im not an expert cyclist, but ive been reading a lot of threads comparing various touring bikes such as the trek 520, cannondale, jamis, surly, etc. generally they seem like good bikes but according to many reviews many of them have high gear issues in addition to costing a lot of money. ive read about people buying a trek 520 and then replacing half the parts, so i was wonder if there was a reason people dont just buy the frames and build up. i dont have 1000 dollars to buy a new touring bike, but if i can id like to buy a frame and add the parts that are suitable. the problem is i have no idea where to buy frames online or in stores, or if you can even buy just the touring bike frames such as the ones mentioned above. im a beginner, so any advice or knowledge would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Surly is a frame, until this year when they issued the complete bike. You can get one for under 400. The next big step down is the Nahbar frame which is about 180. Building out is expensive, unless you have a donour bike you can strip and the parts make sense. It can be done.

Also check Craig's list.

Nashbar has a cheap steel touring frame. If I was building up a cheap tourer I'd have it near the top of the list. Some guy (permanentjaun?) here on the forum fixed one up and rode cross country on it.

Edit: Here's the thread https://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=262432

I don't think Nashbar has any steel touring frames any longer. The only steel frame I can find on their site is an MTB. Please correct me if I'm wrong, because I'm in the market too.

Tom

It's aluminum, but it's $80 off at $200. For the price, I think it's hard to find fault with it. But, I'm fine with Al.

https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...Frames%2FBikes

Nashbar Touring Frameset
Built with butted 7005 aluminum tubing, the Nashbar Touring Frameset is perfect for an overnight trip or a trip around the world. We’ve thought of everything: long chainstays to provide stability and reduce pannier heel strike, a third water bottle mount for stove bottles or extra water, frame and fork accommodates 700x38 tires with room for fenders.. The 1 1/8” threadless Cro-Mo fork comes with a 300mm long steer tube. Features and fittings: 3 water bottle mounts, downtube shift bosses, 7 o’clock top tube brake cable routing, rack mounts, fender mounts. Build requirements: 27.2mm seatpost, 1 1/8” threadless headset, 31.8mm clamp front derailleur, 31.8mm seatpost collar, 132.5mm rear spacing accepts both road (130mm) and MTB (135mm) hubs, 45.5mm chainstays in all sizes

As far as I know, Nashbar's dedicated touring frame is aluminum, not steel. They do offer 2 steel MTB frames, one with Reynolds steel, one with high-tensile, the latter being good for a $50 beater/townie frame. The touring frame seems to have gotten good reviews in the forums, although I have not particular experience with it. Steel is the generally accepted tour bike frame material, but aluminum works fine too. It depends on what you're used to and how seriously you plan to tour with it.

As for other places to find cheap touring bikes/frames, there's always craigslist and ebay. If you're not a terribly experienced biker, craigslist may be better because you have more of an opportunity to go see and test ride the bike. I'd look for an older steel Trek or similar bike. They can be had in good condition, complete and probably in need of a tune-up and new tubes/tires for $200-$400 or so. That's where I'd start.

FWIW...Nashbar has a 20% off coupon today:

20% Off Coupon Code JYTWTY

It'll bring the price down to $160

Seems like a decent frame, but those welds sure are ugly