delux68

Hi everyone, i am excited about doing my first tour but am confused about which bike to take. None of them are tourers and they all have advantages and disadvantages to them. i live in florida and want to ride north probably avoiding mountains. i am a male, 5'6", 190 lbs., 8.5 shoe. i already have a rear rack, panniers, and a brooks b17, and would probably switch the bars for trekker or moustashe bars. thanks for all you help.

bike #1
84 trek 500. advantages: rides great, chromoly frame, 36 spoke wheels, 17"chainstays decent shifters/derailleurs
disadvantages: road double crankset, only one set of eyelets for racks/fenders on front and rear. road brakes. 27'wheels, 1 set of bottle mounts braze ons

bike #2
early 90's trek 1100. advantages: been on extended tour with P.O., road triple crankset with tiny small gear. 2 sets of bottle mount braze ons, 700c wheels, decent shifters/ derailleurs
disadvantages: 32 spoke wheels, one set of eyelets for rack/fenders, aluminum frame, 16 1/4 chainstays.

bike #3
early 90's Jamis Durango MTB. adtantages: Chromoly frame, 2 sets of bottle mount braze ons, 36 spoke wheels, canti brakes, MTB triple crankset,
disadvantages: ones set of eyelets for racks/fenders, low end components that needs some work, 16 3/4" chainstays, 26" wheels.

or Performance bicycle has a good deal on the Fuji palisade 1.0. it has two sets of braze ons for bottle mounts, two sets of eyelets for fenders/rack, MTB triple crankset, 36 spoke 700c wheels, front rack included , canti brakes, hi-ten fork, aluminum frame. has what looks like low end components. I can afford this bike and like the way it feels under me but am afraid of its lower quality. performance link below.

https://www.performancebike.com/bikes/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&langId=-1&catalogId=10551&productId=1094705&cm_mmc=$%28referrer%29$-_-Bikes/Frames-_-FUJI-_-30-4360&CSE=GooglePS&mr:trackingCode=7D988498-D16B-DF11-BAA3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

John Bailey

If were me I'd take the Trek 500 and switch out the crankset for a tour friendly set. There're lots of ways to attach racks, fenders and bottle mounts without braze ons.

John

LeeG

you leave out how much weight you intend on carrying. Nothing wrong with one set of eyelets.

delux68

i was leaning towards this one. i thought i'd swich the triple crankset from the 1100 to this one, then i saw the fuji so it added one more option

delux68

i plan on taking whatever i will need to be self sufficient for a few months. camping and cooking gear, few sets of clothes etc, so i guess fully loaded.

Doug64

One set of eyelets on the dropouts are enough. You can attach both rack and fenders to the same one. I tend to think John Bailey's recommendation is a good one.

Takara

All three bikes would make perfectly competent tourers. Which is the most comfortable to ride for eight hours? Pick three Saturdays and find out. That bike is the one you want to pick. All the other variables are easy to work out.

Peruano

Yes fit is the most important. It easier to say change to triple than to do it. Make sure you have the chain stay length to avoid heel strike on any pannier you put behind the foot. It might be easier to pick the right pannier than to change that crank. Me I'd go for bike two if it fits, and I could solve the problem of heel strike.
Clearly buying a new touring bike (even a middle price range one) is the easiest option, but even a new bike will need to be taken care of (pampered) and may have problems (not that the older bikes are immune either). If money is an obstacle work Craig's list, bike swaps and the local shops that sell used. Touring bikes are not plentiful but they do tend to get sidelined and end up for sale at the strangest times. I have a Trek 400 (triple), a Bianchi Europa, a custom McReynolds and a Jamis Aurora that are all suitable touring bikes and were all purchased for $200 - $400 US so bargains do exist on suitable steeds for the person who invests time in the search. Adapting an existing bike is smart money until you figure out what it is you really need (hey buy a bike on the road when you find it at the bike shop and ditch the old one). Good luck and stick to prefering comfort over farkles. Tom

delux68

thanks for help everyone i think im gonna go with bike #1 i like this one and i've ridden it a bunch. i will probably swap the crankest, brakes, and derailleurs from the 1100 its alot of work but i think i will be happier on the 500.

bike #1 was a $30 craigslist find, as were the trek 1100 and the jamis.

BigBlueToe

My first consideration is always the rear wheel, since I've had trouble with breaking spokes. If you're carrying a big load with 700 wheels you may want to buy a touring-specific wheel with very strong, high-quality parts and 36 spokes. Have a good mechanic true it and tension it (or learn how to do it yourself if you don't already know.) Only having one set of eyelets isn't too big a deal. On my tourer, the only way I could get a good fit with my rack and fenders was to use the same eyelet for both, even though I have two. (I can't remember if it's front or rear.) Also, I've taken plenty of tours without fenders and it wasn't that big of a deal. When it did rain the spray mostly hit my downtube in front and the load on my rack in back. Since I've gotten fenders I've only ridden in the rain once. (So it's true that buying fenders is a good way to ward off rain.)

26" wheels are inherently stronger, so the ones on a good mountain bike should be fine. Get some good slick tires.

Heel strike can be a problem, especially if you have big feet (14 here) so get your panniers and try them on the different bikes. There may be no problem.

Low gearing is a big deal on tour if you're going over any passes, or if there will lots of hills. A mountain crankset is not overkill, in my opinion, and on a road crankset I like at least a 24-tooth granny.

It sounds like you have more than one option that will be suitable. I like a road setup, so if it was me I'd try the Trek 1100. See if your heels hit the panniers. Don't sweat it if you can't make fenders work. Does it have a carbon fork? If so, I've heard that you don't want to attach front racks. But I'm not saying that like I know for sure. What do I know? I also prefer front and rear panniers, but I've toured plenty of times with everything in back, except a sleeping bag slung from the front handlebars. That worked fine (though I did break a spoke.)

You have options. Try them out on some mini-tours before heading out on a big tour. How much do you weigh? I should note that I weigh 200 and am tall, so everything I bring is large. I also tend to bring a lot of stuff. If you're light and you're load is light you'll have far less to worry about than I do.

delux68

I'm pretty excited, I finally got myself a proper touring bike. It's a Huffy Sa... just kidding. Its a Univega Gran Touring, 1989 I think from the others I've see here on bike forums. It looks to be all original and in good shape except for some scratches here and there. It came with a rear rack and two bottle cages. It needs some cleaning up and a new rear derailleur cable but overall I'm pleased. I paid $65.00. I think the major score is that it has a Brooks Swift titanium saddle that is "on sale" right now at nashbar for $379.99. whoo-hooo!!. It is dry and warped but I hope I can bring it back. Thanks for all your help everyone.

staehpj1

That doesn't narrow it down much because one person might say that and carry 25 pounds and another might carry 100 pounds and describe what they carry the same way. I'd advise shooting for 30-35 pounds and if you are much above 40 pounds I would say to definitely take a long hard look at the packing list.

BTW, in my experience your packing decisions will have more to do with your success than what bike you choose. With a light-ish load, low enough gearing, and a bike that fits you well you will probably be fine.