Nadash

I will thinking of using a cheap MTB to tour SEA, China and the States. Currently, I'm thinking of the GT Avalanche 3.0 with a Bob Ibex. How would the durability or undurability be? The price difference with say, a LHT with panniers, would be around $1000, which really affects my budget. Note that I need to ship the LHT overseas (I'm from Singapore), which adds another 300 bucks to the cost.

Alternatively, I was thinking of using the Jamis Aurora. But how will the tires handle dirt roads? I prefer 26" tires too, which the Aurora doesn't provide.

Robbykills

for what its worth everyone I've talked to who has toured on a Jamis Aurora loved it. I would think cyclocross tires would handle dirt roads pretty well as long as we aren't talking about really loose gravel or anything.

Nadash

Are the rims good enough? I would like to fit Schwalbe Marathon XR tires. I think some roads in someparts of rural SEA should have loose gravel, mud, loose dirt, random potholes, etc.


edit:: oh, how's the geometry for the GT. Ava 3.0 like for touring?

pauldaley

~

took me ages to choose between a conventional touring bike (Surly LHT,ect) with panniers... or a MounTain Bike with BOB ibex trailer

my Journey will take me across similar terrain as yours

mostly paved roads, but a significant percentage of Aussie backroads, corrugated and bumpy trails and bush tracks ' ...

so the obvious choice was a MTB ! (Giant Talon 08')

I ride this with the BOB trailer and a set of back panniers ~

so far so good ~ I ride with Continental "Town and Country" which are great on the road and just as good off-road/dirt/mud

many people on this forum have suggested I replace the shockies with rigid forks

but the path I take includes many dodgey roads and back-trailers through national parks ... and this just wouldn't be very healthy for my wrists if I didn't have suspension forks

I LOVE the BOB trailer, it is such a great little unit and after working on my riding fitness I can now take the big hills in middle gear easily enough (to a certain degree)

... so in conclusion, if you are choosing to ride off the highway and main roads, then yes, get a cheaper mountain bike and trailer

... go for it ~!

foamy

If I were touring Southeast Asia, I'd be riding my MTB. With a conventional rigid fork.

Nadash

But one of the key point remains that if I buy a mountain bike, I would want to buy a really cheap one: preferably below $500. If not, the price difference wouldn't be large enough to tilt me away from a true touring bike. So now I am quite worried about durability and such.

xiaodidi

Get a mid 80's Miyata or Bridgestone with triple or double butted Japanese CroMoly goodness on Craigslist for $100 and pimp it out to your liking.

...just noticed... Singapore... got any friends coming to the US any time soon ? The airline only charges $100 vs $300 for a bike.

knatchwa

my first tour was on a target schwinn 2.6fs it rode well after the first day where I broke nearly 5 spokes in one day that was surely fun. Otherwise like it has been mentioned it is good to have suspension fork for the possible variations on terrain.

pauldaley

so far so good ~ I ride with Continental "Town and Country" which are great on the road and just as good off-road/dirt/mud

Those are great tyres I recommed them highly. Otherwise in doing you learn, through experience you grow so get out there and do. Can only improve through practice.

Nadash

Yeah, I'm trying to get someone who is coming to Singapore to help carry a bicycle over. What groupsets should a bicycle have to be minimumly durable for a 10000km tour?

jibi

Nadash

I am using the Ibex too here in Malaysia. But a rather expensive bike. I have Fox forks that can be locked off. So can have either rigid or shocked.
26inch wheels are better here if you need spares, 700's are few and far between, big ciities mainly.
Bikes are mega cheap here in Malaysia, about 3 or 4 times less than in the UK

Maybe an option to source bike here in Kuala Lumpur????

If you would like I can check some shops and send prices while I wait for things here, need somethingto do.

Tailwinds

george

Nadash

Wow, thanks. Do they have true touring bikes over in KL? Like the LHT? Did you buy your Bob Ibex there?

jibi

I bought my Ibex 3 years ago on the web.

I have no idea what bikes they have here till I look. The Surly , I haven't seen one in a english shop never mind here.

Not many people cycle tour here, I have heard of less than 10 in the whole of Malaysia, so it may be difficult to find "real" touring bikes. The few I have met all ride 26' wheel bikes.

I'll get back with more info in a couple of days

george

Bridgestoned

Nadash,

I got my LHT from Sulaiman @ https://www.togoparts.com/bikeshops/s...ils.php?sid=62 in Jan this year. The only shop in Singapore with LHTs. There may be one last frame, 46 cm Cherry Red left.

New stock are coming.....soon
Or so he says.

Nadash

Ah.. I shall need to call him again tomorrow. But I want to get a complete bike, not just the frame. =\

thanks george.

Nadash

Anyone have any information regarding touring bicycles from China or the UK? I can easily get someone to piggyback a bike back for me from china. And I was looking at the Dawes Karakum.

cycler100k

I used a trek 8000 hardtail with Continental semi slicks for the dirt trail on the Katy Trail In Missouri , some dirt roads and paved roads on the Lewis and Clark..It worked great with the Bob Ibex..I did experience a rear wheel problem and had the wheel rebuilt with heavy guage spokes...the more the better..I say beef up the wheels and take some extra chain links and spare Bob parts..especially the rubber hooks and skewer. Best Regards

resu

I'm surprised that the Kona Smoke isn't mentioned more often.

https://www.konaworld.com/bikes/2k7/SMOKE/index.html

On paper, it looks like the perfect budget touring bike.

bikebuddha 

My commuter/touring bike is an old gary fisher rigid frame with trekking bars, contintential TC's and a rack. It's not real fast but it's bulletproof.

knatchwa

to ride is a wonderful thing surely, and there are so many options to explore.

mike

I wouldn't bring a bicycle with me to SEA and China. Buy a bicycle when you are there. You will find it a lot less headache than hauling a bicycle around. More importantly, you will find maintanance and parts a lot easier to get if you use the local models.

I toured all around China on a locally made single speed Flying Pigeon. It was a great ride and all maintanance issued could be fixed within 15 minutes by the many local bicycle repairmen within minutes for ridiculously low cost.

By the way, you don't need to carry a ton of stuff with you on Asian touring. You won't be doing much camping and even in remote area tours you don't need to cook your own meals. There are many restaurants.

Have a blast. Sounds fun.

Nadash

Thanks for the advice! Well, I'm staying in SEA currently. Bikes in Singapore are the usually walmart bikes plus large selections of road and mountain bikes. I would like to tour with a cheap bike here, but I'm afraid it will fall apart before I go out of the door. And I'm not really into single-speeds. =(

Nice photo! Where was that taken? Is the red bag all you've got? o.o