Share your UL touring photos

[Michael Meiser]

I've started a photo sharing group for ultralight touring on Flickr and would love it if more from here joined up and shared some photos:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/ultralightbiking/

I'd also encourage you to share your photos here as well.

I'll start.

This was my winter/early spring UL road specific touring setup as of last Sunday / Monday:

Weighed in at 32lbs base, 36lbs fully loaded with food and water.

I suspect I'll have it down to 30 by summer.

And this is my UL backroad / off road snow touring setup complete with studded tires:

Weighs in at about 45lbs.

I run completely self contained using a multi-stove approach lately. ISO+wood (summer) or alcohol+wood (summer) or whitegas+wood (winter).

I'm a bit of an opportunist on food carrying core/ staple foods like ramen, lipton noodle, coffee, cocoa, tuna, Udon, grits and other such foods but will raid gas stations grocery stores and even the occasional restraunt or cafe as time and convience allows.

Lately I've been running with a bivy, tarp and a zero degree bag. Great late fall, winter and early spring setup. In the summer I tend to use a tent more due bugs. Eventually I suspect I'll get into hammocking.

I'd love to see more people out there just taking off on multi-day rides out their back door as convience allows. Going UL, covering lots of easy miles, crashing / stealth camping where they may and just generally riding over multiple days the way they would on any saturday or sunday afternoon.

That's my style anyway. I call my little touring trips "crimes of convience".

UL touring also affords more possibilities for backroad and off road touring.

Cheers!

[Ken Thompson]

How does your bike behave in the wind with the frame centered bag. Looks like a sweet setup. I need to get back on mine.

[Arapiles .]

What do you do for water – do you use a hydration pack?

Edit: not to worry, just noticed the water bottle on the front fork.

[Timo Anttalainen]

Not bicycle, but almost.

[Miguel Arboleda]

Timo, what is the advantage of a kickbike? Isn't the clearance rather troublesome off-road?

M_M, do you find that the frame bag causes problems when you want to lift the bicycle?

[Timo Anttalainen]

Riding kicbike is fun! My average speed is same with kickbike or bike. Photo is from my trip finland to gotland (sweden) and back.

My trip photos: http://www.kevytreppu.com/Valokuvat/Gotlanti_kickbike.html
About kickbike: http://www.kickbike.fi (in english)

[David Chenault]

This is back in the fall of 2007. Dave Harris took this, of me topping out the big climb going north from Glen Canyon City up onto the Kaiparowits Plateau. We ate dinner in Escalante that night, and crashed in the scrub just outside town after riding for 14 hours. After we fell asleep some local rednecks found us, shot high powered rifles over our heads, and buzzed us with ATVs. Lesson learned: don't camp in sight of the road!

The trip was a good one regardless. It's much more fun (for me) to explore areas like that on a bike than a truck in 4 low.

I had a bivy strapped to my bars, a pad and food strapped under the seat, and a light down bag in my pack. My setup has gotten better, but that was a perfectly functional rig.

[D G]

a>
Late Winter/Early Spring ride in the Cascades. 15lb baseweight including panniers (30L total).

[Greg Lewis]

Hey Daniel,
That looks like the Iron Horse/ John Wayne trail. Do you know if there are plans to open the tunnels again?
Greg

[D G]

Hi Greg,
Yes, that's the Iron Horse Trail. That's back from 2005 when we had that dry winter and the Iron Horse trail was pretty snow free.

The latest I heard was that the tunnel under Snoqualmie pass is closed indefinitely, until repairs are made. I have not been able to find any kind of schedule. I suppose it may eventually open up again, by if it does I suspect it will be many years. Really a shame.

[Michael Meiser]

@Ken Tompson, "How does your bike behave in the wind with the frame centered bag. Looks like a sweet setup. I need to get back on mine."

Wind has not been an issue thus far. In fact there's far less wind footprint then with four pannier bags. Especially from the front. I think part of it is that my leggs break the plane from the side.

However I've yet to experience any 25+ mph cross winds so we shall see.

[Ken Thompson]

Thanks, you solution is an elegant one. Hated those front mounted panniers.

[Michael Meiser]

@ D W (Arapiles) said: "What do you do for water – do you use a hydration pack?"

While the Cross Check does have water bottle mounts on the forks I haven't yet found a place to put water bottles on the Salsa as the front fork is of a blade type with no possible way to mount bottles.

