Author Topic: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour  (Read 20522 times)

How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« on: 10 January, 2016, 09:29:31 pm »
Hi everyone. I hope that this isn't a stupid question, I've tried searching but didn't find anything too relevant.

I'm planning a four day credit card tour along the 'Wild Atlantic Way', which for anybody who doesn't know is the assorted mishmash of roads that used to be called ' the West Coast of Ireland'. They now make up 'the world's longest defined coastal route'.

Apparently.

Whilst this may be true it's probably only because no other country has ever bothered to label all their roads down a coastline and claim they make up a defined route.

Anyway, although I've done a couple of multi day events before they've always been supported and I've never had to carry my own gear on the bike. (Oh god, the shame).

I can't decide how best to do it and what volume of gear I'm going to need. Do I go for a single, large saddlebag like  a big Carradice or something like the ultralight bike packing stuff like the Alpkit Koala. I'm trying to keep weight to a minimum and so am thinking of just a spare set of cycling gear, some lightweight trousers or shorts (weather dependent) and a couple of tee shirts and a fleece. I'll probably be using either a road or a cyclocross bike.

Does anybody have any advice ? I'm probably going to avoid panniers, as although I do have a bike that could take them, I don't really want to go that route (and I don't think that I'll need enough stuff to warrant them).

Kim

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #1 on: 10 January, 2016, 09:38:31 pm »
My usual approach for this sort of thing would be two front panniers on the rear rack.  Because that's a no-brainer when the bike's got a rack and you have an assortment of panniers to hand.  An advantage to having two small panniers rather than one big one is that you can keep wet and dry separate, and have a smaller bag to carry the valuable stuff around in off the bike.  They don't have to be crammed to capacity.

I never liked saddlebags (other than those little ones that'll just about take a toolkit) because they look like such a bodge (I appreciate this makes me a minority on the forum), but it does sound like a reasonable amount of luggage for what you want.

Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #2 on: 10 January, 2016, 09:56:52 pm »
Sounds like a rackpack would be ideal.  That's what I use for multi-day events (LEL, PBP, LEJoG's, etc) and it's perfect.  Not large enough to encourage over-packing but will accommodate all the essentials.  Reasonably aero  compared to panniers and has a handy shoulder strap.

The one I use is sadly no longer made (Creek2Peak) but I'm sure there are others available.
The sound of one pannier flapping

Basil

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #3 on: 10 January, 2016, 10:29:50 pm »
I prefer the small pannier approach Kim suggests, but the barley on a bagman qr too.  This is where all my valuables (to me) are stored.  If someone steals my dirty shirts and shorts, so be it, but everything that is important to me is right with me in the cafe, pub, whatever.
If you stay close to the touristy west coast, you'll probably be OK, but beware if you get adventurous (and I suggest you do) and find yourself in, say, east Clare.  Mechanicals, weather or anything else may necessitate an unplanned stop.  Your credit card may be useless in some areas.  You'll need to think about packing a space blanket or something for a night in the "Audax Hotel".
(This is based on 18 year old knowledge - may not apply now)
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Kim

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #4 on: 10 January, 2016, 10:38:22 pm »
Sounds like a rackpack would be ideal.  That's what I use for multi-day events (LEL, PBP, LEJoG's, etc) and it's perfect.  Not large enough to encourage over-packing but will accommodate all the essentials.  Reasonably aero  compared to panniers and has a handy shoulder strap.

Rack packs are usually in the 12litre range.  That's about the same as a single front pannier, and is about right for valuables, bike stuff and an assortment of spare cycling clothing to adjust for weather conditions.

You'd need about the same volume again for the OP's lightweight trousers, a couple of T-shirts and a (thin) fleece.

Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #5 on: 10 January, 2016, 11:24:45 pm »
Thanks everyone, I appreciate the feedback.

So it looks like I'll need somewhere around 20 - 25 litres. I'll look for a couple of small panniers and see what I can get. Are those beam racks that fasten to the seatpost any good ? They look like a good idea, but the engineer in me is saying that they'll wobble and possibly swing side to side. I was really intending to take my cyclocross bike which doesn't have any rack mounts, but I may think about my old Trek 1000 which has been on turbo duty for a few years now.

Thanks Basil. I think that your advice is still fairly valid about east Clare. I work in Clare so know how desolate it is further east.

