bike for totally off-road touring?

[AllFumbs]

Hello, all: first post.

Two years ago I was injured at work. My balance suffers still. I have not been able to ride my mtb since: tried to: kept falling off.

In the hope that my balance will recover at least in part I'm planning a treat for myself: something to work towards. I wish to cycle from home – Bedfordshire – to the Norfolk coast: 135 miles or so, all off-road, camping all the way.

My bike is a 15-year-old-or-so Raleigh RSP Elite 400 titanium-framed beauty, with front suspension-forks in place of the standard, rigid, ones. I needed the front suspension because I get pains in my hands. (I've a tendency to rheumatoid arthritis.) It's more thoroughbred than packhorse.

I've several questions, really: one is what bike would you recommend, please? In about 2003 Giant did a 'girder'-bike with fully-suspended racks front and back, but they don't list it now. I think that would've suited.

Would there be a Moulton bike suitable to off-road work over distance? (I ask as they're comfortable, aren't they, what with f. & r. suspension.)

What lightweight camping-gear would you recommend? It has to be very lightweight indeed: I tend to struggle as I'm not young now and have had a number of uh, challenges to my health. Also, I'm in no hurry and am happy to compile my kit piece by piece especially if it's costly.

The only cooking I'll be doing is the odd brew-up so unless there's a ridiculously light stove out there I'll stick with me Trangia.

That's it. Thank you.

AF.

 

[Fiona N]

My goodness - poor balance, problem hands and a tendency to RA - you need a recumbent trike

I wouldn't want to take mine on the singletrack (although people do ) but just off-road byways and bridlepaths and whatnot, it would be great and soooo comfortable - armchair on wheels


Forgot to add - lightweight camping: tent - check out MSR Hubba (1 or 2 person, <1kg for a 1-person) and Alpkit for the rest.

 

[Zoiders]

Use the existing Raleigh MTB with a Bob-yak trailer or one of it's clones.

I don't think you would need the full sus, you need to be kicking the arse out of your off road riding anyway to get the benfit from the sprung rear, I certainly don't think it's a good mixture to have so much sprung weight on a full sus bike either.

The other option is of course the old fashioned pannier rack and bags, I suspect an older RSP will have the braze on's to take a rack.

You can add smallish panniers to sus forks with the "limpit" type front racks, some say this a bad idea but plenty have found them to be a workable set up.

 

[Evil Rabbit]

If it was me, i would just use any suitable hardtail mountain bike with a sadlebag and handlebar bag.

 

[AllFumbs]

What lovely, helpful people you are. Thank you.

Fiona N., I had in fact been giving thought to a recumbent trike but don't know where to start. What/who do you recommend? I'm in Bedfordshire though if there are no dealers/associations local-ish to me am very happy to travel.

As I say, for me it would be strictly for off-road use. I'm a car-driver now, and note with great fear that on the road, recumbents seem to slip under other motorists' radar. I think it's simply because as they don't expect to see a vehicle that low-down they just don't look. I know it's not right but it's so; and I haven't the courage to brave the roads on one. Besides, I live in a town in which it's not unknown for car-insurers to load premia such is the poor standard of driving/levels of claims.

Thank you, too, for the kit-recommendations. Does Alpkit do sleeping-bags only?

Zoiders, thank you, too. I'll look into that Bob-yak solution: I'll have to! My Raleigh ('M-Trax', which I forgot to say: sorry) doesn't have braze-ons, but my then-dealer – Jim Mepham, of Michael's Cycles, Bedford – found an ingenious way of fitting a rear rack for me. I've put Ortlieb Classic Bike-Packers on. My question about lightweight kit was inspired by the fact that now the front wheel wants to paw the air.

And, lastly, I thank Evil Rabbit, as well. Clearly I need to weigh-down the front end. A handlebar-bag seems a good idea. With an anvil in it. And perhaps I ought to try to slim-down my kit by using only a saddlebag on the back, as you suggest.

Much food for thought, there: for which I thank you all again.

AF.

 

[Zoiders]

Lose the sus fork and it will stop trying to do wheelies - it wasn't really intended to run with modern length forks.

 

[aberal]

Off road the Yak has definitely got to be given serious consideration.

 

[Norm]

...recumbents seem to slip under other motorists' radar. I think it's simply because as they don't expect to see a vehicle that low-down they just don't look. I know it's not right but it's so

Those on here with experience of such things will readily tell you that the opposite is generally true. There may be occasions that you could put yourself under the window line but any driver who sees a trike or a 'bent on the road will register it as something that they need to deal with, whereas bikes can disappear into the subconscious.

My question about lightweight kit was inspired by the fact that now the front wheel wants to paw the air.

That's not surprising if it was build to have a rigid fork, as you've probably lifted the bars enough to make a significant difference by fitting front suspension.

 

[Evil Rabbit]

Previously, on a mountain bike, I have done tent on front bars, sleeping bag tied to the sadlebag and cooking bits etc, change of clothing in the sadlebag. You do need a sadlebag frame however to stop it swinging.

 

[marzjennings]

Just repeating some of your points, balance issues, pain in the hands, off road use and I'm guessing comfort over speed. Have you seen one of these...

A KMX recumbent kart from here http://www.kmxkarts.co.uk/

Getting one of these is on my n+1 wish list.