Originally Posted by
mountaindave
snip . . .
Can we define a "sport touring" bicycle?
Originally Posted by
uncle uncle
I've never seen a book definition. I have always thought the "sport touring" terminology referred to a frame that had more relaxed angles than a racing frame and eyelets for racks (both front and rear). The name itself, "sport touring", seemed a perfect fit for the lower to mid priced bicycles at the time... the purchasers of these bikes (I was one of them) did have visions of doing both of those things with their bikes. I used the same bike to "credit card tour" and to do triathlons. The only changes I made was to pull the rack off the back. So, I really think that the bikes generated the terminology, not that the terminology existed first and companies then went to fit something into that niche (at least not to start).
I started a thread on C&V sports touring bikes here,
http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...g-bicycle.html
I think of sports touring bikes as being able to fit a fatter tire than a racing bike (say a 28c) but not as fat as a touring bike, with eyelets for racks and fenders, and reasonably light weight (touring bikes tend to be heavier). This is what I wrote in starting the thread (some of this is obviously not meant seriously) in trying to define a C&V sports touring bike:
"I've searched the threads and it seems that the sports touring bicycle is the Rodney Dangerfield of bikes; they just don't get a lot of respect. There are long threads on touring bikes and racing bikes but not on these classic in between bikes.
There are only 2 rules. The first is that the bike should have long reach brakes. Of course back in the day, long reach brakes were just called standard reach brakes, 
. Still bikes with cantilevers (mainly touring and cross bikes) and short reach (39-49 mm) brakes need not apply; they have their own threads. The second is that the bike should have eyelets front and rear too (otherwise it's just a racing bike).
Sports touring bikes were designed to be in-betweeners but they're sweet bikes that can take a 28 or even a 32c tire. They'll work fine for light touring and fast day rides. They make good randonnee bikes. And they get no respect."