Touring - Windsor Tourist: What Fenders and Racks to get?

Hello!

Today, I purchased a Windsor Tourist, couldn't pass up the deal, new in box, correct size and $210.00 off list price, (Portland CL had it). I just got back into Bicycling after being out for 20+ years, I've been riding a Mt Bike to get back into shape and now with the warmer weather here I'm ready to get a Touring bike ready for 1 and 2 day trips with hopefully a week or two run towards the end of summer.

Looking for recommendations on Fenders, Racks and any upgrade ideas.

This is my first touring bike so any and all help is greatly appreciated.


Thanks,
Leigh

I got the planet bike hardcore road fenders for mine http://ecom1.planetbike.com/7048.html . Get rid of the cheesy pedals and get some of what ever your choice for an upgrade would be. I use ratrap style pedals with mini toeclips. I got the rims trued since they were a bit off and then installed some koolstop pads. Since I have back and neck issues I installed an adjustable stem which really helped. After a couple of flats I got some Specialized Armadillo tires for it. I really like them and in spite of what some people write about them for me they roll very well. I added this rack in the rear its a lot nicer than the item supplied with the bike http://www.bikeparts.com/search_results.asp?id=BPC357013 although the stock item is pretty good for commuting its not nearly as robust as the Civia, if you have the coinage you can step up to a Tubus rack. Add some other cool stuff like the Magicshine head and tailight and a Brooks saddle (optional of course) Oh yeah I added a little bag that mounts on the toptube and around the stem with a flap over it so I have my ID badge ready to show the guard in the morning to get in the gate at work. These items really didn't cost me too much since I picked most of them up on sale and had the Brooks the the little stem/toptube mount bag. I love my Tourist I'm using it for my commuter and its been stellar. Check the bearing and the headset and the bottom bracket to make sure there is enough grease in there. Mine was fine since after riding it around the block I could see the grease starting to ooze out. I did adjust the hub cones since the factor had a bit too much preload on them and the wheels didn't roll as well as they should have but after that I can put it up on the bike stand and the roll forever it seems. Sorry to rattle on but I kept thinking of little things I thought might make your experience better. After I got mine all sorted out I took it to my LBS and they were more than happy to give it a once over to see if I forgot anthing, I didn't and the guy that took it around the block for a test ride gave it a big thumbs up. Hope you like yours as much as I like mine. Here is mine in commute mode.http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb150/stringbreaker53/DSCN0022.jpg

racks, there are numerous 15-30 dollar rear racks that work perfectly fine. Ditto for fenders, go with a good brand name like Planet Bike, Cascade and they will be fine too.
Lots of good reasonably priced panniers out there too, no need to get expensive ones as you may not really get into touring, but good ones will still be handy for any commuting.
Listen to your bum for seats, and go with what posterior tells you after a while.

really, get the bike looked over by a bike store to check the adjustments of bearings, spokes etc, and then have fun on it. If you find you enjoy riding and do indeed want to tour a bit, then put your money into perhaps stuff you dont own already, tent, campmats etc etc.

that bike will be a perfectly good bike for touring, and you will see if you like biking and/or touring as teh summer goes along, and then you can start figuring out what you need as you go. Just dont get caught up in "having" to have top level expensive stuff, you will enjoy it all just as much with reasonabley priced doodads.

Agreed for sure thats why I went for the Civia rack over the Tubus and the Axiom Panniers that were a lot less than the Ortliebs but not as big but perfect for my need right now. The fenders are relatively inexpensive so for a few wisely chosen deals you can outfit this bike really nice and its gonna be plenty sturdy. I find this bike to really want to get going and can generally cruise home at between 14 to 18 mph depending on how tired I am and which way the wind is blowing. :)

Thanks for the great information Stringbreaker and djb. My LBS will do a once over when I'm done. How are SKS Longboard fenders? The LBS here has a set of them they recommend.

Thanks again for all the information.

Leigh

I like Planet Bike or Cascade fenders I have both on my two bicycles.And your new bicycle is nice looking have fun riding it.

I like Planet Bike or Cascade fenders I have both on my two bicycles.And your new bicycle is nice looking have fun riding it.

Planet Bike Cascadia here too. I like the greater coverage vs PB's other models. I recently saw that SKS has a similar fender: Longboard I think.

I use VO fenders on my touring bike because they are longer and provide better coverage. I think theSKS longboards are close if you want plastic.

marc

Our windsors worked out well for us. The original rear rack is kind of flimsy, but one of my Trans America companions used it without incident. The other two of us used the Blackburn EX-1. Front racks, we used either Nashbar or Performance clones of the old Blackburn low rider. Both were fine, but I liked the Performance one a bit better.

We used the Planet Bike 700c Hardcore Fender in 35mm width and had no complaints with them.

Keep an eye on spoke tension to avoid wheel problems. Also consider a crank that will allow lower gearing. We went with the the Sugino XD600 and all eventually replaced the 26T inner ring with a 24T one. Other that that and some spd pedals we used the bikes pretty much without modification.

