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I have a week off work coming up and have decided to do my first tour. It will be on the roads of northern France.
I'll probably go for "credit card' touring for the first one but would like to build a bike that would carry lightweight camping gear for further trips.
So, anyone have any frame recommendations? Pics to accompany would be even better.
And ant touring tips that you may have picked up along the way.
Thank you,
BB
use a trailer instead of a rack and panniers. If its on-road then 2-wheel trailers are best - then you don't need to have a special bike for touring, you can use whatever bike you usually ride.
Everyone has their own favourite solutions. Me I like an MTB riding position nowadays.
Racks - tubus are the best - but at a price. Get your racks really secure as they vibrate loose. Old man mountain are often recommended but I have no personal experience.
Good bags are a great help - easy but secure mountings, waterproof. Ortleib are usually considered very good but I ham a huge fan of carradice stuff. We have the carradry panniers - really well made, rears are bigger than ortleib, mounts a bit fiddly but very secure
For really light touring just a carradice saddlebag might beenough - the longflap super camper is a classic design and I used one for decades carries a lot of kit
Pic of a fully laden mountain tandem ain't much use to you I guess 🙂
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5055088636_81c5aaedda_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5055088636_81c5aaedda_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/5055088636/ ]42 Windmills bicycle and us[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr
http://www.carradice.co.uk/ for old man mountain racks and various bags
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jondouglas/5797522942/ ]Laden Bike[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jondouglas/ ]alanach_d[/url], on Flickr
My mountain bike does the job just fine with some heavy duty slicks.
Thanks guys, must say i am drawn more to a road bike style tourer just because of the lower position and more hand positions.
Though I do have an old Canondale mtb not doing much at all, I'm put of using that though as it has hydraulic disc brakes.
BB
I just read that as trousers rather than tourers 😳
My lightweight tourer.
[img] https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HJiu4tWQVVg/Tgjns1puW7I/AAAAAAAAAA4/USehwXQlbH0/s640/Pompino%252520Trip%252520143.jp g" target="_blank">
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Pompino with carradice super C saddle bag and a bar bag.
Lightweight camping for two through spain and france for 3 months.
why do disc brakes put you off?
Hydros for day rides and short tours I would imagine are OK but for longer rides in remote/less well developed areas, a royal PIA.
If it's long multi week/month trip or off the beaten track, I'd keep it simple. Having written that, even on the beaten track I'd keep it simple as I wouldn't want to lose cycling days when trying to find spares or fettle more esoteric kit.
A possible pitfall with using a MTB frame and panniers is the short chainstays. Chaps with big feet have the benefit of being incredibly well endowed, but this is offset slightly by catching their heels on the panniers.
^ this.
Definitely cable actuated brakes for long tours. That doesnt necessarily preclude disc brakes though.
boblo - I have never had an issue - never damaged a brake - done muliday offroad tours and 2 weeks mainly road tours with hydro discs and no issues. I did carry a seal kit and a spare hose but you would carry a spare cable would you not?
How often do hydros fail?
Teej, My bikes are set up for multi week/multi month tours usually away from the mainstream so I try and ensure I use kit that is pretty generic. Yes I carry cables, especially on the tandems as they are so long/difficult to find.
My hydro experience is limited to MTB's which might not be representative. Thrashing about in the Peak midwinter grinding paste may not be the same.
If I were speccing a new frame, I'd go for BB7's as I did manage to finish off a rim one tour (on vees). At least I could avoid that but I'd need to carry more spare pads.
Last point is more tandem specific. My tandems have Arai drag brakes which I use. I'd be concerned about boiling hydros as I'm not aware of a disc/drum hub and I wouldn't want to use a disc for drag duties.
Comfort machine, Sasla Mukluk
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/25655510@N02/5638106129/ ]April 20th - Over Night Bivi Thinking[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/25655510@N02/ ]Johnclimber[/url]
Boblo - check the forst pic - we just have discs on the tandem. Just don't drag them - use them in bursts. With good discs you don't need to drag the brakes. Hope 6 pots help tho - very heat resistant. Personally I would never have anything but hydro discs on the tandem
its simply not a major issue and IME discs are more reliable and faff free than any cable brake
Pads last many thousands of miles
if i could ever afford it,would love to get one of these http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/thorn-rohloff-mercury-530s-blue-green-starburst-soft-touch-lacquer-ex-display-mrsp-4250-prod12809/ (also to have the fitness/funds to do it justice also 😀 edit if they did a disc version that would just be jim dandy 😀
sorry rf90, but that's gopping!
