adventure bikes - whats the difference?

[digit]

I assume they are heavier? do they have tougher frames with thicker metal? or stronger wheels?

Would they survive pot-holes/rough tracks better? why?

Cheers
Digit

 

[G3CWI]

Another way to part the unwary from their money.

 

[digit]

look like they are more expensive but why ..... I don't want adventure ..... just an easy life

 

[MichaelW2]

Most of the high-end ones have rack-compatible rear brake mounts, but no rack eyelets. They are sub-touring bikes for adventures of a lesser kind.

 

[raleighnut]

Adventure bikes tend to take fatter tyres than a classic touring bike, most touring bike riders stick to 28s

Not a new thing though, my Ridgeback 502CS has Adventure decals on the downtube and that's over 20yrs old. It has been uprated/modified to be closer to touring bike spec though with only the frame/forks, seatpost and stem being original. Not as 'tough' as originally it was more an MTB style hybrid with cantilever brakes, a 46 tooth 'big ring' and 38mm tyres but now a whole lot quicker/lighter.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I think the first I heard of 26" touring was in the book Touring on Two Wheels(1988), by Dennis Coello, who refers to it as ATB (All Terrain Bicycle) touring, showing some bicycles of the era set up for that. I fitted drop bars and mudguards to a rigid mtb of that era, and it works great on gravel roads and doubletrack, where I would never want to take a regular touring bicycle. I find the 26" wheels and slightly wider tires work out well over long distances as well, and many of these bicycles have all the braze-ons for racks and the like. I also like to use mine for commuting.

 

[PK99]

I assume they are heavier? do they have tougher frames with thicker metal? or stronger wheels?

Would they survive pot-holes/rough tracks better? why?

Cheers
Digit

Of course, the idea of riding a road bike across any sort of terrain, be it smoothly paved roads or rough and bumpy gravel tracks, woodland trails laced with roots or edge-of-field bridleways, is nothing new really. Road cyclists have been doing it since the dawn of the bicycle. How do you think cyclo-cross was invented? Gravel and adventure bikes, though, are better suited to the demands of on and off-road riding. They split the difference between an endurance road bike and a cyclo-cross bike, with space for bigger tyres than an endurance bike and geometry better suited to road riding than a cyclo-cross bike. -

http://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/167513-buyer-s-guide-gravel-and-adventure-bikes-plus-13-best

 

[Pale Rider]

Most of the high-end ones have rack-compatible rear brake mounts, but no rack eyelets. They are sub-touring bikes for adventures of a lesser kind.

The Spa Adventure (which I'm still thinking about) has more bosses, eyelets and water bottle mounts than you could shake a stick at.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s21p3104

 

[marzjennings]

I'm interested in maybe getting one of these adventure/gravel bikes. My mtb is about dead and I need a road bike with gears (single speed is killing knees) and possibly a bike that can handle the road and offroad better than a cx bike may be useful. Possibly even enabling n-1.

So far I like this

...the Slate from Cannondale, and this...

from Tomac (on one)

 

[MichaelW2]

The Spa Adventure (which I'm still thinking about) has more bosses, eyelets and water bottle mounts than you could shake a stick at.

How is it that one-man band touring specialists such as SPA have a better understanding of how expedition riders use bikes, than major brands such as Specialized, BMC, GT?

 

[Citius]

How is it that one-man band touring specialists such as SPA have a better understanding of how expedition riders use bikes, than major brands such as Specialized, BMC, GT?

Because mainstream manufacturers tend not to specifically target the expedition market.

 

[raleighnut]

I'm interested in maybe getting one of these adventure/gravel bikes. My mtb is about dead and I need a road bike with gears (single speed is killing knees) and possibly a bike that can handle the road and offroad better than a cx bike may be useful. Possibly even enabling n-1.

So far I like this

...the Slate from Cannondale, and this...

from Tomac (on one)

What about this, CrMo framed beauty

 

[outlash]

They split the difference between an endurance road bike and a cyclo-cross bike, with space for bigger tyres than an endurance bike and geometry better suited to road riding than a cyclo-cross bike.

What a load of twaddle. An awful lot of 'cross bikes are used for road riding, many almost exclusively and are perfectly good at it.

 

[Fab Foodie]

It's just the marketing men selling another worthless dream ....

 

[Pale Rider]

It's just the marketing men selling another worthless dream ....

As someone quite keen on an adventure bike, I prefer the term 'niche marketing'.