There are a large number of “touring bikes” in the marketplace. They vary in value, design, high quality and reliability. I do know after I was first on the lookout for a “touring bicycle,” I received quite a lot of selection fatigue making an attempt to recollect all of the essential options of every mannequin.
I’ve received a pair bikes now that I exploit as “tourers,” and the popular one is my Van Nicholas (VN) Yukon. It’s mild, quick (while you need it to be), could be kitted up with panniers and fenders, and is constructed from plane grade Titanium – which suggests it’s comparatively indestructible.
The SRAM system on the bike is good as properly. It isn’t a basic touring bike configuration and also you’ve received to retain focus – particularly late within the day, resulting from its not so relaxed geometry. However on the tour of Taiwan that Darren and I did in 2014, the VN Yukon carried out magnificently and did the whole lot I requested of it – each on the flat floor and excessive within the mountains, (together with a 90 km climb to Wuling Cross at 3,300 meters, and the 90 km descent down the opposite facet). I received off the bike on a regular basis feeling good!
The Van Nicholas Yukon throughout our bike tour in Taiwan.
This yr, I’m very joyful to say I’ll be touring once more with my pal TOURING-BICYCLE (of Bicycle Touring Professional) and this time we’ll biking be in Portugal, Spain, France and Andorra. After that I’ll go away Darren in Spain and make my approach alone to Holland. Darren will proceed from Spain to Norway.
Once I started to consider the selection of motorbike to tackle my tour in Europe this yr, the ‘Yukon’ was the plain first selection for me. However due to just a few logistical issues in getting my Yukon from my residence in Australia to Lisbon, Portugal for the beginning of the bike tour, I received to speaking with the great people (Ralph and Debbie) at Van Nicholas and, over some months of conversations, we got here up with a plan for me to journey and highway take a look at their newest addition, the Van Nicholas ‘Deveron,’ at some stage in this summer time’s bike tour! It’s a beautiful association for each Van Nicholas and myself.
The VN Deveron is a full Titanium touring bike with the added options of not solely a carbon belt drive, but in addition the ‘Pinion’ gearing system (Suppose inside hub system, however situated within the backside bracket – not within the rear hub). There may be at the very least one different touring bike with this gearing system round that I do know of, however they’re fairly scarce and ground-breaking even. Those who I’ve spoken with and who know lots about these sort of gearing methods, inform me that they’re proper up there on the leading edge and communicate extremely of them. Between myself, Van Nicholas and the ‘Deveron,’ we’ll have the ability to get an excellent laborious take a look at how the bike performs over the course of a “actual tour.”
The Van Nicholas Deveron
The Deveron mannequin pictured right here is the caliper brake mannequin, and really quickly there will probably be a disc brake choice as properly. Van Nicholas tells me that they’re additionally engaged on Titanium forks for the bike sooner or later.
I actually wish to understand how this bike performs below actual touring situations and the type of questions I’ll be asking embody:
What’s the Pinion system like?
How does the carbon belt drive carry out?
Is it comfy?
Do I get off the bike each day feeling good?
What’s it like within the mountains?
How does it deal with the descents?
Is it dependable?
How does it sit on the highway?
How does it deal with rougher terrain?
Am I joyful getting on it day after day?
And all of the lots of of different questions which can come up.
I’ll embody related technical data as properly in a future overview of the bike, however the general thrust of my testing will probably be how the bike works for the odd on a regular basis bicycle owner who loves touring on a bicycle.
I received’t have even seen the bike till I choose it up in Lisbon, Portugal on the sixth of Could (the primary day of our bike tour), so it’ll be the ‘Deveron’ and me attending to know each other for just a few days!
TOURING-BICYCLE and Kevin Burret with their touring bicycles in Taiwan.
The plan is to maintain a gentle circulate of knowledge coming at you in regards to the Deveron by way of the Bicycle Touring Professional YouTube channel, Fb web page and Darren’s web site right here at www.bicycletouringpro.com – plus no matter boards we are able to discover to faucet into. I’ll consider the ‘Deveron’ from each standpoint that we are able to give you, and will probably be joyful to check and reply any questions you might need in regards to the bicycle. I’ll even have Darren’s huge expertise and experience to consult with.
There may also be dwell “webinars” throughout the tour the place you’ll be invited to look at us dwell from Portugal and Spain whereas submitting questions on our travels by bike and/or the Van Nicholas bicycle that I’ll be using. Following the tour, I’ll write a complete touring bike overview for Van Nicholas that will probably be revealed right here on the Bicycle Touring Professional web site. After every tour, Darren additionally writes an extended weblog entry on his web site the place images and movies from the tour will probably be shared.
That is all going to be numerous enjoyable and I hope you’ll come alongside for the journey by following us on no matter media you faucet into. When you’re in Portugal or Spain (or planning to be) and also you wish to journey with us this spring/summer time, think about signing up for a number of of the 5 bike excursions on this web page.
Hope to catch you on the highway someplace! – Kevin Burrett
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