I can never get excited about 26" tourers no matter how sensible they might be.
The reason I was put off using hydraulic discs is just that if I was unfortunate enough to get a mechanical problem with them the chances of finding parts for old Hayes discs are probably next-to-none. Whereas cables, blocks, etc you can buy almost anywhere.
There really are some great bikes there, can't wait to get started.
Anyone care to give an idea of what would they would pack for 1 weeks credit card touring?
Oh and keep the bike pics coming. And if anyone has something with a 54 cm top tube for sale ...........
BB
Kit for two for 3 months camping.
We wanted for nothing (except probably 2x kindles if they had been invented!) and the only thing we didnt use was the first aid kit and needle and thread I think.
Camping2 man Go Lite Den 2 Tent
2x Thermarest 3/4 sleeping matts
Custom double duvet
JagBag double silk sleeping bag linerCooking & Food
Titan titanium pas (1.2l, 0.9l, lid)
2x titanium sporks
MSR pocket Rocket stove
200g gas canister
Full set of folding plates/bowls/mugs
4x 750ml water bottles on bike
lighter & matchesBike gear & tools
2x On-One Pompinos
Topeak mountain morph pump
Kryptonite cable lock (10mm x 6')
Cateye 7 computer
2x Carradice Super C saddlebags
1x Altura Bar bag, 1x Karrimor Bar bag
2x rear LED lights
Spanner, bike tool, tyre levers, repair kit, spare cleats & bolts, Chain tool, spare links
Spare brake cables, spare spokes, zip ties, pva tape, rag, silicon lubeClothes (each)
Riding shoes, convertible for walking and bar flying
Flip flops
2x pairs socks
2x pairs riding underwear
Underwear for off bike
2 ride tops
1 off bike top
1 pair convertible trousers
1 pair of overshorts
Montane Litespeed splashtop
Swedish Down Smock
Bike gloves
Sunglasses
HelmetsToiletries
Shampoo
Sunscrean
Aftersun
Bio soap
Bar of soap
Toothpaste
ToothbrushesStuff
2x Penknives
Sony SW radio
Digital Camera
Phone
Phone 9v power converter
note pad
Pencils
Silva 7 Compass
Travel towels
Spanish phrase book
Candle
Medipac
Bag straps
Map
Needle & thread
2x LED Headtorch
Stoner to be honest i agree,but for that sort of money i would expect it to be custom painted to my spec (can imagine a lovely deep metallic red paint job) 🙂
bianchi boy - which is why I carry a set of seals and a spare hose on long tours
For creditcard touring in a bike friendly country? toothbrush. 🙂
Seriously multitool, tube, patches, cable ties, mech hanger, spares for any unusual parts you have.
waterbottles and pump on the frame
Anything generic - cables, brake pads etc can be bought easily so don't bother carrying them
Couple of changes of clothes
waterproofs
camera
My Peregrine.
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mr pips, long time no post!
been getting the miles in? still motorhome?
Anyone care to give an idea of what would they would pack for 1 weeks credit card touring?
What you wear on the bike, plus one change of everything thats in direct contact with your bod. And the means to wash it. And a toothbrush.
And a wheel barrow to carry your baboon wanger about in
Trouble is, you want a bike that if it does fail, is easy to fix with commonly available parts. The alternative is to spend a couple of days of your holiday finding and fettling. I'd be pretty peed off having to divert to find spares. Mind you, my tours are more route march than smell the roses 🙂
This will become my lightweight tourer with the addition of a lightweight rack and a couple of panniers...
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simondbarnes/5526547138/ ]Sabbath September[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simondbarnes/ ]simondbarnes[/url], on Flickr
Bloody ell that looks smart. Don't leave it anywhere....
sorry for the hijack - boblo - but if you have a seal kit and a hose? and maybe a setof pads for more than a few days what else can go wrong?
[img] [/img]
Here's mine: Cannondale T700 with Dave Yates custom-built forks and Ti-railed Brooks B17 saddle. Purchased in 1996 this is my "new" touring bike (My "old" one, a Trek 520, had 65,000 miles on the clock before I passed her on).
