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#1
11-13-2019, 09:53 PM
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Travel bike dreaming
These are long term dreams, but I'm 3-1/2 years from retiring so what the heck. In the early 2000s I had a Bike Friday, which was fun to travel with and use on day rides, but I'm thinking of longer trips - weeks - and carrying at least enough to CC tour. It's been almost 20 years since my last multi-day tour, on my trusty Bob Jackson, with camping gear. Now I have the Anderson, which is set up with hydro disc brakes (although I had both the fork and rear brake bridge drilled for rim brakes.) I run it with 37mm tires which I'd want for travel. I know before I do anything rash I should try some local multi-day touring again.
So what is the skinny on a great travel bike? Should I get the Anderson retrofitted with S&S couplers? Are hydro discs sensible for travel and packing? I could go back to mechanical discs easily, though I'd hope for something better than the Road BB7s I started with on that bike in 2012. I imagine the wheels are best with centerlock discs, for ease of removal and re-installation. If no hydro discs, then gearing choices open up. I could even return to my trusty 3x9 setups :-) I would prefer STI shifters for rough roads. Does it make more sense to find a frame that already has couplers? I need more stack and less reach than most stock frames offer. A 55 cm Salsa Vaya Travel frame has about the same geo as my Anderson, is also stainless, accepts larger tires, runs discs. Hard to find but no rush either. Appreciate your thoughts. 
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#2
11-13-2019, 10:17 PM
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Independent Fabrication S&S coupled Independence frame with eTap Wifli and SRAM XX double chainring crank. 42/28 front and 11-42 rear (might need a road link or a ceramic speed cage) Bomb proof wheels, split handlebars. Cable discs with Paul Klampers. You can use zip ties on the housings to make packing easier. Oh, and a oldvtine Silca pump fits in the S&S case.
Or you could get a New World Tourist and be done with it.
__________________
Forgive me for posting dumb stuff. Chris Little Rock, AR
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#3
11-13-2019, 10:30 PM
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that's a lot of variables
i'd choose mid-reach calipers, 32mm tires, and titanium, and these days with sub-compact crank and fat cassette no need for a triple...depending on your conditioning and how much weight you will carry. i love Etap except when you are in the middle of nowhere and the next bike shop does not have the parts. so far so good for me.
__________________
Crust Malocchio, Turbo Creo
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#4
11-13-2019, 10:45 PM
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I have one custom titanium coupled travel bike that my wife knows about. On advice of counsel, I hereby invoke my right to keep the bikes in constant redistribution around the basement so she loses count.
I ordered it (them) from Waltly Titanium and am extremely pleased. Disc, eTap, through-axle with exactly the geometry I wanted. Assembly is fast and easy, and probably adds fewer than 5 minutes over a non-coupled bike. The smaller 26x26x10 case is significantly easier to manage in rental cars, trains, hotels, etc than my Orucase-ish clone. It’s amazing how 2-3” of extra case dimensions can become huge in certain conditions. Most domestic US airlines have stopped charging bike fees, so avoiding that isn’t as much of an issue for now, although oversized and overweight fees still apply. Certainly there are many builders who make great coupled bikes, and the Ritcheys are nice, but Waltly offered excellent prices and quality. My travel bike(s) have 5,000 miles between them and have flown many times with no issues.
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#5
11-13-2019, 11:18 PM
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If you are old enough to retire you are probably old enough to seriously consider credit card touring so you don't need to schlep tents, cooking gear, etc. Enjoy riding all day and sleep in a real bed after a good meal with beer/wine and dessert.
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#6
11-13-2019, 11:18 PM
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Thinking a good deal about this myself too..... I have a pika works bike case now, but am also a bit scared of taking my swass custom rigs in it. The problem is that there isn't one bike that I want to take with me for all of the travelling I have on my calendar - I want to do gravel, and hillclimbs, and fondos. Do I suck it up, find some good insurance, and travel with my dearly beloveds? Or build out a Breakaway that splits the middle? Or something more robust but still a standard "bike" that fits in the pika works?
I have no answers. Just more questions. Sorry for that.
