new touring bike
 

i have after 50 years of bicycling fought a bicycle for old f---. i recently purchase a khs tr101. this bike has a reynolds 520 steel frame, triple crank, 700x32 tires, and fenders. i have hung up my carbon fiber trek which was beating up my bod on our tucson roads for the much more forgiving ride of the khs. our cycling club rides 4 times a week 25 to 40 miles a trip. you might consider this bike for new or experienced cyclists out for a more enjoyable ride.
napi

I guess it all depends on the type of riding one does and the nature of the road surfaces you regularly ride on. I find the lightness and responsiveness of my Trek Madone makes riding a joy. The new carbon Treks are pretty darn comfortable. On the other hand, there is a route that I want to do this summer which combines paved and dirt roads and I am thinking of reviving my mid-'80s Miyata 1000 touring bike for it. The Miyata has a similar geometry to your new bike.

Congratulations on making a sensible choice in the end. Too many people buy perceived sizzle instead of substance.

I just looked that bike up and it doesn't look at all like what I was thinking. It looks like a nice bike, a lot like a Trek 520. I'll bet it does ride nice with the steel frame and long chain stays.


http://www.khsbicycles.com/Images/Bi...lite-tr101.jpg

Congrats on the new bike!

I just learned of this bike recently; I think I read it was a newer model for KHS.

I think touring bikes make great urban bikes; they roll right over bad pavement that other bikes have problem with. Your big tires will work on dirt paths as well. You have a rack to carry stuff. You have fenders for that constant rain you get in Tucson.

Oh wait....I guess you don't need the fenders....

I agree. Last summer I totally cleaned out the garage and now only have one bike, my Cannondale Touring Bike. I love the ride. That is a sweet looking bike you bought.

Did the rack and fenders come stock on the bike?

Congrats! A nice bike. Hope it takes you (comfortably) on many adventures.

When you're fitting it, consider getting the bars higher than "racer" height.

Pity the rack doesn't have the extra bit out back to support the pannier. It looks good though, and a better buy than the Trek520 (which has been ruined in recent times). Well done mate, you'll have a lot of fun on her. Now get outside and wear her out :D

Richard

Nice bike. I think the popularity of touring bikes is on the rise again. KHS has always been a good name in cycles, I'm glad they're joining the touring ranks.

this bike is equipped wih fenders which keep the rain and road dirt off the bike.
napi

I have a Surly "Long Haul Trucker" (LHT) which would be similar, I think. I ride it often, but cannot give up the quick responsive Orbea. I find it nice to switch back and forth.

Give up a bike just to get another one? How does that work? Isn’t the N+1 rule sacrosanct? :eek: My back up bike can be converted to a touring bike with the addition of fenders and racks, not that I would need fenders much in Southern California. But without fenders and a rack it can still keep me in the hunt on a club ride.

Does your new bike have bar end shifters? Isn’t that a bit old school? Nothing wrong with it I was just wondering.:thumb:

Congratulations on the new bike. I am sure you will put many miles on it. :o

Interesting thread. A road rider turns to a touring bike and asks for support from his forum mates. The touring forum has a couple of threads each week of would be tourists who want to know if their road bike will work for touring. The answer in both cases is "of course." I often haul down the Burley and do my daily ride. Slower for sure (it is heavy) but it has a different feel than even the LeMond steel bike.

I have a mid-1980's full touring bike that I use as a second bike, for transportation (I'm car-less). It's full-fendered and it has wide, touring tires that run nice at very comfortable 60 psi or so.

I usually use my custom-made steel sport road bike for longer, sunny day rides, but sometimes I like to take the old beater touring bike instead. It's a completely different kind of ride. More sedate, more laid back... no compulsion to speed about all the time.

And it's very comfortable over bumpy surfaces. It has gearing that will handle absolutely anything easily, only at a slower pace. I think this thing could easily climb any of the famous tour mountain climbs, it just wouldn't be the first to reach the top.

I keep my custom road bike set up more like a light tourer anyway, but the real touring bike has a certain appeal even for local, around town rides.

I still think that most of the people who are buying the fancy, expensive carbon racing bike-like stuff would find a touring bike to be a lot more reasonable for them. I mean, you don't drive around in an imitation formula 1 race car, do you?

I love my custom road bike, but to be honest, when I think back to the time I bought it 11 years ago, I would have been just as happy since then if I had bought a Trek 520 or the Marinoni Turismo I had been looking at. If you can keep the testosterone in check, a touring bike makes a LOT of sense, even if you don't tour. And even if you don't, just the thought that you could is nice.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/...a32766.jpg?v=0
Ahhh. The joy of an immaculate 80s English 531 tubed light tourer. If only it fit me. Shame I have to sell it.