The perfect touring bike

[Crankarm]

I think I've found it, the perfect low maintenance touring commuting expedition bike.

Cro-Moly lugless steel frame.

700c with up to 2.2 width fork and rear stays so could also fit 26 inch wheels if so desired.

All the bosses for racks front and rear.

Disc brakes with rear caliper inside rear triangle. Avid BB7s or Shimano SLX hydraulics or what ever takes your fancy.

Horizontal rear drop outs with easy ability to change back to vertical.

Hub geared with Alfine 8 but upgradeable to 11 or Rohloff 14 spd hub. No more cleaning and re-lubing 3 times a week of an open chain or deraillieur transmission. Yeah!

Gates belt drive with carbon front chain ring. Yeah!

Flat bar or drop bars so Versa STI or Alfine shifters as per MTB.

Price £1,500.

 

[vernon]

And who makes your dream machine?

 

[YahudaMoon]

Ellis Briggs. Obviously :-O

http://customframebuilding.ellisbriggscycles.co.uk/

 

[vernon]

Ellis Briggs. Obviously :-O

http://customframebuilding.ellisbriggscycles.co.uk/

Not at the price point suggested by the OP.

A basic Ellis Briggs tourer comes in at £1599 and only matches the OPs spec on the tubing material. Everything else is wide of the mark.

My Woodrup Chimera on the other hand meets most of them apart from brakes and price.

 

[TheDoctor]

This thread is useless without photos suppliers!!
£1500 for that sounds a bit bargainacious, if you're after a bombproof bike.

 

[jags]

Fantasy land theres no such bike

 

[rich p]

I'm pretty certain I don't clean my tourer 3 times a year, let alone 3 times a week!

 

[TheDoctor]

Actually, I thought Crankers was too intimidated to ride on the road these days?
Bike would stay lovely and clean if it never leaves the shed!!

 

[Davidc]

Evidently not the one, but I've been looking and wondering about the Charge range. I think they're supposed to be cross country bikes but with a lowering of the gears ('cos I'm slow and feeble these days) I think they'd suit me well.

This one or this one

One of the reasons for thinking about it is that I've never been really happy with the cantilever brakes on the present bike, and have tried discs and realised how massively better they are. If these bikes had hub gears like the one C'arm has described ....

On the other hand I'll probably just keep faithful to the Dawes!

 

[style over speed]

sounds like milk bikes rda
http://www.milkbikes.com/buy/

 

[Moodyman]

On One

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOOPOMPETVERSA11/on_one_pompetamine_versa_11_speed_pro

 

[vernon]

On One

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOOPOMPETVERSA11/on_one_pompetamine_versa_11_speed_pro

But it's not flat barred and it doesn't have belt drive.

It will fail to meet Crankarm's exacting standards.

As an aside, I'd contemplated the cheaper Alfine hub but the Rohloff has lower gearing which meets my porkyiness driven needs better.

 

[Moodyman]

But it's not flat barred and it doesn't have belt drive.

It will fail to meet Crankarm's exacting standards.

As an aside, I'd contemplated the cheaper Alfine hub but the Rohloff has lower gearing which meets my porkyiness driven needs better.

In that case, it'll have to be a custom build which is possible as Versa 11 is On One's priciest at £1300. There's enough margin to swap the chain for a belt somehwere in there - especially if you go for Alfine 8 in place of 11.

 

[Moodyman]

On a side note....I've got an Alfine 8 bike with disc brakes. I also have a 3 x 8 derailleur set up with disc brakes. Both get used year-round for commuting.

I think the maintenance thing is overstated. There is very little difference in maintenance times between the two.

Though..,there is a difference in drivetrain wear. The Alfine does about 3500 miles per chain vs 1600 miles for the derailleur one. I use identical 8-Speed chains on both.

 

[vernon]

I don't think that On One has a frame suitable for belt drive. The drive side seat stay needs to have a break in it to allow the replacement of the belt to take place. The frame has to be tested before approval is granted for belt drive. Flex in the rear triangle has to be minimised to preserve the alignment of the belt.