Help choose between these tourers?

Easier said than done. Would recommend as many test rides as possible. For
the record, I have 93 model Galaxy and have taken it up allsorts of ungodly
off road routes. It's reasonably quick (if a bit heavy), extremely comfy and
as tough as hell! The Saracen seems to be sim (e.g old school 531 steel
frame) whereas the Sequoia is aluminium and prob. a bit more sports / audax
orientated. Dunno much about the others although there's major differences
in the characteristics between aly and steel (esp. on the road and in terms
of reparability out in the field ), so again, try before you buy. A good
place to do some research is www.sheldonbrown.com : it's an American site
but well worth a look.

"Tumbleweed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Currently considering;
-Specialized Sequoia
-Trek 520
-Saracen Skyline (never heard of Saracen until I went into my LBS today)
-Dawes Galaxy.
-Ridgeback Horizon

Use would be touring and mild off road (nothing much worse than towpaths

and

Quoted message said:

the like)

Any comments? Any that stand out, or you wouldn't touch with a bargepole?
FWIW I will probably put butterfly bars on whichever I go for.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

"Tumbleweed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Currently considering;
-Specialized Sequoia
-Trek 520
-Saracen Skyline (never heard of Saracen until I went into my LBS today)
-Dawes Galaxy.
-Ridgeback Horizon
snip
--
Tumbleweed

I have to say that althogh I have 2 Galaxies you will be guaranteed spoke
breakages with the wheels they have been fitting in the last few years. I
and 2 friends have had real problems with them

Cliff

Quoted message said:

Clifford Griffiths said:

I have to say that althogh I have 2 Galaxies you will be guaranteed
spoke breakages with the wheels they have been fitting in the last
few years. I and 2 friends have had real problems with them

Machine built wheels. Get them retensioned by hand and there should be no
problem.

--
Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

Tumbleweed said:

Currently considering;
-Specialized Sequoia
-Trek 520
-Saracen Skyline (never heard of Saracen until I went into my LBS today=

)

Quoted message said:

-Dawes Galaxy.
-Ridgeback Horizon
=20
Use would be touring and mild off road (nothing much worse than towpath=

s and

Quoted message said:

the like)

I'd have a good look at the Sardar as well as the Galaxy. The Galaxy is =

very much the way it's been for years in part because it's a sacred cow, =

where the Sardar has a bit of more recent thinking on board like=20
stronger 26" wheels that will have a better tyre selection available and =

Vs instead of cantis which are easier to source bits for, and a compact=20
frame which gives you more top tube clearance, all Good Things in my=20
book. And it keeps a good steel frame and full racks too.

You might be able to pick up a suitable second hand 'bent: for example,=20
there's a Streetmachine in the Velovision online wanted ads at =A3650=20
(http://www.velovision.co.uk/smallad/forsale.html). Or really splurge=20
and buy a new one.

Having just done a tour on mine (including off-road, and one bit that=20
wasn't what I'd call "mild"😉 I can happily say I wouldn't have wanted=20
/any/ upright on the planet instead, not even custom built for me with=20
the best components available. If you're soaking up miles over hours=20
it's just *sooooooo* much nicer doing it in a comfy chair with relaxed=20
arms taking no weight and a default view straight ahead instead of down=20
at the road. Tourers are, to my mind, one place where the Dark Side=20
really makes a particularly huge amount of sense.

Pete.
--=20
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Tumbleweed said:

Currently considering;
-Specialized Sequoia
-Trek 520
-Saracen Skyline (never heard of Saracen until I went into my LBS
today)
-Dawes Galaxy.
-Ridgeback Horizon

Use would be touring and mild off road (nothing much worse than
towpaths and the like)

Any comments? Any that stand out, or you wouldn't touch with a
bargepole? FWIW I will probably put butterfly bars on whichever I go
for.

You need to test ride them. There's a lot of difference between the machines
mentioned.

If swapping to butterfly bars, you might do better with something "built
up". Quite a few tourers seem to include expensive STI brake/gear levers
which you'd be throwing away in a swap to butterfly bars. Unless your LBS is
negotiating a good deal on swapping things over.

FWIW, the Sequoia is more of a "light tourer / audax" machine than anything
else. I had a short test ride on one a few weeks ago(*). Its reasonably
comfortable, though I thought it a tad heavy compared to other "audax"
machines - possibly caused by things like the suspension seat post and the
adjustable stem. The front forks and damping on the handlebar grips works
well - I tried it over some rough bumpy lumpy surface. Not so sure about the
saddle and springy post - seemed to upset my pedal rhythm.
It includes secondary brake levers on the tops of the bars (which work,
unlike the circa 1979 "suicide" levers).
If heading for that model, I'd seriously consider the upgraded version with
better components and carbon rear-stays.
I think its available in a flat-bar version under a different name, which
might be cheaper to swap to butterflies as the brake/gear levers would be a
straight swap.

Oh, and Pete's regular comment on the dark side might be worth a look,
though would be s/hand at the prices of the machines listed.

(* at work in National Bike Week, a large quantity of bikes were offered for
a quick spin around the site access roads. The Sequioa was the nearest thing
to a tourer on offer, so I had a go. )

- Nigel
--
NC - Webmaster for http://www.2mm.org.uk/
Replies to newsgroup postings to the newsgroup please.

"NC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tumbleweed said:

Currently considering;
-Specialized Sequoia
-Trek 520
-Saracen Skyline (never heard of Saracen until I went into my LBS
today)
-Dawes Galaxy.
-Ridgeback Horizon

Use would be touring and mild off road (nothing much worse than
towpaths and the like)

Any comments? Any that stand out, or you wouldn't touch with a
bargepole? FWIW I will probably put butterfly bars on whichever I go
for.

You need to test ride them. There's a lot of difference between the

machines

Quoted message said:

mentioned.

If swapping to butterfly bars, you might do better with something "built
up". Quite a few tourers seem to include expensive STI brake/gear levers
which you'd be throwing away in a swap to butterfly bars. Unless your LBS

is

Quoted message said:

negotiating a good deal on swapping things over.

FWIW, the Sequoia is more of a "light tourer / audax" machine than

anything

Quoted message said:

else. I had a short test ride on one a few weeks ago(*). Its reasonably
comfortable, though I thought it a tad heavy compared to other "audax"
machines - possibly caused by things like the suspension seat post and the
adjustable stem. The front forks and damping on the handlebar grips works
well - I tried it over some rough bumpy lumpy surface. Not so sure about

the

Quoted message said:

saddle and springy post - seemed to upset my pedal rhythm.
It includes secondary brake levers on the tops of the bars (which work,
unlike the circa 1979 "suicide" levers).
If heading for that model, I'd seriously consider the upgraded version

with

Quoted message said:

better components and carbon rear-stays.
I think its available in a flat-bar version under a different name, which
might be cheaper to swap to butterflies as the brake/gear levers would be

a

Quoted message said:

straight swap.

Thanks for that. I've also started looking at the Sirrus range, it seems
from the brohure very similar to the sequoia but with better handlebars and
shifters so as you suggest if I am changing these better to 'build my own'
and a sirrus might be a good place to start. WIll try some test rides this
weekend.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
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