Touring - Any touring road bikes with disk brakes (again)

A few days ago, I saw a thread about touring rigs with disk brakes between the seat stays and the chain stays so racks and fenders could be easily installed. I've already scoured the forums and searched for it, but I can't find the thread.

The good news, I have decided that I need a new bike, and that I want it with Disk brakes. Bad news is that I want a road bike with disk brakes, which eleminates about 99% of the market. I'll settle with an expedition type rig, if I have too; such as the 2008 Jamis Commuter 4 (http://jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/08_bikes/08commuter4.html) and the 2008 Marin Novato (http://www.marinbikes.com/2008/us/bikes/specs_novato.php); However, I really really want a road bike with disk brakes. Especially if I can get it close to the specs of my Univega viva Touring.

My Univega is a 1985 frame, with a great mix of components that are great for long rides, but she can't stand up to all weather commuting with 10-35 pounds of books and such. I want a touring Road bike for a few reasons. First, the ride position will be more comfortable. Second, I can easily have multiple hand positions that encourages a semi-aero profile (I'm almost always commuting into a headwind, no mater what time of day). Third, the things are so dang versatile and can carry a lot of heavy stuff before it starts to complain.

I want the Disk brakes because of the guaranteed stopping power in rain.

THank you for those that respond,

flyingcadet

Novara Safari is one. IIRC Koga Miyata makes one with disc brakes as well.

raleigh sojourn has em stock

you can always retro fit em as well. my buddy put em on his kona sutra.

I've been looking at disc-equipped touring bikes for a while too. I had been planning on buying a Sojourn for a while, but now I'm leaning more toward the Safari due to some excellent reviews, the significantly cheaper price, and its ability to take all kinds of 26" tires from narrow slicks to studded winter tires. I plan on using it as an all-weather commuter, off-road explorer, and Katy Trail tourer.

Novara Safari (http://www.rei.com/product/730480)from REI $849 has trekking bars
2006 Schwinn Super Sport DBX (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SUPER-SPORT-DBX-ROAD-BIKE-AVID-DISC-BRAKES-TIAGRA_W0QQitemZ360051577189QQihZ023QQcategoryZ98084QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) off eBay (harborcountrybike)$850 OBO.

Americano

http://www.co-motion.com/Amerc.html

Click on options.

Thanks for the input. I didn't realize how low my budget was till now. The Co-Motion is out because this years lineup doesn't have disk brakes and they are too expensive. The Raleigh Sojourn is barely in my budget. Looks like I might have to get one of the two that I mentioned above and upgrade the bars to at least trekking bars. The Safari is great too, but I doubt that my LBS can get one.

flyingcadet

Co-motion may be too expensive for you, but the Americano still has disks as an option.

http://www.gunnarbikes.com/rocktour.php
I showed this setup to my framebuilder for my commuter/touring frame he's making for me. I haven't done loaded touring with disks but I like them on my commute bike in the winter and when I am comming back from costco with 50lbs of food in my trailer. I'm using my back-up bike right now which is a Nashbar X frame and to get a rack on I had to use the Explorer rack that sticks way out on each side. So I am looking forward to getting a frame with the disk out of the way.

Cerberusql, that is the company that I was looking for earlier. To bad they really don't have what I want.

flyingcadet

You may want to check out the KONA SUTRA. I have seen a few on the road and know that they have disk brakes.

http://www.gunnarbikes.com/rocktour.php
I showed this setup to my framebuilder for my commuter/touring frame he's making for me. I haven't done loaded touring with disks but I like them on my commute bike in the winter and when I am comming back from costco with 50lbs of food in my trailer. I'm using my back-up bike right now which is a Nashbar X frame and to get a rack on I had to use the Explorer rack that sticks way out on each side. So I am looking forward to getting a frame with the disk out of the way.

I first saw this setup on an avanti bike - http://www.avantibikes.com/comfort-700c/illusion08.aspx?bid=19

When i saw it I thought yeah why isnt everyone doing this, unless your cables run down the rear stays i see nothing but advantages. And on dual suspension bikes makes the routing even better

I would like to see some pics of your bike when it is finished, maybe you can tell us more?

also scott is using it this setup too- http://scottusa.com/ca_en/product/74/679/sportster_p1
I think the rear stays on the scott are sexy! best desription i can think of sorry.:love:

Here is an autocad drawing of revison 1 for some dropouts. The problem with having the chainstay attach forward of the disc would be possible heel clearance. I'm going to do a top view to see how it would look and maybe tape something onto my current bike at that distance and see if my heels rub or not. I'm working on a drawing for dropouts more like the gunnar where the chainstay attaches under the disc-tabs. Not sure what type I like better. The stays will be custom S-bends so the possibilities are wide open. It will likely be three months before my frame is made. I'm a friend of the builder so his other customers come first.

try Devinci.com. A Canadian builder.
Hockey

Kona Sutra (http://www.konaworld.com/08_sutra_w.htm)is $1199. I read a blog of an African tour on a couple of Sutras and they held up very well.

