bike advice please

[berty bassett]

hi - in the opinions of the wise tourers on here - do you think a giant rapid 2 is capable of decent touring - it has panniers on it so i know its capable of carrying weight , i am a bit of a light weight myself being 10.5 stone so it can afford to take more weight . i travel with camping kit but not much and everything is light weight , i done a small tour on it but now there is a bigger one coming up and i would feel a lot better if someone put my mind at ease - cheers for any response

 

[Ian Cooper]

If you can fit your gear on it, you can tour on virtually anything. The longest tour I ever did (10,000 miles), I did on an old Motobecane (non-touring) road bike. All bikes are over-engineered in terms of their weight-carrying capabilities. The Giant Rapid 2 is aluminium, so it will feel a bit harsher in terms of the ride, but it shouldn't be a problem if you're used to it.

 

[Accy cyclist]

If you can fit your gear on it, you can tour on virtually anything. The longest tour I ever did (10,000 miles), I did on an old Motobecane (non-touring) road bike. All bikes are over-engineered in terms of their weight-carrying capabilities. The Giant Rapid 2 is aluminium, so it will feel a bit harsher in terms of the ride, but it shouldn't be a problem if you're used to it.

"The longest tour I ever did (10,000 miles)" That is a SERIOUS distance, it'd be like cycling from Accrington to Adelaide..as the crow flies of course!

 

[berty bassett]

cheers thats put my mind to rest - though i am only going for a tenth of that distance - got to be back before xmas you know - thanks again

 

[chewy]

The longest tour I ever did (10,000 miles), I did on an old Motobecane (non-touring) road bike.

 

[Ian Cooper]

It wasn't that great an accomplishment. It took me a year and a half and I took about every other day off for sight-seeing, so on average only about 20 miles a day - more like a serious commute through Europe than a tour, really.

 

[berty bassett]

how brilliant that must have been - i have only got to wait till i'm 70 and able to retire and i will be able to have a crack at it

 

[Ian Cooper]

I saved up for five years for that tour while working full time and living with my parents. That's the best time to do any savings, I reckon. Never had two pennies to rub together since, and I've always wanted to do another grand tour. Nearly 30 years on, and that European tour is still the best time of my life.