oldsettlerswood

In the next year I am going to invest in a touring bike. My front runners are Trek 520 and LHT. I am going to Chicago in a few weeks and will hit the REI and test the Safari and Randonee for the heck of it while I'm there. Also just noticed about the Taiwanese BG and might consider slowly building that up. Here's the thing though......

How much do you baby your touring bike?

I think this might be something that will influence my decision!!! I know with my road bike I hate to get it wet or dirty. I keep it inside in weather like this. But, I really want my touring bike to be an all around "go to" bike for most of my riding....even when not touring. The awesome paint color and bar tape, as well as those 700c wheels calls to me on the 520! I would probably baby that bike at least a little...probably a lot. The LHT, on the other hand....don't like the color and somehow with a 26" wheel I can't get the thought of a MTB out of my head!! I could stick some fatty tires on there in the off season and feel more comfortable riding it in bad weather. I think I could abuse that bike more and not feel bad about it. Same with the Safari.

SO, after all that time weighing the pros and cons and debating over this and that on each bike, upgrading parts, tweaking this and that......do you keep your bike spotless when not actually on tour......or do you use the crap out of it? And, do you think wheel size and or the appeal of the bike subconciously influences that?

Machka 

Not much ... a lot less than I probably should. Poor Machak. I feel bad. But Rowan is going to try to get him back into shape again.

But the thing is, a touring bicycle, used on a tour, is likely going to get character marks and is likely going to have parts that wear out. My tours generally involve using multiple modes of transportation. So Machak gets stuffed into a cardboard box for the flight, then put together, and dragged onto a train and stuck in a corner next to a pile of luggage, then ridden in the rain a bit, then leaned against a rough and scratchy tree, then ............

staehpj1

I don't baby mine at all. I do regular maintenance, but don't worry a bit about riding in rain mud or whatever. To me bikes are just tools and are meant to be used. I don't spend huge amounts or lust after more expensive bikes or fancier components, so perhaps I am in the minority? Not sure though, maybe there are lots of others who feel the same.

TurbineBlade

I have a surly LHT that ....well, I haven't toured with it but I love it as a solid commuter. I don't do a lot of babying to it, as it has downtube shifters, a cheap tourney RD, a crappy set of machine-built wheels I got from another bike, and a brooks b17.

I wipe and lube the chain every three days or so, and once in a while I'll wipe the frame with WD-40...that's it. It already has scratches from the racks at work and the stickers are peeling off. Usually there's a lot of crap stuck on the front fender and some leaves jammed around the bottom bracket area. Meh.....it's a surly, not a madone.

antokelly

i look after mine like a child it's as good as the day i bought it.washed polished lubed after every ride .but i would ride it through any terraine im not worried if it's raining /snow bring it on ,my baby is well able for anything.pity about the pilot.

Cyclebum

I'm in the 'bike is a tool' camp. Just try to keep it in mechanically sound condition. It is currently under reconstruction. Fresh paint, some new components, custom decals. A way to scratch an itch for a new bike that I don't need. It'll still be just a means to an end.

That being said, my touring bike is expected to become a family heirloom when I'm gone, encased in glass and worshiped by all who pass. Sorta like a bike Lance A. donated to the Clinton Library in LR.

Cyclesafe

When not riding I keep my Americano covered when touring and garaged when not. I try to avoid potholes and other debris that might dent rims and if raining cover the saddle with a shower cap. If the bike falls over and gets scratched, then so be it. I do my reasonable best.

When I return from a tour though, I service everything on the bike and touch up scratched paint. At 20k miles I had my bike repainted with an epoxy primer and black urethane top coat which is MUCH tougher than the yellow acylic paint the bike came with. It is now much easier to keep presentable for the roadies on PCH where I ride in the off-season and since there are no decals to announce that it is a premium bike, it less attractive (I hope) to theives.

