After a touring bike thats not just a tourer

[GrumpyGregry]

I toured a lot in the mid 90's on a steel framed rigid forked spesh rockhopper mtb because it was all I had and I couldn't afford n+1 bikes.

Bar ends, a wider saddle, a change of tyres, a rear rack, a front rack, 4 panniers and camping gear. It wasn't fast uphill but it went everywhere I pointed it and when unloaded, and sometimes when loaded, it was a genuine go-anywhere all terrain bike. Still in use locally by the guy I sold it too a couple of years ago.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I would recommend a specialized tricross as an all rounder. My husband and also one of my female friends both have them. I've seen a tricross do light touring, fully loaded touring, proper CX off road and also act as a winter training bike without too much trouble. They are not the lightest, but they are extremely versatile and comfortable too.

The spring cycling world has an account of a tour to the North Cape aboard a tricross.

 

[Christkd]

Me and a mate did LEJOG on specialized secteur comps and found them to be very comfortable and fast when needed! Another of our team was on a secteur elite which was also very good according to the rider!

Chris

 

[Dave Davenport]

Just a thought, but getting the ferry back would be a lot less hassle (and much nicer IMO) than flying.

 

[tbtb]

I agree re ferry, if the costs work. Much less effort and a great sense of travelling.

 

[Zoiders]

There is a common misconception that a road bike or road bike style cycle is the bike to have for touring. Nothing could be further from the truth. On the continent a dropped barred touring bike normally indicates that the owner is British. Most other tourers are flat or butterfly barred hybrids, MTBs and sit up and beg styles bikes with the occasional recumbent thrown into the mix.

I was originally of the opinion that nothing other than a Dawes Galaxy or something similar would serve as a tourer for me. My opinion was formed by the Galaxy community and, to be fair, the Galaxy did it's job well until the frame snapped, twice. Once on a LEJOG and once in Orleans. In Orleans I purchased a Decathlon hybrid styled tourer and have used it for the past two and half years for touring and 60 mile day rides and found it to be as fast and as comfortable as the Galaxy ever was.

Too many people rubbish their own bikes with the misbegotten notion that significant expenditure on 'something better' will make life easier on the road. Your hybrid just might work out a lot cheaper if upgraded than buying a new bike.

On the other hand. Owning a new bike is a very nice feeling.

This ^.

The lack of drops does not make a bike unsuitable for touring, hybrids (not flat barred road bikes) tend have all the same features as you will find on a bog standard tourer, braze on's, fairly relaxed geometry, high spoke count wheels, a welded plain gauge steel frame is also going to be easier to get fixed in a pinch as well than a lugged one.

Ignore the labels people put on each and every type of bike and look at what the frame will actualy do if you want it to.

 

[andym]

Ignore the labels people put on each and every type of bike and look at what the frame will actualy do if you want it to.

There are lots of different marketing niches - which can simply be a cause for confusion.

You can tour on just about any bike and nothing bad will happen to you, but if you are choosing a new bike (or at least new to you) the major issues really come down to:

- fixings for pannier racks (but you can get by without them)
- having sufficient clearance for bigger tyres (but you can tour with say 25mm tyres. I'd suggest making sure the chainstays are at least 415mm long;
- wheels. 28 or more spokes if poss.
- gearing - probably a triple chainset. Unless you are very fit you'll probably appreciate those extra gears every now and again.

Avoid a frame that's very light - or indeed one that's very heavy.

And that's pretty much it really.

 

[tbtb]

Colour is an issue too. My bike is white and I'm currently tussling with the issue of keeping it secure while I sleep in a tent in a campsite. Black would disappear nicely in the night. White may be more visible and so more likely to disappear not nicely!

 

[Brandane]

I would recommend a specialized tricross as an all rounder. My husband and also one of my female friends both have them. I've seen a tricross do light touring, fully loaded touring, proper CX off road and also act as a winter training bike without too much trouble. They are not the lightest, but they are extremely versatile and comfortable too.

+1 for the Tricross! I find flat bars quite uncomfortable over any sort of distance. My Tricross now has a Brooks B17 saddle which helps with the comfort too. Only thing that might mark it down is it has carbon front forks, which might be an issue for some types of front racks (if you plan on fitting them). I bought mine in November 2009, since then it's done over 4000 miles including touring in France, the Way of the Roses, my first and only century, and as Kirstie says winter use, light off road work and general dogsbody are what it was built for .

 

[bigjim]

I have just returned from a 2 week 700+ mile tour on the Danube and up into the Czech Republic using this bike. Ali frame with carbon fork. I was B&B so weight was not too much. But also carried flight bag. However the ride from Munich to the Danube was very hilly and also leaving the Danube into Czech involved some mean climbs. I used P clips for the front of the rack. Standard Sora Double 14 speed. I changed the rear 23c tyre for a 25c cheap michelin. Much of the surfaces we encountered were rough with a fair amount of gravel. I weigh 14 stone. I had no problems with the bike.

 

[mish4444]

I have just bought the Scott S55 waiting for it to arrive cant wait for it to arrive. its got a a panier rack aswell would you recomend larger tyres and what type for touring i dont eed one with much tred as will be almost entirely on roads?

 

[tbtb]

What tyres are on it just now, Mish?

 

[Crackle]

Nice bike Mish, not quite sure about it's touring credentials, you might find it a bit uncomfortable towards the end of the day but as has been said you can tour on any bike and I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it's other qualities.

It comes with 25c tyres, if you're keeping it light, these will do and you might find you don't have the frame clearance to fit larger tyres on it. You could keep the same size tyre but buy one more suitable for touring with a good reputation for puncture resistance. There's a few tyre threads running which I recomend you have a quick search for, I'm not good on tyres. I run Schwalbe Blizzards and have never had a punture on them but I don't think they are a popular tyre.

 

[tbtb]

The 2011 s55 comes with 23mm tyres I think, Crackle - though I just looked at one shop listing so may be wrong. Googling the rim will provide info on how wide a tyre can be swapped in if desired.

One thing I did with my Aether to get relaxed tourer position is to flip the handlebar stem over. Then bought a shorter stem (£20 or so). That gave me 4 positions to try out. Good to know you're not stuck with how the bike arrives if it feels too "head down sporty". You could have the stem up for touring, down for racy use.

 

[mish4444]

yeah the scott has got 23mm tyres but the are continental ultra sports which i have had terrible experiences with in the past. so i think i will be upgrading these to 25 or 28 schwalbe marathon plus.


when it comes to backs what do you guys recommend? once again i will not be taking much will probably fit it into two rear paniers is this a good move? heard good things about saddle bags and bar bags instead? i have never cycled properly with either which combo gives least drag effort?