my MTB or a new tourer?

[just4fun]

Hello, i just wanted some info advice which can help me make up my mind about sticking with my heavy MTB for touring + commuting, or maybe getting a low/mid end touring bike.
I have been away for a total of just over 3 weeks on my MTB it weights about 45kg when fully loaded up but its a sturdy reliable work horse. It is also very slow and not that enjoyable or comfy for everyday touring, more work donkey than horse. I also use it every day to commute on London roads with panniers. i plan to tour a few weeks each year in Netherlands where my OH has family.

I have been thinking recently to change it for a touring bike but these are are not cheap. i could stretch my budget to about £750 so dawes horizon level of bike. but my concern is about the 700c tyres on 'most' of the touring bikes i have seen. Obviously on road these are an improvment over my mtb's heavy treaded knobblies, but my concern would be when touring. what are the limitation of the 700c vs 26's ? could the road tyres handle shingle paths, bridal paths and canal towpaths? also some the the route i have cycled in Netherlands is just lots of little stones and dust.

so in short, is there any point in buying a touring bike to replace my hard tail mountain bike or should i just buy a brooks saddle and plod along?

Many thanks

 

[arallsopp]

Interim: Under £50 gets you a pair of Schwalbe Marathons, which will roll a lot better than knobblies, and likely be more robust.

Of course, they ain't light, but with rider + steed weighing in at 120+ kgs, its not going to make much odds.

That's where I'd start. Holland is flat, so weight doesn't matter so much.

Grip should be fine on most surfaces.

 

[upsidedown]

If you go down the 700c wheel route, Alex Adventurer rims with 36 spokes are very strong. I'm 16 stone and rattle through some pretty crappy road surfaces daily on them, no problem.

£750 will get you a mint used Super or Ultra Galaxy i would think, which would be much more suited to your needs.

 

[HelenD123]

I run 700x32 standard Marathon tyres on my Ultra Galaxy and they've been absolutely fine for the type of terrain you mentioned. You don't need full on knobblies for canal towpaths.

 

[andym]

You don't say how much of the 45kgs was luggage. It might be that you could make some big weight savings by simply getting lighter gear and taking less. Getting a new bike may not help if you are dragging too much stuff around.

But assuming that the weight of the unloaded bike is still an issue. Then one option would be to invest in a new frame. On-One Inbreds come with all of the fittings you need for panniers etc, and would make a good off-road capable tourer (and you'll see a fair number being used as commuters as well). Personallly I use a 456 for touring, but other people prefer the Inbred - which also comes with v-brake mountings if you prefer V-brakes.

The frame on its own will set you back £150. You might well be able to use them with your existing forks - although if you have suspension forks at the moment, the chances are you could save yourself some weight by getting some rigid forks.

As far as wheels and tyres are concerned: 700c wheels give you a greater choice of road-capable tyres, but there are still plenty of choices available for 26-inch wheels - for example Continental Gatorskins and Sport Contacts are both available in 26-inch. Both are good for road riding, and in my experience, cope well with canal towpaths and fine aggregate cyclepaths. Neither is designed for mud but you can't have everything. And before anyone jumps on me, I'm sure the Schwalbe equivalents are equally suitable.

You don't say what it is that is not enjoyable about touring on the MTB. It could be worth thinking more specifically about that. If it's just the weight and sluggishness that's the issue then cutting down the weight and changing the tyres could go a long way to help. If it's the saddle then maybe a Brooks saddle. It it's the riding position then maybe experimenting with a longer stem. If it's the hand positions then maybe experiment with bar ends or even butterfly bars.

 

[just4fun]

Thanks you all for your advice and feedback, its certainly given me quite a bit to think about.
In referrance to some points questioned:

My bike weighs around the 20kg mark unloaded beacause of the many bits I have added on to it (my av speed is only 10mph) . The things I least enjoy about riding the mtb is that it is sluggish and doesnt coast along so it requires quite a bit of effort to maintain speed.
when not in the winter i have conti sports contacts but embarrassing as it is, i cant put them back on as my thumbs yield before the tyres.
I like the hand position provided by bar ends i use.
A problem for me has always been comfort and finding the right saddle which i have not been able to do so far. this is an expensive search. My current saddle is probably the best of a bad bunch so far. I am in the process of emailing Brooks for recommendations as to whcih saddles should be best eg MTBtouring brooks range.
Im open to the posibility that if i was comfy in the saddle the sluggishness wouldnt matter so much.
Im also aware my discontend grew somewhat around the time i bought my light weight racing bike as prior to that i didnt know any diferent in regards to my mtb.

