nstrav10

So here's the deal. Right now I mainly mountain bike, but I'm planning on beginning to start touring next summer, and also wanted to start road biking with some friends beginning this summer. At first I was planning on buying two separate bikes one dedicated specifically to each route, but was wondering if any of you guys use your tourers to road bike unloaded. I can't see why it would be too big of deal since the tourer may only weigh a few pounds more than a "road bike," and if I find the tires to be too big i could just get smaller ones. I just want to hear what you guys have to say on the matter.

Machka 

I use my Marinoni Ciclo for just about all my riding.

10 Wheels

I toured on my race bike. Felt F-80


https://www.bikeforums.net/texas/524843-500-mile-tour-league-city-tx.html

Cyclesafe

I put the skinnest tires that would safely fit on my Dyad rims (28mm) and otherwise "roadizized" my Americano (11-21 cassette, light weight tubes, and of course took off my racks, fenders, and HB bag) resulting in a much faster bike. Got the thing down to 21.5 pounds.

Unfortunately, I still couldn't keep up with my roadie friends. But.... It was / is a pleasurable ride and is entirely serviceable as a bike to use on the road. Just don't expect to win any races.

Get a BOB and tour with your mountain bike. Use the money you save to buy a light road bike. Then you won't be wondering if it the bike or its engine.

screenwasher

Check out the Jamis Aurora. I have been doing just what you have in mind for the past couple of years - club and solo day road rides, event rides up to centuries and multi-day tours on my 2007 Aurora. If you are looking for something lighter by 3 or 4 lbs, the 2009 Aurora Elite would be worth looking at as well.

nstrav10

well I've been seriously looking at the LHT

Bacciagalupe

There are lots of bikes that are suitable for both road cycling and touring, especially if you're ok with using a trailer.

Three categories in particular work well: cross bikes, light touring bikes and randonneuring/audax style bikes. Those types of bikes typically have clearance for wider tires and fenders, drop bars, somewhat relaxed geometry, rack and fender mounts, usually have steel frames, and are a little "zippier" than a full-on touring bike.

AFAIK, it's mostly the wheels, tires and rider position that will slow down a touring bike compared to a standard road bike. Other things will make a touring bike feel slower, like the longer wheelbase, slacker geometry and weight. Even with a touring bike though, you may not notice the difference unless your friends / club rides are on the aggressive side.

A few bikes to check out: Surly Cross Check, Specialized TriCross; the aforementioned Jamis Aurora series; Salsa Casseroll, Masi Speciale Randonneur. If possible, do a few test rides and see if you have a preference.

njkayaker

How fast do your friends ride? How good are they on hills? The big difference is going to be in the skill/conditioning of the riders. The difference in the bicycles is overrated. Unless your friends are real hard core, a touring bike isn't going to make you be much slower than you would be on a "racing" bike. Heck, you might be more comfortable and be able to ride longer without stops! You can try narrower tires. (Oddly, the 35mm cross tires I'm currently using don't seem that slow!)

(At the moment, I have one bike, a touring bike. It had better be good enough for day rides!)

(The Rocky Mountain Sherpa 30 is pretty nice too.)

LucasA

I have one bike. A long haul trucker

valygrl

I have a trek 520 with tubus racks and fenders on it. It weighs about 33 pounds without stripping the racks and fenders off. I also have a titanium road bike that is not really light, but not really heavy either - around 18.5 pounds.

I find my tour bike is much slower / more effort than my road bike. the extra 15 pounds makes a big difference for me. I can ride my tour bike with my friends who are slower, but I could never go out on a club ride with it and expect to be able to stay with the group. I can keep up if it's flat, but it's a lot of extra effort, and as soon as the road tips up, i'm off the back.

I ride my tour bike around town for errands, I ride it in the rain or if the roads are messy after it rains/snows, and I ride it if I want to even things out with some friends who I really like but who ride much slower than me.

I also think a trailer on a road bike is not a good compromise. If you want a tour bike with panniers, then that is what you should get.

If it was my decision and I could afford 2 bikes, I would buy 2 bikes.

jharte

I agree with njkayaker on this one. I have two bikes (both fairly old). One 1981 Raleigh road bike and one 1988 Specialized Rockhopper Comp converted for touring.

