Starter Touring Bike

[Iainj837]

I have the 2009 Dawes Karakum with butterfly bars, I am going to try a couple of trips on the KaraKum if I did upgrade it woud be the Horizone plus or the Galxy.
For your £600 budget you have the Vantage

 

[biggs682]

what about a newer Dawes Saradar !!

 

[jjb]

This Dawes Galaxy w 631 frame is on the ctc forum, £300, if you live near Cambridge.

 

[mcshroom]

CTC review of the Vantage is here: -

http://www.ctc.org.uk/file/member/201105064.pdf

I had one for two years before I managed to break it (actually I think a bike trailer did). It's a good solid bike which carried me round London-John O'Groats with support and loaded up through the Great Glen, the Cairngorms (avatar pic is my Vantage at the Lecht Ski resort in the Cairngorms) Galloway forest park, and a whole lot of commuting and audaxing.

It's comfortable, especially with 4 panniers on it and mechanically sound. Not that the others in the list might not be just as good

 

[Herbie]

I'm just getting into cycling, and I'm starting to get fed up of my standard mountain bike that every kid owns. Having tried my neighbours touring bike and found it very comfortable, I have decided I want a touring bike. I'm doing 20 - 30 mile rides at the minute, but looking at doing more, and I'm planning on doing a short 2 night trip of about 100 miles. I have a very limited budget in terms of bikes (about £600), and need this to last me about 5 years, and have found a few possibilities:

• Ridgeback Tour - £600
• EBC Revolution Country Traveller - £400
• Raleigh Royal - £500 and only one I can find with steel frame
• Dawes Vantage - £500

Does anybody know which is best, or if there's a bike I've missed for the same price range. Alternatively, should I look second hand for a higher-end bike, which would probably last longer for the same money?

the EBC country traveller is very good and great value...my son has one...but the Dawes would be superior machine IMO