Would this make a decent touring bike?
 

I found this Shimano hyrbid bike on craigslist, and they offered to sell it for 140 bucks, so do you think its a good deal for a bike as well?

It seems to have comfortable geometry along with a 3 sprocket chainring, and I plan to tour with a toddler trailer.

http://images.craigslist.org/0101000...7c3500e495.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/0102070...8e9c00fe3e.jpg

140, so should I go for it?

It depends what you mean by touring. Touring across the USA? No. Towing your kid in a trailer for 3 or 4 miles on a rail trail? It'll work for that. However you probably need to do more research on what size of bike frame you need. You don't want to buy a bike that's too big or small.

You can see from how high the handlebars are compared to the seat, that that bike will put you in a very upright position. Good for comfort and visibility, but not for aerodynamics. It's intended for fairly relaxed leisurely short distance rides.

Yes, you could tour on this bike. I wouldn't personally tour with a child trailer for a variety of reasons, but I've talked to people that have gone thousands of miles with their gear stowed in child trailers. There are other kinds of trailers that work better for touring, but child trailers can work. That's not a top of the line bicycle, and again, I wouldn't tour on it. But I've seen people do cross country rides with bikes that weren't too different from that one. You don't need a high end, or even middle end touring bike to go on extended tours. Better touring bikes do have their advantages, but they aren't essential.

Bike fit is an important issue, though. So definitely make sure that bike is the right size, and that you would be comfortable on it before you buy it.

That looks like the kind of bike you wouldn't want to carry much more than an ice-cream cone with.

Keep looking.

Thanks for the input, I'll keep looking

Carkmouch...why don't you say a bit about your touring plans or ideas so people can try to give you tips in the right direction?

Looks like an adjustable stem; you could put the handlebars down a bit.

Yeah, that would make sense. Basically I want to do some touring this spring and summer, probably around northeast Missouri, down part of the Mississippi River Trail, and possibly the Katy Trail.

I bought a used toddler trailer for touring and hauling stuff around town, but I'll also consider and most likely try panniers as well. I might try to search for used bags and copy some of the DIY pannier projects online.

Currently I only have a fixed-gear. My dad has a pretty nice 70's era 10 speed Azuki, which already has a rack on it. I'm thinking it might be decent for short, week-long tours.

And to keep this search going, heres another craigslist find, tell me if this bike is really worth laying the 900 down for. I do have the means to pay for it, but I'm weary about laying out that much dough for a bicycle. However, I do realize a higher-end bike will be a much better investment, especially if I want to do more serious touring, with the possibility of taking it overseas for several years.

http://images.craigslist.org/0101040...543000e822.jpg http://images.craigslist.org/0101070...770a00c812.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/0101120...2ac50041f3.jpg

56 cm Surly Long Haul Trucker

100% Surly 4130 CroMoly steel. Main triangle double-butted. TIG-welded
Bombproof Mavic Open Pro Rims Laced to Deore XT Hubs.
Classic Brooks Professional Saddle
Dura-Ace Bar End Shifters
105 Triple Octalink Crankset
105 Front Derailleur
Deore Rear Derailleur
Bontrager Race-Lite Bars
Bontrager Race-Lite Stem
Bontrager Race-Lite 700x28 Tires Ritchey Headset
Avid Shorty 4 Cantilever Brakes
Cane Creek Brake Levers
Upper bosses and dropout eyelets for racks front and rear, fender eyelets, chainstay spare spoke holder, pump peg, downtube lever bosses, 3 sets of H2O cage bosses.


And of course I know fit is important, and I would definitely have to test ride any bike before buying. In general, would a 56cm Surly LHT fit me as a 6' person? I know other factors like leg and arm length matter, but I want a general idea.

And finally, is this Long Haul Trucker worth the 9 Benjamins? Should I talk it down some?

Depends. Go and test ride the bike. If it feels comfortable, it will be an excellent touring bike. Easy to tweak any problems you would find. If it doesn't feel comfortable to ride, then move on. Comfort means everything on a tour, all this BS about components, tires, chain sizes, and stuff is a way distant second.

The only problem with a toddler trailer is you got a two more tire tracks to worry about, and two more tires to fix if they go flat. They are also a real pain on roads without shoulders with busy traffic. But I guess the advantage is that you can haul a lot of stuff easily and keep it rainproof.

I love my setup with a rear rack and metal baskets.... so many ways to attach stuff and it weighs less than a rack with panniers.

Yeah, that bike is worth that much, or maybe a little more, if it was brand new. I'm a huge proponent of buying used, whenever possible. But you could buy a brand new complete Surly LHT with fairly similar components for not a whole lot more. If that bike hasn't been used much, 900 isn't a bad price. But I would try to talk the price down a little.

The frame is probably about right for you. I ride a 56cm bianchi volpe as my touring bike, and I'm about 6' or 6' 1/2'' My road bike is a 58cm frame, and it is slightly too big for me.

The Surly LHT is a great touring bike and those look like good components. You can get a new one for about that price. I'd do some research into the component package on this bike vs. a new LHT complete. If these components seem to be better, it's a good deal. If they're equal it's an okay deal, depending on the condition of this bike.

I'm 6'4" with a 35" inseam, have a 62cm LHT, and it fits me perfectly.

For nine Benjamins, I would buy a new LHT for the better warranty alone. And yes in my opinion they are worth it.

Do you think if I could somehow get it for 700 it would definitely be worth it though?

