What Bike for long distance rides?

[Cyclist33]

Congratulations on your comic genius - I'm sure we're all very impressed. Anyway, back to the thread....

Yes let's!

 

[Rob3rt]

So if it's all a marketing ploy.... What SHOULD I be looking for in a bike? I don't really want to go Steel or Touring btw.

I want something that looks sexy but will still serve me well on a long distance ride. I think the Spesh Roubaix is still a contender, no?

Something that looks nice so you want to ride it and something that fits right!

Do you need panniers? Mudguards etc?

I would happily ride my Cannondale CAAD9 for 300km each day for 2 days, with food supplies shoved in my jersey pockets, topping up along the way with real food stuffs and a credit card for emergencies.

 

[Crackle]

The Roubaix would be fine, but now we've established that you don't need a 'comfort' bike (you just need to be comfortable on whatever bike you buy) then the thread has now effectlvely turned into another 'which bike shall I buy?' - to which the answer is "buy a bike you are happy on and like the look of, within your budget"...

I honestly don't think you've established that at all. Yes you need a good fit on any bike but you also need to evaluate what kind of ride you're doing and your riding style, from that he'll get what's going to work for him, which might be a carbon race machine or might be a tourer. In fact I've seen no real clues from him to any of that, just a preference for the kind of bike he likes, which renders any useful advice moot.

 

[black'n'yellow]

I honestly don't think you've established that at all.

we have established he doesn't need a 'comfort' bike, because we've established that such a thing does not exist....

 

[Crackle]

we have established he doesn't need a 'comfort' bike, because we've established that such a thing does not exist....

Literally doesn't exist no but I think the meaning is clear.

A bike with the same fit made of different material or with a different trail or wheelbase to name but a few, would exhibit different characteristics.

 

[User6179]

we have established he doesn't need a 'comfort' bike, because we've established that such a thing does not exist....

As you posted this my bike actually disappeared in front of my eyes as it no longer exists now

 

[black'n'yellow]

Literally doesn't exist no but I think the meaning is clear.

A bike with the same fit made of different material or with a different trail or wheelbase to name but a few, would exhibit different characteristics.

Not sure what you are arguing about. What I said was 'you can get a comfortable fit on any bike' - do you not agree?

 

[Ian H]

My 'Audax' bike (could just as well call it 'fast touring'): Ti frame with mudguard clearance; eyes for guards, rack, and fork mounted lights; three bottle cages; low bottom bracket; lowish geared triple.
My other Audax bike: 50yr old steel frame with newer forks and modern braze-ons; 67" fixed.
Both have as near as dammit the same position - same bars, saddle, pedals.
Both have managed to carry me round quite long rides.

 

[Ian H]

Not sure what you are arguing about. What I said was 'you can get a comfortable fit on any bike' - do you not agree?

Not over long distance. Fit may be okay, but other things such as wheelbase, maximum size of tyre, handling characteristics, come into play.

 

[Zakalwe]

Geometry isn't the only thing to consider in a frame, builders throw around the term "vertical compliance" with abandon but also with fairly good reason. I personally wouldn't want to ride mammoth distances on my Allez but that's got nothing to do with its geometry (which is fairly relaxed for a racer anyway) but because it gives a harsher ride than my Cento1. Then, I wouldn't want to ride LEL on that either because I don't want a rucksack on my back and she's far too elegant to be doing grunt work on an Audax. I'd probably go for a steel tourer if it were me, like a Surly or something, but if rather spend my money on a Master X-Light if I was in new bike mode.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Not over long distance. Fit may be okay, but other things such as wheelbase, maximum size of tyre, handling characteristics, come into play.

Define 'long distance'. The world RR champ was run off over 260km / 6+ hours on Sunday - and I don't think any of them were on 'comfort' bikes. A young lad I know rode 270 miles in 12 hours on a PX low pro TT frame. Comfortable bikes require fitting - they can't be bought off the shelf.

 

[User6179]

Define 'long distance'. The world RR champ was run off over 260km / 6+ hours on Sunday - and I don't think any of them were on 'comfort' bikes. A young lad I know rode 270 miles in 12 hours on a PX low pro TT frame. Comfortable bikes require fitting - they can't be bought off the shelf.

I thought comfort bikes didnt exist now you are using the term " comfort bikes" to make a point !

 

[black'n'yellow]

I thought comfort bikes didnt exist now you are using the term " comfort bikes" to make a point !

they weren't on them, because they don't exist. keep up. People use terms like 'jedi' to make a point sometimes too, but I'm pretty sure they don't exist either...

 

[Crackle]

Not sure what you are arguing about. What I said was 'you can get a comfortable fit on any bike' - do you not agree?

No: Fit is a component of purpose. It's important to get the right fit but the fit for a TT bike will be entirely different to the fit for a touring bike. A fit for a racing bike could be set up several different ways, according to the riders preference or the fitters preference.

I do agree fit is important and getting some basic measurements right is very important but there's more to fit than just those components.

However, I also agree, within the context of the OP, your advice for a comfortable fit on the range of bikes he's listed, is probably as good as any but then again I think the OP needs to raise his horizons a bit because I'm not sure he's properly thought out what will make him comfortable or maybe he doesn't need to. I still don't think there's enough to go on.

 

[Ian H]

Define 'long distance'.

I think the clue is in the original post.