Touring on a hybrid???

[pauls8733]

Hi all,

I am new to the cycling world, and I have bought a Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disc 2011 Hybrid Bike, as seen http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-bike-ec025040.

I am interested in doing a tour, but don't want to buy another bike after just buying this one, it seems very fast to me on the road. Would it be ok to do a tour on it for maybe 5 days, loaded up with panniers?

Any help or advice much appreciated.

[Juha]

People tour with all kinds of bikes. One of the most toured guy, Heinz Stücke, covered tens of thousands of KMs on a 3-speed bike. I'm nowhere near those touring distances but have done many tours on a couple of Nishiki hybrid bikes, and my current tourer is a GT Traffic hybrid.

If you're comfortable on the bike, and if you can fit the required accessories (most importantly racks for panniers), you're good to go. BTW, when you pack all the gear you need for an unsupported tour and hang the panniers on your bike, you'll notice high riding speeds are no longer a priority. It's more a matter of being able to ride several hours a day, and that's why it's important you're comfortable on the bike.

--J

[pauls8733]

Ok, thanks for the advice, I think I'll do a trial run before heading off into europe on a major journey.

[Juha]

Trial run is a good idea, it also tells you what stuff you need on a tour and what is just dead weight.