I bought the Blackburn FL-1 Front Lowrider Front Bike Rack because it was cheap, it had a stabilizing bar, and it was a lowrider rack. But it wasn't compatible with my Orlieb or Arkel panniers. It has a weird metal plate under the top bar, so the panniers couldn't hold onto the bar. So, stay away from this rack if you want panniers with a similar attachment system to Ortlieb or Arkel.

My full review is on my blog, here (http://banksiansphere.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-of-blackburn-lowriders-boring.html).

I've been using a planet bike rack on the rear for the past few months, riding around Denver and it seems to work fine. It's lightweight enough and was really cheap ($30). I wish Planet Bike made a front rack.

I think that plate is on the Blackburn Low Rider to mount the C-Clamp if you do not have a fork braze on. Perhaps it can be modified (cut-away) to allow the latching mechanism on some panniers to fit. My plate has holes in it, that allow the detent pins to pass through and latch my Tailwind panniers in. Fidn someone with one and check it out, it might work out for you.

Tubus, racks that you would keep when you buy the next, upgrade, bike.

Again thanks everyone. Really enjoying this forum. So far I have fenders on order, next is a Brooks seat, peddals, rack then panniers, for now I have tons of small bags that I can use on the rear fine, I need to head to a larger LBS and get some tools and such to carry all the time. Does anyone use there iPhone? I'm a bit concerned about road abuse on it, this is my work phone also. I have a great Garmin GPSmap 60Csx that has done me good for the last few years.

I don't have a WT but they look like a great bike! Congrats on your purchase and I'm sure you'll have many happy miles with it. Looks like you got a great deal too.

I use Delta Sherpa or Mega racks on my touring and commuter bikes. They have held up well with panniers full of groceries or touring gear. I use Jandd panniers for touring and old Novara panniers for commuting. I use Blackburn lowrider front racks also.

I have not tried Nashbar panniers (because I have too many panniers already!) but they look pretty good for the price especially when they go on sale.

Tubus, racks that you would keep when you buy the next, upgrade, bike.

They have the added advantage of being stiffer than inexpensive aluminum rod racks. The extra stiffness helps handling.

I only have one rear rack and it works for me. Jandd Expedition

You'll are awesome with information. Brooks B-17 just got added to my order with the fenders. We got a week of rain on the way so those fenders can't get here soon enough.

Tubus, racks that you would keep when you buy the next, upgrade, bike.

I'm going to head to REI this weekend and take a look at them.

I'm going to head to REI this weekend and take a look at them.

Where in Washington are you located?

Where in Washington are you located?

Whidbey Island

Here is some photos of the Tourist taken today while out riding. I was not riding on grass, this is just off the road so I could stand it up.

http://i56.tinypic.com/oh09j6.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/33w13ja.jpg

I'll have the Fenders and Brooks B-17 this week, I want to get some Lone Peak Panniers next. All said, I'm very very happy with this bike.

Thanks,
Leigh

How are your wheels for true? Mine were off just enough so adjusting the brakes was nearly impossible. After my LBS got them trued up they have been fine and the brakes were easily adjusted.

I went with Soma Fabrications for the fenders on my Tourist - http://www.somafab.com/eurotripfenders.html

My tires were true, the LBS did have to tune the rear derailleur but that was it. I tuned it in the best I could then took it in for them to look over it and tune it better. The only real problem I had was the rear brake cable was routed wrong around the left cable for the front derailleur, it has to be correct for me, I spent some time routing those correct, oh and the LBS reset the rear brake because they set it to low. I never caught that, but I took it to him on Friday and today was the first day without rain, next two days should be good for riding, then Wednesday I should have the fenders in.

I went with Soma Fabrications for the fenders on my Tourist - http://www.somafab.com/eurotripfenders.html

I went with Planet Bike Cascadia 700c Hybrid/Tour Black Fender, 7056-5, they are not here yet but when I get them I'll take some more pics and post them. The ones you have look nice. I kinda wanted to run a orange fender.

The bike looks really great TD!!

Axiom DLX streamliner rack and planet bike fenders (don't remember the model). Since this pic, I've changed the bars stem, dyno hub and now sports orange tape.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu212/ericwelborn/179427_1547275523641_1287644101_31191791_5889284_n.jpg

Axiom DLX streamliner rack and planet bike fenders (don't remember the model). Since this pic, I've changed the bars stem, dyno hub and now sports orange tape.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu212/ericwelborn/179427_1547275523641_1287644101_31191791_5889284_n.jpg

Nice looking Tourist, did you have problems with the hub? What bars did you change too? This is my first bike without straight bars and I need to get use to them.

Nice looking Tourist, did you have problems with the hub? What bars did you change too? This is my first bike without straight bars and I need to get use to them.

I changed to a set of wider bars, nothing special. The hub works perfectly, nothing any more complicated than the stock/standard hub.

