Bearonabike

First, I can NOT stand posts that ask what bike someone should buy so please be aware, I am NOT asking that question. What I do need is info in general about a set of touring bikes for the wife and myself.

Type of riding: 2-3 day trips at 60-90 miles per day. If we ever get the money, maybe a few weeks spent doing New England tours when the leaves change or something with some climbing to it, but most rides will be in the rolling hills of N. Florida.

Budget: No more and $1,300 per bike BEFORE accessories. We are looking for a VALUE buy and know that the "ultimate Cadillac of a bike" is likely out of our price range. Our select criteria are 40% Reliability, 30% Comfort, 20% Component Quality, and 10% for ease to repair.

We are looking at the following brands with a desire to reduce it to our "top 3" which we will then try to find and test ride if at all possible. What I would like to know is the reputation these bikes have earned, and if there are any that I should add to the initial list before we do a down-select to our best 3 options. Here is the list:

Trek 520 (Early Favorite)
Surly Long Haul Trucker (Early Favorite)
Mercier Galaxy Steel
Dawes Lightning Tour
Windsor Tourist
KHS TR-101 (Early favorite)
Fuji Touring (Early Favorite)
Raleigh Royal
Raleigh Pioneer Jaguar (likely the first eliminated)

The KHS, Trek and Fuji bikes are only favorites because we own bikes by these manufacturers and they have proven to be reliable etc. The Surly is a fave due to reviews and price.

Any more we should look at?
Any that have a bad reputation?

Thanks.

TrekFix

Looks like a good list so far. It is hard sometimes to find touring bikes in your size to test ride. I just happened to get lucky at my LBS...... I have the Trek 520 and love it.

sstorkel

How important is being able to buy a complete bike versus buying a frame and having a bike assembled around it? How soon are you looking to buy?

Nashbar's Double-Butted Aluminum Touring Frame is currently out of stock, but it's normally about 1/3rd to 1/4th the cost of a LHT and makes for a great touring bike. I've been pretty impressed with mine... There's also the Soma Saga, which is similar to the LHT in both design and price. If I were looking for a pre-built touring bike, the Salsa Vaya would be on my short list. Then again, I'm a sucker for drop bars and disc brakes. IIRC, the MSRP is slightly above your budget but you might be able to bargain a shop down (especially if you were going to buy two). The big downside to this bike is the compact double crank if you buy it complete...

Bearonabike

Thanks, looked at the Salsa Vaya and will show it to the wife. Aluminum frames are out (too stiff). That was the first thing we actually looked at and liked the geometry. We were about to pull the trigger on Nashbar until we saw the material.

Spec review has eliminated the KHS right up front. The components are 2-3 cuts below the Trek at comparable pricing and the chain has a rep for being a POS.

scroca

First thing I'd do is cut your list down to something more manageable.

I recently bought a Surly Long Haul Trucker and I love it. It is made of steel.

Bearonabike

Thanks for the info and the post is one method to pare the list.


Based on more web searching and inputs from the wife, we now have:

Trek 520 (Early Favorite)
Surly Long Haul Trucker (Early Favorite)
Mercier Galaxy Steel
Windsor Tourist (if we can get a 2 bike deal down to $1300 each)
Fuji Touring (Early Favorite)

jeveretts

I am about an hour from you just south of Daytona, I have two Long Haul Truckers here... A 42cm with trekking bars, and a 52cm with randonneur drop bars, you are welcome to come up and try either of em.

stringbreaker

The windsor tourist is $599.00 each with free shipping. I just bought one a couple weeks ago. Mind you there will be a few things you might want to change out such as the cheesy brake pads and the pedals. You should take the bikes to a LBS after you assemble them ( provided you want or are able to) Have them checked over and get the wheels trued. Other than that I really like mine and there is a lady on Crazy guy on a bike that did a cross country and is on another one right now with this bike. The LHT seems to be the bike of choice since it can be built up to suit but its more money.My two cents you can take with a grain of salt. https://bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/tourist.htm Here is a lady doing the tour I wrote about above.https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?..._id=4908&v=1Ql

Bearonabike

The 52 should be right for the wife. I think a 60 will likely be my best fit.

Address please.

kayakdiver

My personal opinion.... Of the bikes mentioned I would say the 520. Why? No other reason than it's a little less common than the LHT'r and is very well equipped. Reality is that any one of them would do the job. Pick the one with the color you like best and that fits.. ride and have fun......

Davet

IMO, you should limit your choice to the 520 and LHT. Either of those is a top-tier budget minded real touring bike, pretty well ready to go out-of-the-box.

Doug64

Just a thought--- The 52cm steel frame will ride pretty much the same as 52cm aluminum frame. Regardless of material frames that small don't have much flex and are pretty rigid. My wife rides a 50 cm Cannondale T800 (Aluminum, frame, steel fork), and test rode a small framed steel touring bike a couple of weeks ago. She did not see a noticible difference. However, we are replacing the Cannondale with steel frame custom build. Sometime tire size has more to do with comfort than frame material.

Miles2go

Hmmmm.....

Reply:

1) https://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?ID=91150
2) https://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?ID=91150
3) https://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?ID=91150
4) https://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?ID=91150

My last words from a thread currently on page two or three of this forum:

"this Reynolds 853 frameset is one of the best opportunities to be found across the entire touring bike market. Personally, I am not aware of a loaded touring platform that is as good as the Sherpa 30 is for the same cost or less. And I've ridden and studied most of the bikes in question for comparison. A wolf in sheep's clothing."

This finding goes for the 2009 Sherpa 10 as well, since it has the same frameset.


My last, last words, should you be interested in seeing more:

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/revie...read_id=162747

Bubu

Sherpa 10 is Reynolds 725 not 853. Still a good bike if you don't mind the sora brifters.

