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I was thinking of what the ideal bike would be for the backyard round here (lakes) and therefore what the best trade off for weight versus capability would be.
Short travel 29er maybe? I'd hesitate to go carbon with all the rocks, unless I could afford easy replacement. Maybe even a lefty! Who does the lightest off the shelf full suss alloy bike? So many N+1 thoughts... 😀
I tend to run my ff29 120mm hardtack but it gets heavier tyres, different bars/stem and a reverb. Suppose ideally it would be a 120mm slackish 29er sub 11kg, but I have other n+1 itches to scratch first. I've never really felt the urge to take the big bike on hike a bike days unless I'm already there and it's all I have.
I overtook lots of people on the "hike-a-bike" sections of the last MM at Eastnor "riding" this:
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😉
I knew a unicycle would be coming out!
Not sure it makes that much difference 26 vs 32 LBS of bike on your shoulder? I only have one bike and how easy it is to shoulder to the top of a mountain is not as important as how good it is at riding down, along or up!
For reference I hike a bike with 32 lbs of Giant Reign.
Bergmonch, obviously.
Up.
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Down.
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tomaso - Member
Not sure it makes that much difference 26 vs 32 LBS of bike on your shoulder? I only have one bike and how easy it is to shoulder to the top of a mountain is not as important as how good it is at riding down, along or up!
For reference I hike a bike with 32 lbs of Giant Reign.
Yeah, I use my Tranny Suppressor which must be what, 34lbs no problem. I'm mentally justifying another bike here, so don't rain on my parade! 😉
TBH, It would probably be a good idea to take the 1x10, C456 thats probably half the weight.
Last time we were hike a biking in the Lakes we invented a rucksack with one proper padded shoulder. Or at least we wondered why somebody hadn't already.
Padding you say?
Bindun.
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Pedal less for easier hike a bikeing obvs. ^^^
Also being in granny rings makes for lighter carrying. 🙂
First time I went up Skiddaw I put pipe lagging on the top tube 🙂
Doesn't matter what the bike is if you know the best way to carry it:
1. Stand on NDS of bike.
2. Point crank down. Hold crank with right hand.
3. Hold fork with left hand.
4. Hoist bike over head, rest down tube comfortably across shoulders. Carry.
Fussy types may want to brush any cack off the down tube first. You can even do this one handed on slightly scrambly bits if necessary. Works best if you have a pack on, but weirdos with roadie jerseys and bottles are probably going to be scared of anything where you have to stop pedalling anyway. 😉
Only place where this technique has failed me is that Loch Lomond bit of the WHW which is like a sort of crap, cold jungle with bendy trees everywhere, so you keep having to take the bike off and thread it through branches and round corners and up ladders and I swear there was a snake pit at one point, bloody stupid place to take a bike, I ask you...
[quote=mintimperial ]Doesn't matter what the bike is if you know the best way to carry it:
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4. Hoist bike over head, rest down tube comfortably across shoulders. Carry.
Fail! As I've pretty much always been wearing a pack when doing hike-a-bike I found I could carry with most of the weight of the bike taken by the top tube resting on the top of my pack, hence the load going through both shoulder straps (one hand used to control bike).
HTH with unicycle suggestion 🙂 it genuinely is a huge amount easier to carry - which is a good job as I carry a lot more, and I'd argue that I have just as big a grin on my face riding that down stuff as I would riding an enduro bike even if I'm going a lot slower!
Fail! As I've pretty much always been wearing a pack when doing hike-a-bike I found I could carry with most of the weight of the bike taken by the top tube resting on the top of my pack, hence the load going through both shoulder straps (one hand used to control bike).
Well, yeah, that's kind of what I meant. Unless you've got your straps really loose, if the down tube is on your shoulders then it just sort of ends up resting on your pack. Hence the bit about it working best if you have a pack...
Proper fail, a mate manages to rest the top tube on his shoulder and wheels pointing skywards, seems to work 🙂
As for weight it's about the same slogging up on my 27lb carbon bike as it is on my old 33lb bike.
Rocks and carbon? Seems to be fine - see the SC video where them try and break a Nomad frame (this one)
About 5 mins in...
For a proper hike a bike it's all about something to enjoy coming back down on.