Bike Advice

[GrumpyGregry]

Or you could spend very little and buy a Edinburgh Cooperative tourer. It'll be around £300-£400 and after the tour you could probably sell it for little less than that. Alternatively, I'd second using the hack bike if it it'll take panniers and is steel.

The Edinburgh Cooperative Revolution Country Traveller is a great bike for the money. I've got the Country Explorer which is the slightly higher spec'd disc braked version. Review of the Traveller here It comes with everything you need bar lights and luggage and I was on mine an hour after the big cardboard box arrived.

I ride mine with no discernable loss of pleasure on long weekend rides and it is robust enough to cope with the odd bit of rough stuff bridleway riding, a deal more testing than canal towpath or cycle path, when I fancy green laning it for a bit. Oh yes and I commute 13 miles x 2 on it down roads which would wreck the tyres and wheels of an all out race bike.

EBC web team have been great and their 'remote' after sales, nearest shop is hundreds of miles from me, has been better than many an LBS I've dealt with.

Also have a good look at the cyclocross bikes out there, though not on the cusp of fashion they are great all rounders.