Miles2go

Incorrect.

The 2009 Sherpa 10 frame ***is*** Reynolds 853 just like the spec in the link I provided says.

The 2010 Sherpa 10 is Reynolds 725. And you're right that 725 is nothing to sneeze at. A hand-built 725 frameset is still a very rare thing outside of the custom touring bike market.

The components on this bike could be made out of card board and it's still worth $999 for the hand-built frameset and wheels. That said, I essentially took this same bike to Alaska and beat the crap out of it, carrying a very heavy load and it worked perfectly. Read the review for more on that. I never had to even think about the bike. Awe inspiring, solid and steady, yet very comfortable.

I'd get the best platform that suits your needs and preferences and don't let a few minor part swaps steer you away from the best touring frameset made for under the $1,300 price point for a complete bike. Of course, you can tour on just about anything but if you want an ultimate value on a bike that can take 50c tires, the RMB Sherpa is in a class all by itself.

Just be careful of the sizing on the Sherpa. I ride a 52cm Sherpa and I'm 5'11". My wife at 5'6" would likely ride the 50.

sstorkel

Have to admit: I absolutely, positively hate aluminum frames. With a passion! Here's the thing: throw a 700x35 touring tire on the Nashbar frame and you won't be able to tell the difference between it and steel or carbon fiber. As much as I hate aluminum, I rode the Nashbar from SF to LA and had absolutely no complaints with the ride...

leftcoast

I went through this last year and basically it came down to the Surly and the Trek 520. I choose the Trek and have not regreted it at all. I did a couple of good load tours on it, one being the Oregon Coast & across the Cascades and the bike preformed flawlessly. I have a Cannodale Synapse Sport that is a great around town bike but it just hangs in my garage, I only ride my Trek now. Get the Trek and a nice set of Ortliebs and you'll be set for many years of great riding): Good luck.

jeveretts

PM Sent

BigBlueToe

I have the LHT and can't find any faults with it. I love it, and feel very secure on it - like nothing will break. I met a guy in Glacier who had ridden from Buffalo, NY on a Fuji tourer - one that's a bit cheaper. He had already replaced the wheelset, and had a couple more problems. His total cost was probably similar to mine, but he had the inconvenience of having to replace stuff on tour, while mine hadn't even had a flat tire.

I built mine from a frame (about 6 months before they started selling the complete.) and it was more expensive than if I had gotten the complete. If I had it to do again I'd go with the complete.

bgcycles 

You might want to check out the Taiwanese BLT from Bruce Gordon Cycles.
https://www.bgcycles.com/BasicLoadedTouring.html
https://brucegordoncycles.blogspot.co...1_archive.html

Regards,
Bruce Gordon

sm1960

I just bought a 520, added better fenders,brooks flyer saddle, $50 computer for 1400.

LeeG

Reliability once you are looking at production bikes is a large part the user knowing how the bike functions and maintaining the bike. Knowing if brakes are adjusted correctly, if the rim is out of whack, if bearings are too tight or too loose, if connecting bolts are the right torque. For most folks who are new to the mechanics of bikes it's a discovery process of riding, noticing changes, bringing the bike back to the shop, riding more and addressing issues as they arise. A good assembly where the shop ensures everything is right from day one and adjusts the bike after a few demo rides makes for a good start but can't compensate for a rider who isn't aware what the correct tire pressure it or the limits of small bolts when changing the bars, stem, seat height or misc. parts attaching racks,panniers and bags.

Comfort is personal and to a large degree your posture on the bike, familiarity with riding and size/type of tires. Once you load weight on the bike the material the bike is made of becomes somewhat irrelevant. Racers are comfortable with pain and racing bikes, manic fast tourers always pushing an aerobic effort are comfortable high exertion. A light person riding on a stiff steel frame will feel as much vibration as on an aluminum frame of the same geometry and tires. Put fatter tires on and the "uncomfortable" aluminum frame and it's cozy too. For comparison go test ride a Trek520 and a Specialized TriCross(aluminum). With same size tires pumped to the same psi I bet the TriCross will feel more "comfortable". The bit about aluminum bikes being harsh involves too many variables to reduce to frame material. In short wheelbased racing bikes the original aluminum bikes, with steel forks, were noticably harsh compared to thin light steel. That's not what you're looking at. For a long wheelbased bike and a heavy load the aluminum frames can be just as comfy. This is a roundabout way of saying that if a screaming deal of a Cannondale falls in your lap don't turn it down because it's aluminum.

Value, all that takes is shopping. There's an EMS store nearby that is selling a Salsa Casseroll for 1/2off, it's not exactly what you're looking for but it's an example of a value. $1500 bike for $750. REI is full of values.

If your wife is a light person, under 140lbs, I'd be inclined to look for a lighter bike than the LHT or consider getting lighter wheels/tires than stock as she won't need the durability you will (assuming your weight is comensurate with your height) and she'll enjoy the lighter weight when riding unloaded.

Another vote for 26" for your wife is that you can get nice and fat 1.5" tires which will be very forgiving for a heavy load with less weight of a 700C wheel with 38mm tires.

fadi

Tesoro Traveller Classic

chipcom 

You might want to also consider the Jamis Aurora, especially if you would prefer STI shifters instead of barcons. https://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebik...10_aurora.html

The Aurora Elite is another you should consider - it is above your price range at MSRP, but has disc brakes, rear rack and fair fenders already installed. https://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebik...lite_spec.html

Otherwise, the 520 is always a good choice, as is the LHT - though I would build an LHT frame rather than buy the complete bike.

LeeG

Exactly. My daughter is riding the same small Giant mtn bike she got when she was 12. It's light because it's small but the front fork has absolutely no resiliance to it. Which is ok because once it got loaded down with front rack and panniers the tires started taking the bumps.