Dear STW,
Hi! I recall a thread a few months back with pics of how people were carrying their full sussers on their backs/shoulders with a few pics of some people sticking their arms thru the triangle and resting the shoulder on the inside of the downtube (I think!)… I know it sounds kinda weird… maybe I'm just not describing it well enough.. I did a quick search but couldn't find owt that pointed me in the right direction… So can anyone else recall the thread? Or indeed re-post the pics of their 'portage' method…

Askin as my training partner and I are doing the Trasnrockies next month, which is supposed to have lots of 'hike-a-bike' sections and we've both got full sussers…

Cheers,

Mark

Why dont you just go outside with your bike and try a few different combinations. Cant be that hard to find one that works for you and your bike.

i've got a weird frame with no possible way of getting one's arm through. was hike-a-biking in the lakes on sunday and had the downtube (near BB) on my shoulder and held the bike by the fork. carried a 36lb bike like this for a good 45mins with no(t much) bother.

I tend to put the nose of the saddle on my shoulder & grab a fork leg with a hand

Cheers Peachos,
thats the kind of thing I was talking about..

Realman, yeah, I just wanted a few jumping off points that appeared to work for others that I could then copy and see which worked for me!

Me Carrying a Turner. Balance the top tube on the top of your camel back, letting your shoulders take the weight of the bike, Then I just steady the whole thing by holding onto the seatpost.

Works fine for me and by far the most comfortable way of hoisting the bike.

Nobody agreed with me the last time but I was shown this way recently and find it's the only way that's comfortable for me. The way above hurts my back the top tube on the shoulder hurts my shoulder. This is me carrying my 42lb STD like this on a 300m hike out from the coast. (Just to say not a route I take customers on!) Any other way would just be a world of pain! For short carries it doesn't really matter of course.

I grab the left hand bar with my right hand and the saddle with my left hand. Works a treat once the bike is up and balanced on my camelbak.

Same as Lowey's technique for me.

just ride up the climb you big jessie 😉

Just to say, the other contraversial way I try sometimes is to turn the saddle at about 40 degrees from straight ahead and drop it and balance it on my rucksack strap. Works for short carries.

There's about 4 different ways shown already. Give them a try and see what works for you on different length carries on different steepness of slopes.

Hey! I've just noticed that Peachos agrees with me! That's the first person on this forum who has! 🙂

Dr Upgrade

Doing the TransRockies too!

I find the best way is the top tube balanced on the Camelbak for long walks and then the top tube on the shoulder and right hand holding a fork for shorter climbs.

Nan Bield again…

That's a mate but my technique is similar. Top tube perched on the top of the Camelbak. A long seat post allows you to rest your arm over the top of the saddle providing enough leverage so that you don't have to 'hold' the bike on your back.

Depending on the handlebar width you have to be careful that it doesn't spin round and smack you in the chops.

Having done the 3-4 hour carry over Thorong La in Nepal 3 times, I use a combination of all the above techniques, because non are sustainable for really long periods of time, even with a lightweight hardtail. Have even put my head through the frame triangle and then just held top tube away from throat, but this involves a higher risk of throttling yourself!!

Some of the Nepalese guys balance the bike on top of their helmets and just use 1 hand to steady it.

Cheers Guys,
this gives me lots of options to try (once my shoulders have recovered from the little incedent of coming off 3 weeks ago and popping the right A/C joint and the left A/S one!)..

Unclefred! Cool see you out there! We are 'team darkside-fubar' Who are you guys?

ooh I can't wait to get out and try these…..I just love carrying my bike 🙁

I think we may have to incorporate 'several' of the above methods! a change is as good as a rest and all that!

Would having a tie down strap handy to loop around the frame in different ways give you a few more carrying options and handholds on the bike?

You might want to think about making sure that one of your methods you practice has one hand spare when carrying – of the hike-a-bike bits last year you were scrambling up bits that you really had to hang on to something to help pull yourself up, and its pretty steep so there's a good chance of tipping over backwards!

I used the saddle on the shoulder strap of camelbak method which left my left hand free. You can also manouver the bike easily through / past trees this way too without having to put it down and pick it up again. Then again, I'm used to carrying it upstairs to my flat and work everyday

I did wonder about taking a roofrack type strap that I could then loop onto the bike and hang it over my shoulders.

I've heard that has worked for peeps in the past… And use the camelback as a back protector so both hands are free… If yer clever I reckon you can tie the handlebars/front wheel out of the way too.

yep thats the type I meant the endless ones, not the hook type.

"if yer clever"….oh, b*gger

time for some experimentation this weekend, methinks

IF it were me, carrying a big bike up a big hill (i dont have a big bike….. yet) i would get myself some surplus army webbing parts, a yoke, a hippo pad, and a few straps, and make up a harness that meant i could carry the bike as a rucksack (be it a very wide rucksack)
wouldnt be too hard to do i dont think, and could even act as a back protector on the following descent…..
hum
i want a big bike now…

We're Team BVI. See you there!