My Raleigh is old, non indexed bar-end shifting, mustache bars. I (the rider) don't ride well on it. I really like that bike, but it just doesn't quite do it for me like my Rockhopper. The MTB fits me so much better. I can ride it all day and feel right at home.

I use 26x1.75 tires, a Scott AT4 Pro bar, 150mm Tioga T-bone stem. An odd looking bike. But what a joy to ride. Plus I can keep up with my roadie friends easier. Just my .02.

Jerry H.

John Nelson

My experience is similar to valygrl. If you ride by yourself, it's fine. But if you ride with friends, I think you should stick with your original plan to get one of each (although that's a big leap all at once).

nstrav10

My friends don't race or anything they mainly ride to exercise. They may be a little better "bike conditioned," but I'm fairly well conditioned otherwise.

nstrav10

and no don't worry a trailer is not in my options I am going to use panniers

Rich B.

I commute on my LHT. The last mile of my trip is on a steep, rocky washed out dirt road, and it's nice to have a solid frame and strong tires and rims to handle the ride. I take weekend day trips, and I like being able to bounce down almost any dirt road I come upon. Mountain bikers have been surprised to see me get to some of the places I've been.

BengeBoy 

I use my touring bike for commuting and really rainy days. Sometimes I convince myself that it's "fast enough." Then I get on my road bike....

nstrav10

So you really feel that much of a difference? What it seems to me is that it's different for everybody, some say it's no big deal and others say they feel a significant difference...

juggleaddict

Lol, there was a thread here just yesterday about someone smoking a roadie on an LHT with big fat tires on it. I say use the trucker.

Cyclesafe

There's no doubt that the same person on a purpose-built road bike will be faster than if he/she was riding a LHT. Even if you substitute the obvious lighter components, you'll minimize the difference, but to one degree or another it will always be slower. How much? Even 1 mph difference will put you one mile behind your friends after one hour. That's no fun.

If you are riding solo, your LHT will be fine. 15 versus 16 mph. In one hour four minutes you go as far as you would have gone in one hour on your road bike. So what.

Having said that, I have been smoked by very fit young people on full suspension mountain bikes. So its the engine, man. If you've got more power or are willing to put in more effort, you can keep up with dedicated road bikes. But do you always want to be the one who is most likely to be dropped on group rides?

carkmouch

I love taking my unloaded Long Haul Trucker for road rides out into the country and around town. It's fast enough for me.

njkayaker

Feh. If your friends can't deal with waiting 4 minutes, get new friends.

Not only the engine, it's the technique too!

In a perfect world, you'd have multiple bicycles for specific purposes. If money is not an issue, buy lots of bikes!

A racing bike will likely keep you from touring (unless you use a trailer) but a touring bike really won't keep you from riding with your friends (unless they are really hard core).

If the weight really matters, it could be related to how much you weigh. You could also remove some of the stuff from the 520. What kinds of distances are you riding with your friends?

mtnroads

I average 2-3 mph faster on a 1-2 hour ride on my CF Spec Roubaix than either of my touring bikes - a Novara Randonee that I use as an all-rounder, and my T2000. Part of that is I push harder, but the tour bikes just don't go fast as easily. Add up the 8-10lb weight difference, bigger tires that add rolling resistance, the additional wind resistance from the 36-spoke wheels and a slightly more upright position.

That said, the Randonee is a really comfortable and enjoyable bike to use for many purposes and I could probably get by with it alone (plus a mtn bike of course). Fun for almost everything and could be fast enough with 28mm tires and/or a lighter wheelset. And you can't beat the price. I had an Aurora Elite that I paid quite a bit more for and didn't like. It was a few pounds lighter than the Rando but the ride was harsh, the frame flexed and I didn't like the 10-speed.

bugly64

I am going to get a road bike, but for now I use my Cross Check for touring/commuting/roading.

cyclezealot

At least every other day. It's pannier's are great for errands and groceries. I hate back packs on my road bike.

njkayaker

Tires might matter (cheap to change). Your body position might matter (free to change). The rest of it is a small contribution. The degree that the other stuff matters depends on the speed.