touring setup

[shankldu]

what is a good setup, with out breaking the bank for touring with myself 210 lbs and 40 50 lb load . speaking of frameset hubs wheels etc .

[oldpotatoe]

what is a good setup, with out breaking the bank for touring with myself 210 lbs and 40 50 lb load . speaking of frameset hubs wheels etc .

Well made, purpose built touring frame, Waterford and Gunnar are good choices.

XT or Deore hubs, maybe disc brakes, bar end shifters, 9s. Lots of bike shops have 9s cogs, chains, fewer in BFE have 10s stuff.

Crank so you can get the gearing you want, an inexpensive MTB crank will do that. Cogset, shimano inexpensive MTB one to get the gearing you want. RD, Deore long cage, proper lower end shimano FD. Handbuilt, 36 hole rims, Mavic, DT, Velocity rims, DT comp spokes.

Jandd or similar racks, Ortlieb bags are the best, IMHO.

http://gunnarbikes.com/site/bikes/grand-tour

We have a full boat Waterford touring bike on our floor for about $3700 as an example. Spec-ed similar to above.

[biker72]

A stock Trek 520 is also a good choice. I personally know two guys that did a ride across America on 520's. I think Trek refers to the steel frame as bombproof.. :)

[jr59]

For a new one; Without doubt the Long Haul Trucker.
For what you get with the whole bike it's a very good deal.

Used, there are MANY, The Old Trek 620's
The Miyata 1000's are great, as are some bridgestones, and many others.

Bruce Gordon make a great one.

Really to many to list.

As far as set up goes; Old Potoes has it about right.
You really want stuff that is common, so if you need a part, almost any LBS will have it.

[csm]

my dad has gone thru several treks... 720, 620 and a couple 520s. he now is on a salsa fargo. I liked it so much I bought one.
it is definitely overkill for most touring but I like the idea that I could ride the continental divide on it.
plus it's a hoot to ride around town to coffee shops.

[Bradford]

Oldpotatoe is a wise spud. I actually think he just recommended Shimano, which is like cats and dogs living together.

After years of trial and error, I realized that errors are a big deal while touring. When I started touring 20 years ago, I had very limited funds and skimped on a few things. I found out the hard way that something annoying on you local ride can be down right catastrophic in the middle of nowhere. So, my advice is start with things that are simple and durable, 9s as Oldpo said, so they are less likely to break. If they do break, you want something easy to fix on the road, say bar ends over brifters. And if you can find them, you want something you can replace when you get to the next bike shop, which is why Shimano over Campy. If you stick that, take a good selection of parts and tools, and know how to use them, you will be fine.

Certain parts I won't skimp on, like headsets and wheels. Go top shelf on both. As for Oldpo's rec to by a MT crank, that is a good idea, but I prefer to get a used of NOS crank on the cheap and then put on the rings that make sense for me. I run 26-40-51 on mine. He is spot on on panniers and racks, I have Jandd and Tubus racks, Jandd and Madden bags and I mix and match depending on the tour. Ortlieb are great, so are Arkel. Just get something that is rugged so you aren't trying to patch a pannier in a campground by headlight some night.

Frames are pretty well covered here. I currently ride an IF Independence and love it. I used to have a Cannondale t700 and it was perfectly fine...actually a great bike for a guy your size (I run 220 to 235). I'm also a fan of Co-Motion, Waterford, Bruce Gordon, and the Trek 520.

If you have the funds; you can buy a new frame, the bike you buy will be highly versatile and last for ever. If not, start looking used and piece it together. I bought my frame new (in 2000) and hung a variety of bits on it from my old Cannondale, the NOS bins from Wheelworks, my own old stuff, and ebay. For me, a touring bike is a working bike, not a show pony, and it is pretty cool to have a mash up of parts for different eras. Nothing matches on my bike. Currently, I have a brand new Nitto seatpost on it and a 20 year old Mavic MA2 front wheel for touring. When it isn't loaded, the touring wheels come off and I have some lighter Peter White wheels that go on.

Have you looked at the Bruce Gordon BLT? Hard to beat it for both quality and price for a new, real touring bike.



If you are going to go the way I did, start looking for parts now. Things like Tubus racks don't come up too often on ebay. I can start you off with a Jandd front low rider if you want, I don't use it since I bought the Tubus.

[1happygirl]

How 'bout a BG (bruce gordon) frame to look at too?

[Iowegian]

I'll second the notion of a Cannondale frame if you are on the tall side of things. The over-sized AL tubing really comes into its own on a big frame that has to haul a lot of weight.

For the rest, go with oldpotatoe's rec's. Also be aware of the OLD of your frame. Some dedicated touring frames are spaced at 135mm in back for mtb hubs but if you want to swap wheels for unloaded riding around town or whatever you might want to stay at 130mm spacing.

