Touring - Touring bikes, what did you use?

I'm interested in what bikes you tourers out there have used for your ventures. A pic and specifications would be absolutely grand, also some info on where you toured would be wonderful :)

Thanks.

I use a handbuilt Sandy Gilchrist frame (actually built by Joe Waugh in Newcastle) 531c audax frame in black. It has campag fork ends, 2 bottle cage bosses, dynamo tube in the downtube (for when I used a BB dynamo), Blackburn racks (front lowrider), canti brakes, was 27" now 700c

Spec is

Frame 531c with bottlecagebossesx2, pannierlugs front and rear, braze ons for dt changers.

Wheels 700c HOpe hubs on Mavic 520, with DT stainless spokes, Conti TT 2000 tyres Michelin tubes.

SKS chromoplastic guards

Seatpost Campag

Saddle is an old gel Madison.

Cables Aztec.

Blackburn racks

Front mech Campag Chorus

rear Huret Duopar

Gear levers campag

Brakes ShimaNO canti's with Weinman levers (adjusters built in.)

Chainset Stronglight Escape 44-38-28

Rear Cassette ShimaNO 11-28 8 speed

Headset Acor.

Stem Uno Kalloy

bars GB Randonneur pattern with two layers of tape.

pedals ShimaNO SPD (515's)

I have replacements for some of the SHIMANO stuff but not yet fitted.

You can see a picture on my profile

Mine is a Bob Jackson World Tour (531 ST)
http://www.bobjacksoncycles.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=43

, built up with Campy Mirage 8spd, later down-geared with an LX chainset. The wheels are Sapin 13/14 spokes and Alesa 917 rims, and the rear cogs are Marchisio (for larger size than Campy). The rest of the kit is 3TTT, Brooks, Blackburn with MKS and Christophe at the pedals.

Ive taken it to the Pyrenees, Portugal and a couple of times to Ireland.
The frame was stock size and design, with added braze-ons for a dynamo mounting tab on the RHS seat-stay. Custom paint-job was in metallic Burgendy which really turns heads.

http://www.biostat.wustl.edu/~brad/jpeg/t520.jpg

2003 Trek 520

I've highlighted anything that is not stock or was added on later.


Frame & fork: Trek chromoly
Wheels: Deore LX 36-spoke hubs, Bontrager Fairlane rims, Bontrager Select 700x35 tires, Slime liners
Drivetrain: Deore LX rear derailer, 105 front, DuraAce barcon shifters, Deore LX 44-32-22 / 175mm crank, Shimano 11-32 9spd cassette, generic clips, straps & pedals.
Brakes: Avid Single Digit 5 V-Brakes, Dia-Compe levers
Handlebar, seatpost: Bontrager
Stem: Generic stem with greater rise (not pictured)
Other: Trek anatomic saddle, Jannd Expedition rack, Cane Creek headset, Arkel T42 panniers and handlebar bag, Sigma cyclocomputer, and Planet Bike Freddy Fenders.

I've done a one-day, 65-miler, but I'm really working toward a 2-3 day ride later in the fall.

I used my Bontrager MTB, with front suspension, when I toured France and England and I would not do that again! I bought the bike before I planed the tour, so I was stuck with it. Now I have an old 92 Rocky Mountain Hammer MTB convert, without suspension, and it fits my commuting, city riding and touring needs. I added Continental Town & Country tires, fenders, front and back racks, pump, handlebar bag, cycle computer and water bottle cages. I have put about 1500 kilometres on it so far and I am happy with it.

My first touring bike was a 15 speed Huffy. Traveled all over Maine and parts of Canada with it. It had cheap Suntour parts. I kept it properly maintained and never had any trouble with it.
My next was a 12 speed French bike. Can't remember the name of it. All Huret and Stronglight equipment. It had French threads, hard to get parts.
Then I graduated to an 18 speed Klein with Shimano 600 equipment. I built the wheels with Phil Wood hubs and a Phil Disc brake. Worked fine for alotta years.
Now I tour on a Campy/Sachs/Shimano equipped Litespeed with 24 gears.

I carry panniers on both wheels, and a large handlebar bag. I try to keep my personal gear to under 40 pounds because by the time you figure in extra water, food and bike supplies/tools it gets over 50 pounds.

