Introductions - Which Bike? Salsa or Surly or other?

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Cloverick
05-23-08, 01:06 PM
Hi There,

I am wanting to buy a bicycle! I live in Manhattan and mainly want to go for long rides out and about the city and nearby- mainly road and cycle tracks, although the roads are far from pristine. I guess I'd like to do some off-road stuff on occasion also. And heres the clincher... I may have signed myself up to do a 3200KM tour across Australia early next year... yoikes! I am 34, 5'11'' with 32.6" (82.87cm) inseam.
I'd like to spend $1-2K max. I'm confident that I want a steel frame.....Given these specs, what are the thoughts out there?
1. I seem to have boiled things down to a Surly Cross-check or Salsa La Cruce. Any other suggestions?
2. Disk or cantilever brakes?
3. I was told there may be an issue with stability with the higher BB on cyclo bikes....
4. Sizes I should be looking at in the above bikes (1.)?
5. Best store to go shopping?
6. Any other suggestions?

Thanks, in advance, for yr sage advice.

chipcom
05-23-08, 01:14 PM
For your tour, you'll be a lot happier with the geometry of a touring bike like the Surly LHT or similar. Cross bikes are nice for short tours or longer credit card tours, but for a long, unsupported tour, you need a mule, not a quarter horse. ;)

Canti brakes are also a better choice for unsupported tours...better chance of finding replacements/repairs on the road.

Test ride as many bikes as you can, from as many LBS as you can to determine which fits best. Sizes can be deceiving...one mfgr's 58 is another's 56, depending on whether they are measuring the top tube or seat tube and whether they are measuring T-C or C-C. At your side, I would expect you to fit a 56-58cm bike.
John Dark
05-23-08, 01:48 PM
Las Cruces is scandium, not steel. Did you mean La Cruz instead?

Cloverick
05-23-08, 01:58 PM
Yep, La Cruz..... cheers.
East Hill
05-23-08, 05:03 PM
Hi Cloverick, I don't think I can top the advice you got from chipcom, so I'll leave it at--

Welcome to BF, and feel free to PM me with any questions :) !

East Hill
Forum Moderator

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late
05-23-08, 05:25 PM
For your tour, you'll be a lot happier with the geometry of a touring bike like the Surly LHT

+1

If you do the Aussie trip take some really good tires.
http://www.schwalbetires.com/marathon_supreme

If you can up the budget, things can get... interesting. Like the Waterford Adventure Cycle. But the frame by itself would eat 3/4 of your current budget.