Touring Bikes

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by drao
Hello all. This seems like a great forum. I have done quite a few supported bike tours in the past, and I am very keen on moving up to self-supported touring. I have some money to spend on a nice bike, and I was thinking of the Bruce Gordon Rock n' Road which goes for USD 2745 with racks. It is specifically meant for self-supported loaded touring, with the granny gear that most mass-produced bikes don't have (44/32/22). Here is the website, check it out if you have time: http://www.bgcycles.com/rnr.html

Anyway, I was wondering if any of you have any Bruce Gordon bicycles, and what you guys/gals recommend for self-supported serious loaded touring (I am planning for a trip across the US within the next two years).

Also, what type of pedals do you think are best for such a tour? I haven't used clipless pedals in the past, but I like the idea. However, clip pedals are included with the Bruce Gordon, for example. Does it have clear advantages over clipless with self-supported loaded touring? And if you recommend clipless, what kind?

Thanks!

-D

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by wgreeeeen

I checked out the Bruce Gordon. Very nice. I agree with your choice of gearing. I have a '96 Cannondale T700, with 22/32/42 and I thought when they changed gearing that they stopped looking to make a bike for serious touring.

That said, the stiffness of an aluminum frame is a wonderful quality when touring. The ride of my Cannondale is a little harsh when not loaded, but put some weight on it, and it is a very smooth ride, extremely comfortable, good for long days in the saddle. My C'dale has about 15,000 miles on it, only a small part of that fully loaded, but it's a GREAT bike for its intended purpose! It's really amazing how some weight totally smooths out the ride. Consider an aluminum frame, and put the gears on it that you want. (My other bikes, for the record, are steel: a Bianchi Eros, and a Seven Axiom Steel).

As for pedals, clipless are nice, especially on hills. Have a bike shop fit you--the placement of the cleats is important! I've used Shimano SPD for several years--easy to replace, can get reliable pedals cheap i.e. Nashbar. If you get fit properly, you might discover your clipless shoes are the most comfortable shoes you can own, and if you go with the mountain-bike style shoes (why not, you're touring) they have the advantage that you can walk in them.

Greetings again. One other (obvious) thought: Bruce Gordon is a small frame builder, who knows touring bikes. You'll get an excellent bike from them. I have a preference for oversized aluminum for touring, because steel seems a little flexy under load. But, the craftsmanship of your bike is hard to beat. Be interesting to hear from other Bruce gordon owners. Finally, if you haven't used barcons before, you'll love 'em. [UOTE]Originally posted by drao
Hello all. This seems like a great forum. I have done quite a few supported bike tours in the past, and I am very keen on moving up to self-supported touring. I have some money to spend on a nice bike, and I was thinking of the Bruce Gordon Rock n' Road which goes for USD 2745 with racks. It is specifically meant for self-supported loaded touring, with the granny gear that most mass-produced bikes don't have (44/32/22). Here is the website, check it out if you have time: http://www.bgcycles.com/rnr.html

Anyway, I was wondering if any of you have any Bruce Gordon bicycles, and what you guys/gals recommend for self-supported serious loaded touring (I am planning for a trip across the US within the next two years).

Also, what type of pedals do you think are best for such a tour? I haven't used clipless pedals in the past, but I like the idea. However, clip pedals are included with the Bruce Gordon, for example. Does it have clear advantages over clipless with self-supported loaded touring? And if you recommend clipless, what kind?

Thanks!

-D [/QUOTE]