8000+ miles, which Bike!?

[del]

thanks for all the suggestions guys, bit spoilt for choice now!!

Im still leaning towards the surly LHT, as it seems the most complete and ready to ride, so i'll probably end up ordering those in.

I have thought about building the bike up from a frame (or a used frame) but my current knowledge on this topic is lacking severly!!
And since i will be in full time work all the way up untill the depature... im not really going to have the time to learn more than the basics i might need on a repair job... so its best i stick to a complete bike.

 

[Brains]

I have thought about building the bike up from a frame (or a used frame) but my current knowledge on this topic is lacking severly!!
And since i will be in full time work all the way up untill the depature... im not really going to have the time to learn more than the basics i might need on a repair job... so its best i stick to a complete bike.

May I suggest you nip down to the local dump and acquire the best bike you can find.

You task, should you chose to accept it, is to dismantle the bike completly, and then rebuild it completly from the ground up (including a frame respray) buying missing/worn parts of e-bay.
The proof that you have completed the task is then to sell said bike on e-bay for more than the sum of the parts

The actual work could be done in a single weekend, but realistically might be a couple of weeks of an hour per evening.
You will then learn enough to keep a bike on the road for your 8K trip

 

[vorsprung]

.. im not really going to have the time to learn more than the basics i might need on a repair job... so its best i stick to a complete bike.

Then like I said above you are doing the wrong challenge. Unless one of your companions is a bike fixing whiz

Haven't you read any cycle touring memoirs? Al Humphries fixes stuff all the time.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Although Ann Mustoe managed to get all the way around the world without even knowing how to fix a puncture.

 

[hubbike]

There are plenty of people who don't have many repair skills but still go far (like me!!). But repair skills are easy to acquire and most problems are fairly easily fixed. and very few places on the planet don;t have bike shops.

Its worth learning:
how to repair a broken spoke
how to change brake blocks
how to adjust brakes and gears
how to fix punctures and change tyres

if you have a local bike recycling project they might be able to help

Al Humphrey used a string of pretty lousy cheap bikes that were donated to him. He was always fixing things because mid-range mountain bikes can only take so much... You could be lucky with a cheap bike, especially if you upgrade some of the components (a good way to learn some maintenance) but IME shelling out for a more reliable tourer will mean considerable savings in heartache and repair bills later.

 

[andym]

I thought Al Humphreys had two bikes - he broke the frame of one and got another one (I think from Specialized).

Investing money in the frame, wheels and is definitely worthwhile, but for other things I'm not sure that spending more will get you more long-lasting/reliable kit
eg there are reasonable arguments for running a 7-speed cassette and chain, with friction shifters.

 

[The_East_Stand_View]

Hats of to you, a fab challenge for charity.

What country route will you take?

 

[del]

thanks

We are only planning a very rough route through europe as we want to allow plenty of scope for exploring!! but we aim to follow the Danube River for most of it and perhaps veering off every now again.

Im in a little dilema about which route to take after Turkey, as Syria seems pretty unstable now aswell. Obviously safety is a priority, but nice scenary would be a bonus but then the idea is to go through Saudi, to Dubai and then back across Saudi, Ship it across the sea to Eritea, then Ethiopia, and then to Kenya...

Thats the basic plan anyway... any thoughts?

 

[willem]

As for bike choice at roughly this price, I think there are two excellent options. The LHT is one of them, and the other is the German Fahrradmanufaktur T400. They represent very different styles, however, so it is up to you to decide what you like. In theory, the LHT is more a tarmac bike, whereas the T400 is more an off road tourer. But both are proper multi role bikes.
Willem

 

[The_East_Stand_View]

Del, I have no experience at touring so I don't want to give you bad advice. I admire what your attempting. Will you post a daily blog?

 

[del]

yeah I've had a look at the Fahrradmanufaktur T400 but it seems quite difficult to get a hold of in the UK.

Im quite set on the Surly now, they recommend their own racks as they are Tubular Steel which should be stronger, but is it worth it?
Or will aluminium ones suffice? bearing in mind we probably will have heavy loads? anyone got any experience on this ?

 

[pkeenan]

I'd go with Thorn... though that's cos I just have

LHT does look a great bike...

 

[andym]

yeah I've had a look at the Fahrradmanufaktur T400 but it seems quite difficult to get a hold of in the UK.

Im quite set on the Surly now, they recommend their own racks as they are Tubular Steel which should be stronger, but is it worth it?
Or will aluminium ones suffice? bearing in mind we probably will have heavy loads? anyone got any experience on this ?

The world divides into people who have had aluminium racks break on them and have then bought steel racks nd those that haven't. I'm in the first group - for that length of trip, skimping on the racks seems like a false economy.

I don't have any experience/knowledge of Surly racks, and Surly make good stuff, but you might also want to check out the Tubus Cosmo and Vega (I think that's the correct name). EDIT:in fact it's the Logo.

 

[willem]

I love Surly, but that does not include their overweight racks. Go for a Tubus Cargo rear rack and one of their front racks. They are stiffer than anything else I know, and they last. Th eonly snag is that they are epoxy coated, and this will scratch, and then start to rust. Being the obsessive type I am I had mine chrome plated.

Willem

 

[P.H]

There's nothing in the Tubus range like that Surly front rack. Most people (Including me) don't need the options of high or low mounting and a top platform, but if you think that at some point you may need extra capacity, a few days water and food for example, then it's be good to know you've somewhere to carry it. For the rear I'd prefer the Tubus , the lower set of rails make the top platform easier to use. I wouldn't be too concerned about rust, but if you are Tubus also do a stainless steel version for an extra £20 or even a titanium one for even more money!

I don't think decent aluminium rear racks fail very often and when they do it not likely to be catastrophic and probably bodgable till you get a replacement. If You're on a budget I wouldn't compromise on the front rack and get something like the Tor Tec Expedition for the back.

http://www.primera-s...-rack-6327.aspx