Another touring "what bike" thread - Sub 1K

[Blue Hills]

I couldn't see any real info on the gearing on that link above - just said 9 speed.

Thanks for reporting back by the way @CanucksTraveller always nice when folks do this after soliciting advice.

 

[Blue Hills]

Although I'm not generally a fan of modern bikes, I do think the Genesis steel models are better than most, not least because they don't have ugly frames made from massively oversized tubing.

It's those Ridgeback genes skipdiver

 

[Vantage]

Yep looking at it that looks like a 30 as the little un on the crank but then gearing of 30-32 as a lowest is plenty, ultra low gearing is fine on an MTB/Trials bike for getting up ultra steep bits but really trying to balance a loaded touring bike at walking pace while your legs are doing a Hamster impersonation is no fun.

My lowest rings are 24 front and 34 rear and even then I wish I had lower gearing. All that extra weight doesn't half show itself when grinding up the slightest of inclines.
Given that touring is more about the journey than the destination, I really can't see any need for a 50tooth big ring. That's nuts.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I couldn't see any real info on the gearing on that link above - just said 9 speed.

Thanks for reporting back by the way @CanucksTraveller always nice when folks do this after soliciting advice.

Full spec at bottom. Scroll down and then click on the arrow.

 

[Blue Hills]

Full spec at bottom. Scroll down and then click on the arrow.

ah yes, i see you can expand each section.

which reveals

50/39/30T

(though must admit that a quick look at the pic didn't seem to show such a big big ring at the front.

I'm with @Vantage 50 on any sort of tourer is sheer madness.

@CanucksTraveller I'd check this out with the shop pronto.

and I'd say the 30T at the bottom is too high for a bottom.

You are planning to carry stuff?

To go up hills?

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Plus one on having a look again at those ratios!

 

[raleighnut]

ah yes, i see you can expand each section.

which reveals

50/39/30T

(though must admit that a quick look at the pic didn't seem to show such a big big ring at the front.

I'm with @Vantage 50 on any sort of tourer is sheer madness.

@CanucksTraveller I'd check this out with the shop pronto.

and I'd say the 30T at the bottom is too high for a bottom.

You are planning to carry stuff?

To go up hills?

The Raleigh 'Light Tourer' has 53-39 30 on it nowadays (Ultegra Hollowtech) with a 14-28 freewheel on the back (6 speed)

The Ridgeback 'Medium Tourer' runs a 52-42-30 with a 7 speed cassette again 14-28

The Raleigh 'Outlander' MTB heavy tourer and trailer pulling 'tractor runs a Deore 48-36-24 with again a 14-28 cassette but it's on 26" wheels. I find I rarely use bottom gear on this, if a hill is that steep I'll walk.

 

[Blue Hills]

I assume you are referring to bikes of yours Raleighnut.

Whatever suits you, but can only think you have better legs/lungs than me or carry less stuff.

 

[raleighnut]

I assume you are referring to bikes of yours Raleighnut.

Whatever suits you, but can only think you have better legs/lungs than me or carry less stuff.

Yep they're my 3 but like I said if I'm only going at walking pace then balancing becomes a problem especially when 'clipped in' so I'd rather walk than risk a fall. What you will notice is none of them have silly iddle rings on the back so a 52x14 is a lower top gear than a 44x11, theoretically I could fit a 10 or even a 12 speed rear wheel on at least a couple of them* to get closer gearing but then I'd lose the simplicity/ruggedness of the 6/7 speed that I much prefer when I'm away from home.

* they'll all take a 130mm rear wheel but I could push a 135 in the Ridgeback and the Outlander, the Equipe light tourer is 126 but I've had an 8/9 speed rear wheel in it before (that's in the back of the Raleigh 531c Road Ace now)

 

[Pale Rider]

Nice bike, but I suspect if I had one the only use for the 50 ring would be as a chain guard for the other two.

My ideal would be something like a Super Compact from Spa.

No idea if one could be persuaded to fit the Genesis.

On t'other hand as @raleighnut says, ultra low gearing has its challenges.

I spoke to a cyclist in the Lake District who had just pushed up one of the sharp banks.

His view was there is a point where it is quicker, or at least as quick, to push in a straight line as it is to spin an ultra low gear, often weaving a little even if you don't want to.

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s109p3383/SPA-CYCLES-Super-Compact-Chainset-with-Zicral-Rings

 

[newfhouse]

A different perspective from me. My tourer / wet commuter / towpath bike is a Croix de Fer, so similar to but not quite the same as the Tour de Fer. On two week / 1500 km camping tours I carry about 25 kg plus water. It has 50/34 and 11/34 gearing which I have found to be just about ideal for my purposes. I can’t say that 50/11 gets a lot of use when fully loaded, but definitely some when roads surfaces warrant it. 34/34 doesn’t see much action either. I’m a slightly overweight middle aged bloke, commuter fit but not athlete fit.

YMMV.

 

[Blue Hills]

I spoke to a cyclist in the Lake District who had just pushed up one of the sharp banks.

His view was there is a point where it is quicker, or at least as quick, to push in a straight line as it is to spin an ultra low gear, often weaving a little even if you don't want to.

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s109p3383/SPA-CYCLES-Super-Compact-Chainset-with-Zicral-Rings

Agree with all your post, but on this lake cyclist, were they a loaded tourist? Pushing a heavily loaded touring bike up a steep hill, especially if using cleats, can be a bit of a pig. I much prefer to spin if i can, no matter how slowly i'm going.

 

[Pale Rider]

He was well loaded, seemed to be one of those guys who all but lived on the bike.

One of the things he liked to do was ride up a fell as far as possible, dump the bike (no need for a lock up there) and walk the rest.

It struck me he could probably push a loaded tourer up a hill as fast as I could ride one.

I'm with you about staying aboard - I bought the bike to ride the ruddy thing, not push it.

 

[Vantage]

Pushing a heavily loaded touring bike up a steep hill, especially if using cleats, can be a bit of a pig.

I've decided to go cleat less when touring for that very reason. Got me some MKS Touring pedals for the job.

 

[Blue Hills]

I've decided to go cleat less when touring for that very reason. Got me some MKS Touring pedals for the job.

Me as well on my exped bike. Self same pedals. Pity i never took a pic of it when i rode it on the dunwich dynamo loaded like no ones business as i was also off on a camping tour. I didn't have to get off to push for a slope (dynamo route pretty flat) when riding but I did sometimes get off for a feed and one or two of those stops involved a slope afterwards to get back on at a suitable point. Pushing it even a short distance was a hell of a job. When I arrived at dunwich some amazed pal asked to feel the weight of it but i declined as i was concerned that it would twist and fall away from them.
For flat tough shoes i can recommend polaris splinter, though alas, they don't seem to be available now and again on deep sale, maybe after I gave them a glowing review. Have been mightily grateful for them and mks sylvan touring pedals when pushing over a cobbled canal bridge.