I think so. I mean, wear and tear is a possible issue. If the original owner has been doing loaded tours on this bike, it will bring the value down. But then, the LHT frame is designed to go for many thousands of loaded miles. The components are the real concern. They wear out a lot faster than the frame will. But that bike looks like it's in good enough shape that only the chain, cassette, break pads and cables are likely to need to be changed anytime in the near future. One thing to think about is the brooks saddle. While the majority of touring cyclists in this forum will attest to their quality and value as a touring saddle, their shape will largely be determined by the rider who initially breaks them in. There are a lot of purists who will argue that a brooks saddle is only good for one rider, because each rider is shaped slightly differently. I wouldn't consider this to be a major issue, but it is something to think about.

Pretty much every component on that bike is an upgrade from the complete LHT bikes that you can buy in the 900 range. So the off the shelf price of that bike, if the parts were purchased separately, was probably well over 1000 dollars. So my gut reaction is to give the qualified answer that that bike is worth 700, based on the condition that it appears to be in, judging by the pictures. If the bike isn't beat up, and it hasn't seen an excessive amount of usage, I would fork over 700 for it. But you would really have to look at the bike closely, and probably have more experience with maintenance issues than I do, to make a good assessment of value. I would want to get a vary good look at the bike, ride it around for a while to see how the fit is, and to see how it rides, before committing any money. And if that bike looks like it's in really pristine shape, like no scratches on the frame or signs of wear at all on the components, 900 would really be a more reasonable price.

The ideal situation would be to take the bike down to a bike shop and get a wrench to have a good look at it to get a professional opinion. But the seller would have to be really cool to allow you to do something like that. It's standard practice for a lot of people that purchase used cars, but I doubt that it's done much in the used bike market.

If it fits, Yes! Yes! Yes!

If it doesn't, No! No! No!

Of course, I don't know the seller's situation, but if he's getting out of touring, he might have a rack, fenders, panniers, etc. that you can bargain into the price if he won't come down much. Worth a try. But set your limit, and don't go above that.

From the list of components, i don't see any problem with any of them. Except possibly for the Avid Shorty 4 brakes, which a lot of people complain about for the squealing; not too expensive to replace if you don't like 'em.

Of course, check it over for wear, make sure the components match up as advertised, maybe even verify the seller's receipt for the frame. And check the fit.

-- Mark

Hmm, the seller said 900 firm.

So what is the best route to go for getting a decent touring bike? Ideally I think a recumbent would be the best for touring, but they seem to be expensive. I guess I'll keep looking on craigslist for touring bikes.

As I said above, if that bike is in really excellent condition, it might very well be worth 900, considering the components. But if you are budget conscious, I think it's a wise move to not buy that bike.

Bents are really comfortable options, or so I've heard. Obviously your ass isn't going to get as sore if you go that route. But finding a used recumbent that would be up to the task of touring would be pretty difficult. And new ones are certainly prohibitively expensive.

The improved aerodynamics are obviously a huge advantage, but some bents are supposed to be heavier, I think. And I know they suck for climbing. So they wouldn't be the best option if you wanted to travel in mountainous areas a lot.

If you're surfing craigslist for potential touring bikes, keep your eyes peeled for hybrids, like the specialized hard rock, etc. These bikes are usually a lot cheaper than full on touring bikes, but can be outfitted for touring pretty easily. You may not have to replace many components at all to convert them to a touring setup, depending upon what quality and style of touring setup you are going for. Of course, a hybrid will never compare to Surly LHT, but they'll usually get the job done just fine.

I would definately pass on that $900 LHT.
The steerer is cut way down, limiting handlebar adjustability.
The crankset appears to be a 52/39/30 - the gearing may be too high when you're fully loaded.
The 105 rear derauiller only has wrap capacity for a cassette with a maximum spocket size of 28T. Most tourers use a MTB rear der with wrap capacity for a 34T.
The bike has open pro rims, which aren't as sturdy as dedicated touring rims.

IMO, the LHT complete is a much better deal, and is more well equipped for loaded touring.

+1 - good call.

You might find a lightly used LHT complete from 2007 at a decent price if you keep hunting around. You should also look at the REI Randonee and Safari touring bikes. If you join REI you'll get a 15% coupon straight off and then you'll get a 20% coupon in March that you can use on their house brand bikes. My friend got a Randonee a couple years back and it was a great bike for the $$$. Plus if you aren't 100% happy just take it back to REI for a full refund.

Ok, an update on the Surly LHT. The guy replied back saying it's been used "Around town. The katy trail. The parts were chosen as a trouble free bombproof build. Dura Ace 105 xt brooks etc.....I'd call it gentle use."

Think it would be worth dropping 900 for a ready to go LHT?

also, found this:

I'm kinda wanting a recumbent, so should I jump on this deal for a good touring machine?

http://images.craigslist.org/0101060...b92000a697.jpg

"Recumbent: Bacchetta Giro 20, 27 Speed Bicycle. Carbon shell open foam seat with Bacchetta backpack. S Ram X-7 shifters, Bacchetta kickstand, Blackburn Quad-lite & Cateye Computer mounted on bottom bracket post. Loud electric horn, rear carrier, multi-function tail light, mirror and bottle holder. This bike is brand new and in mint condition. Bike and accessories cost over $2000.00 and will sell everything for $1000.00 FIRM."

The fact that you can get a BRAND NEW ready to go LHT for about $900, that has much better gearing for your use would make more sense. That LHT is not ready to go, unless you mean spending about $200 for new cranks and rear derailleur to better suit your needs.

Personally, I like having a 53 tooth gear on my crank, but I know I'm in a very small minority of touring cyclists. As for the rear derailer, that is an issue. I didn't realize that the 105 isn't compatible with wide range cassettes. I would hate to try to cross mountains, or go on any 8% grade, fully loaded, without a 32 or 34 tooth cog on the cassette. So that would be a deal breaker for me, even though I think that bike would be worth it otherwise.

As for the recumbent, I just don't know enough about them to say if that's a good deal or not. Is there a recumbent forum on bikeforums? Maybe they could advise you on the bent.