TnBama

How heavy is it? What size is your frame? I don't think they post frame weights anywhere on Riv's website, and I have been curious about how much they weigh.

solveg

It's in Kansas right now. I did track down how much it weighed at one point, but I forgot. I want to say 27 lbs, but I really don't remember. I would have guessed 33.

Mine, however, weighs much much more. I have a hub generator and lights, a huge hefty surly rack, fenders, kickstand, and more things which I can't remember. And I usually have 3 water bottles and at least 1 pannier filled with stuff.

I love riding it, but I can't ride it with anyone else because I can't get over about 15 mph on it. But I'm not a fast rider, anyway.

monkeyography

If we're basing the difference between Tourer and "Sport Tourer" on chainstay length alone, here's how things stack up (from longest to shortest):
Sorry for breaking my own rule and posting info I simply gleaned off the interwebs, but this is a valid point of comparison. Beyond stability, if your feet are large enough you need to take care that your heel won't be striking the rear panniers given your combination of bike/rack/pannier.

Supertick

I have a size Jumbo Cannondale T2000 and have no toe overlap. I like the bike a lot and I also like the way it rides. I like the looks of the oversized tubes and most everything about the bike. I have it converted to flatbar because I have a bad back and like the bike much better set up this way. I have done several long tours with the bike and it has performed very well. I put mountain cranks on it with 44/32/22 chainrings.

All is not perfect however. The rear right side lower rack attachment point stripped and there was not enough room to put a nut or even a flathead screw in there because of the cassette. I ended up having to drill and tap the hole the next size up to get the rear rack secure. This left me wondering if the rack would stay in place. Since I have a Tubus Cargo rack I got one of the Tubus quick release adapters and carry that while on tour just in case. For this reason, my next touring bike will be made of steel and not aluminum.

I would like a Bruce Gordon bike someday but since I take a 62cm and I think his standard bikes only go to 56 or 58cm I will have to go without. I know he builds custom but unless I win the lotto jackpot it is not going to happen.

I just bought a Surly LHT on 02/29/2008.

Sigurdd50

I've always thought the Thorn bikes looked classy... just don't see them much in North AMerica (if at all)

seat_boy

I would consider my Salsa Casseroll a sport tourer (although it's fixed for me right now). The top tube is too long for my taste, though.

Eric

The Smokester

Here are some:

Salsa--Casseroll
Gunnar--Sport
Marinoni--Sportivo
Co-Motion--Nor'Wester
Independent Fabrications--Club Racer
Rivendell--A. Homer Hilson
Biob Jackson Audaux Club

arctos

After 18 years my Bruce Gordon RNR continues to surprise me in how well it just works no matter what type of terrain I subject it to. How well the engine continues to work is another story!

I prefer to refer to Bruce Gordon as the Baron of Petaluma. The Baron has always treated me well in person and on the phone. He has demonstrated for a long time that he actually knows something about building touring bikes. The fact that he does not suffer fools gladly is all in his favor from my point of view.

monkeyography

Can anyone speak on this issue from experience? How do large feet and chainstays under 45cm play together on a loaded tour?

nun

I have an Atlantis and agree that its a chunky bike, but I use it more as a MTB/EXP tourer with 1.75" or 2" tires, its lighter than a Thorn

However, for road touring I think sport tourers feel better so I'll add the soon to be vacationed Rivendell Rambouillet to the list

pasopia

I have a 58cm LHT. No toe overlap for me with fenders and 700c x 30 tires. This actually the first bike I have had without toe overlap, and its great. Even though it doesn't really matter on geared bikes, it still drives me crazy.

foamy

For those of you complaining about chunky/heavy bikes—consider Bilenky's Tourlite. 5 levels (more, actually) of build and componentry. Can be had for less money than the high and semi-high end bikes mentioned in this thread. There's nothing at all chunky or heavy about them. Quite nice, really. You can get the bike built anyway you want it. Any angles, any tube lengths, tube sets, any anything.

https://www.bilenky.com/Bilenky%20Models.html scroll down

Check out the photo galleries.

bgcycles 

Hey - You are in Luck.
The 59cm Rock 'n Road Tour has a sloping top tube, as do all my stock touring frames. If a 59 cm had a level top tube it would be a 63.6cm frame (center to center) and it has a 59cm top tube measured center to center level. I can also make a BLT model in the 59cm.
Any questions - feel free to give me a call.
Regards,
Bruce Gordon
www.bgcycles.com

Rob_E

In case anyone's interested, it was pointed out on another thread that the Bottom bracket in the Long Haul Trucker in the 700c frames would be too low if you used smaller tires, so you really can't get a 26" tire put on there. If you find that there's toe overlap on the 56, and it bugs you, I guess you might want to look at the 58 or 54.

MrPolak

Ya Mon! Check any of the Cyclocross bikes. OH, yah, they don't come with triple cranks....

Ok then, time to move back to Europe!

Tom Stormcrowe

I can't critique, I tour on a 21 year old bike It does such a good job still hat I have no desire to replace it

BengeBoy 

All this talk about toe overlap had me worried. I double checked this morning on my morning commute. I have no toe overlap on my Trek 520, and I have big (size 12) feet. Course, I have a tall frame, too.

Wait, this is the thread where we can only say bad things about the bikes...ummm, I wish it wasn't vomit green.

RichardCranium

Bruce, don't be offended, but I'm curious as to why most bikes have this stupid sloping top tube? Personally I think it really looks stupid.... but I'm not a frame builder.

Thoughts?

--RC

theranman

I anticipate an entertaining answer.

bgcycles 

The reason I use a sloping top tube is to get the handlbars higher and still have sufficient standover clearance over the top tube. I can build a custom frame if you would like with a level top tube, but that is a extra cost option.

Regards,
Bruce Gordon

P.S. I hope "theranman" finds my answer entertaining.

Machka 

I don't ride a "mass-market model". I've gone custom ... very custom.

foamy

What 'cha mean? I thought you were a Marioni gal. Something new here? Let's see.

Rob_E

There are a lot of people who consider this a non-issue. I'm not one of them. Even though I've mostly adjusted to it, and it really only happens at extremely slow speeds, it still irks me when I kick the tire. But, to be fair, there are a lot of people who put this issue way, way down line of priorities when picking out a bike, if they consider it at all.

staehpj1

Toe overlap is a complete non-issue for me. My road bikes have all had a lot of toe overlap and I couldn't even tell you which of my other bikes do and don't. I might notice it the first few times I ride a new bike if it has more overlap than I am used to and then adjust to it with no conscious thought. Others don't tolerate it as well. You just have to figure out if it bothers you or not.

Nigeyy

I agree; I've found toe overlap to only be a non-issue when I don't have it! I got a freebie 1980's Japanese steel frame that's very nice -but I just dislike the fact that I do have a very small amount of toe overlap with it. Since it was free, I use it as a beater, but I don't want to put mudguards/fenders on it for the toe overlap reason. With the exception of my SWB recumbent, none of my other 8 bikes have toe overlap -I think the overlap on the recumbent concerns me less as since I'm riding something different I have no problem remembering it does. I do get occasionally caught out with the Japanese bike -and it's really annoying. Perhaps most worrying for me is the thought of getting that toe overlap when you are exiting and steering sharply out of a junction and then find a speeding car bearing down on you.

Thinking about it, I'm not sure I'd buy any bike with toe overlap on it for me, no matter if it was a real bargain (well, being pedantic, excluding the case where you could buy a bike and then could easily sell it for profit that is). I'd prefer to get a bike that fits me properly (for me, "fits properly" means no toe overlap amongst all other things), even if it means getting a lesser model.