perspiration

[QUOTE=cyccommute;16547130]Good nitpicky detail!QUOTE]

This is the kind of response I was hoping for! I've hammered "YMMV, try it" as the ultimate bike advice but I want little details about the differences in specs! Cyccommute, upgrading the front derailleur sounds like something worthwhile to do with the price difference between bikes. Is there a front that you'd recommend in particular? I'm pretty unfamiliar with these sort of component specs.

donalson

the problem with that sort of stuff is that you can change all of them... you can't do that with the frame (well you can... but its a big cost and a lot of work... and that is the big reason most say to test ride and go from there...

i'm not partial to sram or shimano... but if I was worried about replacement parts while on the road a shimano would be my choice...

the Novara uses V's... and because of that uses the long pull tektro levers an i'm not fond of the hood shape on those... the crankset is is the only place that the novara stands out IMHO, also I question the comfort/ergonomics of the sram TT shifters, microshift and shimano barcons are nice contoured and comfy, the sram looks a little bit angular (made specifically to be TT)... would that matter in long term use? I don't know and wouldn't unless I rode the bike

I don't think you could go wrong with the novara, surly or the raleigh...

cyccommute 

It depends on how much you want to spend. All of the Sram fronts are good from X5 to X0. None of them are horribly expensive. An X7 (to match the rear) can be had for around $35 and would be an excellent choice.

donalson

I'll agree with that... used x5 old ESP9.0 and even some x0 stuff... when I build up another MTB I plan on going with sram shifty bits... haven't used sram road shifters so don't know on that end...

cyccommute 

I don't have any experience with Sram road stuff either. All of my bikes have triples and I'm not a big fan of bar end shifters. But their mountain bike stuff is excellent.

Jamesw2

I would check the chain stay length on both bikes! Disk trucker's is 18.1 inches (as i remember). I can't find the Rando's specks for chain stay.

I have a plan to build a disc trucker tourer. I used J and B products pages to ( https://www.jbimporters.com/web/ ) find the components i need for the build.

The J & B product pages gives information on the capacities of the components example https://www.jbimporters.com/web/check...t_number=22238

Also you have the shimano pages available for specks https://si.shimano.com/

seeker333

randonee rear center = 45.5cm (lht rear center=46)

AlanK

I'm seriously thinking about getting a Randonee at the upcoming anniversary sale. It's already a very good deal, but with the price reduced by 20% it becomes a fantastic deal. They finally fixed the gearing! Previous models had a flaw common with most production touring bikes: geared to high. The 2014 Randonee now has true mountain bike drive-train; this is ideal for loaded touring.

The only minor gripe I have with the Randonee is the 10-spd rear cassette. I know this will make me seem like a Luddite, 30-gears seems entirely gratuitous. Even 27 gears seems like a little more than is necessary. Fewer gears means a wider chain, and wider is more durable. That said, it's easy to fix a broken chain, and of course on a long tour you'll have a spare anyway.

I'd also probably replace that tires with Schwalbes, and also replace the brake-pads with Kool Stop salmons; obviously these modifications are really easy and fairly inexpensive. Overall, it looks like a great bike, and a great value, esp when it goes on sale for about $1K.

While the LHT is still a decent production touring bike, over the last few years it seems they really had to cut corners on some of the components: The Andel cranks are lower-end and the chain-rings are too large; the Sora front derailleur is about as low-end as you can get; the shifters are some off-brand I'm completely unfamiliar with; the saddle is middle-of-the-road. For about $1300, it just doesn't seem as well spec'd compared to the Randonee.

Also, and I know this is a contentious issue, but for touring in the developed world I prefer 700c wheels over 26", expect for smaller riders who fit smaller frames and smaller wheels better. I'm 5'9", so I can go either way, but my experience is that 700c tires are more comfy, a bit faster, and more stable at higher speeds. That's just me. I know there are also compelling reasons to use 26" wheels, and some riders prefer them for any and all touring. At the risk of getting off-topic and starting a flame-war I'll leave it at that.

I'm actually a big fan of bar-end shifters, esp for touring: they're simpler and easier to fix. Since they are so mechanically simple and Sram generally makes good stuff I wouldn't worry about the quality at all.

perspiration

Just so everyone knows, I went with the Randonee today. Picture is a little "outdated" as I swapped on my Brooks, Tortec expedition rack, and a couple bottle cages.