I toured on a Cannondale Cyclocross Disc for 4 months and 12,000 km and loved it
Had a rack on the rear that was designed to fit around disc brakes

Kona Sutra (http://www.konaworld.com/08_sutra_w.htm)is $1199. I read a blog of an African tour on a couple of Sutras and they held up very well.

I have read on the Commuting forum about eyelets breaking off of the Sutra frame.

I had a Giant OCR-Touring... it was a touring bike with disc brakes. They have been discontinued for a while. Very solid bike, internal cable routing, good all-weather machine. A little heavy, even with an aluminum frame.

The problem with having the chainstay attach forward of the disc would be possible heel clearance.

I think you should be fine, you have well over 100mm spacing on the cranks, so your heals should be way outside the caliper. Can i ask where you got the cad drawings from? Did you or your friend do them?
salute

I have read on the Commuting forum about eyelets breaking off of the Sutra frame.

I use one for touring and attach the rack to the threaded point near the axle. The eyelet that has broken off on people is the one brazed on halfway up the seat stay. That point seems too high to mount a rack to me. I never even considered using it. I use a Topeak Explorer disc rack made for bikes with disc brakes. It does stick out about an inch for the clearance, but works well, I have had no issues.

yes im familiar with the toppeak rack. It looks like a good rack. It was not long ago that only downhill bikes were equiped with disks, now it is becoming common on hybrids and such; and even touring bikes the utilitarian beasts that they are now find a place for disk brakes. As disk brakes become the standard not the option its time for the customer who wants to use a rack to put his dollar where it will speak. As someone who uses panniers I will only buy a new ride if the disk brakes mount is inside the frame. Even if i'm using canti's i'd want the option in the right place. That said at the moment the choice is very limited. certainly in my opinion there is no excuse for a touring bike with disks, to not make the effort of placing them inside the triangle.

I think you should be fine, you have well over 100mm spacing on the cranks, so your heals should be way outside the caliper. Can i ask where you got the cad drawings from? Did you or your friend do them?
salute

I'm duck footed so my heals stick inward. Used rub cantis on my old MTB. With the s-bend stays I should be OK but I just want to be sure.
I did the drawings myself. I have been tweaking them a little at a time. Roloff has cad drawings for dropouts so I just rotated the caliper mounting holes and started goin to town. They might be a little heavy but this is going to be a beefy frame that should be able to take the abuse I dish out. Broken or cracked frames: Pugeot, Pinerrello, 2 Kestrals, and a Salsa. I have also snapped 2 crankarms in half and cracked and bent 2 others. I don't even want to talk about wheels.

You may want to check out the KONA SUTRA. I have seen a few on the road and know that they have disk brakes.

As a Sutra owner I can saw that it is a horrible frame. Among the many problems is that the rack braze-ons snap off.

I use one for touring and attach the rack to the threaded point near the axle. The eyelet that has broken off on people is the one brazed on halfway up the seat stay. That point seems too high to mount a rack to me. I never even considered using it. I use a Topeak Explorer disc rack made for bikes with disc brakes. It does stick out about an inch for the clearance, but works well, I have had no issues.

I did this too, but even with a Tubus Logo rack I still get heal strike. :notamused:

The Salsa La Cruz is a cyclocross bike, but could be used for light touring, and it uses disc brakes. It has eyelets for fenders, but I'm not sure about a rear rack. Chain stays are not as long as most touring frames, but longer than the typical road frame. You can buy the frame & fork for less than $600. Color of this frame is a gorgeous metallic orange.

I think internal frame disk are going to become much more the norm on road bikes, What id like to know from peoples experience is how loaded disk bikes cope with the extra force on the spokes, besides the dish on the rear wheel it seemed like the biggest concern but I havnt really heard of anyone i know having problems, of course they dont ride loaded touring bikes. Anyone have any problems?

I think internal frame disk are going to become much more the norm on road bikes, What id like to know from peoples experience is how loaded disk bikes cope with the extra force on the spokes, besides the dish on the rear wheel it seemed like the biggest concern but I havnt really heard of anyone i know having problems, of course they dont ride loaded touring bikes. Anyone have any problems?

I carried all my gear in two rear panniers, was about 40 lbs, for four months on my bike with discs and didn't break a single spoke, so I don't think it's much of an issue

I think internal frame disk are going to become much more the norm on road bikes, What id like to know from peoples experience is how loaded disk bikes cope with the extra force on the spokes, besides the dish on the rear wheel it seemed like the biggest concern but I havnt really heard of anyone i know having problems, of course they dont ride loaded touring bikes. Anyone have any problems?

My research on disk brakes shows a strange relationship between rimm brakes and spoke brakes compared to disk brakes and broken spokes. From my own observations and what I've overheard from my LBS owner, rim brake system require for dishing the drive side spokes, which cause the tension between the drive side and non-drive side to be uneven. The drive side has to put more tension on the spoke to match the side pull of the non-drive side spokes. For disk brakes, the spokes typically end up being evenly spaced from the middle of the hub, thus causing the tension to be both even and a little lower. Thus, they don't break as easily, which is one of the contributing reasons behind wanting to get a commuter with disk brakes.

flyingcadet