Touring bikes

the black rose said:

My husband is not liking his hybrid and seriously thinking about getting
a more road-bike-shaped bike. He's decided that maybe a real touring
bike would be just the ticket -- he likes the idea of having the
capability of piling on racks and panniers and taking off on the open road.

Who am I to argue with him? I'm pleased as all heck that he's liking
riding enough to want a new bike.

So you guys that gots tourers -- what do you got, and what do you like
about it, and what do you recommend?

-km

Howdy,

I have, and love, my Bruce Gordon Rock 'n Road. Expensive... and worth
every penny.

HTH,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

the black rose said:

So you guys that gots tourers -- what do you got, and what do you like
about it, and what do you recommend?

there's always the trek 520 or cannondale t800/2000. but if ya got $3k
i'd go co-motion s&s equipped.

http://www.co-motion.com/norwester.html
http://www.co-motion.com/Amerc.html

see also

http://www.bgcycles.com
--
david reuteler
[email hidden]

"the black rose" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My husband is not liking his hybrid and seriously thinking about getting
a more road-bike-shaped bike. He's decided that maybe a real touring
bike would be just the ticket -- he likes the idea of having the
capability of piling on racks and panniers and taking off on the open

road.

Quoted message said:

Who am I to argue with him? I'm pleased as all heck that he's liking
riding enough to want a new bike.

So you guys that gots tourers -- what do you got, and what do you like
about it, and what do you recommend?

I've been riding an Urbanite Tourer for about two years and am delighted
with it. It is possible to customise it to your liking as I did. Urbane
Cyclist is a co-operative and use wisely purchased components (some NOS).
Hence their prices are very reasonable indeed. I even prefer the bike to my
long lamented Miyata 1000LT. See:

http://ucycle.com/bikes/item.php?name=urbtour&cat=urbanite

Good luck!

Roy

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

Quoted message said:

"the black rose" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My husband is not liking his hybrid and seriously thinking about

getting

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

a more road-bike-shaped bike. He's decided that maybe a real touring
bike would be just the ticket -- he likes the idea of having the
capability of piling on racks and panniers and taking off on the open

road.

Quoted message said:

Who am I to argue with him? I'm pleased as all heck that he's liking
riding enough to want a new bike.

So you guys that gots tourers -- what do you got, and what do you like
about it, and what do you recommend?

I've been riding an Urbanite Tourer for about two years and am delighted
with it. It is possible to customise it to your liking as I did. Urbane
Cyclist is a co-operative and use wisely purchased components (some NOS).
Hence their prices are very reasonable indeed. I even prefer the bike to

my

Quoted message said:

long lamented Miyata 1000LT. See:

http://ucycle.com/bikes/item.php?name=urbtour&cat=urbanite

Good luck!

Roy

Looks a lot like my 1000LT. Still like new. Only used a little every couple
of years.
Bill

the black rose said:

My husband is not liking his hybrid and seriously thinking about getting
a more road-bike-shaped bike. He's decided that maybe a real touring
bike would be just the ticket -- he likes the idea of having the
capability of piling on racks and panniers and taking off on the open road.

Who am I to argue with him? I'm pleased as all heck that he's liking
riding enough to want a new bike.

So you guys that gots tourers -- what do you got, and what do you like
about it, and what do you recommend?

There was a thread recently about this.

My Jamis Aurora is a tourer, apparently. google me for much praise
for my bike.

-Luigi

Quoted message said:

-km

Kenneth said:

the black rose said:

My husband is not liking his hybrid and seriously thinking about getting
a more road-bike-shaped bike. He's decided that maybe a real touring
bike would be just the ticket -- he likes the idea of having the
capability of piling on racks and panniers and taking off on the open road.

Who am I to argue with him? I'm pleased as all heck that he's liking
riding enough to want a new bike.

So you guys that gots tourers -- what do you got, and what do you like
about it, and what do you recommend?

-km

Howdy,

I have, and love, my Bruce Gordon Rock 'n Road. Expensive... and worth
every penny.

HTH,

Oooops, I should have provided:

http://www.bgcycles.com/rnr.html for Bruce's bikes, and will add that
the finest panniers I have ever seen are made by Bob Beckman Designs.
They are at http://www.coinet.com/~beckman/index.html

All the best,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

the black rose said:

My husband is not liking his hybrid and seriously thinking about getting
a more road-bike-shaped bike. He's decided that maybe a real touring
bike would be just the ticket -- he likes the idea of having the
capability of piling on racks and panniers and taking off on the open road.

Who am I to argue with him? I'm pleased as all heck that he's liking
riding enough to want a new bike.

So you guys that gots tourers -- what do you got, and what do you like
about it, and what do you recommend?