Thus far I've had plenty of room to put a water bottle in the frame bag. However over the summer I think I'll be needing more then will fit in the frame bag.

I am thinking of trying wb mounts on the handlebar or possibly the rear chainstays.

The best trick I've found thus far is to use plastic reflector mounts which come in a variety of sizes to place water bottles virtually anywhere on the frame. These appear to be more then durable enough for the job.

I also have an ultra simple / ultralightweight backpack made of nylon. It's capable of carrying 10-15 lbs comfortably, though I prefer to have nothing on my back.

-Mike

[Michael Meiser]

@Miguel D Arboleda (butuki) said: do you find that the frame bag causes problems when you want to lift the bicycle?

I've actually left a hand grip hold along the top of the frame bag back near the seat.

This is fairly typical for frame bags.

Mine isn't perfect though so I do have to consciously slide my fingers between the bag and the frame. So though it's a typical cyclocross style grab I can't just grab it on the fly. :)

If I want to carry it higher I'll often grab it down underneath the moddle of the down tube. Great for carrying it over weeds, bushes, brush… or up stairs.

What is amazing is when you get your setup down to 35lbs picking it up is extremely easy. I'm always amazed at just how easy it is to carry it up stairs, over fences or over rough terrain.

[Michael Meiser]

@Timo Anttalainen (timoa), awesome!

I'd never thought about traveling by such means.

It's certainly is ultralight.

I'm curious as to how you got into it and what you see the advantages are.

Do you still travel this way?

[Michael Meiser]

@Daniel Goldenberg
(dag4643) and David Chenault (DaveC), I'd love to see your gear lists if you've got them somewhere.

[Michael Meiser]

Been flipping through your pics.

Pretty awesome.

== on tarps ==

I like your tarp setup. Have been debating trying a wing tarp for it's extremely simple setup, but have also been looking at that type. Am I right in calling it a hooch? I've heard it is derived from swedish and/or australian military is this correct?

I'm curious as to what kind of lines you use and what kind of nots and binders. I'm not completely satisfied with my mastery of lines, knots, and other tarp craft.

== of pots and alcohol stoves ==

BTW, I like the MSR titan kettle + supercat setup. I have done some testing with it. Despite all the fanciness of the side jetted pot pressurized double walled alcohol stoves the supercat is remarkably efficient and often quite a bit hotter. Not to mention its extreme simplicity and lightness.

Have been experimenting with pots btw. Have been experimenting with the $6 Kmart grease pot. Great pot but I think the MSR titan is my ideal solo winter touring pot.

For summer though I think I'm going to go a little narrower for now. It does decrease efficiency a little, but this can be more then compensated for by a nice caldera cone which captures heat along the sides of the pot as well.

== of kickbikes ==

I see some big advantages of the kickbike btw. For one thing it's extremely simple and efficient. Not quite as effcient as a bike drivetrain, but it's simplicity and comfortable step on off stance are appealing. I imagine it can be considerably lighter then a traditional bike.

What's more I believe one could take it places where a traaditional bike couldn't go? How is it walking with it?

[D G]

I don't have my gearlist anymore but remember fairly well what I took:

Shelter/Sleep system
Pimped out Hilleberg Akto.
Nunatak Arc X down quilt
Thermarest pro lite 3
small thermarest sitpad

Clothing.
Basically what I wore (Merino LS top + Rain Jacket, supplex pants)
extra clothing was Merino long bottoms and montbell thermawrap jacket, some gloves and beenie, extra pair of socks.

Cooking
Gigapower stove and snowpeak 600 cup
2 bike water bottles + platy 2L reservoir.
aquamira.
600 cubic inch drybag for food.

Usual toiletries, 1st air stuff, headlight, etc.

Most of the stuff was what I would have taken on a typical backpacking trip, with an approximate baseweight of 11-12 lbs.

The panniers where Ortlieb small front panniers that I used at the back, and weighed about 3 lbs for the pair. This added a couple of pounds vs using a 16 oz ultralight frameless pack, taking the weight up in the 14 lb range.

Then bicycle specific stuff (spare tubes, tire repair stuff, basic tools) added another 16 oz approx, taking the weight up to about 15 lbs.

