Examples of good touring bikes?
02-21-15 | 09:16 AM
#26
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 21,850
Likes: 5,823
From: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
Second @gomango's idea of looking for a custom used touring bike; they're out there. Here is my Melton:
Second @SkyDog75's idea of refurbishing an old mtb. There are some issues involved in doing this as they tend to have long top tubes relative to seat height but the components, wheels, etc. are all suitable for touring. Here is one of my favorite all rounders; it gets a lot of use in winter:
And if you can find a B'stone XO series bike, they make great all rounders, gravel bikes, and touring bikes:
Second @SkyDog75's idea of refurbishing an old mtb. There are some issues involved in doing this as they tend to have long top tubes relative to seat height but the components, wheels, etc. are all suitable for touring. Here is one of my favorite all rounders; it gets a lot of use in winter:
And if you can find a B'stone XO series bike, they make great all rounders, gravel bikes, and touring bikes:
02-21-15 | 09:43 AM
#27
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 14,492
Likes: 270
From: STP
Second @gomango's idea of looking for a custom used touring bike; they're out there. Here is my Melton:
Second @SkyDog75's idea of refurbishing an old mtb. There are some issues involved in doing this as they tend to have long top tubes relative to seat height but the components, wheels, etc. are all suitable for touring. Here is one of my favorite all rounders; it gets a lot of use in winter:
And if you can find a B'stone XO series bike, they make great all rounders, gravel bikes, and touring bikes:
Second @SkyDog75's idea of refurbishing an old mtb. There are some issues involved in doing this as they tend to have long top tubes relative to seat height but the components, wheels, etc. are all suitable for touring. Here is one of my favorite all rounders; it gets a lot of use in winter:
And if you can find a B'stone XO series bike, they make great all rounders, gravel bikes, and touring bikes:
That Melton knocks me out though. Super sweet.
02-21-15 | 05:54 PM
#28
Death fork? Naaaah!!
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,537
Likes: 961
From: The other Maine, north of RT 2
Bikes: Seriously downsizing.
I'll second the Miyata 1000; I had this one pass through my hands last year:
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02-21-15 | 06:15 PM
#29
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 157
Likes: 90
From: Central CT
Fuji Saratoga. Seems to be lesser recognized and valued bike, but great touring features. 40 spoke rear wheel, 36 front. Wide range 6 speed freewheel with front triple. Accu-shift bar cons. Good cantilevers. Three bottle mounts, front and rear rack braze ons. Two spare spokes mounted on the drive side chainstay. Triple butted Cro-Moly tubing. I don't recall the wheelbase or chainstay length, but I don't get heel strike with my size 13 feet and loaded rear panniers. I run 27x1-1/4 Paselas with room to spare.
I use mine as a commuter and absolutely love it.
- John
I use mine as a commuter and absolutely love it.
- John
02-21-15 | 06:24 PM
#30
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,436
Likes: 1
From: S.E CT.
Bikes: I've lost my mind!
Fuji Saratoga. Seems to be lesser recognized and valued bike, but great touring features. 40 spoke rear wheel, 36 front. Wide range 6 speed freewheel with front triple. Accu-shift bar cons. Good cantilevers. Three bottle mounts, front and rear rack braze ons. Two spare spokes mounted on the drive side chainstay. Triple butted Cro-Moly tubing. I don't recall the wheelbase or chainstay length, but I don't get heel strike with my size 13 feet and loaded rear panniers. I run 27x1-1/4 Paselas with room to spare.
I use mine as a commuter and absolutely love it.
- John
I use mine as a commuter and absolutely love it.
- John
I'd have to agree with that!
[/URL]
02-21-15 | 06:44 PM
#32
Still learning
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 11,529
Likes: 88
From: North of Canada, Adirondacks
Bikes: Still a garage full
02-21-15 | 10:39 PM
#33
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 157
Likes: 90
From: Central CT
Otg, I love it. We're not too far away. I work in Niantic so might be close to you. If the snow ever melts and it gets above 28F, we should meet up and do a Saratoga ride some time. I guess we could allow some other bikes too.
