Originally Posted by
positron
I saw a caravan a while ago, cool bike. did yours have the chrome fork?
I wanted a Kuwahara BMX ever since I saw ET as a kid, so when I saw this touring frame used, I had to pic it up. No model name, but it is a really nice handbuilt frame with thinned out longpoint lugs, 4 spoke holders, and a braze on for a BB dynamo. Nice features like a lugged brake bridge and suntour GT fork ends too. It is built from Ishiwata 022, and has a low (38mm) trail with 27 x 32mm tires. Turns out to be one of my favorite bikes for sure- I guess they were more common up in Canada, but for all my searching, Im pretty sure mine is a one-off bike.
interesting about yours. Now I recall, I bought it in 91. It is a greeny colour, will look at frame badge again to see the exact steel, but I do recall it say quadruple butted. No, fork is not chrome. Has 2 spoke holders and spokes on chainstay (never used them, wheels have held up very well overall) I recall also that it was a new model in 91, rated as a very good balance of cost/quality at the time, was also the most expensive bike I had bought (maybe $600?) and had middling to good equipment (LX derailleurs etc--which work fine still) Replaced bb at some point for a sealed one, headset, but rest with good maintenance held up well all in all. I dont think they sold them for more than a few years, and so you really dont see them around at all. The previous Caravans were blue I think, but again, they were fairly rare even then. Oh, it came with Biopace--yuck, changed that out after the first season due to knee issue.
Here it is, seat from my cross bike and regular pedals, but at least you can see how it looks. Interestingly enough, the wheelbase and chainstay length are the same on the Kuwahara as my cross bike.
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The points everyone is bringing up are very interesting. For me, the main issues are how (as someone said) there are so many factors that can cause shimmy. Ive only had it happen once, but messing around with position of load got rid of it. As for amount of flex--who knows what is too much. I have had motorcycles and have had head shaking (and even tank slappers) when racing on track, but on bike, really only had a weird shimmy once when touring. It was definitly an oscillation-amplication thing going on which moving cargo around ended up curing (later that same trip, hit 50mph on a descent and all was serene and unflustered)
Again, to UL, if your bike is handling well, I figure that is the important thing.
re Cannondale tourers, I rode a friends Cannondale (from about 10 years back) and yes, they are rigid suckers. Too much unloaded for my tastes, but I could tell that loaded it would be nice. I am tempted to try my alum cross bike with front and back bags loaded this summer, just to see how it compares to my tourer. I suspect that it will be fine, going from how it feels when I have two panniers of groceries on it.
In recalling my touring bike, I suspect too that I would prefer a stiffer tourer if I were to ever think of getting a true "touring bike" again.
booger--funny but my experience has been the opposite, I prefer a lighter front end, for less heavy steering and turn in etc.