Wise buy or no?
 

Getting ready to break in on touring. Retired, limited fixed income. Have found a Schwinn Ranger for a starter. $85 or pass?
Hope this is the right forum for this.

Need more info. For $85 it's about half the price of the bike new, so how used is it? Seems the bike was mostly made to be ridden short distances and not too vigorously--it has a suspension fork but (in my experience) cheap suspension forks are mostly for show--they weigh a lot and don't do much to absorb bumps ... and most folks on this bike wouldn't be going fast enough or over big enough bumps to need suspension anyway.

For touring, you need a bike which will not let you down--so a heavier bike is not always bad--but you have to know the components are not going to leave you stranded 50 miles from help and out of cell-phone range.

Also, on most tours you will need to be able to carry gear. Does the bike have rack mounts?

Most important:

Do you have any cycling experience? When you say "touring" what do you have in mind? Fully loaded? Credit-card touring? Organized group tours with support vehicles? Solo epic outback treks?

There are plenty of people here who will recommend spending the cost of a car on a bike, but there are also plenty who would tell you that for $300 or so on Ebay or Craigslist for a good used bike and a trip to the Local Bike Shop you can have a solid touring machine.

I honestly wouldn't recommend anything that initially sold for less than a few hundred (unless it was from the first few decades of the 20th century) because it could be you out there all alone on the side of a strange road with darkness falling and a storm rolling in, and the tiny amount of money you saved won't seem worth it when your bike is broken in a way you cannot fix.

Response
 

Sound advice and pretty much what I was seeking.
Yes, I have put some miles them, albeit years have passed since.
Was wondering about the suspension and you've addressed that good enough. Will pass on the purchase.
Touring=across the U.S. from Florida to Pacific Northwest. And I'm very much aware of the adverse conditions on the Western end. Eh, foot by foot, yard by yard...it will not be a cake walk for sure.
Will be fully loaded, living off the land where applicable...not on a road race or time clock. Except for occasional internet communication...solo all the way.
The longest walk begins with one step.
Thank you for your input.

if i was looking for a bike that i thought could make it on a cross country tour, for someone that had little touring experience but i thought had the wherewithal to make it. i would recommend a late 80's or 90's 26" rigid (no suspension) steel MTB with shimano alivio or better, like Deore, components. i would think that a used one could be had for the price of the schwinn. in fact i know it, i've got two of them. an '87 stumpjumper ($65) and a '97 gary fisher ($15). both were Craigslist finds.

1 1/4" tires and a rear rack is about all the improvement one probably needs for touring.

Checked out both your bikes online, and it doesn't look like either will take a rack. But, why wouldn't you just pick up another bike from Bikesdirect? Or, be patient, touring bikes can be had all the time on CL and Ebay, lots of time with the shipping included, and racks on them. Or, check out bike Forums classified. There are touring bikes from time to time.

Thanks. I've been looking on CL. Old dog trying to learn new tricks. Any brand etc. I should be considering over others?
The brain cells are swimming circles with all these terms used on the site.
Things have changed considerable in the 40+ years since last building up a bike from parts.
Thanks.

This isn't quite the wild west anymore. Some people have even given up their horses for those new-fangled horseless carriages.

What are your goals for daily mileage? Speeds? Ranges tend to be from about 10 miles a day to 100+ miles a day.

If you're planning on spending most of the time of paved roads, I'd go for a road bike, or perhaps a cyclocross/gravel bike.

There are also "touring bikes". Some of them are expensive, but there are a few older ones out there too.

Or, look for a moderate quality hybrid and upgrade for touring (drop bars? butterfly bars?). Also consider bike racks and rack attachment points.

I say no on the Schwinn. For one, flat bars and a suspension fork would kill me on tour. Also, I'm very frugal (and retired on fixed/no income), but I would put more money into it up front. "It's the miserly man who spends the most," after all. I would look for a touring bike from the late 20th century, something with 21 speeds or so, like mine. The components are still available and mine have been very reliable and cheap/easy to maintain. With luck you can find one road-ready, complete with racks, on CL for less than $300, something that sold for $1000 back then. My wife did recently and hers is much nicer than mine.

Where are you located and what sort of general budget do you have for the bike? Do you have other stuff like lights, panniers, etc or will that need to be purchased too?

You asked for ideas on bikes to consider- it should depend heavily on your budget. If you can spend up to $1500, the options are nearly limitless and itll be easy to find something. Conversely, if your budget for the bike is $100, itll be very difficult to find something in ready to ride condition that you can confidently ride across a continent.

