Seeking: Road/Touring Steel Frame 52-54cm

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on April 9, 2012 at 5:07pm

My $.02:  

You might do well looking an older steel-framed cyclocross bike with cantilever brakes and plenty of fender clearance  and with long chainstays for room to mount panniers in back without any heelstrike issues.   Some of them come on craigslist every once in a while in your price range.

Another option is to convert an older mid-range hybrid bike like a Trek 720 Crosstrack to drop-bars.  These bikes go for a song and can be fairly easy to convert if you want to go with bar-ends and areo levers which would be well-suited to touring IMHO.   Or you could put brifters on for a little bit more money -it just depends on how handy you are doing work yourself or how luck you are finding a deal on used parts like brifters.  It gets expensive paying shop rates to do the work although I think with the very low cost these bikes go for used it would not be too hard to upgrade to an 8-speed drivetrain, drop bars, aero levers, and bar-ends in your stated budget with plenty of money left over to outfit the bike with racks and panniers and other touring farkles.

Here is an 8-speed Sora/FSA/Ritchey updated Trek 720 that I put together for myself with about a total cost of just under $300.  I hope to race it in CX this fall but it would also make a nice weekend touring rig as well.  Weight is about 25lbs as you see it (without the cat.)

Building a similar bike out of a Surley Cross-check or LHT frame will cost you a lot more than that.  The beauty of using an older hybrid frame is that you an find newer 8-speed hybrid wheelsets (in 135mm OLD) and drivetrains for next to nothing these days and upgrade to an indexed 8-speed with the simple addition of a set of Shimano 8-speed Ultegra bar-ends.  Add a set of Tektro levers and a drop bar and you are there.  This stuff is all pretty cheap these days even new if you look online.

Other ideas would be to pick up an older Miyata, Panasonic, Trek, or similar higher-end mid-grade bike from the late 80's or early 90's.  They made some really  nice bikes back then but you'd be stuck with friction and 6 or 7 speeds in back.  But upgrades to a modern drivetrain are something you can do a little at a time as money materializes in your budget. 

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Permalink Reply by Stephenie on April 11, 2012 at 12:07am

James, that's more like your "$2.00!" Wow, thanks so much for the great information! I wish I understood all that you have to offer. I am not yet the master of bike-speak as you are, but hope to be some day. I do have a friend that will help me with modifications and then, also, teach me how to do these modifications and maintenance. However, ideally, I'd still like to find the bike I've specified and then just learn how to maintain it. Still, this is great information and I will definitely reference it.

Thanks again!

James BlackHeron said:

My $.02:  

You might do well looking an older steel-framed cyclocross bike with cantilever brakes and plenty of fender clearance  and with long chainstays for room to mount panniers in back without any heelstrike issues.   Some of them come on craigslist every once in a while in your price range.

Another option is to convert an older mid-range hybrid bike like a Trek 720 Crosstrack to drop-bars.  These bikes go for a song and can be fairly easy to convert if you want to go with bar-ends and areo levers which would be well-suited to touring IMHO.   Or you could put brifters on for a little bit more money -it just depends on how handy you are doing work yourself or how luck you are finding a deal on used parts like brifters.  It gets expensive paying shop rates to do the work although I think with the very low cost these bikes go for used it would not be too hard to upgrade to an 8-speed drivetrain, drop bars, aero levers, and bar-ends in your stated budget with plenty of money left over to outfit the bike with racks and panniers and other touring farkles.

Here is an 8-speed Sora/FSA/Ritchey updated Trek 720 that I put together for myself with about a total cost of just under $300.  I hope to race it in CX this fall but it would also make a nice weekend touring rig as well.  Weight is about 25lbs as you see it (without the cat.)

Building a similar bike out of a Surley Cross-check or LHT frame will cost you a lot more than that.  The beauty of using an older hybrid frame is that you an find newer 8-speed hybrid wheelsets (in 135mm OLD) and drivetrains for next to nothing these days and upgrade to an indexed 8-speed with the simple addition of a set of Shimano 8-speed Ultegra bar-ends.  Add a set of Tektro levers and a drop bar and you are there.  This stuff is all pretty cheap these days even new if you look online.

Other ideas would be to pick up an older Miyata, Panasonic, Trek, or similar higher-end mid-grade bike from the late 80's or early 90's.  They made some really  nice bikes back then but you'd be stuck with friction and 6 or 7 speeds in back.  But upgrades to a modern drivetrain are something you can do a little at a time as money materializes in your budget. 

