Sorry if this has been asked a thousand times here, the searches i did gave me a little insight.... But what would you buy?


A little background info...
I just sold my bass boat. Three year old twins really get in the way of fishing as much as I used to. I recently got back into biking, and did a couple thousand miles last year in 20-100 mile increments. I also used to be an avid backpacker - going on extended 10 day hikes - so I still have most of the lightweight gear that could transfer over to touring. Also keep in mind that I have 3 year old twins - so the occasional 3 - 5 day mini tour, and maybe a yearly 10-15 day ride (I am also a teacher with the benefits of the summer off).

So basically what would you buy for that on say a $3,000 budget - what bike, bags/panniers etc. I have looked at surly LHT and like them, and I am probably leaning in that direction - but my knowledge in the touring world is limited to the last 30 days of occasional research.

Thanks

I would and just did buy the LHT. During my test rides I found that the Jamis Aurora Elite had a very smooth ride also. Rode a Trek 520 and a Surly Crosscheck, but the LHT was my favorite. All the touring bikes in the LHT price range are nice, but you really need to test ride and see what fits you best. I plan on adding Tubus racks with Orlieb panniers. Arkel panniers are also really nice but a little pricy for my budget.

Good luck! Hope to cross paths with you on the road.

a thought, if you are going to bike more in general, but try touring once in a blue moon, consider getting a bike that is lighter than a lht but that can still take front and rear panniers and a reasonable load (lets say 40lbs max).
I mention this opinion simply because if 90% of the life of a bike will be unloaded or lightly loaded, you will have (perhaps I should say "may") have more fun on a more responsive bike, depending on what kind of riding you do, or think you will be doing mostly.

just another consideration. (but do always keep in mind that a triple and fairly wide cassette will leave you with better gearing options than a double front crank bike that a store employee may say "oh, sure , this will be fine for touring too...")

I have a pretty decent road bike already for group rides, organized centuries, and for regular solo rides. So my options now are get a dedicated tourer, commuter, grocery getter, and pull the kids trailer bike or upgrade the road bike (but I was really planning on getting another 8,000 - 10,000 more miles out of my current set up). Plus, having a size 13 foot (on a 60 cm. max frame), I am pretty much stuck with considering a dedicated touring frame if I want my heel to clear a rear pannier.

The LHT is a proven, popular touring bike. Can't think of any logical reason not to recommend it. Can't go wrong with Tubus racks and Ortlieb/Lone Peak panniers either. As you've never toured before?, no guarantee that touring will be your 'thing.' But by buying the best upfront, if touring is in your blood, then you'll save a bundle in the long run. If not, you can quickly resell and recoup much of your investment. A no lose deal if you've got the $$$s. Be like you rented the gear.

For @ $2000(+) you can get a LHT, Ortlieb panniers (front and back, bar bag and rack pack), Tubus racks, good pedals and computer. You might also want to replace the OE saddle. Your backpacking gear should serve you well.

The Trek 520, Cannondale T-1 and T-2, Soma Saga (if you want to build your own), REI's Novara Randonee; are all comparable touring bikes with relatively long chainstays. There are many more suitable makes and models, but try to ride as many as you can.

The advantage to the LHT is that the steering tubes are usually not pre-cut. This allows more flexibility in bar height adjustment. This is my LHT after I finished the build- 2 years ago. I still have not got around to cutting the steerer tube. the point is that this flexibility allowed me to position my bars about level with the saddle. This is a saddle height that many touring cyclist prefer. This might be more important if you are tall. If the size 13 foot is any indication you probably are relatively tall.


Heck, you should have enough to get a nice little kid hauling trailer

ahh, I see.
And yes, size 13 will definitely mean a bike with longer chain stays (which the LHT does have) . Ive pulled kids trailer bikes with various bikes, so as others have said, if you get it and see that touring isnt your thing, it should be fairly easy to resell. How do you feel about bar end shifters?

ps, after seeing Dougs bike, a LHT doesnt have to mean bar ends...

