Motorad

There is a forum for "Touring". There is another forum for "Long Distance Cycling".

What is the difference between these biking descriptions?

shmulb

My guess would be that Touring covers long distance (cross country rides) typically going slowly and carrying a lot of stuff!
Where Long Distance would be more like
Paris Brest Paris and similar rides, A long way relatively fast and in a limited time.

Motorad

For argument, I'm toying with the idea of using my Serotta Legend for credit card touring. When doing a search for Serotta in the Touring forum ... you don't get many hits ... but there are some:
< https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...hlight=serotta >

How would the style of bikes differ for touring rides and for long distance rides?

What accessories would work for one ... but not the other ... and vice versa?

For example, I'm guessing that carbon forks would be acceptable for doing a timed (long distance) century, but could you use carbon forks on a load-bearing tour bike?

For another example, is there such a thing as a lightweight touring bike ... at least for doing credit card tours while carrying a load less than 15 lbs?

The Smokester

An LD ride is done as much as possible in one contiuous ride and usually is considered to be a minimum distance of 100 miles. Organized LD rides usually are not races but nevertheless have a time limit for finishing which typically requires an average speed of about 10 mph over the entire distance of the ride. Stopping to eat and sleep is done minimally with sleep usually taken only on rides in excess of 24 or 36 hours. The riding continues day and night as necessary.

A tour is done over the course of days with the rider stopping and eating and sleeping "normally".

NOS88

The general differences between a touring bike and another road bike that might work very nicely has mostly to do with how much weight the touring bike will carry and still handle OK. Good touring bikes are designed to carry pretty heavy loads for days at a time without putting the rider at risk of having a skittish bike to deal with. Your Serotta Legend should be fine for credit card touring (you won't be carrying a sleeping bag, tent, stove, extra food and water) as long as you find it comfortable on all day rides now.

Pat

Generally, long distance rides are centuries and longer distances done in a single day or a longer distance like 300 miles done in a limited time like 48 hours.

"Touring" has a number of different usages. The usage that I think the forum has is also called fully loaded touring. In this version, the cyclist puts front and rear panniers on his bike and rides as a self contained unit. He carries his own food, tent, cooking equipment and so on. It is sort of RVing on bicycle. Credit card touring is where the cyclist carries his change of clothes and toilet articles but he eats at restaurants and stays at hotels.

The Smokester

I am about to take delivery of my "dream bike" which is a Gunnar Sport. This is a typical LD bike which is limited to a 20 lb load. Good for CC touring also.

I also have a Surly Long Haul Trucker for fully loaded touring but it is about 10 pounds heavier.

Jet Travis

Touring, as I've experienced it, is packing enough gear on your bike to get you through any number of days, weeks or months and then cycling round the countryside stopping in churches, pubs and museums at your fancy.

Long distance cycling more like what you'll find here: https://www.ultracycling.com/index.html

PS--I think your Serotta should do fine on a credit card tour.

Motorad

Thanks everyone. By definition, I should train first for the long distance description.

donheff

My wife and I got Specialized Tricross Comps (light weight cyclocross bikes) specifically for what you describe. These bikes have carbon forks but have brazons for front and rear racks. So far we only have rear racks - we would not try to put a heavy load on these bikes. We use roads and trails and like to do light (credit card) touring, staying in BBs instead of camping. We look for situations where either go for a couple of days and carry our change of clothes or for situations where we have support to get luggage from stop to stop. I like it because the bikes are fine for everyday, non-tour riding as well.

BengeBoy 

I've looked at the Specialized Tricross Comp and it looks great for this kind of riding.

Back in the day, there used to be a whole class of bikes called "sport touring" that filled this niche. I've discovered since getting back into biking that this term isn't used as much any more. Instead, bikes like the Tricross Comps (or Redline Conquest or Bianchi Volpe) or many others that are marketed as cyclocross bikes seem to make fine century/commuting/credit card touring bikes. Light enough to have fun; enough braze-ons to fit a light rack in the rear; enough clearance for 32c tires and fenders.

One of the dividing lines between a "sport tourer" and a "full-blown" touring bike that I memorized years ago was two separate measurements -- chainstays on touring bikes are at least 17 inches long, and total wheelbase is at least 41 inches long. That's a simplication, but those are the two numbers I remember and so far in looking at (and test riding) lots of bikes those two measurements still make sense to me. They indicate not only a more relaxed geometry (the long wheelbase) but also enough room to carry big panniers in back and avoid heelstrike (the long chainstays). A lot of the cyclocross bikes that I looked at fall just a bit shorter than these two dimensions; but bikes like the Surly Long Haul Trucker, Novara Randonee and Trek 520 are anywhere from a half-inch to two-inches longer, depending on the comparison you're making. Thus, better for big loads (but heavier, too).

Finally, there is a subset called "expedition" touring -- 26-inch wheels (for better tire/wheel availability outside Europe and North America); super rugged frames; sometimes with Rohloff hubs. Check out:
https://www.thorncycles.co.uk/models.html. These seem like great bikes...sort of like having a Hummer, but without the gas mileage problems...

