughout the world ascend steep climbs out of the saddle. They very rarely sprint out of the saddle.
To quickly wind up the high gears which are invariably used in a sprint it is usually more common to get out of the saddle, but upon attaining sufficient velocity they will usually sit down, to maintain their position in the field they may have to deal with considerable buffeting which is more easily dealt with while seated. then over the last 200 metres there is often a further surge from the leaders and if you have anything left you must throw yourself enthusiastically into the task of dissapointing and amazing them with your resolve to maintain or improve your position while still seated.
Because you are travelling at top speed, you will not go any faster standing up.
When on a mountain climb many of those riders not "honking" can be observed to be involuntarily sliding forward on their saddles, they are doing this because they are pulling on their handlebars to bring more weight to bear on the pedals, since a 78 kilo rider cannot exert sufficient will-power to gain weight when ascending a steep climb, the last resort is to pull up on the handlebars, if he happens to have a 500 gm pay-load in his back pocket it may make weight distribution a little more comfortable.
Now regarding the good cycling practice theory:
Were I to "just push down on the pedals" rather than "spin" them,and to "find my legs actually fighting against each other due to "downward pressure still on the pedal that's coming up" I believe I have been around long enough to instinctively adjust this anomally on the next pedal full, and maintain forward motion with a modicum of decorum.
Should this not be the case however, since I have a wide range of sprockets available on the back hub, thoughtfully mounted to a ratchet device by the designers, my attention would very likely be drawn to the fact that i was not maintaining forward motion in the required manner, by the monotonous click,click,click of said ratchet device in which case, depending upon traffic conditions at the time I would either put my foot to the ground to avert the possibility of a nasty fall, or set to with renewed vigour and a chastened attitude vowing to alternate pressure on the pedals in the approved manner.
happy cycling to all ,
witch1

Originally Posted by witch1

carry,


Have you done the ride across kangaroo valley climbing cambewarra and barrengarry - a great challenge and not far from home in bowral.

witch 1

At the moment I can hardly make that trip in the Falcon! (and that's with a co-pilot telling me when I do something wrong).

Working up to something big. That Ride around the Bay in Melbourne sounds great because there are hardly any hills. Some of the locals rode from Goulburn to Liverpool 2 weekends ago but they said I would need to average about 37km/h. Wow!

Thanks for the encouragement witch 1

Graham