- John
- John
02-21-15 | 10:46 PM
#34
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 925
Likes: 66
From: Arizona
Bikes: 2015 Specialized AWOL, 2006 Paul Frank Cruiser, 1987 Specialized Street Stomper, 1980 Trek 412, 1979 Raleigh Sport,
My Schwinn Voyageur SP haven't had the chance to tour yet. I still need to find some front panniers and a rack.
02-21-15 | 11:41 PM
#35
Go Ride
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 150
Likes: 107
From: Ohio
Bikes: Enough +1
Very nice Bilenky, his shops work is superb!
Here is my custom Alex Meade, very similar to your build:
[IMG]
Alex Meade custom Randonneur by TimothyCreamer, on Flickr[/IMG]
Here is my custom Alex Meade, very similar to your build:
[IMG]
Alex Meade custom Randonneur by TimothyCreamer, on Flickr[/IMG]My Bilenky fits the bill perfectly.
I correctly bought this lightly used to keep the costs under control and made a few modifications.
These pics don't show it, but I have added a Schmidt dyno with Schmidt E6 front and Dinotte rear lights. When I built the new front wheel, I matched the rear Velocity Dyad rim. Forum member KonAaronsnake turned me on to Dyads when he built his beautiful Vanilla and pointed out their toughness.
I think they look nice as well and they are easy peasy to mount new tires on.
I also added a Quad Lok mount/charger for my iPhone.
I use that to navigate out on the road.
For bags, I use a combo of Ortliebs and a Swift on the front.
This bike is incredibly comfortable to ride and took me on a trip to Thunder Bay from St. Paul last summer.
Time permitting, I will ride a lap around Lake Superior with several retired teacher buddies this summer.
I really love this bike and even the wacky color scheme has grown on me. Not everyone gets to ride a bowling ball.
Here are last year's pics... but I am sure you'll see this in many pics this summer.
[IMG]
Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]
Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]
Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]
Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]
I correctly bought this lightly used to keep the costs under control and made a few modifications.
These pics don't show it, but I have added a Schmidt dyno with Schmidt E6 front and Dinotte rear lights. When I built the new front wheel, I matched the rear Velocity Dyad rim. Forum member KonAaronsnake turned me on to Dyads when he built his beautiful Vanilla and pointed out their toughness.
I think they look nice as well and they are easy peasy to mount new tires on.
I also added a Quad Lok mount/charger for my iPhone.
I use that to navigate out on the road.
For bags, I use a combo of Ortliebs and a Swift on the front.
This bike is incredibly comfortable to ride and took me on a trip to Thunder Bay from St. Paul last summer.
Time permitting, I will ride a lap around Lake Superior with several retired teacher buddies this summer.
I really love this bike and even the wacky color scheme has grown on me. Not everyone gets to ride a bowling ball.
Here are last year's pics... but I am sure you'll see this in many pics this summer.
[IMG]
Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG][IMG]
Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG][IMG]
Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG][IMG]
Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]
02-22-15 | 12:04 AM
#36
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 21,850
Likes: 5,823
From: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
02-22-15 | 09:12 AM
#37
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,898
Likes: 229
From: Bronx, NYC
Bikes: '19 Fuji Gran Fondo 1.5, '72 Peugeot PX10, '71ish Gitane Super Corsa, '78 Fuji Newest, '89 Fuji Ace, '94 Cannondale R600, early '70s LeJeune Pro project
02-22-15 | 09:45 AM
#38
Extraordinary Magnitude
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 14,087
Likes: 2,147
From: Waukesha WI
Bikes: 1978 Trek TX700; 1978/79 Trek 736; 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport; 1984 Schwinn Voyageur SP; 1985 Trek 620; 1985 Trek 720; 1986 Trek 400 Elance; 1987 Schwinn High Sierra; 1990 Miyata 1000LT
Regarding the rack being level... mount the rack to the lower eyelets- use spacers to keep the rack legs from touching the fork. If you ever go with fenders, use the fender mount as your spacer
Best!
