HobbesOnTour
Guru
- Location
- España
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minininjarob
Active Member
I’ve got short arms so the reduction in length was ok but I ended up putting a longer stem on (20mm IIRC) and it was perfect. I’ve got Salsa Moto bars on it which are 25.4 for a bit of flex and 17 degree bend for comfort.
The flat bar position should, I reckon be a bit forwards of where the tops would be on drop bars so a longer stem would probably be needed. The longer one I put on was a Hope XC stem - only £20 second hand as no one wants 25.4mm!!
You can normally sell the bars and levers for about the same money as the new ones cost so it shouldn’t be too much money to change to flats. I already had the shifters though.
I sold the cable discs as new and put Deore touring hydraulic disc brakes on 180mm front and rear as they are really nice to use and resonably cheap.
The wheels I put on were Mavic XM319 29er MTB rims on XT rear and Exposure dynamo on the front.
OP
OP
GmanUK65
Über Member
- Location
- Wallsend, Newcastleupon Tyne
Wow. I enjoyed reading this. Who knows if my dream will be kept alive but if I never think about it, plan it or do anything else about it, the dream will never stay alive. I have realised if I wait a year to gain the money to get a bike, I will have to wait more than a year to practice, again my dream may not stay alive. So, I've made the fist step. Hopefully I will be getting a Dawes touring bike on the cycle to work scheme, I'm waiting for the certificate and should get it by next week and the bike the following week. Just the tent sleeping bag and panniers needed next and I'll be practicing in the British countrysideHow long is a piece of string?
It depends on the frame itself. And the wheels. And the spokes - quality, weave and tension. And the tyres - size and pressure. And the road surfaces. And the speed. And the temperature. And the location of the weight. And the maintenance. And....
And then, even if the bike can "take" the load how comfortable will it be to ride or descend hairpins in the Alps or Pyrenees? How will it handle off-road?
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/trek-/1307311891
That's enough bike for what you want to do (so long as it fits).
At the very least it's enough bike to get you out, dipping your toes in overnight trips to help you figure out what you'll want to be bringing with you.
40 quid!
Use it, learn on it and if you want to get a "touring" bike, then you can sell it for probably the same as you paid for it.
Incidentally, if you look around on that site, you'll see a low mileage Ridgeback with 2 sets of Ortliebs for 550 quid!!
I've said it before; Getting out on a bike and going for a bit of a "tour" will teach you far more about what you need, don't need, what you like, don't like and what's really important.
Bike touring despite the name, is really not about the bike! It's about touring.
Indulge me....
The bike is only the base of the Bike Touring Pizza.
You have a choice of crispy or doughy, whatever your preference is. If you're not a weight weenie, go for a cheese injected crust
But the toppings that go on top - they're what make the Pizza! Oftentimes, if the toppings are good, it doesn't matter what type of base is underneath.
It seems you're trying to make the perfect pizza without trying any of the toppings to know what you like or don't like or what go together and what don't.
Instead, you're asking strangers on the internet what they like.
I'd never order a pizza that way!
I've toured from Holland to Spain, over the Pyrenees, followed the Camino de Santiago to Santiago (off-road), wandered the western coast of Spain and then back along the Northern coast of Spain (lots of mountains!) and back to NL on a no-name hybrid bike that cost me nothing other than a service.
In total that bike toured in 7 different countries and did about 12-15000 km fully loaded before a chainstay cracked (suspiciously where a stand had been attached).
That worked for me. I don't know if it will work for you.
It was stuck in mud about a foot deep along the Somme, rode through a flooded forest path that reached the top of my ortliebs near Pamplona, cruised down mountains at up to 70kmh in the Pyrenees (going up was not as fast!) and was pushed, dragged and sometimes carried over off-road hilltops.
All I needed from that bike was to be able to trust it to do what I wanted it to do. And it did.
It was of no use at the campsite in Sen Sebastian (on top of a hill) in the middle of the most wonderful thunderstorm! My tent was.
It was of no use when the campsite I headed to in France was closed - a friendly local was.
It was of no use in picking out a good place to eat - my nose was.
Now I tour on a rigid steel frame, 26 inch wheels for strength and dynohub efficiency. I've gone from 1,5 to 1,75 to 2,0 tyres, purely for comfort.
That's only somewhat useful to you until I add
I carry 4 panniers and a rack bag, total weight of about 25 kg.
That's only somewhat useful to you until I add
I also tour in winter and carry a largeish tent and full cooking gear for cooking real food, not re-hydrated stuff.