What you're going to hear is fifteen different versions of "I've got an
XXXXX bike, and it's great!!!" You won't hear many complaints.

As for my part: My wife and I have 1986 Cannondale ST-800, which was
'Dale's top of the line loaded touring bike back then. They're great!!!!

What I like is the long chainstays, so my heels don't hit rear panniers,
as they did on my previous bike. I like the rigidity of the 'Dale,
which has never given a wiggle no matter how heavily loaded. I like the
cantilever brakes. Plenty of fender room. I couldn't ride distances
without drop bars. Three water bottle cage mounts, threaded bosses for
fenders & racks. It came with matching racks, which was cool.

I also like the fact that it's (of course) non-STI. A good friend's
4-year-old bike had it's front Ultegra STI shifter lock her into low
gear last weekend. She's bikeless for a week while the shop probably
replaces the entire expensive lever. I think that's not what you want
on a touring bike.

Dislikes are very minor. One is (was): front fork had double eyelets,
for fender and nice front low-rider rack, but both fenders and racks had
to share the _same_ eyelet! (Why??) The extras were never used.

The rear handles a 32 mm tire fine. But it could take a 37 if they put
just a tiny bit more space between the inside of the chainstays, and
there was one tour when I wanted 37s, for some extensive off-road riding.

You need to check our Adventure Cycling Association and their magazine.
Once a year they do an entire article on touring bikes. It's free of
the "I got an XXXX and it's great!!!!" stuff, and it'll tell you what to
look for.

--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

Fri, 20 Aug 2004 23:22:17 GMT,
<[email hidden]>, "araby"

Quoted message said:

I've been riding an Urbanite Tourer for about two years and am delighted
with it. It is possible to customise it to your liking as I did. Urbane
Cyclist is a co-operative and use wisely purchased components (some NOS).
Hence their prices are very reasonable indeed. I even prefer the bike to my
long lamented Miyata 1000LT. See:

http://ucycle.com/bikes/item.php?name=urbtour&cat=urbanite

Comparing it to a Miyata tourer _is_ a resounding endorsement.
It looks like a good bike for riding loaded tours.
For a semi-custom build it's quite inexpensive.
--
zk

In article <[email hidden]>,

the black rose said:

My husband is not liking his hybrid and seriously thinking about getting
a more road-bike-shaped bike. He's decided that maybe a real touring
bike would be just the ticket -- he likes the idea of having the
capability of piling on racks and panniers and taking off on the open road.

Who am I to argue with him? I'm pleased as all heck that he's liking
riding enough to want a new bike.

So you guys that gots tourers -- what do you got, and what do you like
about it, and what do you recommend?

-km

You'll get colossal amounts of advice on this subject, but depending on
your husband's willingness to go without indexed shifting, the best
values are in old road bikes. I think the sweet spot is mid-80s stuff,
but if you're willing to pay $200-300, early SIS-equipped touring bikes
are great value.

My argument here is that brifteurs (STI/Ergo integrated brake-shifter
levers) are exceedingly useful if you're racing, but not terribly
important otherwise. They're nice, and if you like them, go for it, but
there isn't a significant advantage for touring, commuting, or even
training. If your husband hasn't used friction shifters before, or is
reluctant to go back to them, you may want to consider that.

Meanwhile, there's this huge surplus of used hardware that just sits
around, unloved, and is perfect for the sort of use your husband would
put it to.

I have a half-decent, half-STI race bike, but I also have a very happy
do-everything mid-80s Bianchi with a Suntour friction drivetrain, 2x6,
with fenders and a rack. That bike takes me to work almost every day,
and it suits me fine.

But, de gustibus et cetera. Your husband may desire the motivation of a
really nice new bicycle. It is a scientific fact that shiny new bicycles
are faster than rusty old bicycles, even when all variables (weight,
gearing, de-rusting the drivetrain) are controlled for. The current
theory is that the slight performance gain comes from the rider having a
lighter wallet.

Considering buying a track bike,
--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

<< My argument here is that brifteurs (STI/Ergo integrated brake-shifter
levers) are exceedingly useful if you're racing, but not terribly
important otherwise. They're nice, and if you like them, go for it, but
there isn't a significant advantage for touring, commuting, or even
training. >>

I don't agree--not having to take a
hand off the bars is a significant advantage
in heavy traffic.

<<Considering buying a track bike,
-- >>

Once you are considering it,
it's already too late.

Robert

Kenneth said:

Kenneth said:

the black rose said:

My husband is not liking his hybrid and seriously thinking about
getting a more road-bike-shaped bike. He's decided that maybe a real
touring bike would be just the ticket -- he likes the idea of having
the capability of piling on racks and panniers and taking off on the
open road.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have, and love, my Bruce Gordon Rock 'n Road. Expensive... and worth
every penny.