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
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02-22-15 | 10:08 AM
#40
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 14,492
Likes: 270
From: STP
Thanks.
I've seen some Bilenkys I really dig and others that are head scratchers to be honest.
I really like mine and can see enjoying it for years to come though. The Campy Triple is fairly nice, but I would prefer a full Shimano XT build.
I could easily see swapping out the whole drivetrain in the future. The frameset is the star of the show after all.
Mine fits like a very nice glove.
Your Alex Meade is really exceptional btw. When you get a moment give us a little more background info if you would.
I see you decided to use S&S couplers. How's that working out for you?
I've seen some Bilenkys I really dig and others that are head scratchers to be honest.
I really like mine and can see enjoying it for years to come though. The Campy Triple is fairly nice, but I would prefer a full Shimano XT build.
I could easily see swapping out the whole drivetrain in the future. The frameset is the star of the show after all.
Mine fits like a very nice glove.
Your Alex Meade is really exceptional btw. When you get a moment give us a little more background info if you would.
I see you decided to use S&S couplers. How's that working out for you?
Last edited by gomango; 02-22-15 at 10:13 AM.
02-22-15 | 10:12 AM
#41
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 14,492
Likes: 270
From: STP
The one thing about good vintage touring bikes, they have been discovered and tend to bring high prices. To some, its more about finding a touring bike that fits within a budget. There are two choices:
1. Shop continuously, chase every lead you find, and eventually you will find a deal on one (it probably won't be your size, thats how it goes) or
2. Convert an early rigid frame MTB to touring service. Old mtbs can be had with all the braze ons, including mid fork front rack braze ons on some of them. They can be found at a small fraction of what a "good" vintage touring bike will sell for, and they are very adaptable.
Sometimes the geometry (long top tube) of a MTB makes getting fit challenging. In my case, its a plus.
Also, realize people tour on anything. Some friends of mine did a coast to coast tour on a pair of Cannondale hybrids. Hybrids are available at relatively low cost and are very adaptable too.
1. Shop continuously, chase every lead you find, and eventually you will find a deal on one (it probably won't be your size, thats how it goes) or
2. Convert an early rigid frame MTB to touring service. Old mtbs can be had with all the braze ons, including mid fork front rack braze ons on some of them. They can be found at a small fraction of what a "good" vintage touring bike will sell for, and they are very adaptable.
Sometimes the geometry (long top tube) of a MTB makes getting fit challenging. In my case, its a plus.
Also, realize people tour on anything. Some friends of mine did a coast to coast tour on a pair of Cannondale hybrids. Hybrids are available at relatively low cost and are very adaptable too.
I hopped on my Bilenky instantly, as it was priced far lower than a new Surly LHT.
Try pricing a new custom touring frame and one can quickly see what a good deal these used machines really are.
02-22-15 | 10:30 AM
#42
Fuzzy
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
Bikes: Specialized Roubaix, a number of 80's steel bikes
Hi Fuzzy- That's a really beautiful bike- I love the paint scheme and all the cool appointments.
Regarding the rack being level... mount the rack to the lower eyelets- use spacers to keep the rack legs from touching the fork. If you ever go with fenders, use the fender mount as your spacer
Best!
Regarding the rack being level... mount the rack to the lower eyelets- use spacers to keep the rack legs from touching the fork. If you ever go with fenders, use the fender mount as your spacer
Best!
02-22-15 | 10:39 AM
#43
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 695
Likes: 105
Bikes: 50+/-
Very nice Bilenky, his shops work is superb!