Other useful information to assess how useful my story is
My average daily distance and speed, (Average is 80-85 km per day, 18 kph)
My fitness level, (reasonable, I have a 42 km daily commute 5 days per week)
How long I cycle for per day, (I stop a lot, but probably an average of 5 hours per day)
No disrespect to anyone offering any advice on any of your threads but the advice they offer is from their perspective, including my own
If someone tells you that they toured on thin racing tyres, then it might be useful to know they were staying in hotels, carried less than 5 kg of gear and never rode in the rain!
If someone tells you that they had to have tubeless fat tyres, front suspension and a bear bell it would be good to know that they rode the Great Divide Mountain Bike trail.
If you want to keep your dream alive, you need to find your own perspective, otherwise 2 years out from your tour, your dream is going to drown in too much information.
Good Luck!
minininjarob
Active Member
At the end of the day any bike will do as long as its comfy and holds together. People nowadays worry too much about frame materials, groupsets, angles etc etc etc etc!!!!!! Not so long ago we just used whatever bike we had to do whatever we wanted to do. Modern bikes can pretty much do anything - even a full carbon road bike with carbon wheels is crazy strong for its weight and would survive some offroad (see the Road Bike Party YouTube videos for proof!).
I did a C2C about 4 years ago and I only had my old 1994 Kona Kilauea MTB. I bunged some slicks, rack and higher stem on and just did it. The bike was great and you soon forget about the angles and frame materials when you are setting off on your journey. To be honest I don't think my TDF is much better than the Kona in the end.
I've also got a Kinesis Racelight road bike I've done a bit of touring on. I used the mudguard mounts it has to bob a rack on. Worked a treat. Was a bit faster and less comfy over all day but it coped fine.
Don't stress about 631 this, double butted that, 8/9/10/11 speed. Most modern bikes are really good and do what they say on the tin - you can't get a stinker these days. We have so much choice it makes things more difficult in some ways.
If we spent half the time riding than we do choosing our bikes and kit we'd have a lot more stories to tell...
minininjarob
Active Member
How long is a piece of string?
It depends on the frame itself. And the wheels. And the spokes - quality, weave and tension. And the tyres - size and pressure. And the road surfaces. And the speed. And the temperature. And the location of the weight. And the maintenance. And....
And then, even if the bike can "take" the load how comfortable will it be to ride or descend hairpins in the Alps or Pyrenees? How will it handle off-road?
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/trek-/1307311891
That's enough bike for what you want to do (so long as it fits).
At the very least it's enough bike to get you out, dipping your toes in overnight trips to help you figure out what you'll want to be bringing with you.
40 quid!
Use it, learn on it and if you want to get a "touring" bike, then you can sell it for probably the same as you paid for it.
Incidentally, if you look around on that site, you'll see a low mileage Ridgeback with 2 sets of Ortliebs for 550 quid!!
I've said it before; Getting out on a bike and going for a bit of a "tour" will teach you far more about what you need, don't need, what you like, don't like and what's really important.
Bike touring despite the name, is really not about the bike! It's about touring.
Indulge me....
The bike is only the base of the Bike Touring Pizza.
You have a choice of crispy or doughy, whatever your preference is. If you're not a weight weenie, go for a cheese injected crust
But the toppings that go on top - they're what make the Pizza! Oftentimes, if the toppings are good, it doesn't matter what type of base is underneath.
It seems you're trying to make the perfect pizza without trying any of the toppings to know what you like or don't like or what go together and what don't.
Instead, you're asking strangers on the internet what they like.
I'd never order a pizza that way!
I've toured from Holland to Spain, over the Pyrenees, followed the Camino de Santiago to Santiago (off-road), wandered the western coast of Spain and then back along the Northern coast of Spain (lots of mountains!) and back to NL on a no-name hybrid bike that cost me nothing other than a service.
In total that bike toured in 7 different countries and did about 12-15000 km fully loaded before a chainstay cracked (suspiciously where a stand had been attached).
That worked for me. I don't know if it will work for you.
It was stuck in mud about a foot deep along the Somme, rode through a flooded forest path that reached the top of my ortliebs near Pamplona, cruised down mountains at up to 70kmh in the Pyrenees (going up was not as fast!) and was pushed, dragged and sometimes carried over off-road hilltops.
All I needed from that bike was to be able to trust it to do what I wanted it to do. And it did.
It was of no use at the campsite in Sen Sebastian (on top of a hill) in the middle of the most wonderful thunderstorm! My tent was.
It was of no use when the campsite I headed to in France was closed - a friendly local was.
It was of no use in picking out a good place to eat - my nose was.
Now I tour on a rigid steel frame, 26 inch wheels for strength and dynohub efficiency. I've gone from 1,5 to 1,75 to 2,0 tyres, purely for comfort.
That's only somewhat useful to you until I add
I carry 4 panniers and a rack bag, total weight of about 25 kg.
That's only somewhat useful to you until I add
I also tour in winter and carry a largeish tent and full cooking gear for cooking real food, not re-hydrated stuff.
Other useful information to assess how useful my story is
My average daily distance and speed, (Average is 80-85 km per day, 18 kph)
My fitness level, (reasonable, I have a 42 km daily commute 5 days per week)
How long I cycle for per day, (I stop a lot, but probably an average of 5 hours per day)
No disrespect to anyone offering any advice on any of your threads but the advice they offer is from their perspective, including my own
If someone tells you that they toured on thin racing tyres, then it might be useful to know they were staying in hotels, carried less than 5 kg of gear and never rode in the rain!
If someone tells you that they had to have tubeless fat tyres, front suspension and a bear bell it would be good to know that they rode the Great Divide Mountain Bike trail.
If you want to keep your dream alive, you need to find your own perspective, otherwise 2 years out from your tour, your dream is going to drown in too much information.
Good Luck!
I have to say I didn't read this before I put my 2p's worth in but it has the same sentiment! Just get on a bike, any bike, and enjoy the "touring" bit, rather than stressing about the "cycle" bit.
Salar
A fish out of water
- Location
- Gorllewin Cymru
I've toured around France on an old Marin MTB with just slicks added and a cheap rack also on an old Raleigh 5 speed "racing" bike from the 70's with just a large saddlebag.
As said above the bike is only part of the tour.
When you think about it most bikes will do the job ( not full suspension though!).
You only have three points of contact, feet, hands and backside, if this triangle more or less line up with the geometry of a touring bike you should be ok.
Secondary, wheelbase and bottom bracket height might come into it as well as gearing, old MTB's suit this requirement nicely.
As said above the bike is only part of the tour.
When you think about it most bikes will do the job ( not full suspension though!).
You only have three points of contact, feet, hands and backside, if this triangle more or less line up with the geometry of a touring bike you should be ok.
Secondary, wheelbase and bottom bracket height might come into it as well as gearing, old MTB's suit this requirement nicely.
Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
I do like this sentiment and similar ones from others, but having toured on an old Mongoose MTB that was a bit too big, I genuinely can say, part of ‘enjoying the tour’ on my Surly, is that I’m not worrying about reliability.
minininjarob
Active Member
The Dawes will be great, not because its better than other bikes (it may or may not be, they've been making touring bikes since God was a kid so it'll be fine!) but because its a bike, and you'll be riding it!
Anyway you asked for pics.....
My "Touring Bike", Genesis TDF converted to flat bars - I have different bars on now and no bar ends, plus a B&M light system that charges my phone - see loaded up pic below!
My Kinesis Racelight - triple Ultegra, can fit a rear rack! Carbon bars so high up as I'm fat....
1994 Kona Kilauea converted for touring with a high stem and slicks - starting the C2C!!
Nearly there - this is what its all about....
Tin Pot
Guru
minininjarob
Active Member
That Cinelli is poor value for money compared to most of its rivals. Not even got disc brakes. Cheap chainset and finishing kit too. As usual trying to cash in on the Cinelli name but they are 10 years behind the rest with that bike I’m afraid.
HobbesOnTour
Guru
- Location
- España
Good man! I'm delighted for you!
Now the bad news....
I'm not sure 2 years is enough time to find the perfect tent and panniers!
Your next posts should be about where you're going on your first overnighter!
Whenever you pick up that bike I hope you start to think like your tour has started!
Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
But ain’t it pretty?
minininjarob
Active Member
I don’t think so, boring colour and naff graphics. Not much thought gone into it IMHO.
- Location
- London
I like the colour. Are you really the sort of person who worries about graphics on a long distance tourer? I saw one at a show and was very impressed, not least by the fact that an italian company had specced a square taper bb. What's wrong with the chainset? Why do you consider it "cheap"? "Finishing kit"? Care to define the term and what's wrong with it on that bike? Not even disc? By no means a universally accepted truth that a tourer has to have discs.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
Not totally convinced about the frame/geometry. Wheelbase looks a bit on the short side for a Tourer, IMHO. My old Raleigh hybrids and rigid MTB's have got longer wheelbases than that.
