Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.njkayaker
04-08-09, 03:32 PM
long distance bike, in my order of build quality:
comfort of the rider
durability of the frame / fork
room for fenders / wider tires (relates to comfort of the rider)
options for carrying luggage without adversly affecting handling (relates to comfort of the rider)
options for mounting lights, and luggage mentioned above
note - comfort doesn't mean a leather couch with cup holders... but a blend of ability to stay on the bike for a long period of time and put out enough power to keep moving at the pace that works for the rider.
I'd say that, ignoring bizarre/nutty exceptions, "durability" isn't a problem. Pretty much any (non-junk) frame/fork is going to be durable enough. Note that, the frame/fork has to be appropriate for the use (eg, a frame/fork designed for carrying a load IF you are carrying a load).
comfort of the rider
durability of the frame / fork
room for fenders / wider tires (relates to comfort of the rider)
options for carrying luggage without adversly affecting handling (relates to comfort of the rider)
options for mounting lights, and luggage mentioned above
note - comfort doesn't mean a leather couch with cup holders... but a blend of ability to stay on the bike for a long period of time and put out enough power to keep moving at the pace that works for the rider.
I'd say that, ignoring bizarre/nutty exceptions, "durability" isn't a problem. Pretty much any (non-junk) frame/fork is going to be durable enough. Note that, the frame/fork has to be appropriate for the use (eg, a frame/fork designed for carrying a load IF you are carrying a load).