Arch said:We need a picture of the hub end of that rear triangle to be sure, but even if they weren't there, my p-clip idea might save the day down there anyway...Which bit is this? Have put up a few ads for a touring bike incase I get anything. Quite like the idea of getting a new bike now anyway, but I am planning on changing the Giant regardless since I don't need the suspension and I -do- need the pannier space! Why I got this bike initially, I don't know!
I think/ hope the bikes were still okay
Touring bike - what should it look like?! *urgent*
- Thread starter pedaling
- Start date
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Could be worth checking out good old ebay for the old steel type racers ....built solidly, fairly lightweight, many can take panniers/racks (if not then steel is easy enough to drill I believe). I recently purchased a great old triumph racer(believe the photo is on the photo forum on a thread I started somewhere)...at the moment it is my winter trainer, but considering putting a tripple chainset on to make it more touring friendly 
.
....built solidly, fairly lightweight, many can take panniers/racks (if not then steel is easy enough to drill I believe). I recently purchased a great old triumph racer(believe the photo is on the photo forum on a thread I started somewhere)...at the moment it is my winter trainer, but considering putting a tripple chainset on to make it more touring friendly .
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
If you can get a pic of the point where the tubes of the bike meet, at the centre of the rear wheel, we should be able to see if there are braze ons.
The part of the frame behind the saddle is the rear triangle (formed of seat tube, (the bit the saddle fits in), seat stays (the diagonal bits from saddle to wheel hub) and chain stays (the horizonal bits from pedals to wheel hub) , and the centre of the wheel is the hub...
As to why you got the bike in the first place - unless you are born into a cycling family, or you think to do research frst, most people just get 'a bike' and assume it works for everything. My first adult bike was a ladies' town bike from Halfords - I knew it must be right because it had a ladies' frame and lots of gears and I quite liked the colour. I used it to get to work for a bit, and brought it with me when I came to Uni as a mature student. That was where I met Tom, who knew about cycling, and he showed me how it could be tweaked and changed to make it loads more efficient and comfortable - just things like a different saddle, alloy wheels instead of steel, better handlebars. He also persuaded me to buy my Galaxy tourer at the Uni bike auction, and I became the owner of 2 bikes! (I now have 3, and a recumbent trike) He also taught me most of what I know about maintenance and bike types and so on, and now, I pretty much think of myself as a cyclist first, and everything else second (even if I don't always do a lot of miles). I've worked with bikes (I do now, in a journalistic way), and pretty much all my friends are people I know because of bikes. But 10 years ago, I didn't know anything really, apart from how to ride one. We all learn somehow.
Sorry, that turned into a bit of an epic...
The part of the frame behind the saddle is the rear triangle (formed of seat tube, (the bit the saddle fits in), seat stays (the diagonal bits from saddle to wheel hub) and chain stays (the horizonal bits from pedals to wheel hub) , and the centre of the wheel is the hub...
As to why you got the bike in the first place - unless you are born into a cycling family, or you think to do research frst, most people just get 'a bike' and assume it works for everything. My first adult bike was a ladies' town bike from Halfords - I knew it must be right because it had a ladies' frame and lots of gears and I quite liked the colour. I used it to get to work for a bit, and brought it with me when I came to Uni as a mature student. That was where I met Tom, who knew about cycling, and he showed me how it could be tweaked and changed to make it loads more efficient and comfortable - just things like a different saddle, alloy wheels instead of steel, better handlebars. He also persuaded me to buy my Galaxy tourer at the Uni bike auction, and I became the owner of 2 bikes! (I now have 3, and a recumbent trike) He also taught me most of what I know about maintenance and bike types and so on, and now, I pretty much think of myself as a cyclist first, and everything else second (even if I don't always do a lot of miles). I've worked with bikes (I do now, in a journalistic way), and pretty much all my friends are people I know because of bikes. But 10 years ago, I didn't know anything really, apart from how to ride one. We all learn somehow.
Sorry, that turned into a bit of an epic...
Arch said:If you can get a pic of the point where the tubes of the bike meet, at the centre of the rear wheel, we should be able to see if there are braze ons.