Shown in roughstuff mode entering Glen Artney, Carra's will soon be heading to Arran, Mull, Ardnamurchan and then Inverness on a week-long tour.
Don't leave it anywhere....
Yeah, sadly that's the problem with nice bikes 🙁
Maybe I'll just copy Stoner and use this...
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5173/5451517822_0ccd75deb2_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5173/5451517822_0ccd75deb2_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simondbarnes/5451517822/ ]Pompino[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simondbarnes/ ]simondbarnes[/url], on Flickr
too right. cissy.
Yep the parts help but I wouldn't want to spend time stripping and bleeding hydros on tour. Short tours of a few days, you'd more than likely get away without doing anything but away for months..? That's my perspective; multi month in less developed areas. BTW discs in the Netherlands? That must have really stress tested them 🙂
I'm just joking!! 🙂
Does anyone know of a disc/drum hub. That would be my perfect combo for very hilly areas...
mr pips, long time no post!been getting the miles in? still motorhome?
Still riding plenty, sold the motorhome though.
Hope all is well with you.
boblo - we had an all up weight of approaching 1/4 tonne 🙂 hit a top speed of 35 mph
@ stirlingcrispin. Nice bike, I've got a saddle bag just like that. Good of you to give that blind man a job fitting your mudguards 🙂
<edit> @ TJ. I prescribe fewer pies 🙂
Too much trailer.
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Lighter and less full trailer.
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No trailer, 10kg Wingnut APS rucsac, 2.7ltr Ortlieb saddle bag, sleeping bag under the handlebars. This set up was pushing it, in future I'd plan for fewer days food or try hostelling or something, was just a little too heavy for real off road stuff.
My road set up is going to be a CX bike with an Extracycle Voyager trailer. I saw a guy doing LEJOG on a specialized Allez with one and he seemed pretty happy with it.
How the hell do you put pictures on here?????/
Here's mine, 531 Holdsworth that's seen a few miles now.
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ricpic1964/5991299578/ ]IMG_2298[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ricpic1964/ ]ricpic1964[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://tracksterman.tumblr.com/archive ]Tracksterman[/url]There are some pictures of n On One tourer somewhere in this lot. Well worth a read though
/Users/alanyoung/Pictures/15545_170680239573_591284573_2609558_2232138_n.jpg this might be a step too far , rigged for a three month plus winter tour one set of magura sl brakes and one set of spare pads [img]15545_170680239573[/img]
My solo tourer is this one - had the frame exactly half my life now (21 years). Originally had Campag MTB transmission and cantis, as it stands now (in the pic) it's more of an audax setup with a road groupset.
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/52886372@N03/5954446774/ ]MercianRenovatedSmall[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/52886372@N03/ ]Rob Northcott[/url], on Flickr
And here's our touring tandem - Thorn 26" machine with a mix of bits. These pics were from our last trip before we became parents (summer 2004, from home to Monaco). Sorry about the Ronhills, but it was a bit nippy at the top of the Cayolle. I've just finished putting kiddicranks on the back for Alice's first proper trip with us next month 🙂
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/52886372@N03/5991208903/ ]tandem[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/52886372@N03/ ]Rob Northcott[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/52886372@N03/5991208737/ ]coldelacayolletop2cropped[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/52886372@N03/ ]Rob Northcott[/url], on Flickr
The rear panniers are a pair of Freedom Bikepacking ones I bought when I was 15. Only just been retired this year, so did really well, but I don't think you can get them any more. Replaced them with some slightly bigger Altura ones. The fronts are Carradice - very good as well. Tent and Ortlieb camera bag strapped to the top, spare tyre on the back (just being paranoid on the Alpine trip).
"Top tips" I'd give for touring are make sure you've got tools to repair or bodge most potential mechanical problems (spare spokes, odd nuts and bolts, cable ties, duct tape are always useful). Keep all you stuff in plastic bags unless you know your panniers are 100% waterproof. Have a couple of extra bungees for strapping wet towels or coats on the top of the luggage to dry.
My tourer in France on our first trip (Diepe-Fontainebleu-Diepe) this Easter: [url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5268/5723996482_2b51b5d209_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5268/5723996482_2b51b5d209_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/96661824@N00/5723996482/ ]P4170143[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/96661824@N00/ ]rob_j_hopkins[/url], on Flickr
And then towards the end of 3 weeks in Iceland...
