cmonk

HEY!

I've finally gotten my things in order and am looking to pick up a new bike. I have been getting into going fast and working out of 'The Ultimate Ride', changing my workouts and nutrition to follow that of an athlete more appropriately. Next summer, I am graduating from college and am looking forward to a solo-tour of the East Coast. I have read that the Specialized Sequoia Elite is a good bike for touring, but am wondering if I can get into minor racing with it as well.

I plan on picking up a trainer because Michigan winters don't provide good roads for training. This will be my workout and touring bike, but is it fair to also use it as a entry-level racing bike?


Thanks for your help!!

--Casey

grolby

For touring? If you're planning to hop between hostels with naught but a credit card and an overnight bag, sure. But if you're talking about TOURING (which can be just about anything in-between that and living entirely off your bike, including carrying a tent and making your own camp - which I've done, and which is really fun), you're in the wrong forum and you're looking at the wrong bike. The Sequoia is a century bike, meant for long, unloaded rides on a single day, or more than a single day if you're into doing brevets. But it doesn't even have fender or rack eyelets. That makes it very difficult to carry much of anything. A bike like the Surly Long Haul Trucker is a touring bike. It's got relaxed geometry, all the eyelets and braze-ons you could ever want, can carry as much weight as you can stand to pedal and handles like a charm, albeit more sedately - not sluggishly, it's still a bike, not a truck - than most road bikes. And there are a multitude of options in-between. I would suggest that you need to tell us what kind of tour you're thinking of before we can recommend a bike.

cmonk

[grolby], thanks for the help. I am thinking about leaving Michigan in early June of next year, cruising over to the east coast, stopping at family houses, hostels, stealth camping, etc. About 35-45 days of riding, longer if the plans change. My best friend is moving to Jacksonville and has a place for me to crash. As I have no exacting plans post-graudation, I think I'll spend some time in FL, maybe even get an apartment and find work.

The load will be heavy and I hope to cook most of my meals with the equiptment I have on my bike. I have read great things about the Trek 520, but am wondering if I can find a touring bike that can double as a speed bike for entry-level racing during local events.