The part of the frame behind the saddle is the rear triangle (formed of seat tube, (the bit the saddle fits in), seat stays (the diagonal bits from saddle to wheel hub) and chain stays (the horizonal bits from pedals to wheel hub) , and the centre of the wheel is the hub...
As to why you got the bike in the first place - unless you are born into a cycling family, or you think to do research frst, most people just get 'a bike' and assume it works for everything. My first adult bike was a ladies' town bike from Halfords - I knew it must be right because it had a ladies' frame and lots of gears and I quite liked the colour. I used it to get to work for a bit, and brought it with me when I came to Uni as a mature student. That was where I met Tom, who knew about cycling, and he showed me how it could be tweaked and changed to make it loads more efficient and comfortable - just things like a different saddle, alloy wheels instead of steel, better handlebars. He also persuaded me to buy my Galaxy tourer at the Uni bike auction, and I became the owner of 2 bikes! (I now have 3, and a recumbent trike) He also taught me most of what I know about maintenance and bike types and so on, and now, I pretty much think of myself as a cyclist first, and everything else second (even if I don't always do a lot of miles). I've worked with bikes (I do now, in a journalistic way), and pretty much all my friends are people I know because of bikes. But 10 years ago, I didn't know anything really, apart from how to ride one. We all learn somehow.
Sorry, that turned into a bit of an epic...
What you want next, is a pedal powered spaceship
montage said:Could be worth checking out good old ebay for the old steel type racers
If I'm buying a new bike it's going to be a touring bike! I thought racers aren't ideal at all? I'm sure a few people here said they aren't ideal for touring?
Might look at ebay once I've tried a few round here to get a feel for what height and which ones I like.
Arch said:If you can get a pic of the point where the tubes of the bike meet, at the centre of the rear wheel, we should be able to see if there are braze ons.
The part of the frame behind the saddle is the rear triangle (formed of seat tube, (the bit the saddle fits in), seat stays (the diagonal bits from saddle to wheel hub) and chain stays (the horizonal bits from pedals to wheel hub) , and the centre of the wheel is the hub...
As to why you got the bike in the first place - unless you are born into a cycling family, or you think to do research frst, most people just get 'a bike' and assume it works for everything. My first adult bike was a ladies' town bike from Halfords - I knew it must be right because it had a ladies' frame and lots of gears and I quite liked the colour. I used it to get to work for a bit, and brought it with me when I came to Uni as a mature student. That was where I met Tom, who knew about cycling, and he showed me how it could be tweaked and changed to make it loads more efficient and comfortable - just things like a different saddle, alloy wheels instead of steel, better handlebars. He also persuaded me to buy my Galaxy tourer at the Uni bike auction, and I became the owner of 2 bikes! (I now have 3, and a recumbent trike) He also taught me most of what I know about maintenance and bike types and so on, and now, I pretty much think of myself as a cyclist first, and everything else second (even if I don't always do a lot of miles). I've worked with bikes (I do now, in a journalistic way), and pretty much all my friends are people I know because of bikes. But 10 years ago, I didn't know anything really, apart from how to ride one. We all learn somehow.
Sorry, that turned into a bit of an epic...
My reply just got eaten by explorer and dodgy internet.
I was also making some long-ish ramble about how if people were more informed about bikes and their different pros and cons, maybe they would be able to buy more suitable bikes and perhaps people would even like cycling more, because they wouldn't be trying to lug a mountain bike round (which, having seen how many mountain bikes are on 2nd hand sites, seems to be the case for a lot of people!)
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
pedaling said:
My reply just got eaten by explorer and dodgy internet.
I was also making some long-ish ramble about how if people were more informed about bikes and their different pros and cons, maybe they would be able to buy more suitable bikes and perhaps people would even like cycling more, because they wouldn't be trying to lug a mountain bike round (which, having seen how many mountain bikes are on 2nd hand sites, seems to be the case for a lot of people!)
Yes, it looks like you have a boss there to fit a rack to, hoorah! Like you say, even if the Giant doesn't end up touring, a rack is just so useful, even if only to bungy your coat to when you get hot.
