BOB IBEX on the Great Divide Route
For a long distance off road mountain bike
adventure, carrying more than 40 pounds, I believe
using a BOB trailer is more efficient than using
only panniers. However, during my off road tour, I
realized that using a
combination of front panniers with a BOB trailer
would have resulted in a more efficient load
carrying solution and would have given me better
front wheel traction.
In the beginning of my ride, when I was loaded
down with too much weight, I came up with this
saying.
"Go light. The real luxury is enjoying the ride,
not carrying the luxuries around."
I started my ride with a total
weight of 70 pounds including food and water and I
had a very difficult time controlling my bike and
trailer on
rocky sections of the trail. After a week on the
trail, I reduced my core gear load down to about
35 pounds and streamlined my food and water
supplies to what was needed plus a little extra.
With a lighter load I had a much easier time
controlling my bike and had a much more enjoyable
experience. A few pounds does make a significant
difference. My new weight range with food and water
varied between 40 and 50 pounds. My extra supplies
either got consumed, shipped home, or thrown out.
My Review
The BOB IBEX is nicely designed and is easy to
control with less than 50 pounds. The important
thing to remember is keeping the heavy items on the
bottom.
Overall, I was impressed with its performance and
thought it held up quite good under such abuse. I
would recommend bringing extra nuts and screws
because things like to rattle loose or break.
How I Would Do Things Differently The Next Time
If my next long distance off
road adventure requires me to carry between 30 and
40 pounds total weight, then I would use only a BOB
trailer. If more than 40 pounds are required then I
would add a set of front panniers. If less than 20
pounds total weight, then I would use only panniers.
Note: I would use a
heavy duty front rack, like an Old Man Mountain rack
and ultra light water proof pannier bags. On the
GDMBR, every rack I inspected was broken and all of
them were road type commuter
quality racks.
Why Front Panniers with
a BOB Trailer?
When I rode the GDMBR, I used
only a BOB trailer. Based on how my bike and trailer
handled on the trail, I wish I could have transferred
some of my trailer weight to the front of my bike
using a set of front panniers. That would have
distributed my load more evenly. With only the BOB
trailer, my front wheel felt too light. My
recommendation would be 10-15 pounds in the front,
including the weight of the rack and panniers, and
the rest in the BOB trailer. The weight in the front
would
improve overall handling, steering traction, and
pedaling efficiency.
"I (Peter) read your web page on riding with the
BOB trailer and that you think a pair of front
panniers would be better to balance the bike.
Well, we are now riding with front panniers
and the bike feels a lot better, especially on
steep climbs. (it makes the bike less skittsey)"
(Peter and Yoke GDMBR riders and
whom are mountain biking around the world, 2006)
I would not want to carry more
than 60 pounds in the trailer. When my trailer
weight exceeded 60 pounds the rig felt like I was
pulling Santa’s Sled with him and all his reindeer
piled on top. Although, on several occasions I had
to carry 2 days of water, which brought my weight up
to 70 pounds.
I have not yet tried using the
trailer with front panniers. People who have ready
my review and have replied back with their opinions
have said it was a big improvement and have verified
that my theory is correct.
Panniers the Argument
Many people believe panniers
are lighter and thus must be better and having a
third wheel adds a lot more drag.
Technically, panniers are
lighter as the table below shows. In the case of
comparing which is better, panniers or a trailer,
weight is no longer the main comparison. It is more
important to focus on the most efficient solution.
I believe the drag of the third
wheel is less than the inefficiencies of a heavily
weighed down bike.
Also, a trailer takes some of
the dynamic loading off of the rear bike wheel, and
thus improves wheel longevity. This equates to less
bent rims, broken spokes, and fewer flat tires.
|
Difference in weight and volume |
|
Old Man
Mountain |
Pounds
|
Kg
|
Capacity/Volume |
|
Cold Springs
(Front Rack) |
1.08 |
0.49
|
50 pounds |
|
Cold Springs
(Rear Rack) |
1.35 |
0.61
|
50 pounds |
|
Ortlieb
Pannier Bags |
|
|
|
|
(4qty)
Sport-Packer Plus |
13.68 |
6.20
|
7,322 cubic
inches |
|
Total |
16.10 |
7.30
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BOB IBEX
Trailer w/ Bag |
18.00 |
8.16
|
5,600 cubic
inches |
Panniers, My Observations and Thoughts
I had the privilege to ride
with and observe several riders who had full pannier
setups. What I saw was a little horrifying.
Everyone
who had full front and rear panniers experienced
more flats and had loose spoke problems. I also
noticed that they rode significantly slower than
those who had trailers and they could not keep up on
distance. When I watched them ride over rough
terrain such as washboard, gravel roads, and sand, I
noticed that they exerted a lot more energy to
overcome the same obstacles, steering was more
difficult, their loads bounced and exerted excessive dynamic
loading on their wheels, and they often had to walk up a mildly rough section,
that I rode up with little effort. Another
troubling observation was, these riders were often
frustrated with their load, had to constantly fuss
with their gear, and had an overall negative
attitude towards the ride. They were always aware of
their load, where I often forgot that the trailer
was behind me.
All of the non BOB trailer
riders exceeded their pannier volume capacities and
stacked their loads on top of their bags. I think a
major part of the pannier rider’s frustrations can
be attributed to overloading. When gear is attached
to the outside of the pannier it is not as secure
and it tends to bounce. By riding along side of
these riders, I could visually observe how the
dynamic loading negatively impact their riding
efficiency and control.
If used properly, panniers can
be a workable solution. Based on my observations, I
would not use panniers as the primary load bearer on
this trail.
Conclusion
I do recommend using the BOB
IBEX trailer instead of stand alone panniers, and
feel most people should give it careful
consideration for a tour such as the Great Dived
Route.
Remember, go light. The real
luxury is enjoying the ride, not carrying the
luxuries around.
No matter which load carrying
strategy you employ, keep the weight down. Paying a
bit more for a high quality light weight camping
gear has its intangible rewards. And take only what
you need.
The less weight you take the
more likely you will be successful, have a better
attitude, enjoy your ride more, ride more
efficiently and faster, and reduce your chances of
injury.
I hope that you will be able to
use this information to make a more informed
decision as to what will work best for you. There is
a degree of personal preference involved. I think
BOB trailers are key to almost any long distance off
road tour, but they are only part of the ultimate
solution for heavy loads.
Side Notes:
-
I experienced no broken or
loose spokes, no pinched flats, and my rear
wheel stayed true during the entire tour.
-
Trek branded plastic Bat
cages work the best because of the super tight
grip on bottles.
-
The BOB trailer bag kept
everything dry and clean. The trailer gets a lot
of dirt, mud, cow dung, and water flung on to it
by the bike tire. So the BOB dry bag is a
necessity!
Here is the contact info to
learn more about BOB trailers.
B.O.B TRAILERS, INC.
www.bobtrailers.com or
http://www.bobtrailers.com/trailers/
5475 Gage St
Boise, ID 83706
PHONE: 800 893 2447
PHONE: 208 375 5171
FAX: 208 375 5172 |