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#7
11-14-2019, 12:05 AM
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I've been dreaming of it too. I picked up a Pika bag awhile back for cheap and I can put my Rock Lobster in there and its pretty compact. The RL was built back in 2006 and it's one of my favorite rides...nothing fancy, rim brakes and running campy 10s but just a great riding bike.
I've had a Richey Breakway before, but I don't want a bike that is a dedicated travel bike.
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#8
11-14-2019, 12:06 AM
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Too much work keeping an extra rig around? Don't like how it rides? ??
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#9
11-14-2019, 02:10 AM
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#10
11-14-2019, 03:23 AM
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I had a bike with couplers for the last 4 years until I snapped the frame in half - I do at least 2 major tours each year (8-12 days, 160-200km/day) and I've honestly only found the couplers to be advantageous on one occasion. Unless you're flying a lot, they really don't do much for you and are just one more thing to think about, maintain, and (apparently) disrupt the ride quality.
I suppose if all of your travel starts/ends with an airplane, then it might be different, but honestly the difference between assembling an S&S coupled bike and a non-coupled bike is a matter of minutes. The only times I've flown I've assembled my bike in the airport parking lot and ridden from there. Trains or busses have been the easiest travel and never require a full disassembly (maybe wheels off and strapped to the frame, but that's it). As for the rest, ride what you like and don't think too much about it being a "travel bike." For instance, if you do go coupled, eTap vs. cable-actuated derailleurs will save you about 30 seconds when packing/unpacking. Do you really like eTap? If not, it shouldn't be considered obligatory for travel. Also, you'd need to carry a charger with you (or spare batteries) and if something goes wrong...  My pesonal touring rig is set up with 650x42c tires, 1x11 (40t x 11-40t) SRAM mechanical (road levers in the front, mountain derailleur in the back), White Industries BB and Crankset, Paul Klampers and chainkeeper, a handful of splurge parts because they ride nice (Whisky Parts Co seatpost and stem, Thomson carbon bars) and, most importantly, a Son+ dynamo hub hooked up to a Sinewave Beacon (with a USB out to charge anything I want from my dynamo on the road) and a Supernova E3 taillight. Biggest takeaways from years of bikepacking for me are: 1) don't ride anything you can't fix yourself on the road (so cable-actuated everything, no funky proprietary bolts/spokes/parts that can't be replaced at a bog-standard bike shop...etc.) 2) Dynamo hubs will save you a lot of mental hassle - never worry about charging your lights or being visible again. If you spring for a light with a USB-out (or run a cable-splitter and charge a cache-battery along the way) you're even better. I've done a 10 day tour without any access to electricity and never had a low battery on my phone/GPS. 3) Always carry an extra derailleur hanger, an extra cable (1 brake, 1 shifter), an extra spoke (1 per wheel/length if you're using asymmetric rims) 4) 3+ bottle cages. You'll thank me when you find yourself in the middle of nowhere without any potable water near you. Anywho, maybe that's all a bit more hardcore than you're thinking if you're planning only on CC touring, but those are my two cents. I avoid airplanes at all costs, which may not be a concern for you in which case the S&S might save you some money in the long run from baggage fees, but on the rare times when I have flown, I have an Airport Ninja case and have never been charged extra so YMMV.
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#11
11-14-2019, 06:42 AM
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How often do you expect to travel?
In my opinion... If it is one or two times/year for a big trip/adventure, the PRO move, especially if you are retired, when vacation days are not ticking away is to pack up your best rig at home, bikeflights ship it to your destination, along with all your other gear. Fly out leisurely and un-encumbered, spend a day sorting the gear and go. repeat in reverse order on the way home. i do a lot of spur of the moment travel, and like my S&S bike, but make no mistake, it's added stress and logistics schlepping a travel bike along, whether dedicated travel bike or full size through airports, trains, monorails, rental cars and baggage claim areas. if you can avoid all that, again, especially if taking a day or so on either end of your trip to decompress and pack is not an issue, that's a huge advantage. if i were to choose a bike for this type of adventure/touring/gravel travel, for me, it would be a stock metal bike with "regular" parts, not something bespoke or high zoot. yes to wheels that use regular spokes, mechanical drivetrains and simple brakes, again IMO. make the most of the retirement advantages, where you dont need to be on a super tight time and $ budget and enjoy yourself, that's the point right? good luck!