You're quite right about people being more informed - it's a slow uphill job, but there are people out there doing it. I worked for Company of Cyclists (Now called Get Cycling, and employing Spandex and Mickle from here) who ran tryout roadshows to try and promote cycling and let people know about the range of bikes out there, and what was best for what purpose. I think the trouble is, a bike is slightly regarded as a grown up toy. People who'd spend months researching a new car in all the magazines, or compare 800 stereo systems to get the right one, will just buy the cheapest thing they can find in Halfords that seems to vaguely fit, because they don't understand that there are different sorts, and that some are better than others for different things.
On the other hand, I agonise over bike purchases, but will buy the cheapest stereo I can get....
Montage's thing about old steel racers - he could be right - 'racer' is one of those terms that is quite flexible, I think. Sometimes it's just meant anything with drop bars. A steel frame should be comfortable enough, and if it does have bosses for rack and mudguards, it would probably make do.
Modern 'racers' (also called road bikes) tend to be designed to be stiff and fast, and have aluminium frames (or carbon, or titanium), and probably no bosses. That's the thing to avoid, for touring.
Main thing is, anything you get a chance to look at, check if it'll take rack and mudguards and have a ride to see if it's comfortable. Are you used to drop bars, BTW? (the sort that loop away and downwards, like race bikes) If not, they may take a bit of getting used to. I eventually decided I preferred 'normal' bars, so I have them now on my tourer (or will have, when it's rebuilt). That's another thing that can be altered to suit you.
Yay! Perfect. (Well, not quite perfect, but good at least!) And yes, I think I am going to try and get a rack and different mudguards and slicks anyway if I don't find a touring bike. That or sell the Giant when I get a touring bike.
I think that kind of thing is EXACTLY what we need! People just don't realise how much choice there is out there, do they? And how would they know if they don't come from a cycling family and no-one really indicates much about it? Great idea. Would be good if that kind of thing was in schools too.
Yeh, I don't mind too much with stereos/ speakers either. Mind a bit, but not a lot. I guess stereos depends on what kind of music you listen to, like if you want much bass, or whether you listen to classical and need the range in volume.... hmmm
Oh, sorry, maybe I shouldn't have commented on that then. I don't really know enough to say but I was just pretty sure that some people on here said to avoid them. They must have meant the new ones then.
Nope, all I've ever ridden on is bikes like the one I have now...
I think that kind of thing is EXACTLY what we need! People just don't realise how much choice there is out there, do they? And how would they know if they don't come from a cycling family and no-one really indicates much about it? Great idea. Would be good if that kind of thing was in schools too.
Yeh, I don't mind too much with stereos/ speakers either. Mind a bit, but not a lot. I guess stereos depends on what kind of music you listen to, like if you want much bass, or whether you listen to classical and need the range in volume.... hmmm
Oh, sorry, maybe I shouldn't have commented on that then. I don't really know enough to say but I was just pretty sure that some people on here said to avoid them. They must have meant the new ones then.
Nope, all I've ever ridden on is bikes like the one I have now...
Arch said:Yes, it looks like you have a boss there to fit a rack to, hoorah! Like you say, even if the Giant doesn't end up touring, a rack is just so useful, even if only to bungy your coat to when you get hot.
You're quite right about people being more informed - it's a slow uphill job, but there are people out there doing it. I worked for Company of Cyclists (Now called Get Cycling, and employing Spandex and Mickle from here) who ran tryout roadshows to try and promote cycling and let people know about the range of bikes out there, and what was best for what purpose. I think the trouble is, a bike is slightly regarded as a grown up toy. People who'd spend months researching a new car in all the magazines, or compare 800 stereo systems to get the right one, will just buy the cheapest thing they can find in Halfords that seems to vaguely fit, because they don't understand that there are different sorts, and that some are better than others for different things.
On the other hand, I agonise over bike purchases, but will buy the cheapest stereo I can get....
Montage's thing about old steel racers - he could be right - 'racer' is one of those terms that is quite flexible, I think. Sometimes it's just meant anything with drop bars. A steel frame should be comfortable enough, and if it does have bosses for rack and mudguards, it would probably make do.
Modern 'racers' (also called road bikes) tend to be designed to be stiff and fast, and have aluminium frames (or carbon, or titanium), and probably no bosses. That's the thing to avoid, for touring.