Gulf coast central Florida. Have to purchase lights, panniers etc. separate, already have a list compiled. Thinking after all is done, will have 1K+ invested in it. Unless one is found somewhat set up. Can swing 500 initially.

No idea your size, but there will be a ton of great options for under $500. Under $300 even. Below are 3 examples in your area in different sizes. The Trek could be a great deal at $300 if its in ready to ride shape or close to it. One is a couple months old, probably not still available, but I linked it to show what is around.

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/bik/5210837990.html

http://lakeland.craigslist.org/bik/5295008896.html
http://sarasota.craigslist.org/bik/5295214881.html

Know your size frame and search using that cm size as well as the inch equivalent and also a cm above and below your size. Sellers mis-measure frames all the time, so having a range helps. You could search under 'touring' too.
A rigid frame mountain bike could be a good option too, if it fits. MTB sizing is smaller than road bike. If you ride a 58cm/22.5" road bike(touring), then you would be in a smaller MTB probably around 19", but its all dependent on individual body geometry.

Look for a bike with at least 2 water cage holders. Rigid frame(no suspension). eylets for racks and/or fenders. There are just too many brands and models to suggest as if you search for something specific like that, you miss on a lot of great options. Its better to keep the search terms general.

500 would do it, you are even pretty close to a windsor tourist cost of 600, which a lot of people around here have used. It has a rear rack already, and adding rear panniers, could be 50 bucks, a light 15, several water bottles and racks, 50, you are ready to go for 715, all new, then you have something to sell when you are done, total cost might be about the same as a really cheap bike that you don't make it on, and gets trashed along the way. your net could be 200-300.

Google the Windsor tourist URL. I had inserted it here, but it comes out like a unpaid banner ad

Save Up to 60% Off Touring Bikes | Commuting | Commuter Bikes | Windsor Bikes - Tourist Looks like a solid bike. Cromoly frame and fork, Tiagra 9-speed mostly with a Sora front derailleur.

Crankset is not choosable and the 52-tooth could be a little high but you can get a Shimano triple (a-2300) for $30 bucks or less, and could also possibly find even lower if you needed it later. And if you got lucky the bike would ship with the 50-tooth. Already drilled for front low-rider racks.

The 1-inch steerer might limit your choice of stems---before you buy you might want to check online because the stem is a prime adjustment point---reach and angle adjustments which make the bike painful or pleasant to ride---or the stock stem might be perfect, never can tell.

The big deal with buying new is that you know you can expect several trouble-free years from all the parts. With a used bike you never know if the bottom bracket or one of the hubs is 100 miles from failure. If you don't have a lot of recent wrenching experience, new offers security.

As andrewclaus notes, the man who scrimps now often pays later. Better by far to put of buying the bike for a couple months (though this is the best riding weather in Florida right now) and buy a little more later. Or, if you feel confident going used ... feel free to ask here. People love to help.

One more thing---if you are planning to do outback solo touring (not on well-traveled roads, minimal bike-shop availability) you need to be very confident in your ability to fix or rig your bike with whatever tools./parts you bring. Not being negative or trying to scare you or anything, but if your bike breaks and you have 60+ pounds of gear plus a 25-lb bike to somehow carry a couple hundred miles ... if something happens that a wheel won't spin, you really cannot drag that load.

Hub failure---not a lot you can do. Anything else you need to be able to at least make the bike pushable, or rideable in a fixed gear or something, because a couple hundred miles walk pushing a heavy load is not a joke. Changing cables adjusting brakes and derailleurs ... learn how to use the limit screws to jam a derailleur into a fixed position if needed (stuck in middle gear beats not riding.) Learn how to adjust a wheel if a spoke breaks (I have seen a this Fiberfix spoke (FiberFix from Peter White Cycles) mentioned here---looks like a good idea.)

Pretty much any cro-mo frame with 32-36-spoke wheels and rack mounts will work. MTB, road, doesn't matter. Just remember (particularly for folks of our age) solo touring really can be a life-or-death adventure.

Of course it can also be life-changing and life-affirming which is why we would take the risk. The reward is way larger than the risk, if you plan smart.

Try not to get too upside-down on the cost. $85 on the bike, $900 for gear?

That Jamis looks flashy, although you might make some changes such as a rack with a bit more rear support for the bags. Is the ad really 2 months old?