My planned route, although I've got to finalise it is from Cork up to Limerick, so mostly around Kerry, hugging the coast as much as possible. I may also take the ferry across the Shannon and do a loop around Clare and then back down to Limerick (which is close to home for me). The main reason behind the start and end point is that they have decent transport links so I could get a train between them.

Karla

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #6 on: 10 January, 2016, 11:42:56 pm »
For a four day credit card tour, you won't need that much.  Definitely not 25 litres, unless you're doing it in the middle of winter at the top of Norway.

I've credit card / youth hostel toured for up to two weeks with a Carradice Nelson (14 litres), it worked fine.  here's my kit list from one such tour.  One of those, a rack pack or an Alpkit Koala type of big saddlepack would all be perfect for your needs.  Travel light, you won't regret it: bikes are such less fun to ride when they're laden down! 

FYI, I'd probably buy a Koala or similar if I didn't already had the Carradice, but it depends what you want from it.  Here are the pros and cons:

Good points about the Carradice:
It's very well built and is as tough as old boots.
The Bagman QR makes it very quick to attach and release from the bike
The side pockets are easily accessible while on the move.
You can cram stuff in and cinch it down with the lid.
You can easily bungee stuff to the top.
You can easily attach a shoulder strap.

Bad points about the Carradice:
It's not the lightest of contraptions.
It's probably not the most aerodynamic of contraptions either.
Together with the Bagman, it's quite expensive.

Kim

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #7 on: 10 January, 2016, 11:49:45 pm »
Are those beam racks that fasten to the seatpost any good ? They look like a good idea, but the engineer in me is saying that they'll wobble and possibly swing side to side.

They're undeniably useful, but many don't have sides for panniers to attach to, so are only really useful for rack bags.  They also seem inclined to rotate around the seatpost (perhaps when leaning the bike against something), to the effect that most of the time you see one in the wild it's not quite straight.  Hard to tell whether that's because the clamp is fundamentally inadequate, or because the sort of person who makes such a thing a *permanent* addition to their bike (which is surely symptomatic of bad planning) is less than rigorous in their fettling.

I once did a group ride where someone had a particularly loose beam rack.  Every now and then another rider would point out that it was hanging off one side and he'd reach back and push it over to the other.  (It is, presumably, hard to line things up with any accuracy behind your back on a moving bike.)  Sort of thing that would make a right-minded person want to pull over at the next discarded beer can and fettle an emergency shim, but he was evidently used to it.

Unless you've already got a suitable piece of luggage, or particularly want the peseudo-mudguard effect, I reckon you might as well use a saddlebag.  They have cunning quick-release attachments, and at least they're supposed to wobble and swing side to side.  :)

Kim

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #8 on: 10 January, 2016, 11:55:47 pm »
Travel light, you won't regret it: bikes are such less fun to ride when they're laden down!

I'd say that depends on the bike.  But if the OP had the sort of bike that relishes a hefty load, they'd presumably already have luggage for it and wouldn't have started this thread.

I agree that the Koala sounds ideal, if it's big enough.

Hmm, how about bar bags?  That's a good way to add a little more capacity (and convenience) while preserving the aerodynamics.

Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #9 on: 11 January, 2016, 12:03:28 am »
Sounds like a rackpack would be ideal.  That's what I use for multi-day events (LEL, PBP, LEJoG's, etc) and it's perfect.  Not large enough to encourage over-packing but will accommodate all the essentials.  Reasonably aero  compared to panniers and has a handy shoulder strap.

Rack packs are usually in the 12litre range.  That's about the same as a single front pannier, and is about right for valuables, bike stuff and an assortment of spare cycling clothing to adjust for weather conditions.

You'd need about the same volume again for the OP's lightweight trousers, a couple of T-shirts and a (thin) fleece.

The rackpack I referred to has a 30 litre capacity - larger if you unzip the expanding top.  Quite big enough for most needs.  I seem to remember Greenbank used the one for several years.  As I say, no longer made.  Perhaps something like the Carradice Carradura (edit: just read they have a capacity of 13 litres so not big enough)?
The sound of one pannier flapping

Karla

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #10 on: 11 January, 2016, 12:07:11 am »
A bar bag sounds like a good idea.

