Touring rigs...which to keep?
 

I just cant decide. I have accumulated a small fleet of touring bikes and just cant figure out which one(s) to let go.

Miyata 610
Schwinn Voyageur SP with the original front and rear racks....i think its a 80 or 81. Very nice shape.
Fuji America
Schwinn Voyageur SP with the original front and rear racks. Japan made, later model...i think 84 with the 3 bottle cage mounts. Again very nice shape.
Bianchi Randonneur circa 1983 i believe. I think this was a single year only that they made these. Has stock front and rear racks. Very nice.

I dont ride any of these nearly enough but at the same time .....here they sit and i keep telling myself that "some day ill ride them and enjoy them." All in my size and fully refurbished with all new consumables etc.
This hobby is sometimes a curse

You need 2 more so you can ride a different one each day of the week.

What sizes are they? Any pictures?

On paper the later Voyageur SP is the best of those, particularly if it is 1985. Pics of these would help. With touring bikes they generally peaked in 1985-86, so the later the better.

Fuji America has surprisingly tight tire clearance, if that's a concern (and generally is for touring bikes)

Come on! You can't make a post like this without showing us pictures!

I’d ditch any that take 27” wheels.

I won’t provide an opinion until I know if any are my size.

Seriously though I’ve never heard of a Bianchi Randonneur so I would keep that unless of course you’re looking to maximize your bank account. 3 bottle mounts are very nice also for long distance touring.

The Fuji America is not really a full on touring bike but more of a sports touring bike. So maybe you keep that and another touring bike that suits your fancy. I'd lean towards the Schwinn out of the 3 but without pics, we are all shooting in the dark.

Well, if you had not managed to buy all nice bikes, you wouldn't have your udders in a wringer now would you? Voyageur SP and America are keepers. Do I remember however that SP was a caliper brake set up?

Which is exactly why I asked about the Randonneur... 😉

lol.....yeah...you are probably right.

Nah....i do think both of them are cantis. Kind of a pain to get at once the racks are in place but with some koolstop pads you rarely need to really get in there. There is no adjustment on them at all other than the cable length at the yokes.

Yes, you need to get rid of a few of those and get better touring bikes.

Miyata 610, replace that with a Miyata 1000, the 610 is not even a touring bike. if you can't find one, Miyata made a rebadged 1000 for Univega, the Specialissima.
Schwinn Voyageur SP, if it has the canti brakes keep that one. I hate most Schwinn bikes with very few exemptions, this being one of them (nervex lugs paramounts being the other).
Fuji America, not a bad bike but drop it like a rock for a Fuji Series V.
Bianchi Randonneur, not a touring bike, but it should get a pass if you have the rando front basked and dynamo lights. You definitely need the lights for all the 400km rando events you'll probably never do. Get rid of the rear rack, it makes it look less rando.

In addition:
You need a Trek 720. You can limp on a 520 if need be but keep an eye out for the 720.
Specialized Expedition. Not the sequoia.

There are a bunch others but that should give you 7 bikes, enough for one a day.

Also get rid of the nonsensical notion that if you don't ride it, you should get rid of it. I swear kids nowadays...

:)

Thanks.....yeah Ive never come across a Miyata 1000 around here yet. As for the 720....same. I have a 750 which i think shares the same Geo as the 520. Nice bike. i have it setup with racks and such but its just a bit more modern. Lugged frame but unicrown fork if i remember correctly. I enjoy it quite a bit. I think they were marketed as more of a hybrid type back on the day....the Multi Track....as a do it all...and the city bike they made called the metro track. Both had 750 versions.

Curious why you think a 610 is not a touring bike? Is it a grail touring bike like the others you mentioned? No. It's about one rung below them but it's definitely a touring bike, imo. I have an 1985 610 and a 1984 1000 and although I haven't taken either on any long tours, and probably won't, it seems like a tourer to me.
The geometry is similar, although the 610 is supposed to be slightly steeper, it's not a huge difference. Both came with fifteen speeds, sealed cartridge bearing hubs, 36/40 spoke wheels, double eyelets front and rear, mid fork rack mounts, water bottle mounts (two on the 610, three on the 1000), cantilevers...

Why sell any of them? If you enjoy them and have the room, there's no reason not to hang on to them, even if they only get ridden once in a while.

Mind you, with my collection, I sometimes think I should dispose of a few, but I like them all . . . So I do understand the issue you face.

Here’s an idea: Take each on a tour, see which does best carrying a load, climbing with a load, descending with a load, etc.

That makes too much sense.

I was just being extra facetious with the whole post. There were some good years for the 610, others where it didn't even have cantis. I mean you can't call it a touring bike if it doesn't have cantilever brakes and a lugged steel frame for crying out loud (just kidding, more facetiousness).

The 610s are geat bikes. Like the trek 520 that may be the junior model to the 720, but chances are the unassuming 520s have seen more cross American rides than the 720 because so many people like and tour on them.

If I had enough space I'd just keep all of 'em.

My stupid opinion...

The America and the 1984 Columbus framed Voyageur SP are in a different league than the rest of those bikes. As a tourer, the VSP is in a different league from the America. As a tourer- I'd choose the VSP.

But it all comes down to what you like- and what you like riding.

Trade for race bikes?
Then you can really get going.

All of them. ;)

This is the only acceptable answer on BF.

Keep them all. I am sure each has qualities which you enjoy and compromises which frustrate you.