Recommendation
 

Hello,

I am sure this is a repeat post. I apologize, if so.
I am looking for a steel-framed touring bike with disc brakes. I have looked at Trek, Specialized and Surly. I am wondering what there is to fit the bill in the under $1k catagory, or a good place to pick up a pre-owned bike.

Thanks!

Mechanical or Hydraulic Disc Brakes?
Flat bar or Drop bar?

Fuji Touring fits the bill at list price.


REI ADV 1.1 can slip under the $1k limit when it's on sale.


If you're in the market now, and can find a Trek 520 or Surly LHT, you may be able to talk the ship down on price.

No discs on the Fuji or ADV1.1. Can get them on the ADV2.1/3.1, though, and both should be around the grand mark on sale.

ebay.
craigslist.

I would recommend against getting a touring bike with disk brakes unless you are somewhat mechanically-inclined. Whenever I have a flat on a disk-equipped bike, I have to adjust the wheel and caliper carefully to avoid rubbing. With rim brakes, changing a tube or tire is a stop-and-go affair which requires a minimum of tools and time.

When I put my bike together, I specifically avoided disk brakes. V-brakes (or cantilevers) are simple, efficient, and allow for quick wheel changes. As I average one flat per week riding around in the city, I don't want to waste time fiddling around making adjustments.

This issue is actually really easy to solve.

1. Get hex skewers

2. turn bike upside down and slot the wheels into dropouts

3. tighten skewers to max torque

4. adjust disc brake caliper.

Next time you need to take out the wheel do the same as above but since no one carries a torque wrench on tour

1. turn bike upside down

2. slot wheels into dropouts

3. tighten the hex skewer until disc is centered in the caliper

This way you get the torque and caliper spacing correct every time.

I also would not consider rim brakes trouble free since my bike has a disc front and rim rear and I have to do the above steps with both rear and front wheels to get the braking surfaces centered. I need to have my avid ultimate shorty's about 1mm from the rim to get any kind of braking power and a sloppy centering will cause rub, just as with a disc brake.

I picked up the REI ADV 3.1 a week ago on sale for just under $1,000 and am liking it so far, aside from getting used to bar end shifters for the first time:
https://www.rei.com/product/109339/c...es-adv-31-bike

I ended up returning it because of the bar end shifters.

Well, the good news is someone like me can buy it at a steep discount at the next Garage Sale!

I second this. When I had the chance to buy a 400 mile 2015 Specialized AWOL EVO for just too good a price I jumped. The part of the deal that I have found most problematic is precisely this point. While not a blue ribbon mechanic I am reasonably competent. But the disc brakes are finicky and demanding of something more than a passing level of skill... especially roadside.

you don't need discs on a bike ,

How soon do you need it?

Next year's ADV1.1 will have discs. Also, what the hell is everyone doing to their disc brakes that they need so much maintenance? I haven't touched the discs on my commuter/bad-weather bike in over a year (time to adjust the cables, actually). I have to wash the pads and the rims on my road bike almost biweekly or there's dirt and grime and screeching.

Look into the KONA Sutra this is the bike I was going to get for my tour and is a beast. Unfortunately ran into some problems had to opt for a used Trek 520 (only 3 years old) with no disc breaks but it is still a great ride.

No clue. None of my styles have been anywhere near as problematic and deadly as their opponents would have me believe.

OK, that is a lie, I can totally see where the "no steel rim" folks are coming from. The rest, though, all seem to have more of an axe to grind than an actual argument.

I actually ended up biting the bullet and getting a Surley DT. Haven't used end shifters before but so far it seems like a great ride.

Thanks everyone for your recs!

He is gonna have a tough time returning it. As he should- thats just crappy to do, if it were allowed.

https://www.rei.com/help/guarantee.html

I know what the policy says, and I also know what new "goodies" regularly turn up at the Garage Sale. I have little doubt that the time limit is regularly ignored.

Gotcha. Refer back to the last sentence in my previous post then.

You guys that live close to an REI got it good. I'm 2.5 hours to the nearest REI, and its a scary, foreign place. Scary. Foreign.

I don't get the disc comments. I have never had issues. I switched all my bikes for disc bikes and am very satisfied. I also want to mention that with rim brakes using rubber pads - any drag will stop a wheel much faster than any drag on a disc pad. If it rubs a bit - who cares. Just spin the wheel and if it doesn't stop for many revolutions - than that drag is very insignificant and not a concern.