Handsome Bikes - for long touring?
06-02-23, 06:36 AM
#26
Senior Member
proper size and low enough gearing are the most important points.
9 speed and a triple---but details please. Could be a 52/42/30 and a 12-25 cassette.
size--? My wife is about 5' and XS small frames work great for her. At 5'4" a small should be good.
and if your wife doesnt ride much, try to be realistic about not expecting comfort , ie hands, all nether regions, etc, to be a given right away. Padded bike shorts etc , grips, handlebars, stems, all make a difference, but really, she needs to ride regularly to figure all this out beforehand on a new bike to have an enjoyable time.
I wish you both luck, but really, bike fit and properly low gearing is the most important thing.
Give details of this bikes gearing is you are unfamiliar with this.
ie, the chainring sizes in teeth and the cassette range.
So many people and especially women I know have bought bikes that are a bit too big and dont have low enough gearing, which just bring challenges to having a good time, despite the enthusiasm and excitement of doing a bike trip.
and expect a million opinions from faceless internet strangers. Hard to know what to take with a grain of salt and what is valid .
9 speed and a triple---but details please. Could be a 52/42/30 and a 12-25 cassette.
size--? My wife is about 5' and XS small frames work great for her. At 5'4" a small should be good.
and if your wife doesnt ride much, try to be realistic about not expecting comfort , ie hands, all nether regions, etc, to be a given right away. Padded bike shorts etc , grips, handlebars, stems, all make a difference, but really, she needs to ride regularly to figure all this out beforehand on a new bike to have an enjoyable time.
I wish you both luck, but really, bike fit and properly low gearing is the most important thing.
Give details of this bikes gearing is you are unfamiliar with this.
ie, the chainring sizes in teeth and the cassette range.
So many people and especially women I know have bought bikes that are a bit too big and dont have low enough gearing, which just bring challenges to having a good time, despite the enthusiasm and excitement of doing a bike trip.
and expect a million opinions from faceless internet strangers. Hard to know what to take with a grain of salt and what is valid .
Likes For djb:
06-02-23, 07:05 AM
#27
Full Member
Rim brakes make a bike much dirtier than disc brakes as the pads wear on the rim. On a long tour it will make everything more gross, and if you live off the bike you'll either have to clean it frequently or be dirty. Just one of many small benefits to a newer bike that will be appreciated over many months.
My advice would be to go to a Liv or Giant store if there is one near you. I think that they make the best off the peg bikes for small riders that are easy to just walk into a store and buy for a good price, in Canada. That is my 2c for this thread and I'll be quiet now.
06-02-23, 07:15 AM
#28
Senior Member
the reason I mentioned about frame size is that I have had at least 3 or 4 women friends who have bought and use bikes that even with a much shorter stem, the reach was still a bit too far forward and not high enough.
Of course there is no black and white answer here, every rider is different for comfort, but just be wary. At least your wifes present bike is a good template to go from, but as she ridden a lot on it, for long rides of multiple hours, a few days in a row?
good luck with assessing things.
again, internet strangers can only help so much.
Of course there is no black and white answer here, every rider is different for comfort, but just be wary. At least your wifes present bike is a good template to go from, but as she ridden a lot on it, for long rides of multiple hours, a few days in a row?
good luck with assessing things.
again, internet strangers can only help so much.
Likes For djb:
06-10-23, 10:30 PM
#29
Newbie
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 70
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 18 Times
in
15 Posts
I doesn’t make sense to compromise on touring bikes since having to abort your carefully planned trip over broken spokes or rack or chain or having a million flats or whatever, is really annoying.
Youre talking several months. Just buy a dedicated tourer from someone who can size the bike properly and make appropriate adjustments, and if the cost is an issue sell it after. If you don’t do it this way now, you’ll likely end up doing it later after you’ve found out the hard way why people use what they use.
Aborting really sucks.
Youre talking several months. Just buy a dedicated tourer from someone who can size the bike properly and make appropriate adjustments, and if the cost is an issue sell it after. If you don’t do it this way now, you’ll likely end up doing it later after you’ve found out the hard way why people use what they use.
Aborting really sucks.