[PJN]

The Cannondales and the Long Haul Truckers ride like TURDS. I love me some Aluminum race bikes but for touring I'll pass. The LHTs are overbuilt and steer like crap.

I currently have a Miyata 1000 LT built up with parts off of a early-2000's Trek 520. The Trek was awesome but the frame was too small so I sold it after a few years. The 520 frame and fork were better than the 1000LT. Really. The 1000LT isn't a slouch either though.

I will echo what was stated above about the modern iteration of the Trek 520 being a pretty killer off the shelf touring bike. You can find them "used" (aka hung in the garage) for around $800 on craigslist pretty often. You won't be disappointed by anything other than possibly the manufactures name on the down tube. If that is the case you should be bummed out by the LHT because it's a SURLY and that ???? sucks.

I've never ridden one of the Taiwanese Bruce Gordon's but Bruce is the king of touring nerds so I'm sure that would be a killer choice too.

[AngryScientist]

velo orange has decent looking touring rigs and build kits that can be done relatively inexpensively.

[EricEstlund]

If I was in the market for a production touring rig I'd be looking pretty closely at these (http://www.bgcycles.com/blt.html) .

[gdw]

You should check out http://www.adventurecycling.org/ for additional information. They have forums, sell gear, offer ride info and maps etc.

[rphetteplace]

Bruce G is king. Why look further?

[Ken Robb]

A Rivendell Atlantis or Allrounder might also work.

[palincss]

Certain parts I won't skimp on, like headsets and wheels. Go top shelf on both.


It should be noted, for touring "top shelf" wheels are NOT low spoke count boutique wheels. What you want for your 50 lb load is hand-built 36 spoke wheels built with appropriately wide rims. The good news is, "top shelf" here doesn't even cost that much. A wheel set built on Shimano XT M760 hubs, Mavic A719 silver rims, 14-16 Wheelsmith spokes, 36 spokes will run you just over $400. Splash out on XTR and you can drive the price up to almost $600.

[palincss]

I'll second the notion of a Cannondale frame if you are on the tall side of things. The over-sized AL tubing really comes into its own on a big frame that has to haul a lot of weight.


Cannondale's first bicycles were touring bikes, and they were pretty good ones. Unfortunately, Cannondale's been out of the touring bike business for a few years now.

[Bradford]

Shimano XT M760 hubs, Mavic A719 silver rims, 14-16 Wheelsmith spokes, 36 spokes
That is what I have on the back. I rap it up in some 700x37 rubber when I'm fully loaded, 700x32 if I'm just running front panniers.

Peter White builds a really nice wheel for this purpose.

[jr59]

I use 40 spoke rear, Dyad rim, Phil wood hub.
32 in the front!

Simple and strong

[sg8357]

A Rivendell Atlantis or Allrounder might also work.

Touring is about suffering, an Atlantis makes things too easy.
They do have clearance for 50mm tires unlike 520s, fat tires
are wonderful for cobbles and gravel. 520s don't have clearance
for really fat tires.

Panniers, Arkel for the people who believe in pockets, Ortlieb for the
no pocket believers. The CTC types dislike Ortliebs since they're always wearing a hole in them, mine are fine. If you are planning on passing the panniers to your kids, Carradice.

Old 520s are OK, they don't ride quite as well loaded as unloaded,
there was the Klein Navigator aka Trek 540, those are cool.

Racks, Tubus or Gordon, wishy racks can really make a bike handle
worse loaded.

[eric007]

Clearly, a number of custom builders here can build a beautiful, perfect touring bike, most likely in lugged steel -- but there will be a wait and a cost. Hampsten, Waterford and others can do this. ( . . . this is Serotta's site and I'm sure they can make a beautiful anything, but I don't seem to see touring bikes on their website -- correct me if I am wrong).

If you would like something new which you can get faster, though it is still by no means cheap, consider the Co-Motion Americano. If you are really 210 lbs and want to carry 40 lbs of gear, this would be a good choice. This bike is designed to handle under a load. The Bruce Gordon BLT is also excellent.

The Rivendell Atlantis, at $2000 for frame-fork, is a production lugged steel design which is well proven. At a budget, consider a used Surly Long Haul Trucker or a used Atlantis (or BLT if you can find one). Even a used Trek 520 in steel is a good budget option.

You might be too tall for this, but if you really want to carry a load consider 26-inch wheels, and if you are going to tour in remote areas these are easier to find in stores if replacements are needed (and MUCH easier than a 650b if you were inclined to that). The Surly comes in a 26-inch option. For a bit more money, the Rodriguez UTB is a good option (especially if you are near Seattle), and Co-Motion makes a 26-inch option.

