xyzzy834

Frankly, I've come to view my touring bike as something of a mule.

I like my steel touring bike. I take good care of it. I treat it as gently as possible. I perform regular maintenance on it and I always store it indoors (when I'm not touring). But, I don't obsess over it like I do my road bikes.

The fact is, the act of touring, itself, takes a toll on touring bikes. They're outside in all kinds of weather. The pannier mount hooks can scratch them when my tired self is removing a heavy pannier from its rack. The touring bike gets parked and left unattended for short periods of time way, way more often than my road bikes. Occasionally (but rarely) the place I parked it wasn't the most solid ground and the bike fell over because of the awkwardness of the loaded panniers. I often lean it against a tree for the night. Even while attempting to keep up with chain maintenance, road grit doesn't get washed off the rest of the bike much while I'm touring.

In the end, it seems impossible for me to keep my touring bike looking as much like new as my road bikes. It looks, well, like it gets used for touring. I'm ok with that. I could spend lots of extra money and get an unpainted titanium frame or I can keep riding my steel frame until I can't stand to look at it and swap the wheels and components onto a new steel frame.

kayakdiver

^^^

They are just a pick up truck with two wheels. I agree with everything you have to say above. Some people drive fancy pick up trucks though.

Speedo

Can you post the address of your workplace?

Speedo

kayakdiver

Speedo

This thread is a bit of a blast from the past. I first posted to it close to two years ago. In the interim I've acquired a titanium frame bike, and seen a custom built titanium touring bike at close range. Although the titanium touring bike was very nice, I'd stand by the opinion that the extra $$ for titanium doesn't make a great deal of sense for a touring bike. On the other hand, if you've won the lottery and cost is no object, there are worse things to spend your money on.

Speedo

kayakdiver

+1

staehpj1

My personal philosophy is that once the bike meets some pretty minimal standards and if it fits properly, that the bike itself has almost no impact on the overall experience of the tour. A tour on a $600 bike and a tour on a $6000 bike are just not substantially different experiences.

kayakdiver

I don't think anyone would really disagree with this Staepj1. Not much different than buying one car over the other. Both will get the job done getting you to work. We don't all drive the same car either. Some have more money to blow than others and good for them. I get to drive the one I can afford.

I group ride on my old TCR and some have fancy bikes that cost 3 times as much. I'm still faster then they are. Does not matter to me that they have a fancy bike. Matters to me that I'm in better shape. I hold no grudge against them for having more disposable income. Good on em.

Everything you said is correct. Your just more frugal that others. Nothing wrong with that.

staehpj1

Yep. Nothing wrong with either way. The only time I hate the high dollar approach is when folks who can't afford it get the idea that they need a lot of really expensive gear and an expensive bike.

kayakdiver

+1