What touring bike could I get?

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Abitrary

New Member
gwhite said:
^^^^^ Not sure I follow your reasoning. Why should the fact that some families lumber themselves with heavy bikes and camping gear, in some way mean that British tourers are being ripped off in preferring traditional touring bikes.

I just don't see why people go for bikes that will cost them 3 times a decent lightish, hybrid that's probably more wise and capable than a 30 year old steel road bike. The minute you start putting luggage on a bike you should start taking your power to weight ratio less seriously.
 

snorri

Legendary Member
rikitoun said:
I just want the right bike for the goal I want.
What is your opinion?

My opinion is, and please do not take offence, you do not really know what you want. I have been in the same quandary myself at times.:rolleyes:
You ask for a light fast bike for carrying a heavy load, but these requirements are contradictory, you will never get the "right " bike. You are just going to have to make a purchase and see to what extent the chosen bike fulfils your requirements. After a year or so you can assess the situation and decide to keep it, or trade it in for a lighter or heavier bike. Or do what most people do and just buy another bike, and keep buying bikes until your storage space is full.:biggrin:
 

Abitrary

New Member
snorri said:
My opinion is, and please do not take offence, you do not really know what you want. I have been in the same quandary myself at times.:rolleyes:
You ask for a light fast bike for carrying a heavy load, but these requirements are contradictory, you will never get the "right " bike. You are just going to have to make a purchase and see to what extent the chosen bike fulfils your requirements. After a year or so you can assess the situation and decide to keep it, or trade it in for a lighter or heavier bike. Or do what most people do and just buy another bike, and keep buying bikes until your storage space is full.:biggrin:

Don't believe that, snorri is a bit of a trouble maker, apparent already after his / her / its scant introductory posts

But yes, you can do whatever you want. You can go round the world on a skateboard with a rucksack, and if the skate board breaks you can walk

It's the same with bikes. Just get out there. Tour around china on a carbon time trial bike with paniers
 

snorri

Legendary Member
Abitrary said:
Don't believe that, snorri is a bit of a trouble maker, apparent already after his / her / its scant introductory posts

Anyone who has perused cycle forums will know there is no connection between quantity and quality of postings from individual posters. :biggrin:
 

Brock

Senior Member
Location
Kent
Abitrary said:
I just don't see why people go for bikes that will cost them 3 times a decent lightish, hybrid that's probably more wise and capable than a 30 year old steel road bike. The minute you start putting luggage on a bike you should start taking your power to weight ratio less seriously.

Longer wheelbase for a start. If I panniered up some cheapo ally hybrid the heels on my enormo-feet would be constantly fouling my back bags.
 

Abitrary

New Member
Brock said:
Longer wheelbase for a start. If I panniered up some cheapo ally hybrid the heels on my enormo-feet would be constantly fouling my back bags.

I'm sure that if you spend *2* saturdays going round some bike shops, you'll find something that accomodates your feet, er, footprint.

But will cost you 3 times as less. Will be a lot more robust, and a lot more comfortable.

If you are going to get into the welding options of steel bikes, then take it to the christians on the CTC forums
 

P.H

Über Member
Abitrary said:
Having done a couple of tours on the continent, and having seen what the continental tourers ride over there, I can only conclude that the british are being completely ripped off with all this 'pro steel tourer drop handlebar stuff' well, at least for continental needs.

You go over there and you see whole families touring, with babies and everything, *massive* tents on the back, prams.. the lot

And it's all done on big aluminium hybrid / mountainy bike things. The only brand I can draw a visual paralell with would be something like ridgeback

Tout-terrain
Maxx
Germans Cycles
Fahrrad Manufaktur
Koga-Miyata
Rotor
KTM
CB Campus
Stolz

A quick look at any of the touring bikes offered by the above manufacturers would show that although you're right about the style of bike preferred by continental tourers, you're wrong about the amount of money spent.
I haven't seen anyone suggest you need to spend that much to go touring. Enthusiasts of all sorts will often spend extra for a specialised product, only they can say whether it's worth it.
 

Brock

Senior Member
Location
Kent
Abitrary said:
I'm sure that if you spend *2* saturdays going round some bike shops, you'll find something that accomodates your feet, er, footprint.

But will cost you 3 times as less. Will be a lot more robust, and a lot more comfortable.

If you are going to get into the welding options of steel bikes, then take it to the christians on the CTC forums

I wasn't going to get into the emergency roadside rural blacksmith welding options of steel bikes, always found that idea a bit odd.

I'd question your idea that a 300 quid hybrid would be 'a lot more comfortable' than a high end tourer, what are you basing that on? And 'more robust'? In which areas?

You're right to imply, of course, that it's perfectly possible to tour happily on any bike you can strap your gear onto. I'm sure I could tour on a raleigh shopper and get just as much from the adventure, but if I was about to set out on that 300 quid hybrid for an extended tour I'd be tempted to upgrade to a new saddle, better quality wheels (I do so hate replacing spokes at the roadside), good quality racks, more hard wearing tyres, decent brake blocks, I'd probably have to lash on some extra bottle bosses, etc etc.. Or I could just spend a bit more and get what I wanted off the shelf.
By the way, my tourer is a hand-me-down which I paid nothing for, and the girlfriend tours happily on a german city bike which cost about 400 quid, so I agree with what you're saying to some extent.
I did pay a buttload for my tent though, when I could've just slept under a plastic sheet really.
 
Hi,
I just joined this thing - interested to see the conversation about light tourer vs audax (my own current dilemma) ... and I currently own a Kara Kum with butterfly bars. I'd encourage anyone to try the bike and the bars. I found the bars much better than flat bars in terms of variety of positions over longer rides and the upright position easier for city travel. If I had bought one that was the right frame size to start with I'd probably hold on to it for the sort of touring and day outings I'm doing. Mind you it was a bit of an effort to keep up on the only Audax (100km)I tried it on - I didnt quite manage to finish before some of the 200km contestants got back. So if its speed you are after...not the KaraKum
Still ... back to the search for properly fitting upgrade - Thorn (yep ... yes but it would be nice to try before you buy) UtraGalaxy (the default option but I can't bear the current 'retro' finish), Spa Cycles (good reviews and 2/3 of their customers from the CTC site think they are sliced-bread-good with top products, reliable informative service, good prices etc while perhaps the other 1/3 complain or so of wheels and bits not being properly put together, delays and maybe not always receiving gold star customer service in response to any problems or complaints. If I didnt live so far from Harrogate I might still give them a try.)
 

Camrider

Well-Known Member
Location
Cambridge
Thorn (yep ... yes but it would be nice to try before you buy)

If you can't get to Bridgwater you do also get a 100 day money back option which makes a Thorn bike pretty risk free purchase. A Sherpa can be built to your own spec rather than taking what comes with an off the peg Galaxy.
 
Often referred to as 'butterfly bars'. They're quite common on bikes on the Continent.

After an accident a few years ago I go a Kettler (German make) which had them, specifically so that I could continue cycling whilst my shoulder was repaired (this took three and a half years and five rounds of surgery). Having the butterfly bars was great - they can be put at different angles and allow a myriad of hand positions, meaning that my shoulder was less likely to seize up. I understand that they are becoming more common on tourers for the same reason - when you're in the saddle all day being able to change your position fairly frequently makes life easier.

I love my butterfly bars!
 
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