Cannondale has done away with their t1 and t2 touring bikes. Maybe you can find one in a shop that you can get for a fair price. I have a t1 and really like it. I don't know about heel clearance. I pull a trailer and don't use paniers on that bike.

While I have a Surly Long Haul Trucker if I was starting out again I would probably go with a Surly Orge with a Rohloff hub or possibly a Thorn Nomad again with a Rohloff hub.

Andrew

Thanks guys. Yes I am fairly tall @ 6'3" I am currently on a trek road bike 60cm - and it is a perfect fit. Most of my height is in my legs - I actually had to shorten my stem 10 mm to be comfortable on the 60.

I really think I am leaning toward the surly - but may consider building, rather than buying complete - I have never done this, but I am fairly mechanically enclined - I can take apart anything, and sometimes I can put it back together

I have never owned bar end shifters (only older downtube and current shimano brifters) -I really like my current shifters - but I am not opposed to the bar end - especially considering their longevity and low maintenance.

But it seems like the consensus is on ortleib and tubus as far as racks and panniers. I have a garmin 800 computer - but I don't know if the shorter battery life would be of any use on a touring bike.

Greetings from a fellow teacher with big feet (14). I say buy the LHT and don't look back. It's not a great bike for centuries, weekend rides, etc., but it's a fantastic tourer. Since you already have a road bike for other stuff, don't compromise if you want to try touring - get a tourer. Like Cyclebum said, touring bikes hold their value, so if you should decide you want to go a different direction you can sell it for most of the cost. Don't cut the steering tube for the first couple of years - maybe never. I had some troubles with sore, numb hands. Raising the bars did the most for solving this.

I have a Tubus Cargo rear rack and a Jandd Extreme front. I heartily recommend both. I have Ortlieb Classic Roller panniers front and rear, and an Ortlieb Ultimate 5 handlebar bag. I love them.

If you're a backpacker you know how important it is to save weight. The ounces won't hurt your back, but when you're pedaling your load over a mountain pass, or just a series of long, steep hills, you'll be happy to have the lightest load possible. With $3,000 to spend, you should have enough left over for some nice stuff. You might consider taking a few short tours and seeing what works well out of what you have, what you'd like to replace, and what you'd like to buy for the first time.

I bought a bunch of backpacking stuff for my first long (4 week) tour. I realized I had made some bad choices and replaced much of it over the next few years. The deficiencies were fairly small, but seemed big when I was out on the road.

Wow! Thanks for the link - alot of good info there.

That's pretty much what I use my LHT for but even unloaded it is a great bike. The handling isn't snappy but it's a good choice for general riding where speed isn't your main concern. For a year it was my only bike and I have taken it on a 4 day 328 mile charity ride. I couldn't hang with the fast kids but I sure was comfy.

BTW I have 26" wheels with 2.0 tires.

Another vote for the LHT for touring, commuting, groceries, bike dates, etc. That's what I use mine for. I am 6' 2" with close to a size 13 foot and the 60 cm causes no heel strike problems with my Ortlieb Bike Packers.

Honestly? The frame is heavy and over-priced when you consider that the Nashbar aluminum touring frame can be had for $135 (= frame+fork vs $470 for the LHT). The component mix on the complete LHT has never impressed me.

If I wanted a complete bike, I'd probably look at the Jamis Aurora Elite, Salsa Vaya or maybe the Salsa Fargo. None are ideal, and they're all more expensive than the LHT, but they're closer to the mark IMHO. That said, I'm mighty happy with the bike I built around the Nashbar frame...

How much does the vaya frame weigh?

The same as the surly LHT...just sayin. Stop hating on the trucker, of course the Nashbar framer is cheaper so are bikes on bikesdirect.

BTW the OP is thinking about a build.

