My LHT arrived today!

[yashicamat]

Picked it up this afternoon. What a cracker! Went for a short 45 minute blast into the hills and back while my tea was cooking. Very comfortable and everything has a really solid feel. It was remarkably quick too, even climbing steep gradients, despite what people say about it being a heavy bike.

Very pleased with it indeed! Have two tours planned next month to christen it.

Some photos of course:

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Rob

 

[RedBike]

Very nice.

 

[jags]

beautyful bike hope you have lot's of happy safe touring.enjoy

 

[dubman]

very nice , been waiting for mine since the end of June

 

[fossyant]

Good looking touring machine there

 

[Pottsy]

Very nice - looks remarkably similar to mine (search on Long Haul Trucker)

 

[Ben M]

Looks really nice =]

Seems a bit strange to have shifters there, when you're more likely to be on the hoods when touring are you not?

 

[John Ponting]

^ less likely to get caught accidentally, forcing a change up half way up an alp.

 

[Ben M]

Caught accidentally? how would you accidentally change gear on an sti shifter, or one like tiagra/ campag with a thumb lever?

 

[John the Monkey]

Seems a bit strange to have shifters there, when you're more likely to be on the hoods when touring are you not?

Barcons are mechanically simpler, less prone to crash damage, can be switched (in some cases) from index to friction...

Also require less of a change of position to change gear than downtube mounted shifters (another low tech, robust option).

For the tourer far from civilisation, or not wanting the faff attendant to a busted STi on tour, they're the preferred option.

 

[upsidedown]

Same as mine that i've had for a couple of weeks now, it's my daily commuter and i love it

I think the reason for the bar end shifters is to leave space for bar bags, GPS etc, they work very well and are surprisingly easy to get used to.

 

[dragon72]

Mmmm. Truckachino. [Drools]

 

[yashicamat]

Cheers everyone. It is excellent and as for the bar ends, I adapted almost instantly from being used to rapidfire mountain bike gears. I suspect on a racing bike it might be a bit of a chore, but on a tourer I'm not trying to change gear that rapidly. The ride I did on it yesterday went up some very steep hills and it wasn't a problem.

The colour is really growing on my too. Bit different than the usual and I really like it!

 

[yashicamat]

Took it out on a spin this evening, only a short one though as I've got suspected Swine Flu so don't want to push it (only mild symptoms though). Fantastic on the back lanes, it really just glides along. Averaging 16.3mph over 10 miles of hilly-ish lanes and I taking it easy. I'm supposed to be off touring on it this coming weekend . . . hope I've recovered by then though!

Think I'm going to turn off the indexing for the rear derailleur though - much prefer the smooth feel of a friction lever than the somewhat cranky indexed bar end.

 

[MichaelM]

Picked it up this afternoon. ........... Went for a short 45 minute blast into the hills....

Did you buy it as a complete bike? Or did you buy the frame then get the lbs to buid it up?