The moment I hear the word lightweight, I picture someone sawing a toothbrush in half with frightening intensity. But let’s not start there.

We all want to carry less on our bikes — not because it’s trendy, but because every gram we leave behind makes the ride that much sweeter. I’ve already rambled about why weight matters in another post. This one’s for the practical side of the obsession — five gear areas that deserve your ruthless scrutiny before you start snipping straps off your bags.

1. The Bicycle

Rigid > Suspension. Every time. Suspension adds complexity and (more importantly) weight. Unless your route screams rock garden, skip it.

No, Leh via national highway does not require suspension.

Gravel bikes, flat-bar road bikes, rigid hybrids — all are lighter, simpler, and friendlier to your legs and your wallet. Wide tyres act like mini suspension anyway, and they don’t break in the middle of nowhere.

2. The Sleep System

Tents are great — for Instagram. But out here, a well-timed dhaba stop often beats a fiddly tent pitch. Most of India’s remote highways are dotted with dhabas that double as meal spots and sleep shelters.

Want to go wild? Cool. Try a bivy — mine weighs just 440g. That’s 1/3 of my lightest tent and has zero poles to snap. It won’t win beauty points, but it packs tight and sets up in seconds.

A bivy is like the sleeping bag’s tougher older brother — minimal, rugged, and drama-free.

3. Food, Water & Cooking Gear

Confession: I hate cooking on tours. After 80 km of riding, lighting a stove feels like penance. So I eat what I find: cold rice, rotis, parathas, bananas, boiled eggs. All roadside classics. All zero-prep.

Skip the stove, fuel, pot, and fire-starting kit — and you save kilos.

Water is heavier than your guilt — so carry just enough. Plan routes around refill points (tea stalls, pumps, villages). For the uncertain ones, carry a LifeStraw or Sawyer filter. Rain puddle? Animal trough? No problem.

Pro tip: use more small bottles instead of fewer large ones — it helps ration and balance weight better.

Need to add an extra bottle mount? Here’s a great hack for adding a downtube bottle cage to almost any bicycle:

4. Electronics & Accessories

You don’t need a film crew. Trust me.

Bring a smartphone, a power bank, and maybe an old Nokia brick phone. Use airplane mode. Charge everything with one cable. If the route’s wild, sure, carry a GPS. But don’t build a media rig.

One lens to rule them all? It’s already on your phone.

5. Clothing & Personal Items

Rule: 2 cycling kits, 1 off-bike kit.

Alternate and wash daily. That’s it.

If something tears, you can buy a T-shirt for ₹100 anywhere. Don’t carry your entire wardrobe. Layers for warmth and a rain layer — that’s your luxury.

So before you take a Dremel to your toothbrush, start with these five. Real weight savings begin before the gram-counting madness. And yes, once you’re hooked, there’s no going back.

I’ll leave you to it. I have a label to remove from my base layer.