Oo baby:

bradtx

Congrats!

Brad

cyccommute 

There we disagree. Shifters are so bomb proof that having something that is "easier to fix" is almost unnecessary. Of the 31 bikes I've owned personally, 6 that my wife has owned and 8 that my daughters have owned, I've experienced only a single failure of any kind of shifter. And that one was a mountain bike shifter that I might have been able to save if I had known what to do. I've got STI shifters on my commuter bike and on my touring bike that, between the 2 of them, have ~20,000 miles on them and neither is showing any signs of problems. It's a nonissue.

lanahk

Looks like a sweet ride. Enjoy!

donalson

congratz man... she looks good

on the shifter front...

the one thing I really like about barcons is the friction shifter up front... it makes it so easy to set up the front der... I always have to fiddle with the cable length with STI type shifters to get things so they shift right especially on a triple crank... infinite trim is also a big plus...


but i'd use either happily

AlanK

Still, I'd rather be safe than sorry, and simple is generally safer. Also, replacing a cable on bar-end is much easier than STI.

I think STI are a better option for racers and performance riders because every bit of performance advantage matters, but for commuting and especially touring I prefer the simplicity and easy maintenance of bar-ends.

perspiration

I like bar end shifters, actually. I got used to them on my Cross Check and like how they feel on the Randonee.

Also, here's an update, done a little work to 'er (added fenders, swapped rack, new saddle, handlebar bag)

cyccommute 

I've never found cable to be difficult to change in STI shifters. They certainly aren't any more difficult in my experience then bar end shifters. Both require about the same motions to change the cable.

robert schlatte

I put bar end shifters on my new Soma Saga. Previously had used friction downtube shifters- the absolute utlimate in simplicity. I have grown to like the bar end very much, the only issue is I periodically bump them with my knees when I stand. I've just had to learn to be aware and keep my knees in more.

The Randonneur is a beautiful bike. I would have seriously considered one if I had needed a complete bike. As it was I had most of the touring components, I just needed a touring frame and that's what Soma offered.

veganbikes

I own a Surly Disc Trucker and love it. I asked a lot of people read a lot of reviews and always the LHT or DT got high marks and that is what I wanted. Granted though I haven't looked at the 2014 LHTs but generally the brand has been good.

You have a cross check so you know your bike and seem to enjoy it. I have never really heard any major complaints with Surly that couldn't be made anywhere else.

REI is not really my thing and I don't find their bikes exciting. Maybe it is good but I wouldn't buy one.

AlanK

I generally have high regard for Surly: They're one of the first major makers who focused on utility/practicality rather than speed and sexiness. However, the current incarnation of the LHT has some pretty low-end comps, probably to keep the price tag more reasonable.

I have some reservations about REI as well. They're nominally a coop, but really function more like a corporation. That said, many of their products are good deals, esp when they're on sale. The Randonee seems like a very good bike for an exceptional good price.

ricebowl

In case it might help someone reading. The Novara catalog has more detailed info like stem length etc. https://www.rei.com/pdf/novara/Novara_Catalog_2014.pdf.

I'll admit I was a little hesitant to buy a Novara. Just had to beat down the label snob part of my brain. But it's been a joy to ride and trouble free. I'm glad I bought my 2013 randonee over comparable bikes. Given the parts spec and price it's a killer deal, even more so if you can get it at 20%.

I do get an occasional thought about the disc trucker or a rivendell. But at $500 more for the disc trucker and a gazillion for rivs, it's a very quick, tiny thought .

pdlamb

Old news: REI replaced my Randonnee when the frame broke after the first day of my cross country tour without question -- back in 2009.

I assume Alank is referring to REI's new warranty. I think I saw, somewhere in the fine print, that the REI warranty is 3 years on Novara bicycles (vs. the crappy 90 days on most things). That matches the Surly frame warranty, but you can still get a better warranty on other production touring bikes. Trek and Fuji still have lifetime warranties on the 520 and Touring frames.

ricebowl

But it's the squirrely variety of "lifetime" warranty.

veganbikes

Yeah a lot of companies do that. The Scott Addict 20 is running Shimano branded cranks and brakes so their lightweight carbon frame is affordable. It is good because you can buy the bike and upgrade it when you have the cash, so it is not quite a big hit right away. However I do like it when companies don't get too skimpy.