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Calcimator

Touring Load Calculator

Pannier weight distribution for loaded touring bikes.

Inputs

Results

Total system weight (kg)

110.5

Total gear weight (kg)23.5
Front load (%)37.4
Rear load (%)62.6
Gear-to-body ratio (%)31.3
Climbing speed loss (%)35.3
Tire PSI increase11.8
Is BalancedYes
Max Per Pannier Kg6
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Rider weight (kg), Bike weight (kg), and Front panniers (kg).
  2. Set Rear panniers (kg), Handlebar bag (kg), and Seatpack/rack-top (kg).
  3. Adjust Frame bag (kg) as needed.
  4. Review the Total system weight (kg) result.
  5. Use Total gear weight (kg) and Front load (%) to inform your decision.

How the result changes with Rider weight (kg)

Rider weight (kg)Total system weight (kg)
4782.5
90125.5
141176.5
183218.5

What each input means

Rider weight (kg)
Your body weight in kilograms.
Bike weight (kg)
Unloaded bicycle weight in kilograms.
Front panniers (kg)
Total weight in front panniers (both sides combined).
Rear panniers (kg)
Total weight in rear panniers (both sides combined).
Handlebar bag (kg)
Weight of handlebar bag/roll.
Seatpack/rack-top (kg)
Weight on seatpost bag or rack-top bag.
Frame bag (kg)
Weight in frame bag (split roughly 40% front / 60% rear).

What each result means

Total system weight (kg)
Combined weight of rider, bike, and all gear.
Total gear weight (kg)
Combined weight of all bags and cargo.
Front load (%)
Percentage of gear weight on the front. Aim for 35-50% for good handling.
Rear load (%)
Percentage of gear weight on the rear.
Gear-to-body ratio (%)
Gear weight as percentage of body weight. Under 30% is manageable; over 40% is very heavy.
Climbing speed loss (%)
Estimated speed penalty when climbing a 6% grade vs. unloaded.
Tire PSI increase
Suggested tire pressure increase over unloaded baseline (approx. +1 PSI per 2 kg load).

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Rider weight (kg) = 75, Bike weight (kg) = 12, Front panniers (kg) = 6, Rear panniers (kg) = 12 = 7 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Total system weight
    Total system weight = riderWeightKg + bikeWeightKg + totalGearKg
    110.5 = 110.5
  3. Calculate Total gear weight
    Total gear weight = frontPanniersKg + rearPanniersKg + handlebarBagKg + seatpackKg + frameBagKg
    23.5 = 23.5
  4. Calculate Front load
    37.4 = 37.4

Engine last updated . Checked against 3 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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