[Timo Anttalainen]

@mmeiser

"I'm curious as to how you got into it and what you see the advantages are.
Do you still travel this way?"

My friend have kickbike. I try it and… now i have my own. It is simple. No broken parts. Only tires. Now i have about 2000 km (1242 miles) with kickbike and only repair is tires, everything else is ok. When i use bicycle my thigh (is this right word?) and ass is killing me. With kickbike i use legs, back and arms to move. So all of my body get exercise.

And yes, i travel this way. Now here in Finland is winter so i need to wait spring.

ps. other kickbike trip to Lapland Finland: http://www.kevytreppu.com/Valokuvat/Kickbike_lappi.html
it says:
"10082009 jne. alkuiset on kännykkäkuvia jotka eivät ole täysin järjestyksessä. Muut ovat."

Mean: for example 10082009 pictures aren't in order. IMGB_… are in time order.

pps. sorry my bad english…

[Gordon Smith]

@Daniel,

Is that a sprung Brooks saddle on your bike? Man, I love mine. Old school, but still the best by a long shot.

Gordon

[BlackHatGuy]

"pps. sorry my bad english…"

No apologies necessary, your bad english is a heck of a lot better than my nonexistent finnish!

[Travis Leanna]

Timo,
Your English is better than some careless and lazy morons who use English as their primary language!

[Amy Lauterbach]

Mike wrote "Thus far I've had plenty of room to put a water bottle in the frame bag. However over the summer I think I'll be needing more then will fit in the frame bag."

I've been able to carry a full 6-liter DromLite bag in my Carousel Frame Bag. Depends on your triangle size. I can't zip the Frame Bag closed with 6 liters of water, but it functioned just fine.

Amy

[Ted E]

From my Yellowstone trip last weekend. my friend was using my panniers, so i just lashed my pack to rack and the seat. a little top heavy, but it was pretty aerodynamic and worked well.

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/6954/26110411690505165559250.jpg

My solo touring setup has my tent running the length of my top tube, my two rear panniers for cloths, food, etc., and my handlebar bag to hold my SLR camera and small things like chapstick. For warm weather, everything i need fits in the two rear panniers and the handlebar bag, where when its a little colder, i attach my sleeping bag to the top of the rack to give me some more room for layers in the bags.

I like the idea of carousel design works escape pod instead of the panniers, and then just strapping my ursack to the top of the rack to hold food for an extended trip.

[Willem Jongman]

I have been cycle touring in Europe for much of the last 35 yers. Increasingly I have become convinced that cyclists carry too much stuff with them, and can learn from UL backpackers. That is why I hang out here.
Of course, conditions are not quite the same, so luggage will differ. Obviously, there is the toolkit, one or two spare tubes, and maybe a spare tyre. Even if you take the minimum of tools (and rely and good maintenance) it all adds up, but it cannot be missed.
I guess the biggest diference is on the cooking side, where I shop for fresh food every day, but also need a somewhat more ambitious stove to cook all that fresh food. Camping is almost invariably on campsites. So in all I am closer to the inhabited world. Thus I also need some half decent warmer clothes in the evening, for restaurants or for museum visits(can't very well walk around in cycling lycra).
I agree that front panniers are not only unnecessary (unless you do an epic tour in the Third World), but also give quite a bit of extra drag riding into the wind. If you can save enough volume to make them unnecessary you save 2-2.5 kg on empty front panniers and rack. Rear panniers are enough for almost any trip. On my imminent trip to Norway I wall have a small bar bag, two rear panniers (40 litres total) and the tent strapped on top of that. And that for a cold and wet destination. For mild summer trips into France two small front panners at the rear wil also do.
I would hate to ride with such a big frame bag, however. I like to ride classic cranks with a low q (feet close together) and that would not work with that bag. Also, in real wind a big frame bag will be quite dangerous. Finally, I don't think it provides the best weight distribution. The specifc gravity of luggage varies enormously, from about 0.25 for sleep systems to about 1 for water etc. So I use bottle cages on my frame to the max for liquids (2.5-3 kg water and stove alcohol) to have the heaviest stuff low and in the centre of gravity. If travelling light, the luggage can go into a Carradice 24 litre saddle bag (right in the centre of the weight distribution and in the centre of the bike) plus a larger 10 litre bar bag.
Cycle touring is a great way to travel, but it is indeed a lot nicer if you do not carry too much.

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