Adventure Road Bike?

[NightCruiser]

An adventure bike is liable to be a little more civilised for domestic living and have things like rack and mudguard bosses, but really its a marketing man's fiction.

I can only agree with that, because when it comes to touring, a well-equipped trekking bike would be the better alternative. It has enough transport options for luggage and is also much more comfortable to ride. This is especially true when a suspension fork and/or suspension seatpost are used.

 

[Blue Hills]

I personally wouldn't buy that bike for anything like touring or a winter bike for that matter.

11 speed?

I lost interest in the Long Haul Trucker when that beast of burden went 10 speed in the standard build.

I'd look for a quality hybrid of some sort.

With sensible bits.

Which will be available for years to come from Rose Bikes at decent cost.

I'd also take a look at the Spa Cycles range.

 

[Blue Hills]

I can only agree with that, because when it comes to touring, a well-equipped trekking bike would be the better alternative. It has enough transport options for luggage and is also much more comfortable to ride. This is especially true when a suspension fork and/or suspension seatpost are used.

Agree with most of this apart from the suspension fork. Unecessary expense, maintenance issues, complicates luggage on the front. Just select appropriate tyres. Which you can change according to the type of riding. And good wheels/rims.

 

[Shortandcrisp]

Agree with the above. I use a hybrid for any off road trails I ride on. Plenty fast enough on the road and a much better upright position (IMO) for riding along country tracks. And much cheaper!

 

[fossyant]

Cyclo cross bikes are primarily designed for the sport of Cyclo cross. They have a relatively aggressive geometry, and extra features ( like secondary brake levers on the bars) not often found on Gravel / adventure bikes, which are essentially road bikes, which borrow certain ideas from CX bikes, like raised BB ground clearance, more steeply angled chain stays than commonly found on a road bike, better clearances for fatter tyres, and thru axles with disc brakes. CX bikes tend to be supplied with lower gearing than adventure bikes too.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-rc-520-disc-road-bike-navy-105-id_8554421.html

This is a fantastic VFM adventure bike, and it comes with a lifetime warranty on frame and forks.

Good grief, look at the size of those disc calipers. Double the size of my 4 pot Guide RS brakes on my MTB.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Good grief, look at the size of those disc calipers. Double the size of my 4 pot Guide RS brakes on my MTB.

They are the cable actuated hydraulic type, so the reservoir is in the calliper.

 

[andrew_s]

In touring bike mode:
https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/rose-backroad-randonneur-ultegra-2674052

The same bike undressed, listed as a gravel bike:
https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/rose-backroad-ultegra-2671749

(other options available)

 

[Boon 51]

I found that lots Cycle cross run a 46/36 and most Adventure seem to run 50/34 with of course the single X type chainring. So some of the gearing might differ a bit.

 

[Ananda]

In my opinion, an adventure/traveling bike should have big tyres, a 3x chainset, a decent number of fittings for racks, flat bars and be relatively cheap. A steel frame would also be nice but what used to be beans on toast is now caviar.
I was in the same wagon as the OP and my euros, all six hundered of them, went for this:

https://www.cube.eu/uk/2019/bikes/trekking/urban/hyde/cube-hyde-blacknyellow-2019/

I cannot stress enough the all terain compliance and rolling efficiency of those 29x2.15 tyres (and there is plenty of space there for more) pumped at 25/30 psi, the decent hydraulic brakes and the almost 1:6 overall gearing ratio of the 3x9 chaiinset. It is the swiss army knife of biking which for some reason has not really caught up.

 

[mudsticks]

Early days yet but I've just acquired a Giant Toughroad, for every day use but also intend to use it for touring.

I have toured / bikepacked up til now on a Giant hybrid, and it was ideal for my needs -- 80% on road 20% tracks.

When I was ready for a new bike I too thought that a gravel or cyclo cross would be the next step.

But for the kind of riding I do a hybrid is ideal. Frame geometry, straight bars etc suit my needs. I don't need front suspension for example, I'm not rock hopping a laden bike down stream beds

I appreciate that being an alu frame rather than steel will turn some noses up - but it does means that overall bike weight is only 12 kg.
I use lightweight backpacking gear too - base weight roughly 10kg (and I'm not massively heavy myself neither) so the whole set up doesn't need to be uber strong.

The Toughroad comes with pannier racks already fitted.

I'm reluctant to recommend this particular bike wholeheartedly yet, merely cos I haven't done a trip on it yet.
Hopefully will be able to test it out properly before too long.
Then can report back.

 

[Glasgow44]

Hi Guys - thanks for all your replies. I'm no longer going on a cycling trip to France; I'm going to Wales instead, but I'm still looking at getting an Adventure Road Bike for my touring trips and for use as an all purpose/winter/bad horrible weather bike!. A bike that can take mudguards and panniers! I've been shopping around and have narrowed this down to the following:

https://www.evanscycles.com/trek-checkpoint-al-3-2019-adventure-road-bike-EV344596

https://www.evanscycles.com/trek-checkpoint-al-4-2019-adventure-road-bike-EV344597

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-arkose-d3-2019-adventure-road-bike-EV339948

https://www.evanscycles.com/cube-nuroad-pro-2019-adventure-road-bike-EV355539

https://www5.merida-bikes.com/en_gb/bikes/gravel-cross/adventure/2019/silex-300-12093.html

The first bike I'm put off slightly by the groupset, although its very aesthetically pleasing!

What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance for your help.

J

 

[vickster]

Hi Guys - thanks for all your replies. I'm no longer going on a cycling trip to France; I'm going to Wales instead, but I'm still looking at getting an Adventure Road Bike for my touring trips and for use as an all purpose/winter/bad horrible weather bike!. A bike that can take mudguards and panniers! I've been shopping around and have narrowed this down to the following:

https://www.evanscycles.com/trek-checkpoint-al-3-2019-adventure-road-bike-EV344596

https://www.evanscycles.com/trek-checkpoint-al-4-2019-adventure-road-bike-EV344597

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-arkose-d3-2019-adventure-road-bike-EV339948

https://www.evanscycles.com/cube-nuroad-pro-2019-adventure-road-bike-EV355539

https://www5.merida-bikes.com/en_gb/bikes/gravel-cross/adventure/2019/silex-300-12093.html

The first bike I'm put off slightly by the groupset, although its very aesthetically pleasing!

What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance for your help.

J

All but one at Evans where you can easily test ride. Presumably there’s a Merida dealer somewhere close by too for a try out

What’s wrong with Sora for a bad weather bike? Cheaper more durable parts!
White is not ideal though if you like a clean bike. Brown may be less aesthetically pleasing

 

[Glasgow44]

All but one at Evans where you can easily test ride. Presumably there’s a Merida dealer somewhere close by too for a try out

What’s wrong with Sora for a bad weather bike? Cheaper more durable parts!
White is not ideal though if you like a clean bike. Brown may be less aesthetically pleasing

Yes, there is a Merida dealer not too far from me.

Do you think Sora would be suitable for touring trips?

 

[vickster]

Yes, there is a Merida dealer not too far from me.

Do you think Sora would be suitable for touring trips?

Why wouldn’t it be if you have the right gearing? Arguably a triple might be useful if fully laden and very hilly. Have you looked at Spa cycles steel tourers which I think they do with a triple?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Is the answer several hundred quid?