And the disc brakes and 203mm rotors still look marvelous.

truman

Not at all. I do maintenance and replace consumables on time, but I ride it daily as a commuter, and rarely wash it. It also serves as a test bed for whatever I'm thinking might make an improvement to the overall ride. I don't go out of my way to abuse it, but neither do I worry if the only place to lean it is a steel pole that might add another scratch to the patina.

leftcoast

I have a 2009 Trek 520 and one of the things I like about is it looks great. Howver, I sooned discovered that when your touring there are many situations that are unavoidable i.e. riding in the rain, campgrounds at the end of a 4 mile gravel road, handle bar tape unraveling and it being too wet to fix it properly ect..... The main thing for me is making sure it is mechanically sound and then when I get home from the tour I clean it up and repair anything that may need repairing. There is always something to take care of, the first nick is depressing but after that they all start giving the bike a little more character.

valygrl

I have a 2007 520 and I don't baby it at all. It's my farm/dirt road winter bike, grocery getter, and riding-with-slow-friends bike when it's not on tour. The fact that it's covered in mud and scratched up from being boxed and knocked over doesn't bother me.

This is actually one reason why I'm not that interested in getting a really fancy tour bike -- if I had a really nice & expensive bike I might be worried about cosmetic damage or theft on tour, and touring just is not about the bike for me, so that would be an imposition.

foamy

I baby mine. When riding, well, it just gets ridden. It's been off-roading and all of that, scraped and dinged a bit, but I try and avoid shots to the rims and such like. I've touched up the paint and keep it as clean as my other bikes when not touring. I carry a tarp for covering it at night on tour. It's a work of art and I treat it like one. It's also a bicycle and I ride it like one. My favorite bike, in fact.

kayakdiver

It's a tool..................................... not a jewel.

AngrySaki

I do/did for the first week or so, then it just became a tool.

Dave Nault

If by "Baby" you mean regular cleaning and maintenance then I baby the hell out of my bike.

rhm

I don't baby mine. I maintain it well mechanically, but don't clean anything but the chain. I'll go over it pretty thoroughly a few weeks before going on any long rides, though.

pubb

I baby my Aurora by:

1. Keeping my drivetrain clean & lubed
2. Not riding through broken glass or other debris if I can avoid it
3. WIPING the frame free of grit that could wind up in components
4. Keeping my tires inflated to specification
5. Keeping my spokes tensioned properly and wheels trued

In exchange for this, I expect my bike to work in every kind of weather, carrying every kind of load.

pubb

bgcycles 

[QUOTE=oldsettlerswood;10143259]Also just noticed about the Taiwanese BG and might consider slowly building that up. Here's the thing though......QUOTE]

Just noticed your post - to let you know the New Taiwanese BLT's are on sale until December 24th - check them out at - brucegordoncycles.blogspot.com
Regards,
Bruce Gordon
www.bgcycles.com

John Nelson

My touring bike is dedicated to touring. So I baby it. It hangs, protected and clean and shiny, waiting for my next tour. I don't use it for general riding and I don't use it for commuting.

Doug64

Yes

antokelly

great looking bike (baby)

kaliayev

I have a 2004 Trek 520. It's a tool. But, like all my tools it performs best when kept clean and maintained properly when put away.

KDC1956

I baby mine a lot I will hate the first day it get hurt lol.It better be good back to me too.I kept it clean as much as I can after a ride it get clean again.My baby is a Surly LHT Olive Green :-)

m_yates

The first week I had mine it fell over and got the paint on the top tube scratched and chipped. I figured it was bound to happen sometime. Good thing I got it out of the way early. Just covered the exposed metal over with clear fingernail polish and didn't feel the need to baby it as much any more.

MilitantPotato

I fill scratches (there's been lots in only a year of ownership,) rarely clean it other than the drive chain and braking surfaces.
Once in a blue moon I'll hose it down after riding in the wet if it's covered in grit. I try and keep it out of rain, if only to prevent rusting the frame and the hassle of re-greasing stuff.

I do baby it in terms of theft though. I never let go of it unless it's locked, and even if locked I'm never more then a few feet away. It's a custom build, and to be honest was an extravagant expenditure on my part, but it needed to be done due to my height. Having it stolen would sting.

davidad

My Heron is a cross between a pickup and a station wagon. I care for it properly, but don't worry over the scratches and dings.