06-11-23, 12:09 PM
#30
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,923
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 964 Post(s)
Liked 1,166 Times
in
668 Posts
Gray dust?
Rim brakes make a bike much dirtier than disc brakes as the pads wear on the rim. On a long tour it will make everything more gross, and if you live off the bike you'll either have to clean it frequently or be dirty. Just one of many small benefits to a newer bike that will be appreciated over many months.
My advice would be to go to a Liv or Giant store if there is one near you. I think that they make the best off the peg bikes for small riders that are easy to just walk into a store and buy for a good price, in Canada. That is my 2c for this thread and I'll be quiet now.
Rim brakes make a bike much dirtier than disc brakes as the pads wear on the rim. On a long tour it will make everything more gross, and if you live off the bike you'll either have to clean it frequently or be dirty. Just one of many small benefits to a newer bike that will be appreciated over many months.
My advice would be to go to a Liv or Giant store if there is one near you. I think that they make the best off the peg bikes for small riders that are easy to just walk into a store and buy for a good price, in Canada. That is my 2c for this thread and I'll be quiet now.
Likes For phughes:
06-11-23, 03:55 PM
#31
Full Member
Yes, it is a bit of a sad joke that the best place to go in this country is often the Giant store. Most shops I've been at haven't moved enough units to stock bicycles for the very tall and short riders, and the experience fitting them is often not there.
If my opinion is so poor as to be funny, well I only have 18 years in this industry. Less than many! Please share your experience, unless this is just a troll subforum now and I've missed the memo.
edit: thought of something else for OP - the Norco Indie is very popular here and available in sizes down to XXXXXXXS or something. Great for a rental fleet, I've put children on the smaller ones. Maybe you could get a good price on one of those, they often come with hydraulic brakes, triple cranksets, good clearance and cargo.
If my opinion is so poor as to be funny, well I only have 18 years in this industry. Less than many! Please share your experience, unless this is just a troll subforum now and I've missed the memo.
edit: thought of something else for OP - the Norco Indie is very popular here and available in sizes down to XXXXXXXS or something. Great for a rental fleet, I've put children on the smaller ones. Maybe you could get a good price on one of those, they often come with hydraulic brakes, triple cranksets, good clearance and cargo.
06-11-23, 04:38 PM
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 37,534
Mentioned: 208 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17417 Post(s)
Liked 13,478 Times
in
6,406 Posts
Likes For indyfabz:
Likes For tombc:
06-11-23, 05:47 PM
#34
Banned
What is your wife currently riding? No need for a special new bike for what you intend to do in Europe. Most people who make such a trip can afford to stay in hotels or B&Bs and eat in restaurants or cafes and no need for camping or cooking or food staples. Pannier racks can be put on any road bike with clips around the stays.
06-11-23, 07:00 PM
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 37,534
Mentioned: 208 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17417 Post(s)
Liked 13,478 Times
in
6,406 Posts
06-11-23, 08:00 PM
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,923
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 964 Post(s)
Liked 1,166 Times
in
668 Posts
Yes, it is a bit of a sad joke that the best place to go in this country is often the Giant store. Most shops I've been at haven't moved enough units to stock bicycles for the very tall and short riders, and the experience fitting them is often not there.
If my opinion is so poor as to be funny, well I only have 18 years in this industry. Less than many! Please share your experience, unless this is just a troll subforum now and I've missed the memo.
edit: thought of something else for OP - the Norco Indie is very popular here and available in sizes down to XXXXXXXS or something. Great for a rental fleet, I've put children on the smaller ones. Maybe you could get a good price on one of those, they often come with hydraulic brakes, triple cranksets, good clearance and cargo.
If my opinion is so poor as to be funny, well I only have 18 years in this industry. Less than many! Please share your experience, unless this is just a troll subforum now and I've missed the memo.
edit: thought of something else for OP - the Norco Indie is very popular here and available in sizes down to XXXXXXXS or something. Great for a rental fleet, I've put children on the smaller ones. Maybe you could get a good price on one of those, they often come with hydraulic brakes, triple cranksets, good clearance and cargo.
Likes For phughes:
