Road bike?
- Thread starter dalbo96
- Start date
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bigjim
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester. UK
I've done two tours this year in Europe. One was a B&B tour. The other was a camping/loaded tour. I used the same road bike for both tours. I was on road, canal banks, forest trails etc. The only problem I had was a damaged rear mech, courtesy of Easyjet. I changed the saddle,tyres and front rings for lower gears on the camping tour.
Staffordshire Pete
Active Member
- Location
- Uttoxeter
I hardly did any training (wrong, I know) and did it on what has since been called a "leisure bike"
My family took the pi## and called it a shopping bike.
Anyhow - with no support vehicle or back-up, I did it in just under 14 days stopping at B&Bs.
The 'leisure bike' back wheel collapsed when I reached Bristol and had to be replaced by something more robust.
I set off with far too much luggage - and by day two, posted a load home. Take as little as you can get away with. You can wash out socks and stuff as you go. Some plastic clothes pegs are a good idea - they can be used for loads of things - including pegging wet socks to brake cables to dry them out.
Main concern for most people is the knees more than saddle soreness. So - right from the start, my motto was 'TRAIN the muscles not strain the muscles'. Be kind to the knees from day 1 and they'll last.
Just have a bike ride and see how far it goes.
Then have another the next day and see where it takes you.
Then on day three, go for a bike ride and see how far you can get.
And so on. Taking each day as an individual ride and not looking for the finishing post was a great benefit to me.
Good luck
My family took the pi## and called it a shopping bike.
Anyhow - with no support vehicle or back-up, I did it in just under 14 days stopping at B&Bs.
The 'leisure bike' back wheel collapsed when I reached Bristol and had to be replaced by something more robust.
I set off with far too much luggage - and by day two, posted a load home. Take as little as you can get away with. You can wash out socks and stuff as you go. Some plastic clothes pegs are a good idea - they can be used for loads of things - including pegging wet socks to brake cables to dry them out.
Main concern for most people is the knees more than saddle soreness. So - right from the start, my motto was 'TRAIN the muscles not strain the muscles'. Be kind to the knees from day 1 and they'll last.
Just have a bike ride and see how far it goes.
Then have another the next day and see where it takes you.
Then on day three, go for a bike ride and see how far you can get.
And so on. Taking each day as an individual ride and not looking for the finishing post was a great benefit to me.
Good luck
You don't have to travel 'heavy' to do long distances. Have a look at all the links on that site - it's quite an eye-opener !
I love this concept !
And
on your (Staffordshire Pete
) achievement !
I love this concept !
And
hondated
Guru
- Location
- Eastbourne East Sussex
Congratulations Pete you have proven that if you want to do it you can on any bike you choose to.
peelywally
Active Member
<br /><br /><br />
clothes pegs , sheer genius btw .
great wee read and good pics pete
jonathanw
Chorlton and the Wheelies
- Location
- The Frozen North
Any bike that is comfortable and will take a rack will do.
I use a cyclocross type bike - Genesis Croix de Fer.
It is steel, so very comfortable, but has disc brakes which are bombproof, will take full mudguards and has road tyres on ( 30mm schwalbe marathon racers)
Ideal compromise between hybrid and road bike. Will commute and tour very nicely, also great for winter training rides. The 2012 genesis vapour also now has disc brakes and is lighter alu if that matters to you.
I use a cyclocross type bike - Genesis Croix de Fer.
It is steel, so very comfortable, but has disc brakes which are bombproof, will take full mudguards and has road tyres on ( 30mm schwalbe marathon racers)
Ideal compromise between hybrid and road bike. Will commute and tour very nicely, also great for winter training rides. The 2012 genesis vapour also now has disc brakes and is lighter alu if that matters to you.
bigjim
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester. UK
Bless! I don't think the OP is looking to spend £1000 for a bike for that trip.
There is a huge range of bikes from £150 S/H upwards that are more than capable of completing such a tour.
jonathanw
Chorlton and the Wheelies
- Location
- The Frozen North
Bless! I don't think the OP is looking to spend £1000 for a bike for that trip.
Hence the first line of my post. "Any bike that is comfortable and will take a rack will do."
But, thank you for taking the time to be patronising
bigjim
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester. UK
Then why to go to such lengths to descibe your bike in detail. The OP was looking for advice on a cheap bike not a full description of a relatively expensive one. I.e. Here's what you can't have.
Patronising? I thought I was being nice. Notice the smiley? But whatever. Not worth falling out over.
Back to the original question.
xxmimixx
Senior Member
- Location
- a different place on earth...
Well done Pete, I'd love to do that one day!
al-fresco
Growing older but not up...
- Location
- Shropshire
Back in the spring I went for a 50 mile ride in the Highlands with a friend. He rode his wife's lady Ridgeback, complete with wicker basket on the front - and on his feet he was wearing carpet slippers. Mountain passes, lakesides, Scottish showers - he took them all in his stride and demonstrated to me, once and for all, that it's not about the bike.
mcshroom
Bionic Subsonic
- Location
- Egremont, Cumbria
I've not done LEJoG yet (next year hopefully), but I've done a decent amount of other touring on a Dawes Vantage (yes I know it's a tourer), which isn't hideously expensive at £408 here.
It doesn't look that different to the road bike given above, so as long as you aren't overloading it then a road bike should be fine. Are you planning to camp or to use B&Bs?
It doesn't look that different to the road bike given above, so as long as you aren't overloading it then a road bike should be fine. Are you planning to camp or to use B&Bs?
bigjim
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester. UK
That Dawes looks like a seriously good deal.
Or if you want a bargain with a steel frame [if it fits] there is this http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=57784
Or if you want a bargain with a steel frame [if it fits] there is this http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=57784
I would avoid purchasing a cheap modern road bike. If you are not camping an older second hand steel road bike would be great. They once had deeper drop brakes for 32 or sometimes even 35 mm tyres. You will need lower gearing, but that is about it. If you will be camping (a great way to save money, and in my view much nicer than B&B's), you will need something heavier, or ultralight camping gear.
Willem
Willem
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