Lightweight Bikepacking Bike with Road Capability for >1000m trip to Ukraine

[afradv]

Hi all

I am urgently looking to purchase a bike for a charity cycle next month where I will be cycling from UK to Ukraine. (I did have a bike offered to me but sadly fell through).

My question is: what is the best lightweight, bikepacking bike - baring in mind I will be travelling around 100 miles per day for 20 days. I'll be mainly on roads or pavement but would like to have something that can capably manage a bit of gravel / uneven surface if need be. I will be carrying the bare minimum with me (clothing, charger and a bit of food) so doesn't require to be a packhorse as I won't have camping kit.

Budget is around £1k but I would prefer to buy 2nd hand as usually, you get more for your money.

Any advice DESPERATELY received as I keep going down google worm holes at all the different options between endurance/gravel/CX/bikepacking.

 

[Sharky]

What bike do you have now?
If your ride is next month, I would consider upgrading/adapting the current bike if it is comfortable to ride.
It can take a few weeks breaking-in a new bike to a comfortable position and if 2nd hand, there could be hidden issues which only materialise after a few rides.

But good luck in your search, lots of advice I'm sure will follow.

 

[Cycleops]

To CC.

Don’t think the weight would counter that of the armour plating
Sounds like you might not have cycled much previously, is this the case? 100 miles per day on a loaded touring bike, even lightweight , is pretty tough. You can’t go from zero to 100 miles a day in one leap, no matter how fit you are.
You could do the trip on pretty much anything but as you seem to favour drop bars a gravel bike might be the best option.

 

[wafter]

Short answer IMO is that you want a relatively modern steel touring bike. A few thoughts:

- Don't get too hung up on mass is this is largely marketing-driven and other factors are more important - i.e. comfort and reliability
- Go for steel - it's typically more comfortable than ally and more resileant in the real world than carbon fibre
- Avoid CX bikes as these generally have "sharper" geometry that's quicker but less stable and will likely become tiring over large distances
- Reliability will be important, so look towards stuff running older / more basic and available standards - bar end shifters, 8 or 9sp cassette

In summary your priorities should be comfort and reliability; which is absolutely what touring bikes are about. A few bikes you might want to keep an eye out for - Dawes Galaxy, Genesis Tour de Fer, Fuji Touring, Ridgeback Panorama.. as well as offerings from Kona, Jamis, Surley...

Make sure you carry basic spares and support tools too - tubes, puncture repair kit, spokes, chain (or at least quick link), chain tool, multitool with allen keys and screwdrivers, gear and brake cable inners..

100 miles per day for 20 days is a huge ask - prioritise comfort, try to get in a lot of miles before the actual journey to ensure that the bike is well-fitted, broken in and reliable, and pepare yourself for the possibility that progress might be slower than you'd hoped. Good luck - sounds like an epic trip

 

[chris667]

Welcome! You don't do things by halves, do you?

How tall are you? What sort of luggage are you going to carry? Like @Cycleops said, it is no mean feat to go from no cycling to 100miles/day. Even very fit people can generally only do 100 miles once when they start, you need to build up your bike fitness.

Saying that, I really admire your spirit and would probably suggest some sort of touring bike - you could probably pick up a nice one for about 1/3 of that. Put up a wanted ad here. The humble Dawes Galaxy is a nearly perfect mileeater.

Then, get it serviced down to nut and bolt level. New tyres, new bearings, new cables. It will be fine.

 

[rualexander]

Sonder Santiago might be worth a look.
Slightly over your budget but a quality bike with all the fixtures and fittings you will need
https://alpkit.com/products/sonder-santiago-rival1-mechanical
They also have a flat bar version that is a bit cheaper.

 

[fossyant]

Have you got the training in to do 100 miles a day.

 

[vickster]

Spa tourer, although probably not super light and likely over your budget new.
What bike have you been using for all your training, is that not suitable bearing in mind you don’t need to carry lots?
What bike were you offered? Look for the same?

 

[MichaelW2]

100 miles per day for 2 days in a row is tough. Doing it day after day takes some preparation. You need a saddle that is good for you, a handlebar configuration that minimises stress on your joints and a pedal/shoe system with no hotpots. Your body should be conditioned for all day riding. These are all point of contact issues.
For the bike, a lightweight cx/tourer or lightweight tourer is good I dont think the alu/steel debate is worth fretting about, either works for me. Tyre clearance of 32mm should be sufficient, pick your tyres with care. Disk brakes are considered std these days and work consistently in the wet. You will be riding in a haze of fatigue so need reliable braking.
You can attach bags in all manner of places. A lightweight rear rack like Tubus Fly with small panniers is good, or Carradice saddlebags. A good , reliable bar bag will be your nav/food/utility station and reduce the need for stopping. Again Carradice and Ortleib are the goto brands.

 

[cougie uk]

My gravel bike could do that but it's a lot less energy needed on my carbon road bike. Lighter and more aero and 7mm narrower tyres make a big difference.

When you say clothes - do you mean rain jacket etc ?

What bike have you got now ? Ideally you'd match up the geometry as you don't want to mess around with that distance ahead of you.

 

[afradv]

Thank you all!

I have to confess I wrote my post this morning on a train and didnt give it nearly as much thought or detail so apologies.

I should say: I do currently have a bike (a 2016/17 Boardman CX Team which is about 10kg) that I have been training on since May. I have got some rest days in there and 100m is the most I'll cover in a day - other days are much lower.

I have previously cycled the atlantic coast and my route this time around is equally avoidant of too many steep hills - im adding more mileage but still my route isnt too horrific (its more the build up over time).

Whilst I am travelling "unsupported", I have places to stay each night (and lots of back-up plans) so will not be carrying too much weighty items/tents. I have also sent some of my replacement gear ahead to those destinations to cut down on the amount i need to carry.

I have changed the saddle to a specialized mimic which suits me but havent thought about shoes nearly enough so thank you for those comments.

I appreciate that talking about changing bikes at this stage is risky (some people may say stupid), so what my tired brain should have said this morning, is does anyone have any tips for optimizing my current bike that would also be very welcome.

And thanks again for the friendliness - i made the mistake of posting this same message on another bike forum and have been completely torn to shreds! Again, my fault for not providing more detail but some of the comments were just nasty!

 

[Jameshow]

My touring shoes are Shimano Mt3 which are comfortable on and off the bike. Many others agree.

I'd get mt5 next time round as they have a lace cover.
Mt7 are boa which if it breaks your up the creek.

Remember to take some gorilla tape useful for so many things.

 

[Jameshow]

How about asking boardman for a bike??

You ever know they might oblige or give you a discount for a good cause?!

 

[Sharky]

You sound very well prepared already - good luck for the ride.
Don't forget to post your Just Giving page on here - what's the charity?

 

[afradv]

My touring shoes are Shimano Mt3 which are comfortable on and off the bike. Many others agree.

I'd get mt5 next time round as they have a lace cover.
Mt7 are boa which if it breaks your up the creek.

Remember to take some gorilla tape useful for so many things.

Thank you for excellent steer re shoes! I will go search for them now! I'm not quite sure i have the clout to encourage a donation from boardman but a company has kindly offered to do some custom paint work on my bike for me - which I will raffle off for the cause at the end! And Im guessing by that point i'll never want to look at it ever again anyway!