Dr Skeep from Tucson, AZ on 3/14/2014 12:11:31 PM:
I agree with the 20 - 25-lb limit if one is doing a lot of climbing. My son and I did the Durango to Moab hut2hut ride in 2010 -- 26,000 ft of climbing in 7 days, 1st hut at 11,400 ft -- and limited our daily onboard, incl. almost 9 lbs of liquid, to c. 25 lbs. But on the flat, wt. doesn't make much difference, except for acceleration which isn't at issue here. And, of course, the more wt. the better on descents, assuming you have good brakes. Having said that, I always try to take just a bit less than I think I might need and I still end up taking too much. (I'm opposed to trailers, for aesthetic and other reasons. They seem to contradict the basic point of a bike.)