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Permalink Reply by Stephenie on April 11, 2012 at 12:08am

p.s. Love the pic of the bike and cat... I was so excited by the bike I almost missed the kitty lurking below. :)

Stephenie said:

James, that's more like your "$2.00!" Wow, thanks so much for the great information! I wish I understood all that you have to offer. I am not yet the master of bike-speak as you are, but hope to be some day. I do have a friend that will help me with modifications and then, also, teach me how to do these modifications and maintenance. However, ideally, I'd still like to find the bike I've specified and then just learn how to maintain it. Still, this is great information and I will definitely reference it.

Thanks again!

James BlackHeron said:

My $.02:  

You might do well looking an older steel-framed cyclocross bike with cantilever brakes and plenty of fender clearance  and with long chainstays for room to mount panniers in back without any heelstrike issues.   Some of them come on craigslist every once in a while in your price range.

Another option is to convert an older mid-range hybrid bike like a Trek 720 Crosstrack to drop-bars.  These bikes go for a song and can be fairly easy to convert if you want to go with bar-ends and areo levers which would be well-suited to touring IMHO.   Or you could put brifters on for a little bit more money -it just depends on how handy you are doing work yourself or how luck you are finding a deal on used parts like brifters.  It gets expensive paying shop rates to do the work although I think with the very low cost these bikes go for used it would not be too hard to upgrade to an 8-speed drivetrain, drop bars, aero levers, and bar-ends in your stated budget with plenty of money left over to outfit the bike with racks and panniers and other touring farkles.

Here is an 8-speed Sora/FSA/Ritchey updated Trek 720 that I put together for myself with about a total cost of just under $300.  I hope to race it in CX this fall but it would also make a nice weekend touring rig as well.  Weight is about 25lbs as you see it (without the cat.)

Building a similar bike out of a Surley Cross-check or LHT frame will cost you a lot more than that.  The beauty of using an older hybrid frame is that you an find newer 8-speed hybrid wheelsets (in 135mm OLD) and drivetrains for next to nothing these days and upgrade to an indexed 8-speed with the simple addition of a set of Shimano 8-speed Ultegra bar-ends.  Add a set of Tektro levers and a drop bar and you are there.  This stuff is all pretty cheap these days even new if you look online.

Other ideas would be to pick up an older Miyata, Panasonic, Trek, or similar higher-end mid-grade bike from the late 80's or early 90's.  They made some really  nice bikes back then but you'd be stuck with friction and 6 or 7 speeds in back.  But upgrades to a modern drivetrain are something you can do a little at a time as money materializes in your budget. 

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Permalink Reply by Liz on April 11, 2012 at 11:02am

I ride an '87 schwinn voyageur as my commuting and touring bike.  I purchased the bike used for $400 and have added a new wheel set that was $250 and a heavy duty rack for $120, my other accessories have cost a total of around $100.  The weight of the bike is very good for a steel bike (less than 20 lbs total) and I can easily carry it up 1-2 flights of stairs.  I would recommend a similar touring bike, these are not very different than the newer ones and would fit well within your budget.  Some of searching for such a bike is just luck.  I happened upon a craigslist ad for mine while doing regular searches.  Here's a picture of how my bike is currently set up. I would only recommend this type on schwinn model from the 1980s, the newer models are of much lower quality. 

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on April 11, 2012 at 11:32am

o.0 ?

Kilos certainly -definitely not pounds.  

The Voyageur was (and still is) a really nice bike in the mid-upper tier of the Schwinn Hierarchy back before they became a Pacific-Rim branding.   But it is still Cromoly steel (not anything anywhere near like butted Reynolds 531) with Hi Ten fork if I remember right.  Maybe even Hi Ten in the rear triangle as well. -and ran it about 26lbs new without pedals out the LBS door. It would have been hard even to get a 531-framed fully-geared road bike in the 80's under 20lbs even with the best of the best components made back then which the Voyageur, sadly, didn't wear.

With the extra stuff you have on there I'd say you probably are just over 30lbs.  That wicker basket has to weigh 2-3lbs alone.

Liz said:

The weight of the bike is very good for a steel bike (less than 20 lbs total) 

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on April 11, 2012 at 11:33am

No way that bike is less than 20lbs.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on April 11, 2012 at 11:37am

ok,  so its 33 lbs, but I'm not exactly straining to pick it up is my point. Seriously, the basket is a $5 small basket, maybe 1 lb, the rack is 2 lbs, the wheels are 4lbs for the set.   