Here is my custom Alex Meade, very similar to your build:
[IMG] Alex Meade custom Randonneur by TimothyCreamer, on Flickr[/IMG]
Here is my custom Alex Meade, very similar to your build:
[IMG]
Alex Meade custom Randonneur by TimothyCreamer, on Flickr[/IMG]
02-22-15 | 11:09 AM
#44
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,898
Likes: 229
From: Bronx, NYC
Bikes: '19 Fuji Gran Fondo 1.5, '72 Peugeot PX10, '71ish Gitane Super Corsa, '78 Fuji Newest, '89 Fuji Ace, '94 Cannondale R600, early '70s LeJeune Pro project
02-22-15 | 11:16 AM
#45
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 2,921
Likes: 361
From: Ocean County, NJ
Bikes: Looking for a Baylis or Wizard in 59-62cm range
My Bilenky fits the bill perfectly.
I correctly bought this lightly used to keep the costs under control and made a few modifications.
These pics don't show it, but I have added a Schmidt dyno with Schmidt E6 front and Dinotte rear lights. When I built the new front wheel, I matched the rear Velocity Dyad rim. Forum member KonAaronsnake turned me on to Dyads when he built his beautiful Vanilla and pointed out their toughness.
I think they look nice as well and they are easy peasy to mount new tires on.
I also added a Quad Lok mount/charger for my iPhone.
I use that to navigate out on the road.
For bags, I use a combo of Ortliebs and a Swift on the front.
This bike is incredibly comfortable to ride and took me on a trip to Thunder Bay from St. Paul last summer.
Time permitting, I will ride a lap around Lake Superior with several retired teacher buddies this summer.
I really love this bike and even the wacky color scheme has grown on me. Not everyone gets to ride a bowling ball.
Here are last year's pics... but I am sure you'll see this in many pics this summer.
[IMG]Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]
I correctly bought this lightly used to keep the costs under control and made a few modifications.
These pics don't show it, but I have added a Schmidt dyno with Schmidt E6 front and Dinotte rear lights. When I built the new front wheel, I matched the rear Velocity Dyad rim. Forum member KonAaronsnake turned me on to Dyads when he built his beautiful Vanilla and pointed out their toughness.
I think they look nice as well and they are easy peasy to mount new tires on.
I also added a Quad Lok mount/charger for my iPhone.
I use that to navigate out on the road.
For bags, I use a combo of Ortliebs and a Swift on the front.
This bike is incredibly comfortable to ride and took me on a trip to Thunder Bay from St. Paul last summer.
Time permitting, I will ride a lap around Lake Superior with several retired teacher buddies this summer.
I really love this bike and even the wacky color scheme has grown on me. Not everyone gets to ride a bowling ball.
Here are last year's pics... but I am sure you'll see this in many pics this summer.
[IMG]
Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG][IMG]
Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG][IMG]
Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG][IMG]
Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]
02-22-15 | 11:27 AM
#46
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 2,921
Likes: 361
From: Ocean County, NJ
Bikes: Looking for a Baylis or Wizard in 59-62cm range
[QUOTE=bikemig;17572901]
Second @SkyDog75's idea of refurbishing an old mtb. There are some issues involved in doing this as they tend to have long top tubes relative to seat height but the components, wheels, etc. are all suitable for touring. Here is one of my favorite all rounders; it gets a lot of use in winter:
And if you can find a B'stone XO series bike, they make great all rounders, gravel bikes, and touring bikes:
/QUOTE]
Yes the old Stumpy's make fine tourer / all arounders
Second @SkyDog75's idea of refurbishing an old mtb. There are some issues involved in doing this as they tend to have long top tubes relative to seat height but the components, wheels, etc. are all suitable for touring. Here is one of my favorite all rounders; it gets a lot of use in winter:
And if you can find a B'stone XO series bike, they make great all rounders, gravel bikes, and touring bikes:
/QUOTE]
Yes the old Stumpy's make fine tourer / all arounders
02-22-15 | 11:28 AM
#47
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,080
Likes: 4
From: Huntsville/Decatur/Florence Alabama
Bikes: Jamis Aurora, Fuji S10S (X2), Jamis Coda
Touring bikes are tricky in one respect. Back in the day, there were LOTS of really good choices and getting a C&V bike is definitely a good option. However, you may also want to consider a newer bike as well. My experience is that C&V touring bikes are a little higher in the price point than say, a Fuji S-10S because they were never made in great numbers compared to the racing types. Also, a well used vintage bike has seen some "stuff" and there may be problems that you can't easily see if you are not familiar with what to look for. I have seen beautiful Trek 520s that hide significant rust issues I would not want to get into and my LBS right now has a beat-up looking 520 that is a real diamond in the rough (just too big for me or it would be in my garage right now). IF you look at newer bikes, be aware that there were a lot of years that major manufacturers really didn't service this type of bicycle in their product line. Many will contend that Trek offered a 520 that hadn't been upgraded in years. I find this believable because when I first started looking into buying a touring bike, I was told that a Trek 520 as build-time away from delivery! I am not sure when the interest in touring bikes died off, but I suspect it was in the mid 1990s and interest began to rise again right around 2008 - 2010. I would look REAL HARD at bikes made in that lean time. It may be better to buy new rather than get an "almost vintage" bike with old technology when it was new on the rack.