To further sub-segment this "long distance" thing, if you look at the long-distance forum here at BF it attracts a couple of different type of riders -- people interested in long distance "day" rides, or centuries; and people who ride in randonneur events. Though obviously many riders do both kinds of events, the differences I see in the bikes they prefer are that people who only ride on centuries seem to favor lighter, racing-style bikes (like the Specialized Roubaix); frequently they are only going to carry enough stuff to get them from one support station to the next...they don't expect to be on the road at night; they don't worry about fender clearance (as much), and favor smaller tires. The folks w/all-out randonneur bikes frequently have more carrying capacity (because they're self-supporting, even in organized events); fenders (because they ride in all kinds of weather); and they have lighting, frequently with some kind of generator hub (because they ride all night).

All of this argues for either:

- A, try different kinds of riding, and get a bike for each one!

or

- B, ignore this hyper-specialization and get a good "sport touring" bike that can cover a lot of bases (if you're careful).

BluesDawg

Touring is about going places on a bicycle. Long distance riding is about covering miles.

roadfix

Touring could even be as short as a day tour.

BengeBoy 

Or what Grant Peterson at Rivendell calls "bike camping;" he is the advocate of the sub-24-hour bike tour; out in the afternoon, camp out all night, back in the morning.

Catweazle

So:

Touring is all about going a long way on a bike, not being fussed about how long it takes to get there beyond keeping within the overall time frames you have available to you, and getting your enjoyment from the scenery, the company, and the outdoors fresh air.

Long distance riding is about going a long way on a bike, getting there as quickly as you can, and getting your enjoyment from the pain involved in doing so!

staehpj1

Not necessarily, but maybe.

Touring doesn't require any training beyond getting comfortable spending hours on the bike. Most people who tour probably also ride a century once in a while, which just barely qualifies as long distance by most definitions (some may include metric centuries though).

There is some overlap of the two, but for example your proposed 3 day 150 mile ride would be touring (creditcard touring in this case), but probably not long distance by most standards with 50 mile days.

Both groups are mostly pretty friendly and not too likely to draw too fine a line.

BengeBoy 

+1

RoMad

While I was riding yesterday I met a guy on a nice Cannondale Cad 4. He told me that two years ago he rode it across the country. I asked him how he carried his gear and he said he pulled a Bob trailer. He said he put a triple on the front and that was pretty much all he did. He said he has a motorcycle now and does'nt ride much anymore. After I had turned off and headed home it dawned on me that I should have asked if he still had the trailer. I would like to try pulling one sometime.

BikerJoeP

BINGO!!

BluesDawg

Not necessarily. You can tour on a tight schedule if that's what you want to do and you can ride long distances at a casual pace if you like.

will dehne

I remember my first post on the Bike Forum. I am into Long Distance cycling as defined above. About 100 to 150 miles per day with minimum luggage (but a few Credit Cards).

Anyway, not knowing better, I posted on the Touring Forum. Bad idea. It took a while to realize these folks worry about a lot of different things. Different bikes, food, camping, money, different speeds and different routes.

I am now on the 50+ Forum because I get the broadest experience. Perhaps not always relevant but often interesting.

stapfam

We have this trail in our area- 100 miles off road. To do it in one day would be classed as the low end of long distance riding- that is if 14 hours riding can be classed as low end. OK- you have to have a bit of "extra" or "Excessive" clothing and a few spares just in case and you do need to carry food. Water is not a problem providing you find the taps. But it can be done in a day by a fit rider. And without a massive pack on your back either.

That same one day trip- is also done by Tourers- complete with panniers- backpacks and spares galore crammed in the bags that are all over the bike. We always know the ones that are just starting the 3 day tour. We see them at the start of the trail going up "Paradise Way"- the start of the ride if you go East to West. All I can say is that if I have to ride a bike with an extra 40lbs strapped to it- I am definitely staying a long distance rider.

staehpj1

There are sometimes good discussions about credit card touring on the touring group. There are sometimes good discussions about loaded touring. There are sometimes discussions about everything in between.

Unfortunately there are tons of threads about building up the "ultimate touring bike" often consisting of posts by folks who have never toured, but seem to know the one true answer to what everyone else should ride.

If you read and post on the threads that interest you and try to avoid what doesn't interest you it is an OK group.

Pamestique 

Touring just means you are taking a multi day trip using your bike. The distance each day can be short or long. I have taken week long tours, carrying all my gear, where I travelled close to 100 miles each day. Conversely I have toured going short distances, say 25 - 40 miles because I was also sightseeing and hiking. Touring can also mean that your gear is sagged while you just ride. Typically, but it's not necessary, a touring style bike has a longer wheel based in order to support the weight of panniers.

Long Distance cycling is 200+ in one ride.

I love touring. I don't like long distance riding. Did one double century - that was enough for me!

BigBlueToe

Touring to me means taking a trip via bicycle. When I just go 30 miles to the local state park for the weekend, I don't call it a tour, but I suppose you could. When I go for a week or two or four, that's a tour. My usual method is to carry everything myself - self-contained touring - but it's just as much touring to me when you just take clothes, eat in restaurants, and sleep in motels. It's touring to me when you have someone drive along in a support vehicle with all the gear, stopping to make you lunch, give you ice water, setting up your tent, etc.

To me, long distance riding is more riding long distances in one stretch. For me a century is a long distance. I've done several but I have no desire to ride much further. I think the farthest I've ridden in a day is 108 miles. But I hear about others doing double centuries all the time. Then there are things like the Death Ride that incorporate massive climbing along with their long distances.

Those are my definitions of the terms. Others may have their own.