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on April 11, 2012 at 11:45am

:)

That is a sweet looking bike though!

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Permalink Reply by Liz on April 11, 2012 at 12:10pm

thasnk, sheesh you guys acted like I killed some kittens for giving the wrong weight.  

I did my homework setting it up as the ideal commuter for my needs.  It also does great on the road, I've done plenty of 20-60 mile rides on it.  I use a nicer fancier bike for longer faster rides, but this is great for bike touring, I usually average between 12-16 mph on it depending on what I'm carrying.  My wheel set was the biggest splurge, I have the bike for over a year before the wheel I got it with were worn out.  I got the set on sale in the middle of winter from this place, who I HIGHLY recommend. http://www.bicyclewheelwarehouse.com/  They were out of 105 hubs so I got a free ultegra upgrade and the wheels have been fantastic.  

Other comparable newer bikes would be a surly long haul trucker or cross check or a trek 520.  These may push your budget some.  

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on April 11, 2012 at 2:33pm

There is nothing to be ashamed of with that bike Liz.  It's just that pounds are pounds and it doesn't do anyone any favors to misrepresent stuff into something a thing is not(especially to ourselves.)

It's certainly a great vintage road bike and an awesome choice in a touring bike -as good as most if not just about anything that can be bought or built up out of modern frames and components for any reasonable budget.  I bet it can keep up with the Jones' even in the fastest group rides in everything but the snob factor unless you are hanging out with serious pro-level racer-types -especially around here were there just are no hills.

My road bike weighs in at just over 30lbs with fenders, bags, lock, and other accouterments.   When I get my own body down to it's minimum-attainable riding weight I'll think about trying to drop 10 or so pounds from my road bike...

 

I'm also running an ancient weapon from a hokey religion in the form of a Raleigh Pursuit from 1985 wearing a Sora/Tiagra 8-speed drivetrain, and Ultegra bar-end shifters.  Braking is done on Sora dual-pivots and Origin8 (Tektro mfg) aero levers (105 equivalent.)   I have a hand-built 32spoke wheelset with a dynohub in front for lighting when things get dark on long rides after batteries become more of a weight penalty than the 1lb hub is.

There is nothing wrong with a 30lb bike for a real touring rig. A <20lb bike doesn't always fare very well in the long-term when there is no SAG support. 

Nice link on that wheelset BTW. 

Liz said:

thasnk, sheesh you guys acted like I killed some kittens for giving the wrong weight.  

I did my homework setting it up as the ideal commuter for my needs.  It also does great on the road, I've done plenty of 20-60 mile rides on it.  I use a nicer fancier bike for longer faster rides, but this is great for bike touring, I usually average between 12-16 mph on it depending on what I'm carrying.  My wheel set was the biggest splurge, I have the bike for over a year before the wheel I got it with were worn out.  I got the set on sale in the middle of winter from this place, who I HIGHLY recommend. http://www.bicyclewheelwarehouse.com/  They were out of 105 hubs so I got a free ultegra upgrade and the wheels have been fantastic.  

Other comparable newer bikes would be a surly long haul trucker or cross check or a trek 520.  These may push your budget some.  

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on April 11, 2012 at 3:23pm

+1

And since Darrell is a skilled builder & mechanic you can bet your grandma's tea set that this bike is in better shape than a brand new bike out of your typical LBS. 

Cameron Puetz said:

Here's a nice piece of 80's steel with classic road geometry that's been floating around the Chainlink market place. It's not as relaxed as a touring bike, but not as aggressive as a race focused road bike.

http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/for-sale-1987-bianchi-limi...

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on April 11, 2012 at 3:31pm

Stephanie, for more information on that 520 Trek you can look here.

It's a fairly desirable and collectible touring bike.   I've been searching for a 720 myself for quite a while and would be tempted by Kevin's 520 if it was a tad bit larger.  i'm a 56 ideally but a 58 or 54 work on the outside.   The 720 multi-track (NOT the same thing as a regular 720) I posted earlier is a 54cm and you can tell by the seat and the bars that it is a bit too small for me.  

Kevin T. said:

Hey Stephenie, Got your message $325 for the Trek 520, original components and the 47 cm chain stay. You can call me at 773.610.9442

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