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/96661824@N00/5992065206/ ]P6070278[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/96661824@N00/ ]rob_j_hopkins[/url], on Flickr
Touring tips: Take a spare mech hanger, oxo cubes make a good brew, and remember to stop talking to the bike when back in the company of others.
Not a great picture but this is my kaffenback. Sadly not used at all this year. I was so happy on this ride, I need to go touring again.
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/53067724@N00/4751455287/ ]underbarrow-0003[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/53067724@N00/ ]Jon Wyatt[/url], on Flickr
Me and my Flo as we hit the outskirts of Santiago after a 10 day, 790km ride on the Camino de Santiago from St Jean Pied de Port in France, across the Pyrenees and then west through the north of Spain.
The Flo is absolutely superb as a touring bike, has the relevant rack mounts and also the (steel) frame breaksaway into two parts for ease of carriage. I think I was carrying about 9kg in the Vaude panniers.
My mate who I was riding with has since got a Cross Check, and I've just built a Fargo, and we're giving it some serious thought as to whether to do this again (it was just such a great experience) or something else like LEJOG off road.
Some great pics and stories, keep them coming.
I'm still unsure of what to get or where to go but i am certain that I have to get away somewhere.
Thanks again,
BB
Have you got a rigid MTB? You could use that for your first trip. I don't think I'd be looking to buy a bike for a 1 week tour unless I was intending to take it up more regularly.
If you are, you could get a 456/Inbred cheapie frame and build an expediton tourer around that or poke around for a good s/h 700c tour specific bike (e.g. Galaxy et al). There's loads around.
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Can't work out how to enlarge these photos although click on them does
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No still can't get the size right but the yellow trailer is for wood and apples and the one-wheeled trailer is also for apples and other stuff like shopping. Click on them enlarges them
Fully laden, not strictly a tourer though 🙂
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Knew I could do it if tried hard enough. Apologies for earlier ones ran out of editing time. Got these 2 very tall compost bins of freecycle 12 miles there 12 back much easier on way back as wind behind. Went of route on the way back to call at a pub and snapped of derailleur. Friend (so called!) picked me up and charged me one compost bin. Bin presently occupied by honeybees
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Surpriseingly light and strong trailer been of road to collect firewood luckly I go downhill into the village as full load of unseasoned wood quite heavy.
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[/img][/center][url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8308384@N06/sets/72157622968157700/ ]Slugwash Flickr - Old Scanned Cycletouring [/url]
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Autumn cider production in progress (34 gallons last year aiming higher this year) Not to far to trees. all with in 3 miles should use yellow trailer as normally overload single wheeled trailer.
That child looks bored
Did he know he was going on tour or did you tell me he was going to the shop to get some sweets????slugwash
That child looks boredslugwash
Did he know he was going on tour or did you tell me he was going to the shop to get some sweets????
If he behaves himself and shuts up for the next 60 kilometres then I might buy him some sweeties 😉
Jose had no end of problems with her hayes nines in eastern europe last year. bags got loaded on upturned brake levers and the pin thing got popped out. she couldnt find anyone anywhere to sort it, so rode with one brake all holiday.
when we built her inbred up she insisted on cables, so she has BB7s, and i really cant see what could go wrong with them, they are ideal
Im glad i had disks in the alps. descending some of, and THE highest road in europe, getting lairy on the corners was great fun, but when your companions RIMS are steaming at the bottom.
if i was them i would have taken it a bit easier, but i dont think they knew exactly how hot they were getting.
also, if worst comes to the worst, but you have planned ahead, you could remove a borked brake caliper, and buy a V brake in a shop for not a whole lot. Just make sure you have canti mounts on the frame and built your rims up with braking surfaces
that or just use one brake (not ideal on a hill though)
i have nines on my bike, about 6 years old and never been touched. they have been on 4 or more bikes with no problems, never been bled.
i just added a plaster over the bleed port so i wasnt temping fate when we went away 🙂
Not used it properly yet!
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/5995984070/ ]Sabbath[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/placid_casual/5543839321/ ]poland rig[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/placid_casual/ ]placid casual[/url], on Flickr
I like to travel light. 4.5 days and 820Km across France, with camping gear:
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/66390477@N07/6061186997/ ]RIMG0223[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/66390477@N07/ ]dredworx[/url], on Flickr


