I am headed to nashville next weekend to ride some different bikes. The store I am going to is a dealer of both Jamis and Surly - I guess it will come down to how they fit and feel - the frame sizes come in a little different (Jamis does not have a 60 - only 59 or 62) - but frame sizes on paper and feel are sometimes two entirely different things. As far as the nashbar frame - it is an outstanding price - but I am not even considering an aluminum frame - I am all set on steel.

There are a number of quality choices in racks out there, I've been very pleased with Old Man Mountain, Jannd, and Nitto racks. There are a couple of other companies that make really nice touring racks as well, including Bruce Gordon's which if I didn't already have my Jandd I think I would have went with Gordon's rear (with the extension) for my tourer.

https://www.bgcycles.com/racks.html

The OMM racks are super-tough and lend themselves well to bikes that are difficult to mount racks to, although I'd recommend the special canti-stud bolts a couple of manufacturers offer if you go that route. Jannd Expedition racks are also super-tough, the black finish on mine is starting to wear away where I mount my panniers though. I wish they'd just offer it in naked metal, it's tempting to just remove the paint. My Nitto is absolutely gorgeous and provides options to mount panniers lower if you wish, (mine is a Big Front Rack) as well as lots of places to secure bungees when I am picking up packages or shopping, which I really like. That rack is on my commuter though, as I prefer a platform on my front rack for touring, the OMM Cold Springs gets the nod for my tourer. Usually my front racks' platform is reserved for fresh food (usually from farmers roadside stands) or six packs of beer when touring. I fit all the rest of my gear in my panniers and across the rear rack, leaving the front deck clear for things I sometimes pick up en route. I carry a plastic hooked bungee net and a couple of bungee cords specifically for this purpose.

I use Ortliebs up front when I am touring, but prefer bucket panniers for the rear. These give me a seat, table, and cutting board for when I am in camp. If I wasn't going the bucket pannier route, I'd be tempted by Arkels GT-54: https://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categ...g-pannier.html
I like my Ortliebs just fine, but I've seen other ones (& similar bags from other manufacturers) that have another pocket on the outside. For me, for touring, this would be nicer, but a friend gave me these classic rollers years ago and they show no sign of dieing so I could get something else!

Someone mentioned the Novarra Randonee. When we were looking for a bike to use for both touring and commuting for my girlfriend we choose a Novarra Safari, which is their touring specific bike. As it's name suggests the Randonee is more suited to Rando rides* and although we looked at it, we decided it wasn't what we wanted for what she'd sometimes be doing with it. I've noticed a few people using the Randonee for touring though. Her Safari came with wheels that have disc hubs and rim-brake rims with V-brakes, but still has the mounting hardware on the frame and fork to put on discs (discs were standard in earlier versions). It also came with a Trekking handlebar which a lot of people like but she didn't. The downsides to the Safari IMO would be that the sizing of them are S/M/L so you'd definitely want to try it (any REI) and make sure it was big enough for you, and it came with Gripshifters which my girlfriend hated and I haven't had the best experience with durability-wise in the past, so we switched those out along with the handlebars and now she's very happy. One other potential downside of the Safari, I don't know if they are still the same color this year, but last year they only came in turd-brown.

* IIRC the Randonee has shorter chain stays, lacked mid-fork eyelets, didn't have as many water bottle cage mounts, and only came in 26". I feel like I'm forgetting something else that made the Safari a better tourer, and I may well be wrong about the Randonee, it was about a year ago that I compared them...

I can't really speak to touring bike choices as well as I can racks. My girlfriend had a price-point she was looking for a bike that she could use in-city and maybe join me bike-camping on, I don't recall what else we looked at, at that time, but we were also constrained by wanting to get something she could try out, whereas I'd be pretty comfortable having a frame shipped to me and building it up. Personally, I'm very happy with my 1988 GT Timberline for touring. It's geometry is very similar to modern touring bikes, including quite long chainstays and it does everything I want and need it to. I will say that I do drool over the King of Merica:

https://www.merciancycles.co.uk/frames/22/king-of-mercia

If I had the dough, and didn't have my GT, and wasn't going to have a tourer custom built, then the King of Mercia would be the way I'd go probably. That said, the Long Haul Trucker is perfectly serviceable, I like Surly as a company, and the LHT clearly has a strong fan base for good reason. I would caution against buying the Surly "Nice" Rack. I was interested in it until I learned that there have been some complaints about it failing.

