Touring - does anyone tour with a bike with a disc wheel and/or aero bars?

just wondering how sensible it is to add those to a touring bike

I met a guy touring with aero bars, but he did that for comfort. Disc wheel? For aerodynamics? Meh.

Disc wheel? No way, unless you will be in locales where the winds are reliably light and trucks won't be blowing by at 75 mph 3 feet away.

Aero Bars, quite a few folks tour with them.

You talking about touring on a time trial bike ?:roflmao2:

Disc brakes are totally unnecessary for normal touring. Heavier and not as 'fiddle' free as rim brakes. That being said, if I were still on a df, I might put a disc on the front wheel to have the best of both worlds for long, steep decents.

As for aero bars, when on a df, I wouldn't leave home without them. I used Profile Design Airstykes f (http://www.amazon.com/Profile-Design-Airstryke-Clip-On-Black/dp/B000R45OK0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337965289&sr=8-1)or another very comfortable position when climbing or fighting a headwind. The Airstykes offer a nice place a gps, bike computer, or headlight.

just wondering how sensible it is to add those to a touring bike

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/imgs/products/440x380_constWH/CBPXEX2DADISC_P1.jpg

Makes no sense to me. BUT you can tour on anything.

Makes no sense to me. BUT you can tour on anything.
But it doesn't have disc brakes! In all seriousness, my one bike (which I just did 180 miles on during a overnighter) has discs, but it really isn't needed/useful except for long distances (rim wear), long descents, really heavy loads, or off-road touring.

How did we get on disc brakes? He said disc wheel. Especially since in the context of aero bars doesn't sound like he means brakes. Maybe the OP can clarify?

just wondering how sensible it is to add those to a touring bike

I have done a tour with aero bars and found them quite good, allowing me to vary my seating position and relieve pressure on my rear. I don't use them now only since I added a handlebar bag and can't fit them to the bike any longer.

profile made an entry level aerobar that serves as a minimalist front rack as well as a welcome alternate riding position, if adjusted properly. don't think i'd tour without one.

just wondering how sensible it is to add those to a touring bike

As already stated, touring on a disk wheel wouldn't be a good idea. But I love aerobars on a touring bike! Occasionally I use them for their aerodynamic properties (i.e., riding into a headwind), but mostly I use them for an alternate body position (e.g., when my hands are tired of being on the bars).

252399

I have been using aerobars for touring since 1994. I wouldn't leave home without them!

awesome. getting an aero bar for sure. good riddance for disc wheels. they cost more than my bike. I feel like they look cool and thats about it. and no not taking about disc brakes. though I suppose its good to have one on touring bike. Just had the weirdest idea: anybody mix different types of brakes on one bike?

Just had the weirdest idea: anybody mix different types of brakes on one bike?

I've seen several Cyclocross bikes with a disc brake on the fork and a cantilever brake on the chainstays. Most of these were bikes that had the original fork for cantilever brakes removed and a disc brake fork was installed.

I've seen several Cyclocross bikes with a disc brake on the fork and a cantilever brake on the chainstays. Most of these were bikes that had the original fork for cantilever brakes removed and a disc brake fork was installed.


i have v-brakes on the original fork that i transferred over to a new disc-only frame.
so far, no problems.

Aero bars are great for a "rest" position when you don't want to stop pedaling but don't count on them making you any faster.

Disc wheels are a bad idea, very expensive, not strong as they are built for light weight and not carrying heavy loads, they catch crosswinds easily and any aero benefit will be negated by whatever means you are using to carry your gear. If you only have a bike with them and really want to tour I would say go for it and just keep the loads light or use a trailer but I would never recommend buying them just for touring as what they are designed for is the exact opposite of what suits a touring bike well.

I guess I forgot, if this is a supported tour and you are carrying no weight why the hell not if you have the money.

Just had the weirdest idea: anybody mix different types of brakes on one bike?

My touring bike has an Avid BB7 Road disc brake for the front brake and an Avid Shorty 6 cantilever as the rear brake. Works great!

awesome. getting an aero bar for sure. good riddance for disc wheels. they cost more than my bike. I feel like they look cool and thats about it. and no not taking about disc brakes. though I suppose its good to have one on touring bike. Just had the weirdest idea: anybody mix different types of brakes on one bike?

I fitted a suspension fork to my and my partner's bike and mounted disc brakes on the front only. For me, it gives superior stopping power with my laden weight downhill, for my partner, she doesn't need to pull on the brakes hard to control her descents (she doesn't like speed and rides the brakes all the way downhill) and stops her fingers aching with continual braking.

We are in the process of buying a couple of disc LHTers since we like the disc brakes so much.

FWIW, this post was asking about disk wheels and aero bars, not disk brakes.

FWIW, this post was asking about disk wheels and aero bars, not disk brakes.

FWIW. the original poster asked this question in post #13 so you haven't read the whole thread carefully enough.