Apparently you can tour on anything.
 

So as I am learning more and more about cycling ( I only started cycling for reals back in Oct 11) I'm learning alot about cycling. Know I have a lot to go to go anyhow check this out:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...The_Brit-1.jpg

He landed in San Fran. and is traveling to Wash. DC. on a Specialized Rockhopper MTB. Everything I've read online has been like "Well you can but..." and here he is doing it just fine.

I've learned the bicycle is a very personal, customizable, expression of oneself. Love it.

Proven by the people heading down the coast here every summer.. ..

tour is more verb than noun

I have long contended you can tour on anything YOU want to. I have seen high wheeled ordinaries, tadpole trikes, mountain bikes, expensive bikes, cheap bikes and everything in between. My favorite touring machine is my old 3 speed. It has it's limitations but is still my favorite ride. I occasionally do off road tours into a national forest via single track and fire roads, I don't use my 3 speed for those, but it probably would work if I didn't mind hiking more than riding.

Aaron :)

Check out this video posted on the C&V forum ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k10233DdFi0

It's actually a pretty nice short film about a cross country tour in 1975. If you can tour cross country on those, you can tour cross country on just about anything!

My first long tour in 1974 was 1100 miles on a Peugeot PX 10 with 45/52 crankset, a 14-24, 5-speed freewheel, and 23mm tires. It was from the Idaho/Canadian border to southern Oregon. It was NOT a flat route! I guess I did not know that it was not a "proper" touring bike, because I had a great time:)


http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...1974tour-1.jpg

I used to tour on a rig very much like that one. It was great. The late 1980s and early 1990s mountain bikes without suspension systems were extremely durable and they had the gearing which worked admirably on the hills. Bar ends gave me the hand positions I needed. And I could take the bike off-road easily. The only drawback was some of the part sizes had changed over the years. A headset problem could be fixed, but it meant a lot of looking to find the piece I needed.

Why don't I use that bike anymore? Several years ago, a thief decided he needed the bike. I got a great touring bike as a replacement, but I'm still looking for an old school mountain bike for off-road touring and winter use.

Although I haven't noticed any threads or postings from him lately, a forum member, "blaise f" rode a pennyfarthing up the west coast and in doing so proved you can tour on just about any type of bicycle.

I have seen people tour on much worse than a brand new Hardrock. The only real weak points for that bike might be the rear wheel because it is a freewheel and the fork might get a little slop in the bushings by the end but it will likely be more than ride able. It is interesting he has nearly as much money in his panniers as he does his bike. There is a pic floating around here somewhere of a guy loaded down very heavy on a dept store bike.

The hot touring set up when my parents did it was a single speed push bike. Any bike is more efficient than walking. My wife also did a lot of touring on a 3 speed. I wouldn't choose an MTB because the frame and bars are all wrong, but if it was all I had, it would be fine.

My first tour was through 4 western US states on a 1983 Raleigh Olympian that I think I paid about $225US for (can't remember for sure) as a end-of-season bike. Had to clamp the rack on, spokes in the cheap alloy rear wheel kept breaking, but it made it...

My first transcontinental tour in 1977 was on a low end Motobecane. I had a nice semi-custom built Bob Jackson Super Tourist that got stolen 3 weeks before we were supposed to leave. I had to make the choice of either replace the Bob Jackson and not have money for the tour, or do the tour. I did the tour and enjoyed it, still have the Moby.

Aaron :)

I am seriously considering touring on a locally purchased dept store bicycle, e.g. under $300 instead of paying for the extra baggage charges on airlines. I am not proposing the $59 specials from KMart but there are usable bikes available in the $200-300 range in sporting goods stores and big box stores. What could go wrong if you know basic bike repairs. I have used such bikes locally for thousands of miles over a few years and have not had any serious issues. At the end of the trip, sell/donate/abandon the bike. Comparing to cars, it will not be a land rover for your expedition but you could still do that safari in a small SUV if you know the limitations.

If this is your plan I would try to find a quality bike shop brand bike on CL, it will be even cheaper than a big sporting goods store bike and likely much nicer quality.

The biggest problem I'd have with a department store bike would be the quality. I once owned such a bike and I had to make repairs on it weekly. This was from regular riding around town, not touring use. Much of the time, the problems were with broken spokes, but there were other problems too. Dealing with such problems close to home is one matter; on the road it's something much more serious.

Doing your homework so that you are familiar with quality bikes, and then buying used from CL or bike shops would be a better choice for the same price or less.

I saw a guy on a unicycle with a small frame pack once.

But it is much easier to go to your local Sports Authority, pick out a bike and just call a Sports Authority at your starting point to make sure they hold one for you in your size.

This guy has you all beat.... http://tinyhouseblog.com/tiny-house/...ike-motorhome/

A friend at a LBS called me to come down and see this bike some dude was touring on so I did and fell out he was on a NEXT MTB that they sell at Walmart. He said he started in Maine and was going to San Diego hell or high water. He had replaced the chain,RD and rear wheel but when I asked why he set out on that bike he simply said....cause nobody told me I couldn't. I shook his hand and bought him a beer.

I agree, but every bicycle has trade-offs: price, style, durability, weight, and simplicity (to name a few) What I've learned is there's no such thing as a "do-all-bike". N+1 rules.

I heard of some guys (maybe on this forum) that toured Canada on a Canadian Tire bicycle. Frame and parts carry a 1 year warranty, so as it broke, they would just roll into the next Canadian Tire at the next town and get it replaced, or get the whole bike replaced under warranty.

Toured NW Washington, San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands, Vancouver Island in 1973 - me on a similar Gitane and my partner on the Peugeot PX 10. But you had panniers - we carried frame packs on our backs. We were big time climbers and hikers and didn't want to spend our money on no sissy panniers - two weeks of shoulder and back agony!

I toured the Pacfic Coast from Eugene to Santa Barbara on a steel-rimmed Mizutani Seraph Sport (read "boat anchor") in 1974, geared 52-42 in front and 14-28 in the back. Had a wonderful time. You can tour on anything.

2200 miles:

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h.../FredTipps.jpg


I bought him lunch

I met a fellow who told me that when he and his friend graduated high school they rode the Golden Triangle, were putting down 90-100 miles a day, and were riding some well loaded up bicycles which were a Raleigh Sports 3 speed and a coaster bike.

One might also read about the exploits of Fred Birchmore...