 

[andym]

M
when not in the winter i have conti sports contacts but embarrassing as it is, i cant put them back on as my thumbs yield before the tyres.

Tyre levers? (Or if that fails just get some other tyres). The Conti Sport Contacts used to be my winter go-to tyre.

It does sound like it would be worth having a review of what's adding to the weight and what you can get rid of or where it would be worth replacing heavy components with lighter ones (eg eg frame and suspension forks).

25kgs of load is a lot. I think you could cut that to 15kgs without too much pain or too much expense.

Saddles. I think it basically comes down to personal preference - the best choice for MTBing or touring or whatever is the one you find most comfortable (sorry if that's a bit circular).

There are people who swear by sprung saddles. If you decide to go for an unsprung saddle they basically divide into four groups depending on length and hardness of the leather. The Swift and B17 are the longer saddles (IIRC 285mm vs 254mm) while the Team Pro and [I forget] are shorter. So one starting point would be to consider whether you prefer a longer or a shorter saddle. The B17s are made of less elastic leather than the Swifts but that means once broken in, they should last longer. Personally I prefer the cut of the Swift, but it is twice the price.

 

[just4fun]

thanks once again for all your help. as for the length of saddle i have no idea about what i prefer as i;ve never even considered saddle length.

 

[snowy10]

Hi,
I did the Trans-Pennine-Trail on a 1970's Holdsworth with 700s on and never had any problems. nearly all the route is either disused railway; canal towpaths,bridal ways. Although, the trail is mostly in good nick, there are some very rough parts especially around the Pennine area and going towards Stockport. I had panniers on the bike and it handled it very well.
I hope this is useful.

 

[just4fun]

Cheers Snowy thats good to know. Any idea what tyres you were using? Since making this post i've put on bar ends on, raised the saddle a fair bit and oiled the chain and its actually helped a lot in terms of enjoyment, might be something to do with a week sick where i didnt cycle so getting back ob the bike has been nice!

 

[hubbike]

I think you should stick with what you've got.

 

[just4fun]

I went out yesterday and had an amazing ride before work so i think i will keep it for now, After my next tour i can reassess.

 

[willem]

Inevitably there will always be a difference between the feel of an unloaded light racing bike and a loaded touring bike. My superb custom loaded tourer feels sluggish compared to my ancient and pretty mediocre racing bike.
I think there are two things you can and should do first before considering buying a new touring bike. The first is to replace those knobbly tyres. My suggestion would be 50 mm Schwalbe Big Apples. These will transform any lumpy mountainbike: they are fast and very smooth. The second thing is to lighten your load. For a three season camping tour in most parts of Europe 15 kilo is more than enough. To loose 10 kilo has far more impact than buying another bike.
So begin by leaving behind what you do not need, and then use some of your budget to replace the heaviest and oldest parts of your gear. If you happen to need a new sleeping bag, get an ultralight PHD design bag. If you need a new mattress, get a Thermarest Neoair for the summer, or an Exped Downmat or Synmat for colder situations. If you need a new tent, get a tent like a Terra Nova Laser, a Hilleberg Akto or Nallo 2, or a Helsport Ringstind 2 Light. I am planning a bike tour in Norway next early summer, and my target weight will be 14 kilo. And that includes everything for potentially sub zero temperatures and a lot of rain (and possibly even a bit of snow).
After you have done all this, save up, because a nice tourer will set you back more than 750 pounds. Think 1000 plus, for a Surly Long Haul Trucker or similar. But first of all, treat yourself to better tyres and a lighter load.
Willem

 

[just4fun]

wise words willem and thanks all for your reply.

 

[snowy10]

Hi, The tires I used on my Holdsworth were Schwalbe marathon plus. These are great tires and i never had one puncture. The worst part of The Trans-pennine-Trail for broken glass, was the Liverpool loop line. In places this track was a carpet of glass. I tried to avoid the glass,as best I could. The schwalbe Marathon plus handled it very well. Not one puncture!
Cheers