My fenders and seat came in yesterday. Here is a photo I took today while out. I need to start carrying a camera but the iPhone is doing a great job if you ask me. :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2621/5714019361_7339e9ee0e_z.jpg


EDIT:

also wanted to ask what some of you think would be a good upgrade on the Stem? I'm just under 6'2 and would like to raise the bars up some. I like the idea of this one. Dimensions Adjustable stem.

http://www.bikeman.com/store/graphics/00000001/product_images/SM/SM2931.jpg

My fenders and seat came in yesterday. Here is a photo I took today while out. I need to start carrying a camera but the iPhone is doing a great job if you ask me. :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2621/5714019361_7339e9ee0e_z.jpg


EDIT:

also wanted to ask what some of you think would be a good upgrade on the Stem? I'm just under 6'2 and would like to raise the bars up some. I like the idea of this one. Dimensions Adjustable stem.

http://www.bikeman.com/store/graphics/00000001/product_images/SM/SM2931.jpg

Do it I changed mine to an adjustable stem cause I needed to raise it a bit and the stock piece sucks its too short. Now I'm a happy camper.

Nice looking Tourist, did you have problems with the hub? What bars did you change too? This is my first bike without straight bars and I need to get use to them.

Here is the lastest pic with the new bars, the dyno hub isn't on it in this pic, but the lamp is.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu212/ericwelborn/6415a2de.jpg

I have a couple of these and it is a very solid rack. It's a lot of rack for the money and I would gladly pay full price for it if I needed to. It even comes with an attachment for the rear fender to reduce fender wobble. A little heavier than my Cargo but a quarter of the cost.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/24042,3258H_Racktime-Tourit-Rear-Bike-Rack.html

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/sierratradingpost.com

I would second the recommendation for Tubus or other cromoly racks. The cheap aluminum rack flops around like crazy when loaded down. I used the stock rack for two years on my Tourist. The upgrade to a Tubus last year made a big improvement in handling.

Another upgrade I'd recommend is brakes. I put Tektro CR720 cantilevers on last year. They stop much better than the stock Tektro Oryx brakes and aren't much more expensive.

I installed a Nitto Technomic stem for raising the bars, but that is expensive and requires upgrading the handlebars and re-taping. I splurged because I like the look and was switching to bar end shifters.

Longer term, I'd also look at upgrading the wheels. I bought some wheels from Universal Cycles with 36H Tiagra Hubs and velocity Dyad rims a couple of thousand miles ago, and I like them a lot. Remained true and the deep rim makes changing flats easier. The stock hubs on the tourist are rather low quality Joytech ones, and they had an issue (I think now fixed on newer models) with dust caps potentially binding on the axle.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj64/m_yates/20100824_009.jpg

Riding my tourist (with panniers on left) in a century last year:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj64/m_yates/fingerlakesride.jpg

Great information, I still have the one rack. I got my new Pedals today, Shimano PD-A530 in black. Rack will be next.

Update: I've got about 50 miles on the bike now, The Brooks seat is comfortable, I need to work a bit more on the sliding forward, it's pretty good for still being in the early parts of the break-in, the pedals ROCK, I'm going to get some shoes soon. I added Kool-stop pads and that has helped some for stopping power, it's still nothing compared to my other bikes. LBS tuned them and said that is the best you'll get out of them. I rode a 520 this last weekend while camping and the V brakes stopping power is what I'm after.

The jourey is still out on the drop bars, (not changing anything yet) I can't get the control I want from them, straight bars have so much better control for me. This is my first bike with drop bars, other then a 10 speed when I was a teenager.

Overall this has been a great bike, just need to get more experience on the road and in traffic.

Leigh

just a little update pic.........old stem and bars.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu212/ericwelborn/6415a2de.jpg

New stem and bars.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu212/ericwelborn/89f68987.jpg

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu212/ericwelborn/5c946336.jpg

Hey I just ordered the Tourist and this thread has provided me with many good ideas!

Question about the front fender.. once installed, does it hamper transportation of the bike with the front wheel removed and bike positioned in a fork mount? I see the bottom of these fenders might be lower than the bottom of the front fork.

I have Planet Bike Cascadia Hybrid/Touring fenders on my Windsor Tourist. They;

Are easy to install
Fit well
Cover well
Look good

Hey I just ordered the Tourist and this thread has provided me with many good ideas!

Question about the front fender.. once installed, does it hamper transportation of the bike with the front wheel removed and bike positioned in a fork mount? I see the bottom of these fenders might be lower than the bottom of the front fork.

Yes, they will interfere, as the lower section of the fender is below the drop-out.

Use the Planet Bike Speedez Hybrid model: http://ecom1.planetbike.com/7015.html

They come off and go on in a snap. You can buy the stays separately for the rear fender, if you want to avoid the remove-able hardware in the back: http://ecom1.planetbike.com/7007_5.html

See;

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll210/wildcat-bucket/007-1.jpg

Tubus or Bruce Gordon, I kept Bruce's racks and changed the bike, under them..

I put some SKS longboard fenders on my new Trek 520 and they work great. However, be sure whenever you take off the front wheel, not to forget about the fender possibly having pressure applied to it, depending on how you lay down your bike. I took off the front wheel and set it upright, forgot about the fender. Luckily it didn't bent too badly and I was able to get it back in shape. The SKS fenders have great coverage and are not too difficult to install.