Touring/Hybrid Bike Recommendations

SunshineCyclist

Hi All,

I am interested in purchasing a touring bike, which would need to be light but would be able to carray pannier racks if needed etc, want to do some cycle touring next year. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

I did 800km on a hybrid during the summer, and after the first 200km the muscles in my neck started getting quite sore, so I wouldn't recommend doing it on a hybrid! If you do though, perhaps consider aero bars to give yourself more options for positions.

tomasrojo

I bought a Dawes Horizon a few months back for E999. I'm very happy with it. I find it light enough, but other might disagree. It comes with a rack that can take standard panniers, and you've the option of adding front panniers later.

Touring bikes are hard to get though. It took me a few months to find one that fitted me. It was hard enough to find one of any kind; you're lucky to find one in stock in most shops.

Lumen

Have a read through previous threads, like this.

cdaly_

I'm riding a Giant FCR3 hybrid. 6500km since I bought it in Sept 2008 and loving it. I had the shop change the cassette (13-26) for a 11-30 at purchase and added mudguards and carrier and swapped saddle. Cost E600. I later added aerobars for the aero bit.

Lovely bike, really enjoying it...

emollett

I also got a Dawes Horizon a couple of months ago. Unfortunately it was stolen last week, but it was a wonderful bike. I got it fron Joe Daly's in Dundrum, they didn't have any touring bikes in at the time but were happy to order it in and let me try it out for size before committing to buy.

tomasrojo

emollett wrote: »

I also got a Dawes Horizon a couple of months ago. Unfortunately it was stolen last week, but it was a wonderful bike. I got it fron Joe Daly's in Dundrum, they didn't have any touring bikes in at the time but were happy to order it in and let me try it out for size before committing to buy.

I'm very sorry to hear about your misfortune. Do you mind me asking what set-up you had with locks when it was stolen? (Just so I can perhaps avoid a simliar misfortune.)

IM0

If your budget allows you cant go wrong with a Dawes Super Galaxy/Galaxy
Very nice, solid, light (were taking relative here), versatile, lots of clearance with 32c tyres (room at least to38c), SKS guards, comfy, built like a house and can take full loaded touring with brazed on eyelets on fork

John8867

The Galaxy is a quality bike, u cant go wrong with it.

But a hybrid will do the job just fine (unless u want to take 4 panniers, a tent and handle bar bag...).

I have a bianchi camaleonte 4, just cycled from Biarittz to Barcelona over lots of cols etc (with tent), no problems.

Just change the cassette, get some touring tyres (i used marathon plus tyres) and u will be ok. Has the advantage of being better round town / commuting when u get back etc.

blorg

There is no problem taking 4 panniers a tent and bar bag on a hybrid, it can carry stuff as well as a drop bar tourer. I have done long tours on one myself, ended up converting the last one to drops before getting my dedicated touring bike.

A hybrid is perfectly capable but I really don't think it is ideal for long daily distances, the position is wrong regarding pedal/bar weight balance (you will tend to put too much pressure on the saddle) and you have a distinct lack of hand positions.

There is no real problem cycling a drop bar bike around town either.

Need a budget for recommendations... tourers are niche and somewhat expensive as a result. Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Op is probably the place to go for cheaper ones, they somewhat specialise in that niche.

My hybrid converted to drops (Specialized Sirrus)



My new tourer (Van Nicholas Amazon)



My racer (which I have used for "credit card" light touring)

Trojan

What's your budget?

Also see this thread: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=60926378#post60926378

tomasrojo

I agree with blorg; there is no problem with cycling a drop-bar bike around town.

I actually find a touring bike very versatile, more so than the hybrid I used to have. That was quite a cheap bike, so perhaps other hybrids are better, but as an all-round car substitute, the tourer is great; it's reasonably light, reasonably fast and carries loads extremely well and stably.

blorg

As tomasrojo says a light tourer is probably around the most versatile bike you can get, you have the ability to carry heavy loads and yet unladen you could attack most long sportives on it far better than with a hybrid... Some say weight does not really matter with a tourer, and this is true to an extent if you tend to carry heavy loads- but if you will be taking the bags off and using the same bike for unladen day spins, it is nice to have a lighter bike.

Note I toured on that Specialized Sirrus with flat bars before I converted it; I also did the Camino ten years ago on a flat bar steel Dawes city bike which probably weighed 18 kilos and had a very upright position. In between I used a Trek 7.3FX hybrid. You can certainly do it, it is not however optimal.

Trojan

I do love my drops but there's no comparison between drops brake levers and the pull you can get on straight-bar V-brakes or discs. That's about the only negative of note.

The only time that should matter is if you're doing serious speed and not watching well ahead for obstacles, which you should not do on a fully loaded bike

tomasrojo

Trojan wrote: »

I do love my drops but there's no comparison between drops brake levers and the pull you can get on straight-bar V-brakes or discs. That's about the only negative of note.

The only time that should matter is if you're doing serious speed and not watching well ahead for obstacles, which you should not do on a fully loaded bike

Good point. That is the only downside I've noticed from switching to the tourer: braking distances are poorer now than when I had V-brakes.

Still, the other advantages more than compensate, I think.