02-22-15 | 12:09 PM
#48
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 21,850
Likes: 5,823
From: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
Touring bikes are tricky in one respect. Back in the day, there were LOTS of really good choices and getting a C&V bike is definitely a good option. However, you may also want to consider a newer bike as well. My experience is that C&V touring bikes are a little higher in the price point than say, a Fuji S-10S because they were never made in great numbers compared to the racing types. Also, a well used vintage bike has seen some "stuff" and there may be problems that you can't easily see if you are not familiar with what to look for. I have seen beautiful Trek 520s that hide significant rust issues I would not want to get into and my LBS right now has a beat-up looking 520 that is a real diamond in the rough (just too big for me or it would be in my garage right now). IF you look at newer bikes, be aware that there were a lot of years that major manufacturers really didn't service this type of bicycle in their product line. Many will contend that Trek offered a 520 that hadn't been upgraded in years. I find this believable because when I first started looking into buying a touring bike, I was told that a Trek 520 as build-time away from delivery! I am not sure when the interest in touring bikes died off, but I suspect it was in the mid 1990s and interest began to rise again right around 2008 - 2010. I would look REAL HARD at bikes made in that lean time. It may be better to buy new rather than get an "almost vintage" bike with old technology when it was new on the rack.
02-22-15 | 12:26 PM
#49
Fat Guy on a Little Bike
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 15,946
Likes: 371
From: Philadelphia, PA
Bikes: Two wheeled ones
I'm going to disagree here. A built up Surly touring bike is going to run 1500 pretty easily while a Miyata 1000, or similar, sells complete for a third to 40% of that. Personally I'd rather have the Miyata all things being equal, and I'm not sure that a Surly is apples to apples on quality.
02-22-15 | 12:38 PM
#50
Banned
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 6,480
Likes: 450
Gotta dream big. This winter stinks here.
Not really enough good snow for cross country skiing and fat bikes. The city streets are dangerous with ice everywhere.
We took off and skied Copper Mountain and Vail last weekend.
As for your route idea, we need to get some ideas going for a big C&V get together this spring or summer. Some folks have expressed interest in a gravel ride and some want nice trails. The route you just mentioned would really fill the bill for an all day paved route. Not too hard, not too easy. Plenty of scenic beauty and restaurants along the way.
Let's start outlining some dates for folks soon.
Not really enough good snow for cross country skiing and fat bikes. The city streets are dangerous with ice everywhere.
We took off and skied Copper Mountain and Vail last weekend.
As for your route idea, we need to get some ideas going for a big C&V get together this spring or summer. Some folks have expressed interest in a gravel ride and some want nice trails. The route you just mentioned would really fill the bill for an all day paved route. Not too hard, not too easy. Plenty of scenic beauty and restaurants along the way.
Let's start outlining some dates for folks soon.
(Also agree on the so-so X-skiing. It's been 4+ hr. one way drives just to get in any decent snow. No doubt the East would love to trade the dumps they've had....lol)