Paris-Brest-Paris anyone?
May 09 '01
The Bottom Line Looking to add some adventure to your life? Buy a touring bike, take time off and ride.... Highly recommended for the soul!
Introduction
Think of the touring bicycle as a heavy duty racing bicycle. It's good for about as many miles a day as a racer, but is also built to carry heavy loads.
The touring bike is designed to provide a comfortable ride over long distances (100 miles plus).
They are therefore well suited for self-supporting events like Paris-Brest-Paris (750 miles in 90 hrs) or Boston-Montreal-Boston (also 750 miles in 90 hrs).
Geometry and parts
Touring bicycles have a less aggressive frame geometry than a road racer and are typically made of steel or chro molly. The bikes are equipped with triple chain rings to achieve maximum climbing efficiency - especially with loaded panniers.
Touring bicycles often utilize bar end shifters for reliability (as opposed to STI or Ergo Shifters) and the frames have welded braze-ons for rack and pannier installation.
Proper hydration is essential during extended touring. Touring bikes usually come equipped with three or four bottle cages.
Unlike racing machines touring bicycles usually have 28MM or 35MM tires, which make them sturdy and flat resistant enough to ride on dirt roads for moderate distances.
Most quality touring bicycles are custom built and group sets are installed by request. For loaded touring it is
recommended to install Shimano 9 speed DEORE XT gruppo, which is usually deployed on mountain bikes (Gearing: 22/32/44 chain rings; 11/32 cassette). Of course you can always gear for 52/42/30 if you think you are Lance Armstrong pedaling a loaded touring bike with 50 pounds of gear up the Alps with only a 30-inch low gear!
Chain stay length is another consideration in a good touring bike. When you put medium to large panniers on a bike with chain stays much shorter than 44cm, heel clearance is a big problem. You can slide panniers further back on the rack, but that moves the weight further behind the rear axle, and affects the handling. Stay clear of bikes with chain stays of 42.5 cm or less.
Finally watch out for forks - many bikes have forks that are not substantial enough for front panniers. Not being substantial enough does not necessarily mean that they will break - but that the front-end stability is adversely affected.
Some people even ask how to mount a front rack to a suspension fork. Well, you can't. Loaded touring wasn't on the engineers' minds when they designed suspension forks. Perhaps we just have to wait for the 2001 RockShox touring model!
Where to buy
Most bicycle shops do not routinely stock touring bicycles. They are almost always a special order item. Also most manufactures only make one or two models of touring bicycles. Hence, you will have to special order your touring bike. Ask your dealer about Atlantis, Waterford or Rivendell bikes. The great Robert Beckman Design Sakkit Expedition or the Bruce Gordon BLT have to be ordered directly from the company. You may want to have these bikes shipped to your bike shop for final assembly and inspection.
A word of warning
Beware of the bicycle shop switch or an unknowing sales person who may try to sell you a hybrid as a touring bicycle. There are few "true" self-supporting touring bikes out there. Some companies like Trek and Cannondale
sell "touring" bikes, but these are neither geared properly not are they as stable as a Bruce Gordon or a Robert Beckman bike.
What to look for and what you need
1. Do the research and take notes
2. Look for low gear options 44/32/22 and 11/32
3. Look for extended wheelbase
4. Frame should be equipped with braze-ons for racks
5. Frame should have at least 3 water bottle mounts
6. Frame should have fender mounts
7. Frame should have cable stops for brakes and gears
8. Buy a book on adventure touring/Long distance riding
9. Don't be cheap - this bike will be your lifeline.
10. This is your life - enjoy the adventure!
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