It’s fairly frequent for bicycle producers and native bike retailers alike to purposely blur the traces between “conventional” and “ultra-lite touring bicycles.”
Their reasoning, after all, is easy: cash. In the event that they don’t carry the kind of touring bicycle that you simply really want for the kind of bicycle touring you intend to conduct, they’ll try to promote you a bicycle that’s geared up for a distinct kind of touring altogether. Uninformed patrons usually instances fall for this gross sales tactic and the one who will get damage, after all, is the buyer (YOU!).
The reality, nonetheless, is that there are a number of various kinds of touring bicycles, and every particular kind has been designed for a distinct and particular breed of bicycle touring. Get the best kind of touring bicycle and your cycle touring adventures shall be a dream come true. However get the incorrect touring bicycle and your journey by bike (it doesn’t matter what the size) might be over earlier than it has even had an opportunity to start.
This can be a state of affairs BicycleTouringPro.com reader, Danny Levine, not too long ago bumped into whereas out looking for his first touring bicycle. Here’s what he needed to say is his latest e mail to me:
Hello Darren,
I do know a couple of months in the past I emailed you about 13 questions and also you took the time to reply to me- thanks very a lot in your assist. I additionally needed you to know that I’ve purchased out of your web site your 3 digital books (free lodging, touring blueprint, and stretching) in addition to the DVD.
Earlier than I start studying/watching these items, fast 2 query about choosing a touring bike:
I used to be advised at a Big bike retailer that with the intention to get a very good touring bike, it’s best to choose one which has aspect body bars additional lengthy, in order that method you may connect panniers to the edges of them with out your ft kicking into them if you pedal. (If the aspect bars are too brief your panniers is not going to have room with out your ft hitting them every time you pedal). However then I talked to a distinct bike firm, Specailized.
Specialised advised me I might purchase a very good touring bike from them for 990 dollars- and that it doesn’t matter how brief the aspect body bars are that join the wheels together- since you don’t want to connect your panniers so they’re hanging on the edges of the bike. As a substitute, they advised me at Specialised which you can connect your panniers to the again of the bike on the fork and the entrance of the bike over the wheel- and you’ll have the aspect body bars utterly freed from panniers. So do you assume I should buy a very good touring bike for 990 {dollars} if that’s what they stated? And is it true you don’t want to connect your pannier to the edges of the bike?
Additionally, another question- you stated in your video {that a} touring bike ought to be heavier and made out of steal. However wouldn’t that make it more durable to ride- I imply a light-weight bike fabricated from aluminum or carbon is less complicated to experience whether it is lighter isn’t it? They advised me at Specialised that they’ve there touring bikes fabricated from lighter metals than metal. So is that okay if the touring bike is fabricated from carbon or aluminum frames?
Right here is how I responded to Danny about his two questions:
Danny,
It’s true what the individuals at Big advised you. Most conventional touring bicycles have longer chain stays. They’re known as “chain stays”. And like they stated, this permits for the panniers in your rear rack of your bicycle to be mounted additional again in your bike in order that they don’t hit the heels of your ft as you experience.
As for the second a part of this query, I don’t know what you’re asking if you wish to know if the panniers do or don’t want to hold off the edges of your bicycles. Please do not forget that your panniers connect to racks on the entrance and/or rear of your bicycle. You first purchase the bicycle, then connect then racks to the bicycle, and lastly connect the panniers to the racks. You’d by no means connect a pannier on to the chain stays themselves. You all the time connect them to the racks! That’s the place panniers dangle – on the edges of the entrance and rear racks!
You additionally must do not forget that when touring bicycles, there are a number of various kinds of bikes that may be described as “touring bicycles.” There are “conventional” touring bicycles (that are those I’m normally speaking about on Bicycle Touring Professional, and are designed to hold a lot of gear and go at a comparatively sluggish velocity) after which there are “ultra-light” or “mild” touring bicycles. A standard touring bicycle is made to hold a bunch of substances and go tremendous lengthy distances. An “ultra-light” or “mild” touring bicycle, nonetheless, is made to hold far much less gear (generally no gear in any respect!) and to get you to your vacation spot in a a lot faster time.
It sounds to me just like the individuals at Specialised is perhaps making an attempt to push you in direction of an “ultra-light” or “mild” touring bicycle in which you’d be capable of carry a small quantity of substances and go a complete lot sooner than you’d with a conventional touring bicycle. However if you wish to get a conventional touring bicycle so you may carry quite a lot of gear (like tenting gear, meals, clothes, and so on), then I might take heed to the individuals at Big store you visited.
As in your second query about touring bicycles being made out of metal vs. aluminum or carbon… sure, a metal bicycle is heavier than a bicycle made out of those different supplies. If velocity and distance is your #1 concern, then you definitely in all probability wouldn’t desire a metal bicycle. However for a long-distance bicycle traveler, velocity and total day by day distance are normally not as essential. As a substitute, having the ability to carry all of your gear (with out your bicycle’s body breaking) is precedence #1. Pace and distance are secondary.
So once more, Specialised is right in case you are wanting an “ultra-light” or “mild” touring bicycles. However if you wish to do conventional long-distance bicycle touring, then you’ll in all probability desire a bicycle that’s made out of metal (which is best geared up to hold a complete bunch of substances) and shall be extra snug so that you can experience day after day.
So the query to all of this actually is dependent upon you and the kind of touring that you simply plan to conduct. As soon as you work that out, discovering the proper touring bicycle will turn out to be a complete lot simpler.
I hope I answered Danny’s questions right here. However greater than something, I hope this helps to reply any questions YOU might need whereas trying to find your good touring bicycle.
For extra assist discovering your good touring bicycle (whether or not it’s a conventional touring bike or a speedy ultra-lite), make sure you try “The Important Information To Touring Bicycles” – my digital patrons information to the 5 principal varieties of touring bicycles.
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