George's rocket

When Big G finished building up his new Specialized Roubaix last week, he put it on the scale in the shop.

Drum roll...

Twenty-two pounds. Carbon fiber and bla de bla,and the friggin' tank weighs twenty-two pounds.

Mind you, 22 pounds is a perfectly respectable weight for a top quality butted steel racing bike from the 1980s. In other words, thanks to tinfoil chains, cog-packed clusters and temperamental, expensive brifters, we have achieved equality with a simpler machine powered by the same engine 30 years ago.

I know: more gears! Convenient shifting! And with the simple investment of at least a thousand more dollars in crank, handlebars, stem and wheels the bike could be an easy two pounds lighter. Still temperamental, but the fancy ones always put you through hell. You have to decide for yourself whether the ride is worth it.

Planning to commute on his new steed, Big G has been checking out all the bag options. Frame packs, enormous, projecting seat packs, anything that doesn't require a rack. He's got a messenger bag on order. That would not be my first choice for a 25-mile open road ride to work. But then this whole acquisition went entirely where I will never go. All this baggage, of course, gets added to the basic curb weight of the bike.

I understand wanting a light bike. Last summer I got a frame pack to increase the cargo capacity of my own road bike. It's a nice break when I know I'm sticking mostly to pavement. But if you only ride a light bike it will eventually feel heavy to you. And when it comes to transportation I really like the secure feeling I get from wider tires, fenders, lights and a good tool kit.

It's not the rider, it's the bike

Day after day I ride the trusty Cross Check to work and play. It's a great bike. I could get along with it and nothing more. But I used to race and train. I have a sportier bike. I've even dialed in the components to suit my current riding style.

I used to commute on the road bike. I stuffed everything into a bum bag. I had a selection of different sizes to hold the changing loads as a typical season developed. When I started to dislike the increased saddle pressure of a body load I built a dedicated touring commuter with a rack.

The Cross Check has gained weight as I've added useful features. My average speed slips a little lower, but the goal of the bike is not absolute top speed.

Missing the speed and handling of the road bike on pretty summer days when I'm feeling frisky, I kept considering my options to add a rack. I didn't want to use P clamps. I could use a rack that mounts to the brake center bolt and attach the lower end of the legs with some old Blackburn custom eyelets. You can also fake those with faucet washers. But I'm reluctant to turn every bike into slightly different versions of the same thing.

Then I spotted a nice frame pack by Banjo Brothers in the QBP catalog. I love bags and packs. So I got one.

Between the frame pack and the expander seat bag I could carry all the essentials for a sunny, warm day with only a little overflow into the bum bag I still use for a few items and as a light bar for red blinkies. On the way home, with lunch eaten, the load will be that much smaller.

The road bike launched me to an average speed two miles per hour faster with no additional effort. It's the bike, not the rider. The frame pack needs a few tweaks, but the basic concept is very satisfactory.