I'd put in a vote for Phil Wood hubs and bottom bracket with the hubs at 36-spokes or more, especially if you'll have a total of 250-lbs on this. And if you plan on going up hills, your gearing should probably have a 24 smallest crank and 32-34 largest cog ( . . . whatever that is in gear inches) or better (you may be so fit that this is irrelevant, but for many of us, the gears we need at the end of a touring day to get up a hill are a lot different than the gears we need in mile 2 -- Maximizing Granny has served me well, weakling that I am). Bar ends and 9-speed set-ups are economical and reliable here (if you can use mountain bike parts, then finding replacement parts on the road gets easier). Good luck.

[charliedid]

Another vote for Bruce Gordon BLT if he still has your size. My wife has one and loves it....I ride a Surly Troll currently, but hardly recommend it for a few reasons but it works for me as a do everything bike.

Also this may be of interest being the Serotta Forum.

http://brucegordoncycles.blogspot.com/2011/09/bruce-gordon-rock-n-road-tour-on-tour.html

You are a big dude so do not worry about weight too much. I also think a Cannonball would really work in this scenario given your size.

Have fun!

[Iowegian]

Cannondale's first bicycles were touring bikes, and they were pretty good ones. Unfortunately, Cannondale's been out of the touring bike business for a few years now.

Good point. I just assumed that a used frame was an option but maybe the OP is looking for a new bike. But touring rigs often seem to be built up piece by piece from a bare frame. I guess everyone has different requirements so it's not a one size fits all deal like a road bike.

And if you're on a budget getting a used frame (or bike) to start can save a bunch of money that can be put into top notch racks, panniers and wheels. I guess now I'm assuming that the OP can do all the work too. If you need to pay for shop time then getting an off the shelf bike probably makes more sense.

[Germany_chris]

How about the Raleigh Sojourn

http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/steel-road/sojourn-12/

[oldpotatoe]

How about the Raleigh Sojourn

http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/steel-road/sojourn-12/

Why on earth would a product manager spec this thing with alloy nipples?

[jr59]

How about the Raleigh Sojourn

http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/steel-road/sojourn-12/

That appears to be another "out of the box" type touring bike.
Not perfect, but a good starting point for not a lot of cash.

Everybody can't buy a Waterford, Bruce Gordon, or Co-Motion.

[michael white]

I have a Rocky Mountain Sherpa with a Reynolds 853 frame. The frame is wonderful, built in Canada, lousy aesthetics, but the quality is far better than the alternatives I looked at. The parts were OEM junk, but I was ok with that, and have swapped most of them out. To reiterate: the frame is terrific, worth the money right there.

[skijoring]

Another vote for Bruce Gordon BLT if he still has your size. My wife has one and loves it....I ride a Surly Troll currently, but hardly recommend it for a few reasons but it works for me as a do everything bike.

Also this may be of interest being the Serotta Forum.

http://brucegordoncycles.blogspot.com/2011/09/bruce-gordon-rock-n-road-tour-on-tour.html

You are a big dude so do not worry about weight too much. I also think a Cannonball would really work in this scenario given your size.

Have fun!

Curious, why you are not Troll positive? My friend is buying one and I'd love to hear your input to share with him.

[Kirk Pacenti]

I'll second the BLT. If I were looking for an "out of the box" touring bike, this would be my first choice.

If $$$ weren't an issue the Rock N' Road would top my list.

Cheers,
KP

[charliedid]

Curious, why you are not Troll positive? My friend is buying one and I'd love to hear your input to share with him.

I love my Troll but it has limitations in terms of heavy loads, at least how I had it set up. I wish I had real numbers but on a recent trip from Chicago to Middlebury VT I had too much weight and it was flexing the frame like crazy. This is a 20" frame and I should have purchased an 18" Can't say if it would have been any different or not. Getting the load further inboard and lower may cure the problem but I have yet to try it. I ditched about 10lbs worth of stuff (I had too much anyway) mostly clothing after the first day.

The bike was fine after that and performed great. It's a bit of a truck at 34 lbs but I knew that. It rides stable as hell downhill and requires an active style of riding. This is no road bike and many people will not like how heavy it rides. Tell your friend to be careful on size. I am 5' 11" and have it set up with flat bars now and a 10cm stem. Drop bars were a mistake given the size and I paid for it for 3 weeks. 18" I would prolly run drops again...

It is an interesting bike with crazy options to run it however you want. I won't be getting rid of it any time soon.

Hope this helps, and you or your friend can PM me for more insight if needed. Don't want to hijack this thread.

Charlie

[Frankwurst]

Atlantis. 9 speed Shimano. Phil wood hubs and BB. :beer:

[charliedid]

Atlantis. 9 speed Shimano. Phil wood hubs and BB. :beer:

Great choice, of course we don't know if that breaks the bank or not.

