schmiddy

hi, im quite a noob in terms of the technical aspects of biking an was in need of some help.
this summer im doing a tour of italy (from nice to scicily) and will be taking all my stuff with me in panniers. i will be doing roughly 8 hours of cycling a day and about 80 miles
i have a basic gt aggressor 3.0 at the moment and have been recieving alot of different advice
one which has popped up alot is get a cyclocross as it is rugged light weight and quite fast and also some about getting a touring bike for the obvious reason, i will be touring
although i have been suggested upgrading mine, with rigid forks and drop handle bars

what i would like to know is,
would it be better to simply buy a cyclocross/tourer
or upgrade mine??
would the extra money be worth it??

many thanks

stefan

slowjoe66

Regarding modifying your current bike: A GT agressor is an aluminum frame MTB with front suspension I believe. You could certainly upgrade. Get some slicks instead of knobbies, buy a rigid steel fork (Nashbar $50) : https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...%20ATB%20Forks
and get it installed at your LBS for probably another $20-$40 more. That would give you a weight savings up front of about 3-4 pounds while still giving you a measure of wrist comfort (the fork is steel). Next, I wouldn't go with drop bars if I were you. You have to get into stem, brake and shifter compatibility which may be a big hassle for a self professed noob. I would instead get either bar ends for the flat bar (cheaper), or clip on aero bars (would be my preference). You will get extra hand positions that way without all the issues. Then you are set. Your only issues will probably be minor (saddle, fenders, mirror). However, you said you are going with panniers. You may have some issues with heel strike on your panniers (one of the obvious advantages of a true touring bike). I toured on a bike outfitted very similarly to what I've outlined above and I was comfortable enough for 60 mile days and kept up with people on official touring bikes. If you want more, and plan on touring more regularly, get a Surly Long Haul Trucker or a Jamis Aurora for bit less than a grand. If you go with more of a cyclocross bike, you may still have to add some stuff to it to make it be a tourer (triple chain ring and etc.)

Good luck.

slowjoe66

As an addendum to my earlier reply, Sheldon Brown has a nice article about touring bikes as compared to mountain bikes on a tour :
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/euhans2.html
Especially the first part of the page.

NoReg

I think the basic thing with MTBs is whether you like this bike you currently have. If you convert it, goodbye MTB hello frankencycle. Sure you can switch it back, if the changes aren't to great.

It's one thing to dumpster dive a rigid MTB, put on some slicks and call it good, but the cost of upgrading a suspension MTB in terms of upgrades and depreciated downgrades is higher than starting fresh (unless and agressor is a 200 dollar bike).

My approach would be to look at what would be the ideal bike for your intended tour, then look at getting it done within your budget. MTBs are the perfect touring bike for some situations, but just because you already own one, I wouldn't fall prey to the idea it's the perect starting point.

The other important point is fit. I have had a number of good MTBs that I have used for offroad touring on snowmobile trails, etc... None of these has been a comfortable road position for me. But riding forest trails that are technical and muddy, worked fine. I have a long torso and most MTBs don't work for me on-road. You want to be sure that the fit of your MTB is something you would enjoy for a 12 hour day.

Jim Bushard

This summer I completely retrofitted my mtb for touring. This included new handle bars(trekking) SRAM 9.0 twist shifters, with rear derailleur, new front derailleur, new pedals, chain rings of 48/36/26 new BB. New cables and tires. Total was about $500. This was bargain shopping, ebay and the clearance bin. This bicycle is ready and seems to be comfortable. This is not a recommendation that you do something like this just to let you know it can be done.

staehpj1

Just a few comments.
1. If your MTB is fitted for off road it may be sized a bit smaller than ideal for on road.
2. It is possible to spend too much refitting a MTB for touring. If it needs too much, buy a touring bike.
3. You can get a new Surly LHT for under a thousand or a Windsor Touring for $599 both including shipping. We rode three Windsor Touring bikes across the US this Summer and were quite satisfied.

Rowan

The posters who mention sizing first off... know of what they speak, and should be listened to. It doesn't matter what the type of bike it is, just make sure that you and it fit together so you will be comfortable for extended touring.

Quite correctly, it has been pointed out that modern MTBs have shorter rear chainstays, and their frames usually are meant for trails style riding. What do you use your MTB for at present? Commuting? Off-road? Have you done anything like a 100-km day on it and how did you feel afterwards? If not, go try it soon so you have a base point to start with comfort factors.

Front suspension is not a limiter to touring, but unless you have very expensive forks, there are weight and (less likely but possible) mechanical issues. A fixed steel fork smooths out your ride, as well, so you don't lose energy through bobbing (unless you have a lockout). There is a kit now that you can use to fit a front rack to the suspension fork, too.

Speaking of panniers and the aforementioned heel strike, if you do the MTB conversion, and include a steel fork, try to get mid-fork braze-ons so you can fit a front rack and put your panniers there. It's a very simple solution to heelstrike, and will likely improve the handling of your bike. Europeans have known about front-fork luggage for a long time, and while it looks a bit weird, it can be an effective solution to several problems.

The BIG question you have asked, though, is any of the options worth it? The question that I have to ask back is... do you intend to carry on touring extensively after the Italy trip, or do you see this as a once-in-a-lifetime adventure? A minor subsidiary question is do you intend to keep on commuting after the trip?

Obviously, if this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip... go with a simple conversion of your MTB like slowjoe suggests, providing you can be comfortable for the distances you intend to travel. You save money to go do more things in Italy, and you can keep riding it when you get home.

If you intend to do more touring and commuting, a touring bike is a good option, but whichever one you decide on (including any of the crossbike options)... make sure it fits!!!

DuckFat

Get some thinner tires, lock the suspension or get a regular fork, get a Brooks saddle, and some long bar ends. Raise the stem or get a steeper one if you are too hunched over. Then sell the panniers and buy a BoB trailer and go. With the trailer you can do the trip with whatever bike you are comfortable with.

If you don't get a trailer then a different bike is a good idea.