Touring Bike

sillybilly

Hello,

I'm looking for recommendations for a touring bike.

Last year I toured 1300km through europe on my commuter Trek FX 7.3.

But this bike has recently been stolen so I'm looking for a new bike to do similar touring through Ireland and Europe and also use as a commuter.

Any ideas? I looked at an upgrade to my fx 7.3 , the fx 7.5 but I've read lots of people saying this would be no good for touring, the wheels and gears are not designed for it.

Any recommendations please...

Thanks...

Trojan

This is what I use as a touring bike. The threads linked there might help you with some ideas too.

Alek

Were you happy with your old Trek as a tourer? If so, I wouldn't hesitate to go for a similar frame geometry, handlebar type and size.

There are thousands of people touring on various bikes, from hybrids, road bikes, cyclocross, MTB, recumbent, cargo bikes and even unibikes. Also, their definition of travel may be very different from yours - some will travel on road, others off-road, some 30k a day, others 250.

Stick to what works for you, I'd say


To illustrate, I have two tourers: one for solo / fast long distance, the other for fully loaded touring, hauling a child trailer and 30kg of baggage:

http://brimages.bikeboardmedia.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/2013-Genesis-Croix-De-Fer-CX-Bicycle-Main.jpg

http://2k12.konaworld.com/images/bikes/lrg/minute.jpg

25sean

I like the traditional steel tourer, I have a Dawes galaxy, 15+ years old, great all rounder and comes into its own when loaded up on tour.. That said, they've changed recently with sloping downtube and cheaper fork etc.. Not go e on them..

Great value on spacycles. English touring company.. If I was buying a new tourer I'd go to them. Look em up..

OldBean

Budget?

sillybilly

Thanks for all the replies.

My budget is about 1k

I liked my trek fx 7.3 for touring but I know nothing else that is ive nothing to compare it to.

What should I be looking for?

I will cycle for 2-3 weeks at a time.70-100km a day depending on terrain.

But all cycle paths etc.

Last tour I carried a load of 15kg in my panniers.

Thanks again

sillybilly

Or does anyone know of a good bike shop in Dublin who 'knows' about touring bikes.

as I mentioned, someone just tried to sell me fx 7.5 for touring, which I googled later was a particularly bad choice

Planet X

sillybilly wrote: »

Or does anyone know of a good bike shop in Dublin who 'knows' about touring bikes.

as I mentioned, someone just tried to sell me fx 7.5 for touring, which I googled later was a particularly bad choice

Where are you based?
I've a Surly Disc Trucker if you want a spin on it. It's a touring bike.

OldBean

Check out the Surly Long Haul Trucker in Cycleways.

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker

lennymc

i dont think a LHT would be in budget tho, would it? I have a surly cross check and it would be a nice touring bike if you were not in a hurry.

Planet X

lennymc wrote: »

i dont think a LHT would be in budget tho, would it? I have a surly cross check and it would be a nice touring bike if you were not in a hurry.

True. Didn't read that.
By the way.........congratulations.

OldBean

I think (Think!) I saw one of last years LHT models in Cycleways for a few bob off. Otherwise, yeah, you're right, it weighs in at 1400... Which is only a bit over 1k, right..?

lennymc

Planet X wrote: »

True. Didn't read that.
By the way.........congratulations.

Cheers, but I have the surly a while

OP- I built up the bike from a mixture of new and second hand parts and it came in well on budget. Would that be something you would consider? MTB gruoupset can be had for under 200 euro, frame is a bout 400 (i think), wheels, bars, seatpost and saddle and misc bits for 300 quid should have you a very nice tourer that will do everything and be absolutely bomb proof.

Extremely versatile bike that can be built into anything from a single speed cx bike to a full on tourer to a commuter to a fixie to whatever you want.



edit - i just saw that the link that Trojan posted (which doesnt seem to work) looks to be pointing to a surly cross check.

Trojan

sillybilly wrote: »

Or does anyone know of a good bike shop in Dublin who 'knows' about touring bikes.

Yep - ask for Cliff in "the bike shop formerly known as Eurocycles" on South William St.

(Don't know what it's called now - 2 wheels or something like that?)

lennymc

Just looking at prices, you could easily build up a nice cross check similar to the one above for 1000 euro. Frameset, deore groupset, handbuilt wheels, rack, guards, flat bars, comfy saddle and bobs your uncle

sillybilly

Oh thanks again for all the replies.. I know nothing about building bikes.. so I don't think that's an option...

Surly bikes eh? Who sells surly bikes in Dublin

I just searched, cycleways website for surly bikes and didn't see any.

I suppose what I really need help with, is knowing what I should look for in a good touring bike compared to a commuter bike.

As I mentioned last year, I just used my commuter trek fx 7.3 to tour on. But since I'm buying a new bike, I might as well get a more 'suitable/fit for teh purpose' touring bike

I could stretch to 1.5K

lennymc

I got mine from cyclebike / buildabike. A few other people on here got them there aswell. Ask for Terry or Darren and tell them you were talking to me. I think they have some LHT bikes there at the moment.

tomasrojo

I got a Dawes Horizon from Little Sport in Fairview about five years ago for €999. It's quite a good tourer. Eyelets on the front fork, good clearance below the mudguards, rear rack set a fair bit back.

OldBean

sillybilly wrote: »

I could stretch to 1.5K

That's the spirit!!

Seaneh

tomasrojo wrote: »

I got a Dawes Horizon from Little Sport in Fairview about five years ago for €999. It's quite a good tourer. Eyelets on the front fork, good clearance below the mudguards, rear rack set a fair bit back.

Only £500 on Spa Cycles webesite at the minute, only in size 53 but an absolute bargain if in your size op.

sillybilly

thanks again guys

TinyExplosions

You could always go for http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=86856461

OldBean

Lovely bike, TinyExplosions.

sillybilly

Thank you for all your advice.. I just spent a fabulous sunny 2 and half weeks touring ireland, on my long haul trucker.

Such a comfortable bike, I'm in love..

Thanks again

Don17

Where did you get the Surly LHT, was it buildabike?

I'm also lookin for a Touring bike but was thinkin of a Knoa Rove or Kona Jake

Thanks

simonrooneyzaga

I ride a Ridgeback Radium and I love it. Think I spotted one in Thinkbike, Rathmines recently. Got mine there for €800 last year but you might get a better price now.

Alek

Ridgeback Radium

They are at really good value at http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/ now...

darkvalley

OOH this is just launched. I would love one of these. reasonable price too.
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/blog/02/07/14/2015-bike-launch-tour-de-fer

Don17

Been into a few LBS but they really put me off steel bikes
Too heavy
Old technology
Etc

Pushing me towards cyclocross bike with all the connections for racks and disc brakes
Trek crossrip
Specialised tricross
Giant tcx
Cannondale

lennymc

Don17 wrote: »

Been into a few LBS but they really put me off steel bikes
Too heavy
Old technology
Etc

I suspect you are looking at the wrong bikes. It is relatively easy to build a steel bike with a similar weight to a modern aluminium bike. I have a circa 8kg (wheel dependant) steel colnago bike (that i really must finish putting together). Steel will also take modern components. I also have a steel surly cross check that i race single speed cx. It's lighter than the geared bike (giant TCX) I used to race. My commuter is a steel ribble bike with full mudguards and rack and is comparible in weight to the dolan preffisio. The real benefit of steel is the ride tho. It is so much more comfortable (IMHO) than either aluminium or carbon.