kawasakiguy37

I know often you guys dont recommend "sport touring" bikes for touring, bit I have an early 1980s lotus excelle that may work. It has eyelets near the rear derailleur hanger for a rack / fenders, but I believe thats all (it MAY have ones on the fork, but I dont think so). Its mangeallow 2001 and is fairly sturdy (medium heavy, definitely not the lighest of steel bikes) and right now I have 27" wheels with 32 equivalent size tires. No cantis, it has normal road style calipers, but I think fenders (hopefully) will still fit. I may buy some used planet bike fenders to throw on the bike soon. I have an old 80s rear rack (basically clamps onto the rear triangle + has one pole going down on each side to the eyelet. Is this rack good enough? What are my other mounting options for front / other racks? Is it safe to drill small holes in the frame to mount additional water bottle holders? Thanks

nun

If you keep your load light I consider the sport tourer the perfect touring bike. The geometry is a nice
compromise between comfort and speed.

mrhedges

its important to note that you can tour on any bicycle. I tour on a trek 400 which is also a sport touring model, some bikes are better then others. but whats more important is that the bike fits you and you enjoy riding it. When my parents toured in the 70s, they toured on peugots that were essentially sport touring. They stayed in motels though, so they didn't have as much gear.

many times people get worked up about gear and forget that its not about what you use but how much fun you have. bicycles are tools and so what you are going to use it for should determine what kind of bike, what kind of tour? where? a long one? are you going to camp?

If you plan too just own one bike to commute and go on short tours a sport touring model is ideal, a hybrid or commuter bicycle is the modern equivalent to a sport tourer, they were designed to be ridden in many different situations. if you plan to spend 6 months biking across africa or through sibera, you might need a more rugged model.

test out the rack, there are alot of options for mounting racks if you don't have eyelets. if you are doing a loaded unsupported tour you may want to invest in a good rack.

are the wheels steel or alloy? post some pictures. also the folks on classic and vintage may be able to tell you more about the bike and if its worth upgrading.

mrhedges

its important to note that you can tour on any bicycle. I tour on a trek 400 which is also a sport touring model, some bikes are better then others. but whats more important is that the bike fits you and you enjoy riding it. When my parents toured in the 70s, they toured on peugots that were essentially sport touring. They stayed in motels though, so they didn't have as much gear.

many times people get worked up about gear and forget that its not about what you use but how much fun you have. bicycles are tools and so what you are going to use it for should determine what kind of bike, what kind of tour? where? a long one? are you going to camp?

If you plan too just own one bike to commute and go on short tours a sport touring model is ideal, a hybrid or commuter bicycle is the modern equivalent to a sport tourer, they were designed to be ridden in many different situations. if you plan to spend 6 months biking across africa or through sibera, you might need a more rugged model.

test out the rack, there are alot of options for mounting racks if you don't have eyelets. if you are doing a loaded unsupported tour you may want to invest in a good rack.

are the wheels steel or alloy? post some pictures. also the folks on classic and vintage may be able to tell you more about the bike and if its worth upgrading.

Bacciagalupe

Racks are cheap, especially if you aren't going to spring for a whole new bike. If you have any doubt that it's sturdy enough, I recommend you drop a few bucks on something new.


I don't think it's safe to drill holes unless you absolutely know what you're doing; you could easily compromise the integrity of the frame. Fortunately you can pick up things like Minoura water bottle mounts, which do not require any drilling.

Other options for front racks include using P-clamps, or a rack that connects to the brake bosses (e.g. Old Man Mountain).

foamy

What nun said. I'm going over a Lotus Elcair built of the same material. Nice bikes. Like others have said, if it fits, go to it. Lotus has a bit of a cult following. Post up a photo if you can.

kawasakiguy37

I have eyelets on the bottom near the rear derailleur hanger, but no attatchment up near the rear brake. I just got back and looked at the bike, and the front fork does actually have eyelets as well! Ill take some pictures asap of the rack and whatnot, but it seems fairly sturdy....right now my primary goal is just creating the cheapest touring bike I can get that can be fairly self isolated (no motels basically), and the lotus fits me PERFECT

Bacciagalupe

Again, p-clamps / Old Man Mountain are good options here.

Also, don't skimp out too much. Make sure your gearing is sufficiently low, your tires are sufficiently wide, the spokes are in true and solid, that the bike as a whole is in top shape, and that you have the spare parts and tools (and know-how) to fix the bike while on the road. You don't want to have a critical part break, especially if you're in a very isolated area. Right?

mrhedges

Also, don't skimp out too much. Make sure your gearing is sufficiently low, your tires are sufficiently wide, the spokes are in true and solid, that the bike as a whole is in top shape, and that you have the spare parts and tools (and know-how) to fix the bike while on the road. You don't want to have a critical part break, especially if you're in a very isolated area. Right?

+1 . the advantage of using a bike you already have is that you can spend some money customizing it to fit your cycling style.

kawasakiguy37

Yea, ive totally cleaned, regreased EVERTHING on the bike (even the BB bearings themselves). It rides perfect. I may want to upgrade to a triple though, as right now it has a double that doesnt go too low

markf

Hose clamps for the water bottle cages, maybe a strip of electrician's tape to protect the paint. P-clamps (also called cable clamps/cable hangers at your local hardware store) for anyplace you don't have an eyelet brazed on and want to attach a rack. Duct tape and a splint of some kind if you're worried about the rack breaking.