A bike that I can tour with but also go fast and far on

barrymanilow

Hi all ,

I'm researching getting a new bike . I'd basically like a nice bike that I can go fast on the roads with, take on long cycles 100k or more , use in sportives and adventure races but also take panniers for some light touring with a tent around Ireland or Europe during the summer .Am I asking too much from one bike ? The term Audax bike is coming up a lot when I search this . I was thinking long haul trucker / kona sutra but I think they would be too sluggish unloaded . Also thinking Kona rove as it seems fast but can do light touring . I'm fond of steel frames too . Any suggestions ?

Thanks,

Barry

Planet X

barrymanilow wrote: »

Hi all ,

I'm researching getting a new bike . I'd basically like a nice bike that I can go fast on the roads with, take on long cycles 100k or more , use in sportives and adventure races but also take panniers for some light touring with a tent around Ireland or Europe during the summer .Am I asking too much from one bike ? The term Audax bike is coming up a lot when I search this . I was thinking long haul trucker / kona sutra but I think they would be too sluggish unloaded . Also thinking Kona rove as it seems fast but can do light touring . I'm fond of steel frames too . Any suggestions ?

Thanks,

Barry

I did the Dying Light a few years ago on my Surly Disc Trucker.
Came in with a small group. Respectable time.
Died on the hills mind........

rollingscone

Genesis Croix or Tour de fer.

Wiggle steel or Alu Audax/Winter bikes.

Tifosi CK7 (Alu)

Diarmuid

I built this up a few years ago. I think it would meet your requirements but you'll have to do the donkey work yourself. Although it seems there's an option to get them to build it

lennymc

i have a surly cross check that I commute on, with luggage and average about 28kph over rolling roads, about 26 kph over hills. It's sturdy, but heavy. It is comfy and can tip along at a reasonable pace considering.

tonytiger81

Father in law has a specialized crux disc. You can attach panniers and still light enough to tackle sportives.

Idleater

For travelling abroad, I built up a titanium Enigma with S&S couplers.

It has pannier rack bosses and I have done a decent amount of long distance on it.

I also have a steel Soma that I use as a training slash fast commuting bike but have done audax on it too.

This was considerably cheaper to build.

Mr. Grieves

What's your budget? The Kinesis Tripster ATR gets rave reviews, but it's expensive. Titanium frame, disc brakes, clearance for larger tyres if you want.

I have a cheap titanium with a steel fork and cantilever brakes. The steering is quite slow but it really isn't sluggish at all otherwise. I raced cyclocross on it last year, now I have full mudguards on it and commute and train on it. I think if you put narrow tyres and set up your position (saddle + bar height etc) right, most bikes can feel, and actually be, fast - like the Surly above.

ford2600

Idleater wrote: »

For travelling abroad, I built up a titanium Enigma with S&S couplers.

It has pannier rack bosses and I have done a decent amount of long distance on it.

I also have a steel Soma that I use as a training slash fast commuting bike but have done audax on it too.

This was considerably cheaper to build.

Met a rider on Antrim 300 with a titanium Enigma, beautiful frame.

He had used it for light touring and club league. He said it was the best do it all bike he had used; he still had 3 more mind ☺

Edit checked his strava profile he has 5 other bikes!

Idleater

ford2600 wrote: »

Edit checked his strava profile he has 5 other bikes!

>_>
<_<

Seweryn

barrymanilow wrote: »

Hi all ,

I'm researching getting a new bike . I'd basically like a nice bike that I can go fast on the roads with, take on long cycles 100k or more , use in sportives and adventure races but also take panniers for some light touring with a tent around Ireland or Europe during the summer .Am I asking too much from one bike ? The term Audax bike is coming up a lot when I search this . I was thinking long haul trucker / kona sutra but I think they would be too sluggish unloaded . Also thinking Kona rove as it seems fast but can do light touring . I'm fond of steel frames too . Any suggestions ?

Thanks,

Barry

Hi Barry,

This sounds like a good recipe for a custom made steel bike and probably is the way I would go.
You can specify whatever you want, i.e. the frame geometry, the clearance for the type of tyres you are going to use, type of bottom bracket, fixing points for your mudguards and racks, type of brakes you prefer, angle of seat tube and more...
This way you can eliminate most of the compromises.

barrymanilow

Mr. Grieves wrote: »

What's your budget? The Kinesis Tripster ATR gets rave reviews, but it's expensive. Titanium frame, disc brakes, clearance for larger tyres if you want.

I have a cheap titanium with a steel fork and cantilever brakes. The steering is quite slow but it really isn't sluggish at all otherwise. I raced cyclocross on it last year, now I have full mudguards on it and commute and train on it. I think if you put narrow tyres and set up your position (saddle + bar height etc) right, most bikes can feel, and actually be, fast - like the Surly above.

when yo say set up saddle and bar height do you mean bar a lot below the saddle = faster ?

Thanks for the suggestions lots to think about here

manwithaplan

barrymanilow wrote: »

when yo say set up saddle and bar height do you mean bar a lot below the saddle = faster ?

Generally this is true but only if you are comfortable with it/get used to it. There can be a trade off between power and aero efficiency. But overall, if you sit up like a wet sail in the wind, you will go more slowly.

cdaly_

My Thorn Club Tour

I've ridden approx 10,000km on it since this time last year including Paris-Brest-Paris in 88h18. It's a little sedate in terms of acceleration but is a flyer on descents/flat. Weighs about 13kg all up.

Reynolds 725 steel frame, 853 steel fork. Disc brake rear, canti front. 35mm Vittoria Voyager Hyper tyres, Brooks saddle, Tubus stainless steel rack.

It's a lovely bike to ride, nice and agile unloaded but capable of carrying a lot on tour. Fat tyres roll really nicely on all sorts of roads and are faster than narrow tyres on rougher surfaces and are plenty fast in any case.

Come visit if you'd like a go...

Beasty

This ticks at least one of the boxes:

Seweryn

Beasty wrote: »

This ticks at least one of the boxes:

That is a custom made example to an extreme level of customisation.

lennymc

That's rather nice cdaly, did you not stick with the tri bars? I have a set on the surly and use them regularly

Beasty

Seweryn wrote: »

That is a custom made example to an extreme level of customisation.

It's surprising how fast you can pedal a washing machine .....

cdaly_

lennymc wrote: »

That's rather nice cdaly, did you not stick with the tri bars? I have a set on the surly and use them regularly

I wasn't gonna be able to use them on PBP so I figured I should get used to not having them. The bar bag is very handy so the tri-bars won't be going back on any time soon. I do miss them at times (like yesterday morning) but I still managed to get up to 82kph descending off Spelga Dam without them...

mr spuckler

i bought a kona jake cross bike with this intention but find it quite sluggish so am interested in where this thread goes. my alternative commuter is a single speed cannondale capo which feels so much more responsive and faster (until i run out of gearing!)

lennymc

I found with the surly the responsiveness varied greatly with the wheels. My current front wheel has a hub dynamo and about 3000 spokes, It's heavy and takes time to get up to speed. The rear wheel has 28 spoke and a power meter, it's not the slowest wheel, but not the fastest either. I ran the bike previously with a relatively light set of wheels and no mudguards and it was noticeably sprightlier when accelerating. Top speed/cruising speed wasnt really affected too much. The current gearing makes it OK on hills - 53/39 12/28