Touring Bicycles

Hey Yall, 

I just posted about a Seattle-SanFran trip that I'm taking in the fall and wanted to create a separate post about touring bikes....

If anyone can provide any advice on what kind of brand of bicycle is best, any requirements, musts, do's and don'ts about buying and riding a touring bike for long 1000+ mile trips. Thanks so much. 

Ride on. 

Jakki

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Permalink Reply by Jakki Cafarelli on August 5, 2013 at 7:15am

Thanks again for all the advice everyone...One more thing... I realized that I haven't quite read about from any blogs or sites yet is SHOES! Any advice on what kind of shoes? I've never ridden with clips...but understand the benefits. I'd like to break in the shoes before I venture out to the west. Any advice? 

Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on August 5, 2013 at 7:29am

You might want to have a separate thread, maybe.

Permalink Reply by Jakki Cafarelli on August 5, 2013 at 7:30am

Ha. Word. I'll post that now. 

J.A.W. said:

You might want to have a separate thread, maybe.

Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on June 21, 2014 at 3:52am

Seems I won't be satisfied if I don't build my own.  Which tubing would you recommend for a touring bike?

4130 Chromoly?

Reynolds?

http://reynoldstechnology.biz/our_materials_953.php

Columbus?

http://www.columbustubi.com/eng/4_4_1.htm

Tange?

http://www.tange-design.com/tubing_list.php?type_sn=3

True Temper?

http://henryjames.com/true-temper-bike-tubing.html

My biggest problem is the idea that my bike was somehow made in an overseas sweat shop with underpaid slave labor.  I hate the idea of riding it as if I don't give a fuck.  My Raleigh C-50 rides like a tank, and I think the top tube is way too long for me.  I'm 6'-0" tall.  I weigh 200 pounds.  My standover height (where my junk hits the top tube) is 58cm.  I think spending $2000 on a bike is beyond stupid if someone will steal it and I could use the money to, you know, pay for rent, utilities, food, and laundry.

I want a brazed and lugged frame.  I need it to be perfect for me, to fit me in every way so I don't wind up with some sort of repetitive injury.  I also want it to weigh less so my bike doesn't hit the scale at 36 pounds anymore.

Please help.  Thanks!  :-) 

Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on June 21, 2014 at 5:00am

Those are all great brands. The brand of tubing doesn't matter as long as it's thoughtfully selected and the bike is built with skill. That's really why most framebuilders and bike companies don't tell you specifically what the brand of tubing is they're building with, cuz it don't matter and a lot of custom bike are made of multiple brands of tubes.

Have you ever had a professional fitting? That's the first step to getting a custom bike made. They'll give you all the measurements that the frame builder will need to design your bike. After you get fit, you might find a bike that fits without needing to spring for a full custom rig.

Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on June 21, 2014 at 8:15am
I'll head to the Recyclery before closing today. We'll see.
Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on June 21, 2014 at 9:13pm

I've been riding for the past 380 days (that's a lil over a year:) on a trip that started in Colombia and am currently in the Argentinian Patagonia, 9700 miles and 6 countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina) on a 1998 Giant Rincon I picked up on Craigslist for $30 (yes, thirty US dollars) 5 years ago. No fancy Tubus racks, Ortlieb panniers or dynamo hubs to set me back in my cheapomobile either. It's a butted chromoly mountain bike frame that evidently has served me just fine!

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