[Wilkinson4]

I would look used... Kinda like buying a 4x4... May have been used for a tour once in its life and then shelved or never used at all to tour:D

Something like

http://madison.craigslist.org/bik/2625511807.html

Or better yet

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/bik/2683029492.html

mIKE

[PJN]

The parts speced on the Long Haul Trucker suck.

Don't drink the kool-aid.

[palincss]

The parts speced on the Long Haul Trucker suck.

Don't drink the kool-aid.

Which parts suck, in your opinion?

[PJN]

Wheelset, front d, cassette, chain.

The wheelset is the big one.

[BobbyJones]

Clearly, a number of custom builders here can build a beautiful, perfect touring bike, most likely in lugged steel -- but there will be a wait and a cost. Hampsten, Waterford and others can do this. ( . . . this is Serotta's site and I'm sure they can make a beautiful anything, but I don't seem to see touring bikes on their website -- correct me if I am wrong).


Why do people keep saying Hampsten as a go to for touring bikes? I don't seem to see any on their site either...

[palincss]

Wheelset, front d, cassette, chain.

The wheelset is the big one.

What's the problem with the wheel set? The hubs are Shimano LX, and I've heard nothing but good things about them -- if I recall correctly what I've read, since the Deore XT has gone to aluminum axles, the LX seems to be the most durable of the bunch. The rims are Alex Adventurer - never heard of that specific model. Any specific issue with it? The Surly web site doesn't specify the spokes. The usual problem with factory-built wheels is the tension, but you could always have somebody hand-tension the wheels for not much extra money.

I have no specific experience with those wheels, but I do have a couple of friends who have LHTs that were bought as complete bikes, and I've never heard any of them complain about wheel troubles. One guy retired, bought his LHT, and immediately went on a 1500 mile loaded tour with it. Since then, he's become a tour leader for both Boy Scouts and Adventure Cycling, still using that same LHT with the factory wheels, both for tours and club rides. Not a word about wheel troubles, either. And he's no mere slip of a thing, either - easily 230lb if he weights a pound.

The chain's a SRAM PC-971. If there's anything disreputable about that model, I sure haven't heard it - and I hope you're totally wrong, since I just bought three of them for myself!

The cassette - well, it's a Shimano 11-34, and of course an 11T sprocket is crap because it's too high to be useful, especially on a touring bike where you really don't need anything higher than an 85" gear and probably can't really even use anything higher than 100"; but cassettes are consumables, and when it wears out you can replace it with one of Harris' CS923 13-34s.

What's so sucky about a Sora front derailleur?

[PJN]

Good for that dud. I think they suck. 1500mi tours aren't that long either.

Sora is ????. End of story. Don't waste your money.

I refuse to ride sram chains. EVER. They are really crappy compared to Shimano ones.

Remember those sayings about opinions and fighting on the internet. Just trying to give my opinion which the OP asked for. My opinion is that buying a used 520 will set you up better than a new LHT.

[Pete Serotta]

all quality builders for whatever you wish. Touring bikes can mean slight differences in the riders requirements and still be a tourer. THese are the ones I would get a touring bike from..... :D Pete


Why do people keep saying Hampsten as a go to for touring bikes? I don't seem to see any on their site either...

[Germany_chris]

Good for that dud. I think they suck. 1500mi tours aren't that long either.

Sora is ????. End of story. Don't waste your money.

I refuse to ride sram chains. EVER. They are really crappy compared to Shimano ones.

Remember those sayings about opinions and fighting on the internet. Just trying to give my opinion which the OP asked for. My opinion is that buying a used 520 will set you up better than a new LHT.

He asked why you thought is was bad??

Remember calmness is a good thing...

I like SRAM chains just fine, and Sora derailleurs particularly are fine especially the front..

[charliedid]

all quality builders for whatever you wish. Touring bikes can mean slight differences in the riders requirements and still be a tourer. THese are the ones I would get a touring bike from..... :D Pete

I suspect they all break the bank.

[palincss]

I suspect they all break the bank.

I imagine that depends on how much is in the bank. Certainly for a modest bankroll the Bruce Gordon BLT, especially the Taiwan-made version, is a sound and achievable choice, and the pedigree is impeccable. It's not a fancy show piece, but really, for touring you want a working bike, not a show piece.

[eric007]

Why do people keep saying Hampsten as a go to for touring bikes? I don't seem to see any on their site either...


Hampsten makes lugged-steel touring bikes in-house, but the label them "Tournesol", and on the Hampsten website you have to go to the part of the website marked Tournesol to find them -- you'll find a whole separate set of bikes there. I know, I know -- it was confusing to me too.

[palincss]

Hampsten makes lugged-steel touring bikes in-house, but the label them "Tournesol", and on the Hampsten website you have to go to the part of the website marked Tournesol to find them -- you'll find a whole separate set of bikes there. I know, I know -- it was confusing to me too.

You will indeed, but none of them are loaded touring bikes.