I can compare my Quickbeam with 40mm Clements to my Hunqapillar with 2.1" rear/2.25" front Smart Sams on a wide variety of surfaces and situations. Perhaps these experiences will help you make a choice, though I have no experience with the Oregon Outback roads specifically.
Dry hard pack to semi loose gravel: Not much difference. Muddy or Sandy: QB sinks quickly, Hunqa floats and tracks much better. I've done rides on the QB where light and fast works fine, but when I've ridden them with more weight in the otherwise same conditions, I sank a lot more. A few pounds makes a surprising amount of difference in how much the tires sink. So while a few pounds is no big deal to ride on harder surfaces, it may be the difference between floating over the top and sucking into the mud/sand the point of LCG (lowest common gear, aka walking). Based solely on my experiences above, I suspect Jan's experience would have been very difference were he loaded to camp (even lightly) vs his randonneuring approach. Concluding thoughts: You say you are interested in pushing the limits of your Sam. It sounds like you may be right near them. If you can get true 45mm tires to fit, that may well be enough for a lighter load bikepacking approach. I do great with my large SaddleSack filled with my clothes and gear, and my tent, sleeping system, and pad strapped on top. All said, it only adds 15-20 pounds over my full day load (which has me ready for snow in the Rockies even in summer). You will likely have more LCG than those with lighter loads or wider tires, but LCG always works and is a good part of any bikepacking plan. Sounds like a grand adventure! With abandon, Patrick -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
