Ciufalon

I have the opportunity to pick up a nice vintage mountain bike that was designed for touring as well. My question is that I am most comfortable on a bike with exactly a 32" stand over height. 33" is a bit big, being right against my pubic bone. The bike in question has a 32.5" stand over with 2" Schwalbe tires. I want to put together a 26" wheeled touring rig and would like to know what others think. Does this sound like an issue? Would slightly narrower tires be an issue for the intended purpose of touring in other less developed countries?

I cannot ride or try the bike because it is across the country from me. The top tube is also 1.5 - 2 cm longer than I typically go with, but I figure that is to be expected with mountain bikes. I am planning to put drop bars or trekking bars on whatever bike I go with.

Bezalel

If you replace the tired with 37mm tires you'll have the standover you desire. Many tourers prefer tires in the 28-35mm range. Are stems availible to get to your desired reach?

MassiveD

+1

That said unless there is some unstated reason to go for this bike, it sounds as though you are concerned about the fit, and an MTB is not a touring bike, any more than a Touring bike is an MTB. Does the mountain biking forum get a lot of questions one whether a Surly LHT would be perfect for Slick Rock? I know you didn't ask that question, but I would need to be pretty motivated to get the bike from the sound of it.

Chris Pringle

As far as tires go, you can go as low (narrow) as 26 x 1.50 for touring and still be comfortable. As far as getting this bike, there are too many doubts about it fitting you well. I would skip it and wait until the right deal arrives. If you're planning to tour through exotic foreign destinations, you want to absolutely make sure everything works for you... fitting being the most important! Unless you go fully custom, you should be able to ride the bike before buying. I know L.A. is a tough market to get used touring bikes. A friend of mine spent all of last summer looking for one on craigslist and at the end decided to go new (bought an LHT.) Many here will tell you that the beauty of bicycle touring is that you can use any type of bike. If you fancy touring off-road in exotic places, I can definitely see why you wanna get a MTB. If you'll be carrying panniers, don't forget to make sure the chainstay length will work, too. Heel strike is no fun!

Ciufalon

Well I own several touring bikes, but they are all road bikes. The bike I am considering is a mountain bike that was specifically designed for expedition type touring with all the braze-ons, long stays, etc. I have been wanting to add a 26" wheeled tourer to the mix, plus turn another MTB into a cargo bike with the xtra bike. I know trekking bars would shorten the reach, as I have them on one of my bikes.

I've seen many MTBs converted to touring rigs, even here in this forum and like them. Having heard that 26" wheels are better to have in many countries other than the US, Canada, and some parts of Europe I have been tracking down possible candidates for something suitable to other locals.

Thanks for the thoughtful replies. I will be patient and consider what's been said.

Chris Pringle

Are you looking into a Thorn bike?

Once you venture into Mexico south, for example, 26" wheel makes sense in general.The issue about availability of 700c and 29ers (at least in Mexico) is not in the larger cities where you'll be able to source these components, but in small cities and rural areas where 26" simply rules. Interestingly, I was recently speaking to the owner of the "boutique" bike shop in town. He said his clients don't want 26"-wheel MTBs anymore. They all want 29ers! Obviously, this doesn't reflect the reality of other places in Lat. Am., Asia or Africa where you might be interested in touring . 26" is the norm from all the blogs I've read.