HTH,

Oooops, I should have provided:

http://www.bgcycles.com/rnr.html for Bruce's bikes, and will add that
the finest panniers I have ever seen are made by Bob Beckman Designs.
They are at http://www.coinet.com/~beckman/index.html

All the best,

I like my Rock 'n Road Tour, too. However, for a newbie just getting into
touring bikes, they perhaps should look also at the Bruce Gordon BLT
(Basic Loaded Touring) model, which is considerably less expensive than
the R 'n R and almost as much bike. Another excellent touring bike is the
Rivendell Atlantis.

Quoted message said:

My husband is not liking his hybrid and seriously thinking about getting a
more road-bike-shaped bike. He's decided that maybe a real touring bike
would be just the ticket -- he likes the idea of having the capability of
piling on racks and panniers and taking off on the open road.

Who am I to argue with him? I'm pleased as all heck that he's liking
riding enough to want a new bike.

So you guys that gots tourers -- what do you got, and what do you like
about it, and what do you recommend?

The TREK 520 is incredibly boring, hasn't changed in about 8 years, and
that's exactly what a lot of people who tour seem to like about it. It just
works, doesn't look flashy, and has possibly the best company behind it in
terms of a warranty. You might also look into a CycloCross bike for him, as
they're a bit sportier (slightly shorter wheelbase, a bit steeper angles,
which make it a bit more fun to ride when not loaded down) but still have
room for racks & fenders. Just ditch the stock off-roadish tires that come
on them.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Ryan Cousineau said:

Meanwhile, there's this huge surplus of used hardware that just sits
around, unloved, and is perfect for the sort of use your husband would
put it to.

--snip--

Quoted message said:

But, de gustibus et cetera. Your husband may desire the motivation of a
really nice new bicycle. It is a scientific fact that shiny new bicycles
are faster than rusty old bicycles, even when all variables (weight,
gearing, de-rusting the drivetrain) are controlled for.

Hmmm. I need to talk to him, probably. He's not the sort that needs a
new toy to be shiny and new for him to be interested in it; we're
talking about a man who gets very excited about dusty old books. So
possibly a vintage bike would be interesting to him. And I bet the
techs at our favorite LBS would get enthusiastic about such an animal
(because we'd have to have them fix it up for us -- neither of us knows
a thing about bike tech other than Cleaning and Lubing The Chain Is A
Good Thing).

I'm deeply suspicious of Ebay though. I just can't get used to the idea
of a world-wide electronic garage sale cum flea market. Hmm, it's
Saturday, definitely worth looking in the Sunday paper classifieds...

Thanks for the idea. :-)

-km

--
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

Frank Krygowski said:

What you're going to hear is fifteen different versions of "I've got an
XXXXX bike, and it's great!!!" You won't hear many complaints.

As for my part: My wife and I have 1986 Cannondale ST-800, which was
'Dale's top of the line loaded touring bike back then. They're great!!!!

Heh. But that was the point. People also throw in comments about
things I hadn't thought about, or they'll also sometimes comment on
something they wish their bike had but doesn't, stuff like that.

Quoted message said:

You need to check our Adventure Cycling Association and their magazine.
Once a year they do an entire article on touring bikes. It's free of
the "I got an XXXX and it's great!!!!" stuff, and it'll tell you what to
look for.

Oh cool, I'll check that out. Thanks. :-)

-km

--
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

Frank Krygowski said:

the black rose said:

My husband is not liking his hybrid and seriously thinking about getting
a more road-bike-shaped bike. He's decided that maybe a real touring
bike would be just the ticket -- he likes the idea of having the
capability of piling on racks and panniers and taking off on the open road.

Who am I to argue with him? I'm pleased as all heck that he's liking
riding enough to want a new bike.

So you guys that gots tourers -- what do you got, and what do you like
about it, and what do you recommend?

What you're going to hear is fifteen different versions of "I've got an
XXXXX bike, and it's great!!!" You won't hear many complaints.

Frank's right about this, of course. I've got a Fuji tourer; if the
local LBSs stocked the Trek 520 or Cannondale tourers, I'd probably
have one of those. I've test ridden REI's Novara Randonee, but didn't
like it as much as the 520.

Quoted message said:

You need to check our Adventure Cycling Association and their magazine.
Once a year they do an entire article on touring bikes. It's free of
the "I got an XXXX and it's great!!!!" stuff, and it'll tell you what to
look for.

Check out http://www.adventurecycling.org/features/buyersguide2004.cfm
-- they have a list of bikes at the bottom of the page.

BTW, while some claim a tourer is nowhere near as "sporty" as a "true
racing bike," just taking off loaded panniers make it much more
lively. So commute during the week, and it will sit up and beg to be
ridden on the weekend!

Pat

Email address works as is.

