Author Topic: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes  (Read 228921 times)

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #50 on: 30 July, 2012, 04:05:12 pm »
Phwoar!!!  I wanna go touring again!

A question to Kim and Charlotte (not a criticism), why do you do your Ortliebs up like that?  I pull the shoulder strap down into the clip on the side at the bottom and wonder if I'm missing something?

Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #51 on: 30 July, 2012, 04:10:09 pm »
Here's one from last week's tour of East Anglia.  I don't use the clip at the bottom either as they fasten OK without it - one less thing to faff around with.  On the front panniers I keeps one strap folded inside, for use as a shoulder bag when shopping etc.


Kim

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Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #52 on: 30 July, 2012, 04:16:37 pm »
A question to Kim and Charlotte (not a criticism), why do you do your Ortliebs up like that?  I pull the shoulder strap down into the clip on the side at the bottom and wonder if I'm missing something?

Shoulder straps are pointless extra faff and weight if you're not going to be carrying the panniers around on foot (as a general rule, I have bicycles to avoid the need for carrying things around, and in a touring situation I can imagine wanting to lug at most a single front-roller around for any amount of time), so they stay at home.

That just seems like the natural way to seal them for optimum waterproofing.

Not entirely clear in that picture, I've got the over-the-top straps crossed over between the two back-rollers.  This mainly acts as a baffle to stop the water in the bag on top of the rack from sloshing about too much, but also provides a useful temporary thing-holder and knobbles the simplicity of the quick-release for traffic-lights-in-That-London security.

The clip at the bottom is, as far as I can determine, designed for securing a 7 Watt flexible solar panel across the rear panniers with zipcord.   :D

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
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Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #53 on: 30 July, 2012, 04:20:01 pm »
Also, with the uberlightweight Ortlieb bags, they're thin enough to roll up the top like a dry bag, rather than just fold down and secure with the cross-strap.
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Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #54 on: 30 July, 2012, 04:23:29 pm »
Interesting.  I use the clip at the bottom as I have found the should straps useful for off bike carrying.  Also, by using the bottom clip you can pull the top roll down nice and tight which looks better for waterproofing plus it squeezes the contents down from the top so helps stop stuff rattling.

Again, not inferring any criticism just curious.   :-*

Kim

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Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #55 on: 30 July, 2012, 04:23:42 pm »
Also, with the uberlightweight Ortlieb bags, they're thin enough to roll up the top like a dry bag, rather than just fold down and secure with the cross-strap.

Not just the uberlightweight ones, though how well it works depends on how crammed they are.  I pack to allow two folds.

I thought this was the whole point in the roll-top design.   ???

Kim

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Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #56 on: 30 July, 2012, 04:25:46 pm »
Also, by using the bottom clip you can pull the top roll down nice and tight which looks better for waterproofing plus it squeezes the contents down from the top so helps stop stuff rattling.

Once you've expelled the air and taken up the slack by closing in a dry bag style, the cross strap achieves the same thing.

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #57 on: 30 July, 2012, 04:28:14 pm »
Here's what mine look like ...



They were well full so it was tricky to get enough material to roll up.  I like at least 2 rolls to guarantee watertightness. 

I don't think it really matters how you do it.  I love Ortliebs as they really are watertight although I've not tried other brands apart from my old 1980s Karrimors which weren't remotely waterproof.

Kim

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Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #58 on: 30 July, 2012, 04:34:20 pm »
See, you've closed the external pockets our way!   :P

I've only had an Ortlieb leak when I crashed and made a hole in it (and that's now fully repaired with the appropriate patches).  They really are splendid.

Not that I have any complaints about the cavernous Altura Orkneys in that regard - they've done equally well in the face of serious drenchings - they just fouled the rear brake on the Streetmachine.

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #59 on: 30 July, 2012, 04:38:21 pm »
See, you've closed the external pockets our way!   :P

 ;D  That's cos there aren't any clips or little shoulder straps.

Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #60 on: 30 July, 2012, 04:41:19 pm »
A question to Kim and Charlotte (not a criticism), why do you do your Ortliebs up like that?  I pull the shoulder strap down into the clip on the side at the bottom and wonder if I'm missing something?

Shoulder straps are pointless extra faff and weight if you're not going to be carrying the panniers around on foot (as a general rule, I have bicycles to avoid the need for carrying things around, and in a touring situation I can imagine wanting to lug at most a single front-roller around for any amount of time), so they stay at home.
When youth hostling the shoulder straps become very useful for carting the bags from the cycle store to the dorm. However when camping I can see they become superfluous as the bike is parked next to the tent. Or in Kims case tied to the tent by a guy line.

Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #61 on: 30 July, 2012, 04:55:02 pm »
If you're bear-sized the shoulder straps are a complete waste of time, just like the Ortlieb barbag straps.   

Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #62 on: 31 July, 2012, 10:29:57 am »
Dawes Sardar with Ortliebs, B17, Marathons, Tubus - the usual stuff. Rivendell Brand V boxybar bag and seat bag, Terra-nova laser comp on top of the rack. Fluffy towel hanging from the left pannier because it was still wet.

That's the Union chain bridge over the Tweed, just over halfway along the coast and castles route.



IMG_0556 by Hey look, it's Luke!, on Flickr
Don't ask.

tiermat

  • According to Jane, I'm a Unisex SpaceAdmin
Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #63 on: 31 July, 2012, 10:36:22 am »
If you're bear-sized the shoulder straps are a complete waste of time, just like the Ortlieb barbag straps.

This ^, I just use the tops clipped together as handles to carry my Ortliebs.  If I need to carry them further (i.e. through airports etc) I have a cheap holdall which will take both panniers and the barbag.
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #64 on: 14 August, 2012, 09:15:30 am »

This one was taken on Dartmoor along the route of the Devon C2C. The second tour my Daughter and I have done together.
Our next kit up-grade will be sleeping matts which stow more compactly. 



Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #65 on: 18 August, 2012, 07:14:11 pm »
That is cool :thumbsup:. Reasonably small mats definitely help for tandem camping :).
Quote from: Kim
^ This woman knows what she's talking about.

CrinklyLion

  • The one with devious, cake-pushing ways....
Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #66 on: 20 August, 2012, 09:51:28 am »
How completely, utterly and splendidly fabulous!  Hurrah for small stokers :)

LEE

Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #67 on: 20 August, 2012, 09:55:41 am »
That is cool :thumbsup:. Reasonably small mats definitely help for tandem camping :).

But never trade off comfort in a sleeping mat. (Just take one really nice one for you...kids can sleep anywhere and their hips still work in the morning)

Arellcat

  • Velonautte
Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #68 on: 20 August, 2012, 10:54:00 am »


RANS V2 Formula 26 at Niagara Falls.  Up top is an Inertia seat bag and underneath, a Terracycle rack hanging my old Edinburgh universal panniers that were being scraped to pieces on every tight corner, thus ruining my careful pre-tour sewing and mending session.  They very nearly didn't make it through the ride, so when I was home, I replaced them with Arkel RT-40s.
Quote from: Morningsider
I like that you think any of your conveyances might qualify as "a disguise".

Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #69 on: 28 August, 2012, 01:34:04 am »


LHR Terminal 5, en route to the Tuscany-Corsica-Sardinia tour.



Arcu Correboi, Sardinia. That's the SS125, Orientale Sarda in the background. The new highway goes through a tunnel here. I took the old road up and over the pass.

The bike: Nitto Campee steel front and rear carriers, TA Zephyr triple crank (22-34-46), 8 speed cassette (12-32), friction shifting, downtube shifters, Brooks Swift saddle under the rain cover, SON hub, Schmidt e-delux headlight, Cane Creek direct pull (V-brake) front brake, Shimano cantilever rear brake, Schwalbe Marathon Supremes (26x1.5), Crank Bros. eggbeater pedals. I used to share Charlotte's feelings about having a place to put extra stuff on the front of the bike, now I'm starting to think about saving weight with just a low rider rack in front. I built both wheels myself a few years back for my Sicily tour, they're still performing beautifully.

Baggage: Ortlieb bar bag (smallest one), Ortlieb panniers (roll-top in front, conventional closure in back), Rivendell "Keven's bag" under the saddle. I used to bring the Ortlieb adaptor to turn one pannier into a backpack. This time I brought a lightweight day pack that weighs less and takes up less space than the Ortlieb adaptor, and is a better backpack.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #70 on: 28 August, 2012, 07:43:50 am »
My Ridgeback fixed in touring mode


Butterfly and her Van Nicholas


TGL & Thorn Cyclosportif
Getting there...

Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #71 on: 28 August, 2012, 08:41:52 am »

Cannondale Touring Ultra 08 in Morocco

Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #72 on: 28 August, 2012, 08:55:36 am »
The Surly at Finchingfield on the way to Mildenhall:

Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #73 on: 09 September, 2012, 09:36:51 pm »
Ready to go camping in Slimbridge.


(Does this photo qualify for the thread? It's not yet "in a touring situation" but it was taken a minute before leaving.)
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Fully Loaded - Touring Bikes
« Reply #74 on: 09 September, 2012, 10:23:17 pm »
I know this is the wrong way round for a bike on this thread, but I like the photo :)

This was from my tour in June, the last tour with this bike before it's frame cracked :(. The phone box was in the middle of nowhere on the north coast road between Melvich and Tongue

Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!