New bike

I would recommend a bianchi 928 c2c because it is made for long distances with a compact set (good for hill climbing) plus its a nice comfy bike. You may want to have a look over at exchange and mart as there are some bike bargains occaisonally up on the site; you could always put up a wanted ad also, get a bargain on a specific model etc. Good luck with the hunt

dodss said:

I have Bob Jackson road bike which I used for Triathlons but want to do some touring and to carry camping gear .I reckon the gearing is not low enough for the hills I want to go up in the Lake District and Scotland. In general terms is it worth modifying my bike or should I bite the bullet and invest in a hybrid bike.If so which one?

If it is just a matter of the gearing, then change the gearing.

The real question is whether it is a recent Bob Jackson frame OR a vintage frame with more clearance for larger tyres.

How do you feel about clamping fenders, racks & panniers on your frame using P-clamps since even coated clamps can mar the paint OR are there eyelets on the frame and/or fork?

alfeng said:

If it is just a matter of the gearing, then change the gearing.

The real question is whether it is a recent Bob Jackson frame OR a vintage frame with more clearance for larger tyres.

How do you feel about clamping fenders, racks & panniers on your frame using P-clamps since even coated clamps can mar the paint OR are there eyelets on the frame and/or fork?

I like the look of the Bianchi but the price is a bit steep new . Will hunt around used model. No problem about adding fenders etc.

dodss said:

I like the look of the Bianchi but the price is a bit steep new . Will hunt around used model. No problem about adding fenders etc.

The particular Bianchi (928 C2C) is NOT suitable for touring ...