Touring bikes

[HelenaStanley]

Hello,
I am researching a new bicycle company specialising in producing and selling touring and expedition bicycles. This research is for academic purposes only and I would be grateful for some feedback regarding the questions below.

1) Where do you think the company might advertise most successfully?
2) What motivates you to wanting to buy a bicycle from a particular company? (Other than to be fit..)
3) How important is it for you to have a personal meeting with the company before making an order?

Thank you in advance for your response

 

[raleighnut]

1. Touring magazines/blogs and t'internet
2. Reputation
3. Depends if the frame is being made as a bespoke design just for me or if it's an 'off the peg' frameset. If the frame is being made to fit me then they need to see/measure me in order to 'tailer' it to my dimensions

A lot of touring cyclists are very 'conservative' in their choice of bikes with most sticking to established names/builders for their choice of manufacturer after all you don't want to be let down mid tour.
Have a look at Dawes and Ridgeback for 'off the peg' bikes and Thorn (amongst others) for bespoke frames, also note that steel frames (generally in Reynolds or Tange tubing) are the choice of many.
My own touring bike is a highly modified/uprated Ridgeback Adventure 502CS with a Tange CrMo frame that is about 25yrs old with mainly Deore level kit on it but only because my back won't cope with being on a drop-bar bike for 8-10 hours a day. Hopefully that will be still going strong when I turn my toes up.

 

[HelenaStanley]

This is great, thanks a lot!

 

[jonny jeez]

1. Touring mags-bike mags-outdoor mags-
2. Ditto on reputation, reviews, recomendation and seeing people that have ridden similar rides doing it on that Bike, so sponsorship or product placement
3. Not at all important...providing the reputation is rock solid...including a good reputation for customer service.

 

[HelenaStanley]

Thank you very much!

 

[snorri]

1. I would say cycle touring mags, but don't know of mags dedicated to touring, so that leaves general cycling publications.
2. It is good to read reports of bikes which have survived longer or more rugged trips than I would ever plan to do. Also good to get personal recommendations from people you know and whose knowledge you respect.
3 Not important to meet a manufacturers rep. but would want to purchase from a reputable selling agent with whom I had established a relationship before buying .

 

[Ajay]

Who do the company want to sell their bikes to?
As ralieghnut says, the UK branded touring bike market is (in general of course) quite conservative and traditional.
Whereas some of the foreign brands eg Surly, Trek, Kona may appeal to a different demographic by pitching their products as "trekking and adventure" bikes, aimed at riders who've already adopted new innovations eg mountain biking, disc brakes etc etc.

 

[steve50]

1. as above , cycling mags etc
2. the bike has to be a reputable brand with a good track record and ultimately it has to fit me.
3. again not important to me to meet manufacturers rep more important to buy from a reputable well established seller / outlet from a warranty and service point of view.