As for swinging from side to side, my Carradice has stopped doing that since I fitted the Bagman QR Adapter, yours for the princely sum of £6.

As for beam racks, they're unbelievably fugly  :sick:

Kim

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #11 on: 11 January, 2016, 12:14:22 am »
Perhaps something like the Carradice Carradura?

I've got one of those.  It's fugly, but practical (though the zip pullers are rubbish).  Capacity is 10 litres expanding to 13.5 when unzipped.  About the same as my late lamented Carradice Prima (~12.5 litres), and a fair bit more than my Arkel Tailrider (8 expanding to 11 litres, making it a bit small for winter).

There's that Topeak one with the expanding side panniers, but that's really more of a commuter thing.  Radical make a 16 litre rack bag with a Brompton logo on it (and associated price tag).

Why do I know so much about rack bags?  *wanders off to bed, shaking head*

Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #12 on: 11 January, 2016, 02:39:53 am »
I'm going to second what Phartiphukborlz said, a Carradice Nelson or similar would be an excellent way to go. A handlebar bag that can be quickly detached and used as a shoulder bag is good, too. Ortlieb bags are good this way. The handlebar bag will also provide a place to mount your map case (or your GPS) where you can read it while on the bike.

"Travel light" is sound advice, and I've been sorry every time I ignored it. Even if your bike is meant to carry heavy loads, traveling light will let you go further in a day, or get to your day's destination with more time to explore, relax, find accommodation or whatever. Less wear and tear on your bike and your body, too.

T42

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #13 on: 11 January, 2016, 08:45:27 am »
+1 on the HB bag: good for small gear such as camera, phone, etc. & stuff to nibble.  A waterproof one is a good idea, ditto for the saddle/rack bags since getting the covers on in a sudden downpour is a bugger.  If you get an HB bag with a large internal pocket and a floppy purse-thing velcro'd inside, try and add a couple of extra dividers to stop stuff rubbing together and make it easier to find.  One with a semi-rigid top is better than a floppy one: one of mine is a ghastly Vaude "Discover Box" with a floppy top and it accumulates a pool of water if you park outside in the rain for a few minutes.

Even if your saddlebag is rated waterproof, put everything, esp. clothing, in resealable freezer bags & take along a couple of supermarket bags for wet & dirty togs so that they don't muck up the dry stuff or the bag.  I label mine with post-it notes inside: so much stuff is black it's a bugger to find in the dark or in shadow.

+1 on what Mark said re travelling light.
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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #14 on: 11 January, 2016, 11:50:10 am »
The Koala is good in that it expands and contracts according to the amount you put in it. It will hold something like 13 litres in total I think, but I've never had it that full. It's far lighter than a Carradice and probably also more aerodynamic, it seems reasonably waterproof and it fits rock solid without swinging as long as you do it all up really, really tight. The disadvantage of it, and presumably the similar contraptions from Apidura and others, is that it's a single, shapeless bag with no way of ordering things inside it. If you're only going to open it at your destination, this doesn't matter, but if you put anything that might need accessing during the day in there, not only do you have to search for it among the other stuff, you have to refasten the bag to the saddle rails every time. This is because the straps that attach it to the rails are the same ones that hold it closed.
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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #15 on: 11 January, 2016, 07:36:22 pm »
Thanks everybody. Incredibly helpful.

I think that I may go for the handlebar bag, either a Carradice or something similar as I want somewhere to carry my camera (in a drybag) and then collect my gear together and figure out how much space I'll need. I'll try and find a shop that stocks the Carradice so that I can look at them.

I do plan to keep everything down to an absolute minimum as I mentioned in my original post, probably just a change of cycling gear and something to change into for the evenings such as the white tuxedo so that I'm not out of place in the pubs in East Clare.

I have a large sheet of correx in my shed left over from when I built a bike box and may use some of that to stiffen the bag if needed.

Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #16 on: 11 January, 2016, 08:06:45 pm »
a large sheet of correx in my shed left over from when I built a bike box and may use some of that to stiffen the bag if needed.

This and Alpkit talk upthread reminded me of haydenw's set-up from a while back:
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=89719.msg1848614#msg1848614


Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #17 on: 11 January, 2016, 09:43:06 pm »
a large sheet of correx in my shed left over from when I built a bike box and may use some of that to stiffen the bag if needed.

