touring on older alum frame?
 

Hello!
Newb to the forums (done some lurking) and to touring, so please bear with me...

I have a Alan Super Record frame that was a fixed conversion, but long story short I ended up with a better option for a fixed/ss commuter. So I decided to throw a 6 speed wheel and triple crank on the Alan and some dt shifters.

I know people complain that these frames are mushy and fragile but I actually do enjoy the feel of the ride and was hoping to make a touring machine out of the bike, but I am starting to stress out a little with the idea of loading it with 40lbs of gear (plan on camping while on tour). Other bike connoisseurs have told me how lucky I am for finding a frame with no BB crack or problems with fork. I weight about 135 soaking wet... but again, 2 weeks worth of gear is a big difference and last thing I want to do is trash the frame pushing my luck.

I would want a bit of weight on the front, thinking small panniers not handle bar bag, to balance the ride.. but I would have to use P clamps for both racks, since there are no bosses for such...

So my question.... basically am I asking for too much from a thin tube aluminum racing frame? Does this seem like a terrible idea? I want to take a tour this summer and don't have the $ to get a dedicated machine or do a credit card tour (with lighter load), or get a IGH wheel for my other bike (which is steel)....

Thanks!

Are the tubes in your Alan screwed/glued together like the one in this link? Just curious.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=482506

Ask yourself "Can I really enjoy this tour worried that the stress may crack the frame of this vintage bike?" Probably not.

Nagging worries about equipment failure and problems on the homefront can turn a potentially great tour into a bummer. That sort of stuff should never be part of a bicycle tour, at least at the onset.

In my experience, especially on road frames, it isn't necessarily the weight on the frame that will outright break it, but the repeated flexing which causes aluminum to fatigue and crack (especially around the bottom bracket). So more load = more flex, more often... eventually, yes, it is going to fail. Whether that happens on your tour or not is kind of a gamble... I've never ridden the exact frame you are talking about, so this is just general knowledge. I have ridden a few flexy aluminum frames that made me nervous... one of which was an old-school mtb frame that nearly broke in half about 15 seconds after getting off of a pretty technical trail (lucky!). Flex in a steel frame is GOOD. Flex in an aluminum frame is NOT SO GOOD.

That said, people have crossed the US quite successfully on all manner of machines that look like they could fall apart at any moment. Many will tell you that a steel touring frame is the way to go, since if it cracks it can be easily welded anywhere. You don't say where you are planning on touring, but if you are in the US, it is not quite as much of a problem to get a few TIG welds done on the road in the event of a disaster.

I would look at the forums here and check out Ken Kifer's excellent pages to see what you really need to take, and travel as light as possible... or pull a trailer: there is little worse in the bike handling department than a whippy frame with lots of gear strapped to it.

I would not.

ESPECIALLY if it is a bonded (glued) alan frame. Cool frame, just not for touring.

Yes, that is the frame. Glued and screwed.

Great, sounds like I am screwed as well... errg. The trailer idea isn't so bad, but I feel like that would make for super wonky handling combined with light "whippy" frame... y/n? I have never ridden w/ a trailer on any bike so far, only hauled stuff with a rack. I could definitly justify the trailer other uses if that would take the stress of the frame and put it on the trailer (and my legs)..?

Sunset- I am wanting to tour Philadelphia to Pittsburgh (where I have friends) and back on the GAP trail, to DC then back up to Philly. Although I have done dirtpack trails on this frame before (unloaded) it was thinking about all those little bumps that got me starting to think about metal fatigue. Or hitting a rut/pothole coming down a Pennsylvania "hill"...

...so you guys are saying catastrophic failure is advanced more by the side to side play of a load, not so much from something instant like hitting a hole? The idea of relying on the availability of welding does put the trip in a bad light.:(

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those guys asking for advice yet still trying to make the wrong tool do the job... it's just I have very limited options. I only have two weeks in mid May between regular classes and summer classes and my options are

1.) tour on this frame (with trailer?) 2.) invest a bunch of time and money making my SS mtb geared (it does have rack bosses) 3. shelling out $350 (which would be food and "SHTF" money on the road) to do a shimano IGH on my IRO Phoenix frame (which also has waterbottle/rack bosses) and hoping to get that lined up and figured out by may..... 4?) steal my buddies geared panasonic which he never uses but is several CM too big... heh.

Hmmm. I must say, you seem to have a few options.

1) Why go through all the trouble of making your SS mtb geared? Just tour singlespeed style. That means carrying less weight, moving faster, and maybe gearing down just a little. You could always carry a lockring tool and a spare cog for any long climbs. There's plenty of folks (myself included) that take weekender tours on fixed gear bikes, it isn't as hard as it sounds only having one gear.... okay..... it is hard, and you have to like a little pain. It's good for you. ;)

2) And a bike that is a little too big isn't necessarily a deal-breaker for touring. I ride a 58cm road/race bike, but a 61cm touring bike. Good to stretch out, and sit up a little. So maybe you could borrow the Panasonic with just a little tweaking for fit.

Sounds like either of these options would be safer and less worrisome than taking the Alan.

for a light rider and light frame why not go for light touring load? Cut your load to 20lbs. 5lbs in compression sack tied under handlebars and 15lbs on rear rack. If 40lbs in non-negotiable use the mtn bike frame.

For a two week tour, I like LeeG's suggesting of paring the weight. Shouldn't be hard to do for a summer tour. 3.5 pounds of tent, 2.5 pound pad, 1 pound flannel sheet, 3 pounds of clothes, 10 pounds for water/misc. Leave the kitchen at home. Might have to adjust your route some, but heck, it'd still be two weeks on a road to somewhere, and you could brag about having done it with minimal gear and on the Alan.

Go to some backpacking sites for ideas on lightweight travel.

BTW, you can use waterproof stuff sacks for gear and bungie them to the rack sides. You really don't have to have panniers. Save about 3 pounds of weight that way.

Ok, thanks guys... you've given me a bit to chew on for options. the ultra-light idea is interesting, but I wanted to camp and have the option of staying overnight in a state park if the mood (or weather) strikes. i get that one can pare down and still live comfortably, but trying to hone my woodsman/camping skills on the same trip, so cooking stuff is coming along.

I have gone for half centuries on fixed, and also where I go to school has some big (to me at least) hills, like 6-7% grade.... so not afraid to put in some muscle and mash, but want to keep my knees happy too. I had an idea of maybe just going GAP trail both ways, instead of lower PA since I hear it's reasonably flat and a steady grade. I switch between 38x16 and 46x16 between seasons, to help my knees in the cold, so I can bring both and a chain tool....

I am also going to check the local co-op and see if they have an old 120mm 5 speed wheel laying around, maybe I can split the difference between IGH and single speed.

Ok, thanks again for the input and lack of smarminess(which pervades the other bike forum i read). :)

I've done my last 1,000km on an old second hand bike that cost me $100 (plus $100 in upgrades, though even those were optional). If your current bike isn't suitable, why not see what you can pick up used from a garage sale or your local thrift shop?

Although I certainly appreciate the beauty of a high-end bike, don't let a lack of $$$ to spend stop you from touring.

http://travellingtwo.com/resources/the-100-touring-bike

you could do GAP/CO on a fixed or single. You would want to gear down, like into the low 60s maybe... Or, seriously consider a dingle cog-double chainring setup for a couple gear options. That would be a cool investment anyway, and would be really great to have on an SS MTB.

Dunno how much room your ALAN has but you probably want room for fatty tires riding the C&O towpath.