Using my Specialized Ruby for touring?

[mariposa]

Help! I'm a pretty experienced road cyclist, have done some centuries on my Ruby carbon bike, love it...But I'd like to try some long-distance touring now, and am not even sure what to start asking. So pardon the dumb questions.

I've done some overnight trips with an oversized fanny pack, staying overnight with relatives...But, the fanny pack does strain my back a little, and it is insufficient for any truly self-supported ride.

I'd like to be able to carry my tent, sleeping bag, stove, etc. on my bike. My backpacking equipment tends to be ultralight and compact, which should help (for instance, the tent only weighs 1.5 pounds).

So I assume I'll need to put on a rear rack with panniers? How do I know the setup will be appropriate for my Ruby? Are there concerns about putting this kind of weight on a carbon bike?

I'd like to get a set of panniers that would be appropriate both for long-distance biking but also around-town commuting (hauling groceries, etc.).

What do you do for bike security on overnights? Is it total folly to have to watch over such an expensive bike? (Should I get a different, less pricy one for touring?)

What else am I not thinking of?

Thanks in advance...
mariposa

[eofelis]

Noooo! Please don't use your Ruby for touring!!!

I have a Ruby and I would not even consider it for touring. It is not built to carry stuff at all. I don't take my Ruby anywhere that I cannot have a hand on it at all times.

Touring bikes go through heck. They get rained on and full of grit, leaned on things, layed over on the ground.

You can get a good touring bike set up for $1000 or less. It would also be a great rainy day ride bike or commuter bike.

REI has a touring bike called a Randonee for around $900. If you are a member they will have a 20% off sale coming up soon.

A complete Surly Long Haul Trucker is nicely set up for $1000.

I've heard of a touring bike from bikesdirect.com for ~$600.

Even a hardtail mtn bike with slick tires would be an ok touring bike.

Nashbar has been having some good sales on their panniers, less than $100 for front and rear. If I was just starting out with panniers I'd certainly try them out.

[OakLeaf]

I wouldn't attach a rack to a carbon rear triangle. (Not unless it was built with rack bosses, which some bikes are, but the Ruby is not.) We've had that discussion here before. Clamp-on racks will stress the tubes in directions that they weren't built to be stressed. The strength of composite is pretty dependent on the direction of forces - when you're stressing the tubes at odd angles to the woven mat, you're relying solely on the resin to hold the tube together.

[Thorn]

I've known of a woman who used a trailer to tour with her road bike, but it was aluminum, yet had carbon seat stays. Took it up over the Rockies.

But, definitely not with racks. I'm not convinced of the trailer concept with carbon, either, but just mentioning that it can, I suppose, be done. But, why would you do that to a Ruby? Isn't that like using a thoroughbred for a pack mule?

[OakLeaf]

If it was a trailer that mounted to the aluminum down tube, then it wouldn't stress the rear triangle. Not sure how it would work with an aluminum seatpost on a carbon frame, whether the length of the seatpost would be enough to distribute the stress. I think I'd still be leery of it.

[PscyclePath]

I have several friends who swear by their Rubys, and they're good road bikes. I wouldn't use one for touring unless it's something like RAGBRAI or another supported ride where you've got a sag wagon or van to haul all your gear.

Touring implies that you need to be carrying cargo with you, and for a bicycle that means having a cargo rack mounted on the rear triangle, and often another rack mounted on the fork. Mounting cargo racks requires the braze-ons to bolt the racks to, and carbon bikes simply don't have those.

You can get what are called "P clamps" that slip around the seat- and chain-stays to mount your rack to, but these still aren't a real good idea on a carbon frame. Another option is to use a seatpost-mounted rear rack, but these are not recommended for carbon seat posts, have only about half to a third of the weight-bearing capacity that a regular rack does, and mine for some reason always wanted to work loose after a couple miles of rough road, and start wagging like an old hound dog's tail.

Another option is to carry your stuff in a backpack. Drawbacks to this is that it puts the load on your body, not on the bike, and makes you tireder, hotter, and sweatier; the other drawback it that it shifts your center of gravity way high, giving you stability and balance problems on the bike.

[Eden]

If it was a trailer that mounted to the aluminum down tube, then it wouldn't stress the rear triangle. Not sure how it would work with an aluminum seatpost on a carbon frame, whether the length of the seatpost would be enough to distribute the stress. I think I'd still be leery of it.

I would guess that she was using a trailer like a BOB that has a rear skewer mount. That type would be usable on a carbon frame - it wouldn't put any stress on the frame. I would not try to mount a rack to a Ruby. It just wasn't made to handle it. Even if the load stresses weren't too much for it, anything that could potentially rub and cause the carbon to become scored would ruin it.

I'm with everyone else. The bike isn't really made for touring. By the time you'd outfit yourself with a good trailer, you probably have spent enough to get an entry level tourer... Touring bikes aren't just different because they can hold a rack either. They tend to have a longer wheel base for stability when heavily loaded, slightly different geometry for long haul comfort over snappy performance, and lower gearing so you can haul that load up hills.

