Thursday, April 10, 2008

Xtracycle vs. Panniers Weight Comparison

Rob Byrne sent me this comprehensive weight comparison between using an Xtracycle, rack+panniers & Bob Ibex trailer for touring. He and his wife are planning on hitting the road for a few years of expedition style touring. Interestingly the Xtracycle was the lightest option of the ones Rob was considering for his tour. If you are interested in a Big Dummy add about 1kg or 2.2lbs to Rob's Xtracycle figures above.

Since the loading options of the Xtracycle are quite versatile [you could carry your touring partner and their bike!] you get quite a lot of functionality by using one for a tour without any weight penalty.

Thanks Rob! I'll be looking forward to more informative posts as you continue to prepare for your exciting tour.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm looking at doing a trans-american tour in the summer of 2010. Has anybody done a tour of that magnitude using an Xtracycle? Is it impractical and should I just stick to panniers?

Thanks,
Oliver

Vik said...

Hi Oliver,

You can contact Shane:

http://tinyurl.com/69vz33

He did a really long 10,000miels+ tour with his LHT+Xtracycle.

There are pros and cons to a regular touring bike vs. an Xtracycle rig, but I think the Xtra is totally practical and can be a very fun bike to ride.

Anonymous said...

I'm doing the TransAm this coming summer (2010) and plan to use my LHT with panniers and not my Big Dummy. Whatever that's worth...