This and Alpkit talk upthread reminded me of haydenw's set-up from a while back:
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=89719.msg1848614#msg1848614

Brilliant. I can see a whole Spring of bodging coming up !

Wowbagger

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #18 on: 12 January, 2016, 12:26:01 am »
I always take 4 panniers, even though they might be packed with fresh air.

I used to use a Carradice bar bag, but the cable snapped when I was on a tour in Wales once. I stuck it under a bungee on the back rack and was really delighted by the fact that the damned thing wasn't bouncing up and down any more on the rough road out of Rhayader. It was a really noisy bugger. If Flann O'Brien is to be believed, you may well meet some rocky roadsteads in the west of Ireland.
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Karla

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #19 on: 12 January, 2016, 10:21:29 am »
If you want to keep things to a minimum, don't take a change of cycling gear, just take the one set and wash it in the shower each evening.  You can then take some extra warmer pieces: arm/leg warmers a waterproof, maybe an extra baselayer and a jumper that is intended for off-bike use but can be used on-bike if necessary. 

Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #20 on: 12 January, 2016, 10:39:16 am »
If you want to keep things to a minimum, don't take a change of cycling gear, just take the one set and wash it in the shower each evening.  You can then take some extra warmer pieces: arm/leg warmers a waterproof, maybe an extra baselayer and a jumper that is intended for off-bike use but can be used on-bike if necessary.

I thought of washing my gear each night, but wasn't confident that it'd be dry by the morning and didn't fancy the idea of putting on damp gear each day.

I have a couple of merino wool tops which are good enough for dual use and pack very small and a dhb windslam jacket which I bought for a similar multiday cycle a couple of years ago but have never worn on the bike. I'd say that those, a pair of lightweight trousers, a couple of teeshirts and some socks and underwear will be all I need. Of course I'll also pack a waterproof cycling jacket as this is the west coast of Ireland after all.

I'll pack everything together and see how much space it's going to take up. I'm leaning towards a couple of dry bags at the moment, one behind the seat and one under the handlebars. I do want to include another bag to carry the easily accessible stuff like a camera  as it's a beautiful area and I want to be able to stop and take photographs without unpacking everything.

Karla

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #21 on: 12 January, 2016, 10:49:54 am »
If your camera doesn't fit in your pocket, might it fit in a tri-bag?

mcshroom

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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #22 on: 12 January, 2016, 10:52:32 am »
My experience of wash/wear with cycling gear is that you can usually get it good enough overnight, but only if the hotel you are staying in has radiators. When I've tried washing stuff in a Travelodge (often electric heaters) I haven't got stuff dry enough overnight. As it is though I don't usually travel light enough to be worried if one set of clothes takes a couple days to dry. The pad in the shorts tends to take longest IME.

Each person's approach will be different depending on how they ride and their own opinions on light weight touring.

For the sort of tour you are talking about I'd be reasonably confident of fitting things in a mixture of my Super C rack pack and Carradura bar bag, which gives around 18 ish litres of storage. I'm sure some will think that I'm carrying a lot more than they would, and some a lot less.

Perhaps you could lay all the stuff you are thinking of taking out, and get an idea of what volume they come in at?
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Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #23 on: 12 January, 2016, 10:52:54 am »
Personally like, wouldn't bother washing kit on a trip so short.

And I'd just be taking an Apidura(etc.) saddlebag.

Re: How to Carry Gear for a 4 Day Credit Card Tour
« Reply #24 on: 12 January, 2016, 11:10:02 am »
To be honest 4 days or 14 days for CC touring would make no odds to me - 2 rear panniers and a saddle / bar bag to your preference. Leaves room for a pair of casual shoes (which are surprisingly bulky), and some reasonable evening wear - Rohan or similar trousers, socks, T's, a lightweight fleece jumper.  Not many cycle shops (or indeed shops of any kind) along that route. so a few tubes (the roads can be quite rough) and basic tools. I took a change of cycle gear on that type (CC) of tour, - one on, one drying.

It's a shame they've sanitised the visitor viewing at the Cliffs of Moher so much. When I first went, around 30 yrs ago, you could crawl to the (remaining) edge of the car park and look straight down! Now there's a huge coach park (on my last visit 6-7 year ago I didn't hear and English/Irish voice, all Europeans) and an "award winning" visitors centre, and a path well away from the edge.
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