kStephens, if you get a chance ride the LHT in 26" and 700c versions. They're both heavy load carriers but they don't handle the same, at least in my 56cm size. No idea how either bike rides in your size. If riding in a straight line is your cup of tea the 700c version does that very well. If maneuvering around at speed or slow around tight corners matters the 26" is much better. The 700c "rolls" well but if I've got 40lbs on the bike and am riding off a sidewalk ramp and maneuvering into traffic it's a lot easier with the 26", with the 700c you have to plan ahead. And if you're REALLY loaded down sometimes things just go ballistically without much time for maneuvering and that's where 2' fat tires are really nice. With fenders on the 700c the biggest tire you'll get is about 42mm.

Good points! I should add that the Novarra Safari only comes in 700cc versions in the Medium and Large sizes (unless something has changed in the past year). My girlfriend was right on the cusp of needing either a Small or a Medium and we chose the Small largely because it comes with 26" wheels which we both prefer.

You may also want to consider the Bruce Gordon BLT.

Available as either frame+racks+stem, or as a complete bike. Bruce has been building touring bikes and touring racks for a very long time.

the importance of good racks cannot be overstated.

get Tubus. they are strong and light, and very stiff.

For a touring bike, I prefer 26" wheels, because of the large selection of high volume tires, and the ability to run knobbies for dirt trails. I am an advocate of stiff frames and big tires for loaded touring...

It doesn't sound like a dedicated tourer is necessarily your ideal match.

Take a look at the Surly Ogre and Salsa Fargo. They both have long CSs (the Orge has 46cm CSs when hub is positioned fully rearward) and are capable of numerous luggage and trailer attachments. Both are available as framesets if you decide to DIY. Surly and Salsa are QBP brands (the largest USA bicycle distributor), and the bikes are manufactured in the same factory in Taiwan, except for the Titanium Salsas, which are made in TN by Lynskey.

The Fargo has been sold for ~3 years now and has proven very popular. It's designed for drop bars.

The Ogre is new and 20 & 22" framesets are currently sold out, but more on the way. The Ogre is geometrically identical to the established Karate Monkey model, but the dropouts are changed to accommodate CS disc brake mounting, and the fork is "fancier". The Ogre is designed for flat bars.

Bikes intended for drop bars have shorter top tubes than bikes intended for flat bars, to provide for the 70-150mm additional reach of a drop handlebar. Flat bars typically shorten reach 20mm of more due to their sweep back. Trying to swap bar types doesn't work well reach-wise, since you end up either too short even with a really long stem, or too long even with a really short stem. So decide from the start whether you like drop bars or flat bars to make life easier.

https://surlybikes.com/bikes/ogre

https://salsacycles.com/bikes/fargo/

https://forums.mtbr.com/surly/ogre-bu...ad-756937.html

https://forums.mtbr.com/salsa/salsa-f...ad-467422.html

Don't want to throw a monkey wrench in here but have you considered touring with a trailer? You can tow a trailer with almost any bike and not deal with racks/pans/heel clearance.

I bought.. a Bike Friday Pocket Llama, with : disc brakes
a Rohloff Hub, a Schmidt Dyno hub in Front,
406- 47 , 20" tires are Schwalbe Marathon.
It has a pair of front panniers on their racks,
I have a trailer hitch, under the left QR Axle end, ..
and 2 different trailers to use..

Bike friday's feature is they are made to pack into a suitcase, and so are
sent as checked luggage without surcharges often assessed for bike boxes.
They also make a trailer kit to turn that suitcase into that trailer,
stuff it with the gear you packed in a duffle bag , maybe your carry-on.