Which Ti Audax/Sportive bike

[Tombo 707]

I cycled down to yorkshire from Shetland in June via Orkney and John o groats. I was fully loaded. I invested in a Ridgeback Panorama. A very well built bike and took the load no problem.I stopped at cycle shops on the way down and was told my bike was a better build than Dawes. I like the look of the Amazon not sure about fixings for front panniers. I think if your looking for a titanium frame I think the Amazon or the Lightspeed blue ridge. I don't think an Audax/ Light tourer will suffice if your looking at carrying extra camping gear.

 

[Paul_Smith SRCC]

My cycling is at the moment pretty much only solo rides up to 60 miles. I'm planning to lenghten that this year, with a view to doing 100m audax/ sportive. I occasionally do the odd triathlon too (mainly for fun and fitness, not to win). This year I am doing London to Paris and next year want to do John O'Groats to Lands End (as a solo effort, camping etc).

As such, I'll need to be able to take luggage, so looking at the Van Nicholas range, i was thinking I'd go for the Euros but it doesn't appear that it can take luggage so I'm thinking either the Amazon or Yukon may be more appropriate.

I'd like the bike to be as quick as possible as and when I strip it down (remove mud guards etc) for triathlon but also good for touring. Ideally i'd like to stick with 23mm tyres.

Any thoughts??

No bike will be designed to carry heavy luggage and then be used as a focused road specific race bike, so that means a compromise of course.

Van Nicholas Euros:

The Euros as you have seen is not designed to take luggage, although there are ways around that to an extent, seat post mounted racks for example, these type of options would not normally be a consideration for carrying camping gear though, rack tops bag and perhaps a bar bag would be all that you would normally consider on the Euros.

Van Nicholas Yukon:

The Yukon can take a pannier rack and rear panniers, although that does not mean it is designed to carry heavy loads, even if you could get your camping gear into a bar bag and rear panniers this would be pushing the Yukon to the limit really. If you refer to my Lejog write up under my signature you will see that I have done that on my
Audax bike of the time, although you will see I have used front panniers as well as I prefer to even out the load by distributing the weight front and rear.

I have done full tours with front and rear panniers like that; but I knew that I was pushing the bike towards the end of what it is designed to do with that set up and was concious of the fact that it was all a bit Russian Roulette for my liking, (Lejog was supported so I only got to the tour start loaded like that).

On that bike I could get 28c tyres, which are of course to an extent a bumper to protect the wheels, 23c on a bike loaded for camping offers little protection to the wheels. If your Lejog is a one off camping trip then the Yukon is a consideration, you will see that I now use one to replace the audax bike I mentioned above, this is because I chose to cycle camp on organised tours where my luggage is taken, I only load the bike with a rack top bag and bar bag, I wouldn't have bought it if I intended to carry heavy loads.

Van Nicholas Amazon:

The Amazon, perhaps with a different fork to what Van Nicholas can currently supply should you also want front panniers would make an ideal heavy duty touring bike and can easily take 32c tyres including guards, ideal for a Lejog camping tour, although as a result it has less focus as a race bike. Note that it is still a relatively quick bike when compared to many heavy duty tourers, so it could be a consideration for triathlons.

Put this way, if you are doing them at a level where it is the taking part that is important then this bike would do. By the same token if you are looking for every split second in your quest for victory then I feel you may have some pondering to do as to where you are prepared to make a compromise with your new choice of bike.

Paul_Smith
www.corridori.co.uk

 

[wyno70]

Thanks again.

London to Paris is fully supported so I don't need to carry much.

I have had a think since my last post and had pretty much come to the same conclusion. My current thinking is get the bike I want (as if I don't I'll still want it!!!) and then maybe pick up a full tourer, 2nd hand on ebay towards the end of the year.

Problem solved!

 

[wyno70]

By the way Paul, I believe you know my cousin Paul Bishop!!

Small World!

 

[Paul_Smith SRCC]

Thanks again.

London to Paris is fully supported so I don't need to carry much.

I have had a think since my last post and had pretty much come to the same conclusion. My current thinking is get the bike I want (as if I don't I'll still want it!!!) and then maybe pick up a full tourer, 2nd hand on ebay towards the end of the year.

Problem solved!

Many do decide to buy the bike they want for the majority of the time, in your case perhaps the Euros, or even Chinook, then have a tourer that you reserve for holidays only.

That is in effect what that Red Pearson in my tours under my signature below was used for, in part as it was so old I was not precious with it for taking on Aircraft etc. It became so old though I was concerned it may fail on tour and ruin the whole holiday, so replaced the frame with the Van Nicholas Yukon; I still use ithe Pearson though, as fixed commute bike

As for Paul Bishop, oh yes I know him very well and have done since he was a young lad, he was a Saturday boy at Pearson Cycles for a long time, so long that he was infact by the end of it a Saturday man , I was manager there for 15 years or so, I still see him on a regular basis even now as he knows all of us at Corridori and is always calling in to see us

Paul_Smith
www.corridori.co.uk

 

[wyno70]

Thats bad luck!!!!!!

I spoke to him today and we'll hopefully (if all goes well) pay you a visit on Saturday.

Matt.