I've been touring, off and on, for quite some time and there has been no difference in the amount of enjoyment I've received or the places I've been able to go that has been dependent upon the kind of bike I was riding. The Huffy was just as much fun as the Litespeed is. If you want to tour, whatever bike you have is the one to do it with.

I have no photos didgitized as of yet, sorry.

Formaly toured on a ridgid G.T. aluminium mountain bike with a rear rack. 6 speed chinise cassette/free wheel, as the shimano 7 speed crapped out on day three. Picked the bike up in Bangkok for about $200us. took me through Cambodia, Nam, sw China, Laos. and is now my comuter

I've since bought a used Deep Cove, Hummer. Which is a Titainium trail bike with a four inch suspention fork, 8spd shimano stuff. Mavic wheels. I like to use a mountain bike mainly because I love to get way off the beaten track.

Hi,
I ride an Airborne Carpe Diem. It's a light touring bike, not designed for heavy loads. But it excels at long rides, and being a middle aged guy I prefer a bed to a tent anyway. I just got it this year, so I haven't been on any acutal multi-day tours yet. But I ride it 3 or 4 times a week, Saturday we go for a long ride. Living in Maine, all I have to do to get to a tourist destination is ride as far as I feel like...and stop :) We plan on riding around Lake Champlain come August. If you give us an idea of what your budget is, and what sort of trips you would like to do; we could offer some suggestions.

Hi,
I am riding a handbuilt Titanium frame built by Davidson in Seattle, custom steel touring fork, DuraAce STI shifters, and cranks, Ultegra front Derailleur, XTR rear Derailleur and cassette and BB, Chris King cartridge bearing Hubsets front and rear, chris King threadless headset, Conti top touring 700Cx32 tires on Mavic T-520 rims with 3mm SS rear spokes, and 2mm on the front.. Avid mechanical disc brakes front and rear, Tubus rear rack, Salsa seat post and skewers, Forgie 3T drop bars and stem. I plan to put a Brooks saddle on if I get good input from folks... Please send me a comment if you have one, good ro bad on the brooks product line....

Touring so far has been limited to half a dozen centuries in the last 6 weeks (new bike) but I have plans for West coast touring and eventually Norhtern Europe and then Australia.

My first touring bike was a frame I found in town dump, I added braze-ons for cantis, and drilled holes in the drop outs for the rack. The bike was built up with mostly found parts. I used this bike for five years before the frame failed due to rust.

My first touring tandem was made from to single bikes and a few pieces of tubing. I only got to use it on one tour before someone took off with it. :(

There have been meny more bikes over the years, but those are the bikes that got me started.

Late, We will also be riding around Lake Champlain this August. Give us a shout if you see us. Not hard to spot as we will be riding a fully loaded recumbent tandem.

You know,
we haven't made reservations yet. Better get on that. We're hoping to go the third week.

Originally posted by Tourwithti
one hell of a spendy set up

http://bb.nsmb.com/newforum/images/smilies/more/hat.gifis all I can say.

bradw - Nice bike you have there.

Late,
I don't bother with reservations, I have never been turned away from a campground when its full when touring. Theres allways room for a bike and a tent someplace. If we think we want a room we always start looking about noon... Sometimes a shower feels so good...

My bike:

- Frame MTB-Cycletech Papalagi Steel
- Magura HS33 Brakes (Hydraulic)
- Rohloff Speedhub (14 speed internal gear hub)
- 26" Mavic X621 Rims
- Brooks Professional Saddle
- Pletscher Rear Rack
- Tubus Tara Low Rider

I was quiete surprised, that nearly no US-Touring cyclists are riding with 26"-wheels. Why that? I love to do also some bad roads with thicker tyres. And I get everywhere in the world spare parts for this rims.



http://www.radtouren.ch/me/papalagi.jpg

urs, how are you digin the magura hydro's?. I have a set, but pulled them off for my up comming trip into Asia. For piece of mind more then any thing else. I used them a bit and plan on puting them back on. any thing I should know.

Representing the 26" (http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p1c3532924ebc0f287fb0470e7ba0caf1/fb90ac62.jpg) choads.