[mariposa]

Thanks for all the replies...can you tell I am completely clueless about touring? Reading here and elsewhere has gotten me up to speed a bit.

What about just carrying a very light load in the back? I'd get a rear rack that can fit my Ruby - skip the panniers (which are, I'm learning, surprisingly heavy in themselves) - and just lash a few items (say 10-15 pounds) onto the rear rack. Do you think my Ruby can support this?

I've already been doing the light touring with my Ruby. It's just that the 10-15 pounds of weight has been in a fanny pack, and that got uncomfortable.

The more serious long-distance/heavier weight touring can wait till I can get a bike specific for that.

Mariposa

[Eden]

No rack is really safe to mount to carbon.... (unless the frame specifically has bosses for that purpose). It's not just about weight. If any of your attachment points rubs through the finish and scores the carbon itself you've hurt the integrity of the material. Ruin the seat post and yes you could get a new one. Ruin the rear stays of the bike and you'd need a new bike. Since your Ruby wasn't made to accept a rack any mounting that you would do would have to be jury-rigged and even more likely to cause damage to the frame. It's not a gamble that I'd want to take.

[Cataboo]

Get a nice backpack instead of the fanny pack... Try the osprey atmos or aura 35 (I think that's the name of the female version). It's got an angle in the back that'll keep the frame directly off your back and you won't sweat so much.

Put the shoulders loose so most of the weight is supported by the hip belt.

Otherwise, deuter makes similar backpacks with the mesh back and a frame that arcs it away from your back. The suspension/hip belt is not as nice on the deuter.

The annoying part about that is if you stand up to bike up a hill or hit a big bump, the frame is a bit loose around your shoulders and it does bounce around a bit.

[withm]

Well if you are dead set on using this bike for a tour, you could change out the seat post for aluminum, then use a seat post mounted rack. But it would not be good for loads much over 10 pounds. As soon as you are talking tent, sleeping bag, stove, tools and clothing... well there goes the 10# limit.

I would not want to wear a backpack that was any heavier than my Camelbak for a ride more than an hour or two.

Then there's the issue of the un-secured carbon bike overnight while you are sleeping. Sure you can cable lock it to a tree or fence, but while you are sleeping anyone could disable that.

Seriously, I think you ought to be looking at a different bike for anything more than credit card touring.

[mariposa]

I might try the backpack idea. I was looking to get a large-ish daypack that keeps the frame off my back, anyway. I suppose that could work for cycling.

Just stumbled across some surprisingly large under-the-seat saddlebags (like Carradice) that do not require a rear rack. That might be a great option, assuming it clears my rear wheel.

For around-town, I'm going to mount a rear rack and maybe panniers on my beater bike, so that I can do errands carrying heavier stuff. I wish the beater bike was tour-worthy...

Mariposa

[bikerHen]

But, why would you do that to a Ruby? Isn't that like using a thoroughbred for a pack mule?

That is exactly what I say to my DH when he suggested I pull my BOB trailer with my Ruby. You don't hook the cart up to the thoroughbred! You use the dependable LHT for that.

I second the backpack idea. I use one for my daily commutes. If you carry one everyday you do strenghten up your back. I can carry a pretty heavy load all day with a minimum amount of back pain. bikerHen

[Crankin]

My DH has the large Carradice bag, as well as a medium sized one. We don't tour with our carbon road bikes, but he has used the large one while we were on supported tours and wanted to stop and buy stuff; also for bringing stuff from the farmer's market. It attaches with a special clamp to the seat post. I know that this is a no-no to most people, but it has never caused a problem. We have very light Kuotas; DH's bike is 52 cm and the large bag fits well.
Me, on the other hand, can barely find a tiny bag that will fit on my tiny bike.

[Cataboo]

I almost always bike with my deuter exp race whatever its called and generally it weighs a ton cause I have a spare everything and 3 liters of water (I don't put water bottles on the frame usually)... and I tend to bike by this farm stand and start shoving butternut squashes and things in it... and yeah, I ride with it for hours, I'm used to it and doesn't bother me.

But... if you did the aluminum seatpost + seatpost mounted rear rack... You can bungee your sleeping pad/sleeping bag/tent for probably less than 10 lbs of weight. Stash the sleeping bag and tent in a drybag. Depending on the season, a down vest and maybe down booties you can squeeze little are handy for around camp. But sounds like you do enough lightweight backpacking that you probably don't need hints on what to pack.

If you want a lighter stove, you can do a pepsi can stove. The rest of whatever you need in a backpack.

If you need a little bit more storage, you could put a handlebar bag on the front if you don't have carbon handlebars (you probably could put one on with carbon handlebars, just don't put too much weight in them.)

costco sells some light solar rechargeable flashlights, 2 for $20 that I think are great. I keep 'em strapped to my kayak deck when kayak touring, or just in the outer mesh pocket of my backpack when backpacking or biking. More than enough light for at night when combined with a headlamp in case you need more light.