I just completed a trip from Florence Oregon to San Francisco. The Freerider I set up for touring with a 3x sram hub and triple chain ring performed very well. On the flats and grades up to 7% with a good shoulder I had no concerns, however when the shoulder disappeared or became very narrow on the hills I elected to get off and walk because I could not hold the front end in a straight enough line to be safe. I was pulling a fully loaded Bob trailer which I also used for 5 or 6 solo tours. Also because it is such a complete work out of the whole body I could not put in and distance equivalent to my diamond back touring bikes. I like ther ride and will keep the bike for general pleasure but go back to a more conventional style for my solo tours.
Not a solo touring bike
- Thread starter JonB
- Start date
super slim
Zen MBB Master
Did you travel via 101 or 505 route?
What was the loaded weight of the bob trailer?
Did you have any bags on the Freeriders?
Have you DD touring bikes got rear suspension?
Have you DD touring bikes have Sram 3 speed hubs?
I tried a Mountain bottom bracket (2.5:1 reduction) on my Silvio, to get better hill climbing ability (>9%), but removed it as I was 10% slower up a Hill Climb (aver 4.8% grade) we do most weekends.
The reason, I am asking is that I will be doing a 2,600 km (1,600ml) ride around New Zealand, South Island in February next year, and half of it will be with a friend, and his wife in car, so supported, the rest unsupported.
I was looking at making a frame to support two off 15 L Ortlieb rear panniers under the OLD bottom bracket of my Softrider
One Ortlieb on top of a rear rack, and possibly two off 8L? bags LOW on the front wheel.
OR use a Bob Trailer with suspension?
Have you carried similar loads on the Bob trailer AND on your touring bike, and which is better?
Regards
Super Slim
What was the loaded weight of the bob trailer?
Did you have any bags on the Freeriders?
Have you DD touring bikes got rear suspension?
Have you DD touring bikes have Sram 3 speed hubs?
I tried a Mountain bottom bracket (2.5:1 reduction) on my Silvio, to get better hill climbing ability (>9%), but removed it as I was 10% slower up a Hill Climb (aver 4.8% grade) we do most weekends.
The reason, I am asking is that I will be doing a 2,600 km (1,600ml) ride around New Zealand, South Island in February next year, and half of it will be with a friend, and his wife in car, so supported, the rest unsupported.
I was looking at making a frame to support two off 15 L Ortlieb rear panniers under the OLD bottom bracket of my Softrider
One Ortlieb on top of a rear rack, and possibly two off 8L? bags LOW on the front wheel.
OR use a Bob Trailer with suspension?
Have you carried similar loads on the Bob trailer AND on your touring bike, and which is better?
Regards
Super Slim
JonB
Zen MBB Master
I had on mine, under the seat, but a 3 hour ride is not really touring is it?
Did you install it at a 90 degree angle as schlumpf suggests for recumbents? or the normal 180 degree? Have you thought about trying the schlumpf highspeed drive, which is the opposite? Aka a 1:2.5 change. This would require a different chainwheel in front than the mountain drive.
remember to take pictures and blog about it. If you learn how to ride without your hands, and get a smartphone, then you can even twitter about it while you are riding ;-)
There is plenty of room under my midrack, see that thread here: http://www.cruzbike.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=977&p=6394&hilit=midrack#p6221
I made my midrack too short. If the solid rod to hang the panniers are extented further backwards you can easily have space for 2 front panniers on each side + the bigger rear pannier like Ortlieb Backroller plus on the rear rack. If you are really good, maybe you can have 3 rear panniers on each side.
As far as i remember, Waldo also have front panniers on the front fork of his conversion kit cruzbike.
If you dont have a rear rack yet, then i would suggest getting one with a rod or tube to hang the panniers on which is lower than the top of the rack. Because, then you can have stuff ontop of the rack, like the Ortlieb Travel-biker. To see pictures of what i mean, compare the Tubus Cargo (without) and Logo (with).
http://tubus.com/index/lang/en/rubrik/Rear%20Carriers/artikel/Cargo
http://tubus.com/index/lang/en/rubrik/Rear%20Carriers/artikel/Logo%20-%20the%20luggage%20specialist
I have read comparisons of off asphalt mountain touring with and without a trailer, and i think 2 different 1 wheel trailers and 1 without a trailer. I do not remember the conclusion. It might have been something i read in Velo Vision, but i am not sure. I dont think they used recumbent bikes.
super slim
Zen MBB Master
John B,
A frame similar to yours, but with bent bars going downwards to lock the panniers to and stop them swinging in, as these will be the heavy panniers for food, and spares, tools, maps, pamphlets
The back pannier (6 kg max) will be for Sleeping bag (1kg), mattress and tent.
The front two SMALL bags for clothes, with the tops at Axle height and CL of bag in line with the axle.
I saw a 70+ yr old DD rider with this set up in Tasmania, but he was gone in a flash!
This would minimise side wind effects, and improve the bike weight balance.
Has anyone got details on small panniers, and LOW mounting frames.
My memory (NOT that good) is that it is easier going on long trips to load up the bike only, as if you have a Bob trailer, you carry more AND the third SMALL wheel has a high rolling restance.
I can vouch for a third wheel being higher rolling resistance as my Scorpion FX Trike (20" wheels)(22Kg) after doing 80 KPH at the bottom of a big dipper hill, only gets 1/3 way up the other side, compared to my mountain bike (16 kg) 80KPh at bottom goes 1/2 rds up, and the Silvio (12.8kg) 80KPh at bottom 2/3 rd up.
All bikes had skinny slick tyres at max pressure.
I realize that the weights are less, but the trike seemed as though the brakes were on!! (I checked, but were not)
A frame similar to yours, but with bent bars going downwards to lock the panniers to and stop them swinging in, as these will be the heavy panniers for food, and spares, tools, maps, pamphlets
The back pannier (6 kg max) will be for Sleeping bag (1kg), mattress and tent.
The front two SMALL bags for clothes, with the tops at Axle height and CL of bag in line with the axle.
I saw a 70+ yr old DD rider with this set up in Tasmania, but he was gone in a flash!
This would minimise side wind effects, and improve the bike weight balance.
Has anyone got details on small panniers, and LOW mounting frames.
My memory (NOT that good) is that it is easier going on long trips to load up the bike only, as if you have a Bob trailer, you carry more AND the third SMALL wheel has a high rolling restance.
I can vouch for a third wheel being higher rolling resistance as my Scorpion FX Trike (20" wheels)(22Kg) after doing 80 KPH at the bottom of a big dipper hill, only gets 1/3 way up the other side, compared to my mountain bike (16 kg) 80KPh at bottom goes 1/2 rds up, and the Silvio (12.8kg) 80KPh at bottom 2/3 rd up.
All bikes had skinny slick tyres at max pressure.
I realize that the weights are less, but the trike seemed as though the brakes were on!! (I checked, but were not)
I rode 101 and #1 in california. The load on the bob trailer, including the trailer, was around 50 pounds. I hae used a DD bike with the same load on the trailer and hill climbing was much easier and faster for me than the freerider. I liked the freerider for the no pain at the end of the day but not for the distance it cost me due to my hill climbing ability. I carried a radical design seat bag with camera and the days snacks on the back of the seat and that was the total load on the bike, I would say my total overall weight, bike and trailer was pushing 100 pounds. The bike performed well I did not, though I did get to where I wanted to go and if I could do a supported tour I would definitely take the cruz bike but not on an unsupported tour with the weight I carried.
