New to biking.
 

Hello all. This is my first post and I'm new to the biking world. Yeah, I've had a bike and been on little trips, but I want to learn more. First, I was just wondering what kind of bike everyone recommends for touring. I like taking trails whenever possible and wouldn't mind doing some off roading as well. I was just wondering what type of bike would suit all of these needs. I don't want to spend too much money at the moment as I'm a poor college student who will only be able to tour in summers for now. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

Mountain bike with two sets of wheels (or at least tires).
Regular knobby for off-road and slicks/semi-slicks for on-road use.
Good mountain bikes don't have to be expensive, opt for a hardtail.

Hey there Rockin',
Your above description covers my own riding/tourng style and what has proven, for me over the years and miles, to meet each of the above spec.s is the REI Novara Safari* (www.REI.com).....the 2006 model was just announced today (this could mean that there are 2005's suddenly on clearance pricing?). Meanwhile on the same website they have a 2 or 3 page doc. on 'things to think about in selecting a touring cycle'.... I have it pasted to a Word.doc if you decide you want to see it and can not find it (send me a 'private message' and I'll attach it).
The book I learned more from per time and $ spent was The Essential Touring Cyclist by Lovett (please forgive me if all of the title and author's name is not precisely correct - it is close enough for a BarnesandNoble.com or google search....also, available via www.AdventureCycling.com.).
Expect to fnd that most touring folks keep to pavement.... the *Novara Safari was born to be both on and off road and so there is not HUGE demand for it.... and there is almost no other comparable bike for your wide range of riding interests.
Keep me posted on your educational progress..... your are tracking on a rewarding/experience rich learning curve.

One other thing. What pace is recommended for a beginner?

You may well be looking for a more technical kind of a view on this; however, allow me to say this much cause I think most bicyclists would concur that you want to try to maintain a pedaling revolutions per minute of about 90, and then just shift gears to whatever keeps you expending whatever level of energy with which you are happy.

Welcome to the touring world there brother... the best answer for this question has been pondered by the great minds of our times "Ghandi, Hawkings, Armstrong, God, Beavis, Butthead, Cartman" and well the answer is this.... your own pace. Being a bagger/tourer/road warrior/ or I think somepeople actually think I have had to many owi's but any ways, doing it at your own pace is the great thing about it. No race, no land speed marks you are trying to atain. Just from point A to Point B with a lot of fun in the middle.


Cheers,

Coco

Yo Co,
Sooooooo well stated. :- ).

While I agree with both Coco and BikePackin (nice pseud!), if you're looking for a "gauge" to see how you're doing, instead of worrying about speed or distance, worry about T.I.T.S.

Time In The Saddle

Get your butt accustomed (A brooks saddle helps) to 5 or 6 hrs of saddle time -- with short breaks every hour or so for munching down 200 carb calories.

Now my turn to agree.... the saddle time is a big thing.... and I do have a brooks now and it's delicious.... But ya ummm Tour, Take pictures, write down stories, scare friends and family.

Cheers,

Coco

I've been seeing a lot about saddle time. What do you guys think about training on a stationary/excercise bike? I'm at college and don't have a bike here, so I was just checking to see if this would help a little. Thanks.

Life is too precious to waste on pedaling a hamster wheel! Get a cheap bike and go ride between classes!

Okay, really, stationary bikes are fine for some riding, I just can't stand riding inside. Yuck!

Training on a stationary bike is fine but note the following:

1. Turn on the TV or Radio -- There is nothing more boring than sitting on a stationary bike unless the TV is on. Take my advice or you'll stop doing it within 3 days or less!

2. If you feel any pain, STOP! --- Stationary bikes are notorious for developing bio-mechanical problems which is why many people end up selling their hardly used exercise machines. If you're body starts developing knee pain, lower or raise the saddle and change positions till the pain stops.

3. The seat tends to be uncomfortable -- I usually add a towel to the seat but this works well for about an hour. In general, you only need about an hour to get a good workout on an exercise bike.

What you are looking for (and so am I) is an "expedition" touring bike. If you lived in Europe you'd have a plethera to choose from . Unfortunately for us in the US, there are practically no inexpensive solutions. REI (Recreational Equipment Inc) makes a pseudo-expedition bike for $850 - the Novara Safari. It will do what you need it to. Aside from that, it's either custom - Bruce Gordon Cycles, Sakkit Cycles, etc. or jury-rig a mountain bike.

The key elements that separate an expedition touring bike from a mountain bike are:

Geometry - chainstay length should be sufficiently long to allow your foot to clear your panniers without shifting the center of that load much past the rear axle. If you've ever descended a steep dirt road with 50 lbs of gear you'll know why this is important. 17.5 inches is a minimum. Additionally, a long wheelbase contributes to stability.

Braze-ons - a true touring bike should have braze-ons for front and rear racks, 3 water bottles, and fenders.

Finding a touring bike with all these features and 700c wheels is easy enough. The trick is to find them on a bike with 26" wheels. 700c wheels with fat tires are fine for well maintained dirt roads or a little rougher in flat country but I live in Arizona and my Trek 520 with 37mm tires can't cut it on dirt mountain roads with a load. I love my 520, it's perfect for pavement - flat or mountain with a load.

Good luck. I wish I had summers to tour. Time and money - neither is much good without the other.

Surly make a touring bike with 26" MTB wheels. Its less expensive than the Beckman Sakkit model but not exactly in the student price range.
Older style rigid MTBs make excellent ruff-stuff tourers. Plenty of people have taken steel Specialized Stumpjumpers on serious expeditions. The new models are a bit too sportified to use as serious tourers.

I agree with Applehead57, but a hard tail mountain bike. Use slicks on road tours and knobbies for everything else. Once you get out of school and can afford the bike you want....