I didn't assemble the bike by myself. I have the breaks since this year and be happy with them so far. But I don't have a lot of experience so far.
I had a problem when I first time dismounted the evolution adaptor. There is a small loosen shim between the adaptor and the fork. It's really easy to loose this one. Now I glued it to the fork.
There's a pretty good workshop from Magura in English. You can find it unter http://217.160.163.25/download/magura/felgen_03_e.pdf

Just for the record, I use a Cannondale T700 with 105's, drop bars, full fenders, and 700x28 Gatorskin tires. Just your basic, middle of the road touring rig, but I love it!

Paul

Mmm, Cannondale tourers are beautiful, I must say!

http://www.velotourism.ru/equipment/bike.jpg
My bike:
- Road frame "Samoilov", this is custom russian road frames of high quality
- 2 different wheels I use on this bike, a usual road wheels - Mavic CXP35 rims, Ultegra hubs, XTR cassette sprocket, and the 2-nd type of wheels for difficult road. These wheels are built on 590mm rims.
- Bottom bracket - DuraAce
- Chainrings, derailers - Shimano XTR
- Brake lever STI Shimano 105
- Brakes Shimano Ultegra
- Chain CN7701
- Pedals Shimano 747

But 3 year ago, when I planed my first trip to Central Asia, I have built a MTB bike, and now it is used more frequently then my touring. My MTB is Merida Matts Elite Pro with Shimano XTR equipment.
http://www.velotourism.ru/Pamir2001/photo/179.jpg

Nice bikes! I particularly like the backdrop on the pics of the Meridas :)

My current touring bike:

Trek 520, year 2000 (last year with threaded headset)
- 25" (63,5 cm) frame
- drop bars
- Brooks saddle B5N (so I was told from a description; it's 25 years old)
- gears:
chainrings: 44-34-22 on an XT crankset
cogs: 12-14-15-16-17-19-21-25-32
shifters: 8-speed bar-end shifters used in friction mode

- front hub: Schmidt Dynohub 36 holes, with Bontrager Farlane rim
- rear hub: LX hub 36 holes, with Bontrager Farlane Asymetrical rim
(135 mm OLD)
- tires : Conti Top Touring 700x32 front and 700x37 rear

- Front rack: Blackburn lowrider (the one with a hoop)
- Rear rack: Burley Piccolo Moose Rack
(solid sturdy rack which is also used to pull the trailercycle)

- Panniers: Arkel GT-42 on the front rack and GT-54 on the rear rack

- Headlight: Lumotec
- Taillights: Vistalite 5-LED and 7-LED taillights,
transferred to the trailercycle or children trailer if necessary.

The trailercycle is also touring equipment, as the three last years, I toured with my daughter in tow. Tours in 2001 and 2002 were minimalist, but this year, we did a 10-day tour totalling 750 km, with hills, camping, rain and all that stuff...

Trailercycle : Burley Piccolo
- rear wheel: hub replaced by an LX hub with 9-speed drivetrain
cogs: 11-13-14-15-16-18-20-25-32
chainring: 42
tire size: 20" x 2.125"
- rear rack: Blackburn Expedition EX-2
- panniers : Le Montagnard


BTW, Why don't we see tourers on 26"-wheeled bikes in U.S. and Canada? A few reasons:
- They are available on a few custom or semi-custom bikes like Bruce Gordon, Atlantis and Heron (for small sizes) and on full-custom bikes, but not on high-production bikes;
- Narrow 26" tires are harder to find than 700c or even 27" tires

My MTB is Merida Matts Elite Pro with Shimano XTR equipment.

Anton, your bikes are fly.

I am really curious about the racks on those Meridas. They look like they are built for serious business. Can you tell us more about them?

Peace,

BK

http://www.oldmanmountain.com/Images/hui1.jpg

Picture of me and my bike I've used for touring (and commuting). This is from a credit card tour of Lake Champlain. It was taken before I got a front rack and panniers for it.

'95 Marin team (Tange prestige steel)
'96 Marzocchi Bomber Z2
8spd Deore XT, XTR brakes and levers
Avocet Air02 Kevlar saddle
Bontrager Maverick wheels (new)
Old Man Mountain Red Rocks rear rack
Carradice Super C panniers
Panaracer Mach SS/SKs semislicks

Jay

http://ctimail.dnsalias.org/bike.jpg

Here is me and my T2000. The bike on the right is my friends Norco. In the frame I have a 3L camelbak mounted and a bag attached to my aerobars.

The picture is about 900m up the Osoyoos, BC, pass in the rockies, last week.

I've got a Cannondale T2000 as well. I swapped out the original cranks for a Sugino XD 46-36-24 and got some wider, shallow drop handlebars. Outside of that it's pretty much stock.

i just took my first trip over 60 miles a couple weeks ago.. i'd never gone as far as i did (200 miles) and i'd never carried that much weight even 20 miles, but i had a blast anyway. i had a chance to buy this bike.. (not fully loaded in the pic)..

http://sakredchao.tripod.com/goldapp.htm


forgive me for not knowing all the specific information on this thing.. but i'll give you what i can..

the original bike cost about 400$... it was sold to a friend for 150$, who put on a bunch of aftermarket parts on it, and sold it to me for 150$.

specialized aluminum frame.

i traded the seat for one of those that lets me theoretically be a dad some day.

i got the heavy duty jandd rear rack. (only one i found listed with a 50lb capacity.)

i got the bike from someone who traded the grip shifters for rapidfire shimano shifters.. and i believe he traded the brakes out too, which are now shimano.

the handlebars are aftermarket too.. they say "crowbar" on them.. but i think i want to get new ones that are more designed for road use. this guy was definitely a mountain biker and that stuff scares the piss out of me.

it has rock shox on the front.. it seemed that this saved my wrists a lot of pain throughout the ride.. new mexico isn't known for it's road conditions. (the zia symbol is probably a squashed road cone.)

when i got the bike it had some sort of superknobby tires on it that were supposed to be top notch 40$ a piece tires, but they were slow as slow on the road and i got rather inexpensive tires for it.. don't know the fancy name, but they basically have some knobs on the side that i hear buzz when i turn, but have a solid center strip for cruising. $17 a piece for the tires, and i've not had a flat yet, in 4 months of commuting and riding.

the bob is a yak.. a bit bouncy, but i didn't mind. the flag is custom and has the same golden apple insignia as the sign. i made both myself. nice, huh? god bless vinyl plotters and computers.

in the drybag is a gregory framepack in case i have to lock the bike to a tree and continue on foot to the nearest city.

rereading that i sure do sound as if i haven't a clue. so i'll be upfront: i'm clueless as to specific bike parts. i can do enough to get the thing to shift properly, brake properly and a few other minor maintenance things..

i rode from durango, colorado to espanola, new mexico. spending the weekend at the primitive piedra hot springs.

i camped the whole way in national forests (san jaun and carson).. luckily i didn't have to guerilla-camp by the side of the road. not that i would have been afraid. but national forest sure is comforting.

also: i'm well aware of how stupid it is to ride without a helmet.. i'm shaving the dreads off this week so i can fit my head into one. after this first trip i decided i'd rather have a brain in the noggin than dreads on the head.

Originally posted by drcrash
I've got a Cannondale T2000 as well. I swapped out the original cranks for a Sugino XD 46-36-24 and got some wider, shallow drop handlebars. Outside of that it's pretty much stock.

I thought of getting some lower gears. However I wouldn't give up the 48/11 top gear - I use it regularly. As for the lowest gear, 28/34, it would be nice to go lower; but I have managed many fully loaded 9% grades in it. I just rested often and went slow.

Once I did have to walk up a 11% grade, unloaded, and I might have been able to ride it if it was at the start of the day instead of the end.

In the end I'm happy how it is as long as my knee's stay in good shape :-D

I ride a homebuilt Greenspeed trike with a homebuilt BOB "clone" trailer. I toured about 2,000 miles this summer, covering much of Minnesota and some of Iowa. Over the years I have done several thousand miless with upright bikes and panniers--I VERY MUCH PREFER my present set-up.

When doing loaded touring I use a 22-32-44 crankset and 11-30 cogs. That means I "spin out'" at about 22 mph, but I can climb anything.

I will travel by trike in the near future.. I cannot justify the price at the moment. I'm sure it will be very enjoyable, as I have met several recumbent travellers whilst on my ventures and they simply cannot praise it enough.

Hi,

For 6 1/2 years and about 25,000 - 30,000 miles I've been using and have been VERY satisfied with my '97 Trek 970 MTB frameset with rigid fork w/low-rider lugs & eyelets (made for me by Trek - Yes, Trek DID make a few special order custom components back then)!

Shimano XT drive, shifting components and brake levers

Shimano XTR brakes

Shimano 747 (I think) clipless pedals

Jandd front and rear panniers and rear rack

Blackburn custom Low-rider front rack

Brooks Pro saddle

Sunn Rhino Lite XL rims

Wheelsmith butted spokes front - straight gauge rear

Chris King Mtn. Hubs (32 front, 36 rear) & headset

Continental Town & Country tires - 2.1 rear, 1.9 front - w/Specialized Airlock tubes (I have had a total of ZERO flats with this combo)!

I've toured all over the West and Midwest, generally at about 100 pounds all-up (plus 170 lbs. for me). I also commute and ride essentially every day on this bike when I'm not touring and it suits me perfectly. Plus, it's also pretty much maintenance-free.

Best of luck,

John

...it suits me perfectly. Plus, it's also pretty much maintenance-free.

John won the game!

Congratulations,
BK

John won the game!

Congratulations,
BK


Yay!!!

Thanks, Dude!

Ride safe,

John

I have two bikes a Specialized hardrock and a Raleigh M60. The Raleigh I used for the trek my son and I took down the Oregon coast. I wouldn't have bought the Raleigh, but my daughter won it and traded it to me. I have ended up loving it. I have no idea how I ever lived without front suspension.

Here is a pic from our oregon trip. It took us 9 days and we carried all our gear. On of the funnest things I have ever done.

Here's another oregon trip shot.....

Is that a map holder you have on there? How does the map attach to the bracket? Nice setup!

Here's My Touring Bike

This is the bike that I use for touring.

It's a 1990 Cannondale T-????. The only remaining original parts are the seatpost and binder bolt.

The bags are Arkels! I think that they work even better than they look!

If you look closely you can see the toe strap that I use as a parking brake. It works wonders.


http://www.seanet.com/~d/smbike.jpg



Here's a shot from a ride on a Washington State Ferry.


http://www.seanet.com/~d/smspokane.jpg

Hot bike Don. I brought my Cannondale T900 up to Seattle this past summer to do some biking on Vashon, Bainbridge, and up to Vancouver. The riding was great, the weather was better, and the Washington State ferries were the best. I recognized where your bike was right of the bat.

Ride hard.

JLahr

My bike since march 2001, for commuting and numerous tours, about 33000kms altogether:

the frame is an alu Trek 7500fx with CrMo fork in red, black and gold.

Wheels are 700c Mavic T520, shimano105 36h hubs, 28mm Conti Top Touring tyres, schwalbe butyl tubes.

Zefal chromoplastic guards. Vp alloy touring rattrap pedals. Batavus alu rear rack.

Front mech, old Nexave. Rear mech is Shimano Deore.
Chainset, Shimano Deore 48-38-28. BB is shimano ES70 splined. Cassette XT M750 11-32. Chain shimano HG93

Gear levers, Shimano Deore 9sp. Cabels, Gore RideOn.

Breaks and levers are Avid SD7.

Seat, SDG satelite. Seatpost is alu Bontrager.

Bars are Bontrager crowbars with nice Onza barends.

Add ons are three alu bottlecages, an AirZound2 horn and a Kryptonite NewYork lock.

Too bad I dont have any pictures here atm. I'll put one up when i get home. /Jens

Hot bike Don. I brought my Cannondale T900 up to Seattle this past summer to do some biking on Vashon, Bainbridge, and up to Vancouver. The riding was great, the weather was better, and the Washington State ferries were the best. I recognized where your bike was right of the bat.

Ride hard.

JLahr

Thanks!

It really was an exceptionally nice summer here in Seattle. Glad to hear you enjoyed it up here.

For my first 15 years of touring, I used a regular touring bike with rear, and sometimes front, panniers. Since 1980, I've ridden recumbents. Touring on a recumbent is much more comfortable and if I desire, longer days without difficulty. I'm currently using a Barcroft Dakota with rear panniers or a B.O.B. trailer, depending on the amount of gear I need to take. For dirt riding I have resorted to a Santa Cruz Superlight full-suspension bike, again using panniers or trailer depending on amount of gear and quality of roads or trails. The full suspension helps reduce the hand, back and neck problems I had on a regular touring bike.

Jeff