Bike packing 101

When I see a lot of cyclists packed up for touring

I can't help but wonder what they left at home.
  When I tour by bike I actually carry less than I would when I backpack.  Think about it, you can stop and buy food, you can stop for water, you can stop at a laundramat, so you really don't need that much.  I like to keep it simple.
  Blackburn low riders are simple racks which attach right to the brazeons of most touring bikes.

Two screws, that's it.  They keep your bags and the weight low where they contribute to rather than detract from the bike's handling on the road.
   As far as camping equipment is concerned, the basics are all that I carry.

This is a standard camp for me.  Moving from right to left; a stainless steel plate, a backpacking lantern, a fuel canister, a two burner, folding backpacking stove(which uses the same fuel as the lantern), a pot and pan(which also functions as a pot cover), a coffee press, pocket knife, folding spork and ignore the three extra cups, I brought those by accident. There is more about cooking here!
I have a two person backpacking tent.   A light fleece sleeping bag liner is all that's necessary in a tent like that because the tent with a full rainfly will retain body heat on cool nights. With a closed-cell foam pad for the ground it's all you need for comfort and weather protection.
    I bring the normal cycling tools, now in the tool roll-up from a previous post and (maybe) an extra tire.
All this is easy to carry.   If you are traveling with somebody else, you can split most of it between you. One can carry the rainfly, the other the sleeping compartment.  One can carry the pots, pans and plates, the other the stove,lantern and fuel. Even traveling alone, it fits easily into two front bags.

with the bedroll attached to the rear rack or saddle bag.  I just stuff the rainfly in one bag, the sleeping compartment into the other, the pot,pan and plate in one, the lantern,stove and fuel in the other.
In my saddlebag, I keep three changes of clothing (dictated by the weather) a rain cape and personal hygiene stuff along with an automobile type chamois to use as a towel.
My handlebar bag carries wallet, keys, camera, an led headlight (for my head),pocketknife, and the other miscellaneous junk we normally have in our pocket.
  I normally use a Camelbak water reservoir on tours and use the water bottle for Gatorade or Powerade.
You really can enjoy yourself without bringing too much, or you can...

I have posted an update for this called Bike Packing 101.1 with some upgraded equipment.