malorty

Hello all! So I just purchased a used 2001 520 for $1000. The previous owner had set it up with mainly road components (fairly new):
handbuilt Mavic wheels on Ultegra hubs, Ultegra rear derailler, 105 crankset, Thompson elite seatpost, Avid 5 Single digit brakes, IRD Techno glide headset, Bontrager race stem and bars, dura ace bar end shifters, Brooks B-17 saddle

I was hesitant at first because I bought the bike to tour Europe fully loaded and was under the impression that Shimano's mtn bike line was more bullet proof and suitable for touring. Others told me it was a trade off since most of these components are more top of the line than most stock touring setups. what is everyones opinion of taking this touring as is or what do you think I should swap out? Thanks for any suggestions.

I will be using it mostly around town and shorter tours for the next year until I do Europe.

nowheels

you should be fine with those components........ but for loaded touring you will want a triple and at least a 13-28 rear cassette...... or even more.

antokelly

i would say you done ok on that deal there a good no great selection of gear on that rig,great wheels but may not be suitable for fully loaded touring but no big deal there get yourself good set touring wheels bigger range of gears.i think you should be ok enjoy your new bike.

jonsam

What's the spoke count and rim type? That's probably the most important factor for loaded touring.

thebulls

If you're doing loaded touring, you need to be looking at something like a 22/32/42 in front and an 11/34 in back. Which means you'll need a new rear derailleur--something like a Deore LX or XT should work fine. The front derailleur will probably work fine if the 105 is a triple. Current shifters should work fine as long as you keep the number of cogs unchanged. So another couple hundred bucks. Plus you'll want 700x32 tires (or similar) and fenders. Hope the wheels are solid, I wouldn't want any 32 (or fewer) spoke wheels on a touring bike. But even if the rims are the ubiquitous Mavic Open Pro, they'll still probably be fine with 700x32 tires. At least, they've been fine for me for many thousands of miles of randonneuring. Possibly the higher loads of loaded touring will imply a shorter lifetime.

malorty

Thanks for the replies. The rims are Mavic CXP 22's on Ultegra hubs. And the bike is not in front of me but I think they are 32 spoke.

The 105 up front is a triple but I am planning on changing out the rear cassette to probably 11/34 anyway. "thebulls"- why will I have to change the rear derailler if I change the cassette?

malorty

Any responses to these wheels for touring? Or the derailler question?

valygrl

No real info on the wheels, but on the der., if you switch out to mountain bike gearing, you'll need a longer chain and a long-cage (MTB) deraileur - the road derailler can't take up enough chain for the larger spread in gears. Your shop should be able to sort that out, though. They'll also be able to tell you the widest tire you can put on your rims. You should be in the 28-32 range for good roads, err on the high side for cobblestones, bring a good pump and inflate regularly.

I think you can get down to a 26 tooth granny on that crank (maybe 24) - I had a 26 on mine, adding a chain watcher will help if you have problems shifting off the inside of the granny. 26x34 is OK gearing, go as low as you can, you won't be sorry.

I would say vis-a-vis the wheels, you are going to Europe, not the middle-of-nowhere, so if you have wheel problems you can probably solve them in a few days by throwing money at the problem (have wheels shipped to you). (It's easier for me to say this because I am a small person so I don't stress my wheels too much - if you are larger, don't listen to me)

Have a great trip!

robow

How much do you weigh and how much do plan on carrying? If you're a clydesdale, > 200 lbs or plan on carrying a full load then I would opt for a stronger wheel but if you're < 165 lbs and/or will be touring lite, then they should work, just my experience from touring on similar wheels.

malorty

Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty light, about 150 and ideally packing light (we will see how that goes) so I guess I will keep those wheels. I guess I will handle the derailler dilema closer to leave time because its set up nice right now for around town.