In article <[email hidden]>,

(R15757) said:

<< My argument here is that brifteurs (STI/Ergo integrated brake-shifter
levers) are exceedingly useful if you're racing, but not terribly
important otherwise. They're nice, and if you like them, go for it, but
there isn't a significant advantage for touring, commuting, or even
training. >>

I don't agree--not having to take a
hand off the bars is a significant advantage
in heavy traffic.

In practice, I find it's a matter of habits. On a bicycle, there are
precious few hazards you can accelerate away from, so being in the
optimal gear is not a safety issue. With that understood, it becomes
clear that gear-changing is always a secondary concern, and you leave
the gears alone when your full attention should be on the road.

Since upshifts mean acceleration, they're almost always done in
circumstances where the way ahead is clear (if you're not sure if the
way ahead is clear, you shouldn't be upshifting, you should be braking).
For downshifts, the worst-case scenario where you get stuck in a
too-high gear is not a safety issue, it's a comfort-and-convenience
issue. Most of the time, you just stand and pedal until you can
downshift safely, or on rare occasions you might actually end up
"stalled" on a hill: at a dead stop in a gear too high to start off
again. In such a case, you swallow your pride, pull off, and shift down
at the side of the road. Note you could experience that same scenario
(though less often) on a brifteur bike.

Quoted message said:

<<Considering buying a track bike,
-- >>

Once you are considering it,
it's already too late.

Nah. I'm really cheap. But my riding buddies are encouraging me.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

In article <[email hidden]>,

the black rose said:

Ryan Cousineau said:

Meanwhile, there's this huge surplus of used hardware that just sits
around, unloved, and is perfect for the sort of use your husband would
put it to.

--snip--

Quoted message said:

But, de gustibus et cetera. Your husband may desire the motivation of a
really nice new bicycle. It is a scientific fact that shiny new bicycles
are faster than rusty old bicycles, even when all variables (weight,
gearing, de-rusting the drivetrain) are controlled for.

Hmmm. I need to talk to him, probably. He's not the sort that needs a
new toy to be shiny and new for him to be interested in it; we're
talking about a man who gets very excited about dusty old books. So
possibly a vintage bike would be interesting to him. And I bet the
techs at our favorite LBS would get enthusiastic about such an animal
(because we'd have to have them fix it up for us -- neither of us knows
a thing about bike tech other than Cleaning and Lubing The Chain Is A
Good Thing).

I'm deeply suspicious of Ebay though. I just can't get used to the idea
of a world-wide electronic garage sale cum flea market. Hmm, it's
Saturday, definitely worth looking in the Sunday paper classifieds...

eBay is not a good source for this sort of thing. The issue is that for
a bicycle, and especially a cheap bicycle, shipping costs will be a
significant proportion of the transaction price.

Classifieds are an acceptable resource, but I've had my very best luck
with aggressive garage sale trolling. Such shopping is highly
serendipitous, but most likely to produce a decent bike.

If you're comparing against bikes you can just buy at your LBS, keep in
mind that any bike you drag home will need at least a tune-up (lube,
adjustment, possibly some bearings), and replacing the chain, cables,
brake pads and freewheel cluster is a good idea. The tires may or may
not be in usable shape, and a lot of these bikes have crappy brakes. I
like to replace at least the front with a new brake, of which the
cheap-and-cheerful modernization is a Shimano RSX, or any fairly decent
recent dual-pivot brake. The low-end Dia-Compe brakes just seem to give
me great trouble, apparently because the brake body can flex too much or
something.

If there's a shop in your area that specializes in used bikes, they'll
probably have something, too. They cost more than garage sales, but you
don't have to visit 40 garage sales to find a bike you can use.

Finally, don't bother with a bike with steel wheels. Having aluminum
rims is just about the most consistent dividing line between really
terrible 20-year-old road bikes and rideable 20-year-old road bikes.

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the idea. :-)

Glad to be of service,
--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Ryan Cousineau said:

or on rare occasions you might actually end up
"stalled" on a hill: at a dead stop in a gear too high to start off
again. In such a case, you swallow your pride, pull off, and shift down
at the side of the road.

I've gotten out of those by doing 0-turns. Not on busy streets,
though. In fact the last time was on a steepish, narrow
residential street -- I took a siding to let a schoolbus coming
down the hill get by.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Ryan Cousineau said:

Quoted message said:

<<Considering buying a track bike,
-- >>

Once you are considering it,
it's already too late.

Nah. I'm really cheap. But my riding buddies are encouraging me.

specialized langster, $440 street legal (ie, with brakes). anyone seen it?
my lbs doesn't stock 'em and specialized has no components listed. looks
like the front fork even has fender mounts but not the rear (eh?).
--
david reuteler
[email hidden]