Main thing is, anything you get a chance to look at, check if it'll take rack and mudguards and have a ride to see if it's comfortable. Are you used to drop bars, BTW? (the sort that loop away and downwards, like race bikes) If not, they may take a bit of getting used to. I eventually decided I preferred 'normal' bars, so I have them now on my tourer (or will have, when it's rebuilt). That's another thing that can be altered to suit you.
More or less what I was getting at.
You were right to comment on that - it is an interesting point. The problem I would have if I took my current racing bike (aluminium+carbon frame...modern bike) on tour is that it may not have the correct attatchments for racks etc. Also, the position is very aggressive, which would be uncomfortable for loooong rides every day. Also, I get the feeling that my racing bike (and most likely most racing bikes) demand to be ridden fast - especially those without a tripple chainset and only 25teeth ring on the back - makes climbing up loooong alpine passes hard work (but faster
) ...the option to go slow just is not there.Some of the old "racers" are far more forgiving, due to their geomatry + steel makeup. Some of their positions are aggressive, but some of them have less aggressive positions, making is perfectly possible to make them into touring bikes.
My touring bike would be : current steel "racer" with a stem + handlebars set up to reduce aggressiveness of the position, double chainset removed, and replaced with a tripple, possible a wider range of gears on the cassette. Oh....lets not forget spd pedals!
montage said:More or less what I was getting at.
You were right to comment on that - it is an interesting point. The problem I would have if I took my current racing bike (aluminium+carbon frame...modern bike) on tour is that it may not have the correct attatchments for racks etc. Also, the position is very aggressive, which would be uncomfortable for loooong rides every day. Also, I get the feeling that my racing bike (and most likely most racing bikes) demand to be ridden fast - especially those without a tripple chainset and only 25teeth ring on the back - makes climbing up loooong alpine passes hard work (but faster
Some of the old "racers" are far more forgiving, due to their geomatry + steel makeup. Some of their positions are aggressive, but some of them have less aggressive positions, making is perfectly possible to make them into touring bikes.
My touring bike would be : current steel "racer" with a stem + handlebars set up to reduce aggressiveness of the position, double chainset removed, and replaced with a tripple, possible a wider range of gears on the cassette. Oh....lets not forget spd pedals!
I think I see what you mean, and it definitely sounds like you have enough know-how to tinker your bikes to fit your needs. But as I can't yet do that I think if I buy one, I'm still looking to get a touring bike. Less things to change that way, hopefully.
pedaling said:I think I see what you mean, and it definitely sounds like you have enough know-how to tinker your bikes to fit your needs. But as I can't yet do that I think if I buy one, I'm still looking to get a touring bike. Less things to change that way, hopefully.
Haha, well for a start, I don't have many mechanic skills at all! Bikes are simply machines though, and applying logic works wonders when doing maintainence. Don't be put off by having to add/change parts.... they are great skills to learn, and really not that complicated!
Besides people here will be more than willing to help
I'm not saying definately do this for your touring bike, I am saying don't rule it out as an option.
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
pedaling said:I think I see what you mean, and it definitely sounds like you have enough know-how to tinker your bikes to fit your needs. But as I can't yet do that I think if I buy one, I'm still looking to get a touring bike. Less things to change that way, hopefully.
It might be worth getting a book, one of the glossy manual types with a section on maintenance. It's the sort of thing you can often pick up in discount bookshops or charity shops, and will have a title like "The big book of cycling" or the "Doring Kindersley book of the bike" or something like that There are lots out there and it doesn't really matter which you get. It'll probably have a load of stuff you don't need (it might major on MTBing, or racing, or touring, or it might cover each with a page or so), but it will probably also have a diagram of the bike with parts named, and photo illustrated guides to basic and maybe less basic mechanic jobs. It's a good way to get to know what does what on your bike - looking at the lics, then at your bike to see how it compares. If you want to get a new book, I understand the Haynes manual isn't bad.
I'd still recommend any edition of Richard's Bicycle Book you can get your hand on (again, they pop up in charity shops a lot). Some of the older editions are very out of date in terms of equipment, but the feeling is there, and most of the actual riding advice still stands.