__________________
http://less-than-epic.blogspot.com/
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#12
11-14-2019, 06:46 AM
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I normally drive to my vacation location so no couplers needed. I do motel only so no tents, cooking gear, etc. required. I had been using my 2016 Specialized Diverge with 700x32 Gravel King slick tires and 105 hydro. Last trip I took my Lynskey titanium rim brake with 6800 Ultegra and 700x28 Conti GP 5000. (32's would fit but not enough clearance.)
Both bikes did well although I was somewhat surprised with the Arkansas hills on my last trip. The rim brake Lynskey performed just fine.
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#13
11-14-2019, 08:11 AM
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My experience has been that the more complicated the packing, the less likely I'll take the bike on any trip. My thoughts: *I've never used S&S, but it seems the breakaway system is easier. It's certainly more aesthetic. *eTap is great for it's lack of wires. To prevent damage, you'll want to remove rear derailleur. eTap, without cables, makes it super easy (with proper chain link). Also, when I ran a cabled rear derailleur, I seemed to have trouble keeping it properly adjusted, with all the cable connect/disconnect. YMMV. *Cantilever brakes are easiest, since front straddle cable can be detached and handlebar becomes completely free to pack anywhere there's ample space in the case. Handlebar is not tethered by front brake cable. *Disc brakes work, but are harder to pack, since nesting the wheels becomes problematic, with discs in the way. Removing discs is a pain. *If discs are chosen, go with cable or cable actuated hydro such as Juin Tech R1s. They're lighter than TRP and work very well. *I've used a 2 bolt stem faceplate, Thomson X2. Takes 1/2 the time to remove bars. Bontrager makes one too. *Fidlock water bottles and "cages" are my favorite since they don't take up extra space in the case. They've worked well for me and are secure. Fabric cageless bottles are also nice, but are more difficult to use while riding. *Find a rear wheel/freehub that allows you to remove cassette without tools. Ritchey wheels have this. I just got a set of Mavics that do too. I'm told some DT hubs do also, but never tried. You'll LOVE this for ease of packing, plus cassette swaps for different uses are super easy. *Get a high quality travel pump that'll fit in the case *I've not tried tubeless, but don't expect it's ideal. I can see it possibly causing a mess in the case, plus inflation may prove more challenging. I've not tried. *MKS makes a super cool quick release pedal system that permits EZY on/off from crankarms. I've tried, and the QR system works well, though increases Q factor some. However, I didn't like the ATAC based pedals so well. I see that there's a new model using SPD, now available. Hopefully new SPD pedal design is easier to clip in/out than the older ATAC system was. *Get a good torque hex wrench and chain link tool *pack LOTs of zip lock bags for storage of greasy items-chain, deraileur, cassette, pedals *pack an extra coupler or two (Ritchey) in case one is lost along the trip. Octave, above, has great advice for a touring applications. My setup is what I used when I travel for work and do day trips over the weekend. If I'm touring, he's got great advice about field service-ability. Last edited by mistermo; 11-14-2019 at 08:57 AM.
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#14
11-14-2019, 08:16 AM
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1) to experiment with what works. Tons of used coupled bikes coming through here and elsewhere for pennies on the dollar. Buy them and take them out on short trips, learn and discover what you like or don't like. If it doesn't work out, sell them and try another one. 2) don't try to get it "right" the first time or go all in. Or go throw gobs of money into a full custom rig with all the bells and whistles. Nope. Not the way to go...not until you have go back and read point #1. You can learn a lot this way...about yourself - whether you like packing and unpacking, or bringing a bike with you on your travels, how much riding do you like while you are traveling, how it fits with your SO if applicable etc etc. Once you figure all that out, getting a travel bike is the easy part. Real easy.
__________________
 🏻* 
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#15
11-14-2019, 08:34 AM
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You've got the case for the job, bring the good stuff. Life's too short.
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