You do need a strong base bike, but there are quite a few options that aren't "touring" bikes.

Some of the old classic road bikes have wonderful simplicity, yet are quite durable. Or, go for something "modern".

It never hurts to do a complete tear-down tune-up on your bike which will also help familiarize you with it.

The Jamis ad showed its been up for 2 months now. I used it just as an example of what is around at any given time. Brooks saddle + front and rear rack + lower gearing available from other rings...could be a good option for someone shorter.

I totally agree about the tear down and tune-up. It will for sure familiarize someone with the bike's components, how they work together, and how they work individually. I am always catching myself when talking gearing with someone because I realize I need to simplify/slow down and make sure they are on the same page. Many cyclists don't actually understand their gearing options and why gearing works the way it does.
On a related note, I did an after work ride with a couple of co-workers a few months ago and when we came out of the bar after our break, my bike's tire was flat. I changed it and the new tube popped as I was filling. I was pretty annoyed at that point and apologized for the hold up, but both of them were fascinated at how to install a tube and tire(line up the inflation info at the valve, how to use tire levers, etc. The rim strip was shot so I cobbled some protection together with a dollar bill and we left- I was still seriously annoyed and they loved the visual lesson. Odd how knowledge is taken for granted sometimes.

6-1 240#. Thanks for the information.

So something between a 56cm and 60cm most likely, depending on arm and leg length, etc. That's a really great sweet spot as there are typically a lot of used options in that size range.
The mid80s Trek 520 listed is probably right about 57 or 58cm...

Keep looking.

I picked up 3 really nice touring bikes over the past few years around that price point. The latest was a 2014, 42 cm Surly Long Haul Trucker for my daughter at just a little over $500. The seller said it had been ridden about 50 miles, and from the shape of the bike, I believe her. I also snagged another LHT, a 2006, a couple of years ago for our other daughter, not as nice to start with, but for a little over $500 total and some work it turned out to be a really nice little bike. However, I have one heck of a parts bin!

If all else fails, look at Bike Direct. The have a few touring models in the $600 range.

This LHT cleaned up really well and is pretty versatile:)

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...07a19ba429.jpg

Just remember (particularly for folks of our age) solo touring really can be a life-or-death adventure.
Hell, that's half the fun of life! Never know until we try. Not doing anything would make it an absolute failure. Thanks for the heads up.

I've only done solo touring, and while I haven't done it in decades, if circumstances were right I'd sure do it again. I just used a low end road bike, rear rack and panniers, front handlebar bag. I had a tent and sleeping bag, but didn't bring food or cooking equipment to save weight. I bought food on the way and treated myself to dinner every night. Yogurt and fruit for breakfast, bakeries or something similar for lunch.

My mods to the road bike? Ended up getting a heavier wider set of tires with great flat resistance, a rack of course. Upgraded the brake pads to Kool Stops.

If you want to go full on touring with front and rear panniers etc, then you get into canti or disc brakes, fenders and a more relaxed geomtery and even wider tires.

So you should think about what type of touring you want to do and that will determine what kind of bike you need.

$.02 given your budget don't build up from a bare frame or get a bike needing an entire new drive train unless it was nearly free and you have tools and skills. You could get a perfectly serviceable new bike for nearly the price of the free old frame frame and parts but more importantly you get the bike shops labor in assembly AND tuneup after a break-in period. A lot of the problems I saw were people unfamiliar with basic mechanics allowing a minor problem to go uncorrected until it became a major problem.

For example

Raliegh M20 Mountain Bike Bicycle

This might work, you'd want to remove the wheels, check/grease/adjust the bearings, bottom bracket, headset. If you have to pay someone to do this as well as replace major parts you might as well buy a new $600 bike. Mtn bikes with 26" wheels and 36 spokes where spoke nipples aren't a corroded mess are a good place to start for a 210lb person carrying a lot of stuff.

You don't have to have night riding lights, riding at night just isn't worth it and night time riding lights will be costly or use up batteries. A bright blinky taillight is a good idea at dusk but a yellow/green fluorescent vest is better for most of the time you're riding. Reflective tape doesn't cost much. A basic set up could be a helmet light running on 3 AAA batteries and a bright tailight running on two AA batteries. Don't use them until needed but use vest all the time.

Was wondering about the benefit of wider tires vs. 1 1/4 and maybe giving them a shot of liquid puncture seal. Goat heads can be a real pain. Thanks for your input.