I’m thinking of building a new or secondhand light tourer and am looking for ideas. I need one for a planned LEJOG ride for next year,

Give me some inspiration please.

BB

Not so much a light tourer as my only tourer – but it’s quite light

[url=https://flic.kr/p/oE3PEk]P1010510[/url] by ScotRoutes, on flickr

And it did LeJog

This was my lejog bike for this year:

If I was doing it again I’d just get it back out it’s box and use it as is.

Not the lightest of builds but with some lighter wheels, 105+ groupset on it and some panniers it could tour quite nicely. As I shall find out next year fingers crossed.

Not that light but is does the donkey work well 🙂

it’s quite light

Unladen weight…?

Edit : And touring weight while you’re at it, please.

We used a mixture of Epidura and Alpkit with our cross bikes for a short two day tour. No reason why they couldn’t be used on road bikes

image by ritcheyp20, on Flickr

Unladen weight…?
Edit : And touring weight while you’re at it, please.
[/quote]No idea of weight, sorry. 😆

Ti frame. Normal wheels are XTR/Open Pro. Ultegra running gear. BB7 brakes.

Touring weight – depends how long I’m going for.

Bonette
Genesis equilibrium 853 with a seat post collar rack mount. Worked really well for a 2 day tour with 12kg+ panniers. Plane/sleeper/Eurostar/virgin.

50/34 x 12-28 was ok for <10% gradient too.

Hey P20 – is that the Alpkit bar bag on the right in your pic. How is it with drop bars?

Just over 19lbs with two cages, a pump and Time XC8 pedals fitted. So, is about the same weight as the same spec Spesh Roubaix disc. Will take full length mudguards, front and rear racks and is comfier than a comfy thing while still being properly road bike fast. Oh, and it’s tough, too. Very tough.

LEJOG bike? Yep. I think so!

Nothing like taking shortcuts

CF, does it gobble cobbles? 🙂

Teasel – I found an old post that had my bike weighing 9.6Kg / 21lbs. Hope that helps.

Stevious, yes it’s the Alpkit Kangaroo with a dry bag attached. It worked fine. It didn’t have that much in it and it needs to clear the shifters, but it I’m very happy with it.
Alpkit have even sent out new support poles (free of charge) for the Kanga after some users (not me) had problems with them

Hmm interested in light tourer myself so I’m interested to see the options

My own experience is that a rack and rack mounts is a good way to go on the road

Frame options include with discs

“London Road” and Kaffenback from Planet X and the Pinnacle Arkosse will be available as a frame only soon

Disc free is harder particularly if you expect space for bigger tyres but options include

The Kinsesis racelight T2 looks good as does the Pinnacle Dolomite. The I don’t know if the Dolomite is available frame only but build look good value. Or the new genesis Equilibrium

Obviuosly Surly and Salsa do stuff but to me they always look like a pricey way of buying bits of 4130

Captain Flashard that thing has rack mounts, is that a carbon first?

CF, does it gobble cobbles?

No, I believe it gbls cbls. Even Spesh have had to realise it’s a terrible, terrible name for a product! Seems to work pretty well, though!

😀

that thing has rack mounts, is that a carbon first?

Not sure. I suspect it’s the first mass produced 700c bike with bolt throughs, discs and low rider mounts, though! Also set up to take a SWAT kit (I haven’t yet, however) further maximising the use of space, etc.

Versatile? I think so.

Ti Tripster.. Not sure how heavy it is but definitely sub 10kg.
Its my only road / cx / tourer adventure bike. Havent been able to put it down this summer. Its the best bike ive had yet.

Not light, but I love it…

I found an old post that had my bike weighing 9.6Kg / 21lbs. Hope that helps.

It has a steel fork, too, yes? But yeah, it does help, I expected something around that weight.

It wasn’t that particular pic but one where its wearing panniers filled to the brim – the weight of that intrigues me as I have a similar build on the go with the potential to convert to touring. Nice bike, though. A bit more practical for the job than than CFHs ‘wondersteed’? I think so.

😉

wondersteed

😀 I’m keeping that one! 😀

no pic, but i picked up a 1990 Raleigh Randonneur at the beginning of the summer. one owner from new, totally original. to be honest it was crazy cheap and i bought it to sell on, but when i was a kid i lusted after dawes super galxy and the like and always was intriqued by the classic tourers so i rode it and within a few pedal strokes knew its a keeper. utterly love it. i do plan to modernize it with sti and tweak the gearing a bit, but i’d happily load off and ride into the horizon. very easy and comfortable bike. so personally i’d think about tracking down an older steel purpose built frame and building up from that.

Oh, and it’s tough, too. Very tough.

How do you know? Have you not only had it about a month?!?

Now if it was 5 years old with 10k miles on it, that would be a justifiable statement.

It has a steel fork, too, yes? But yeah, it does help, I expected something around that weight.
It wasn’t that particular pic but one where its wearing panniers filled to the brim – the weight of that intrigues me as I have a similar build on the go with the potential to convert to touring. Nice bike, though. A bit more practical for the job than than CFHs ‘wondersteed’? I think so.
[/quote]Carbon fork – a Kinesis DC19.

I wonder if you were meaning this photo?
[url=https://flic.kr/p/cx2Ta1]P1040480[/url] by ScotRoutes, on Flickr

I guess the panniers look a lot more full than they actually were. It was only a 4-day trip so I wouldn’t have had that much with me. Again, no idea of weights though.

I’d like to find some sort of lightweight, straight-steerer fork with lowrider mounts as I think weight at the front actually improves the handling. If you find any, please let me know 🙂

FWIW, I think CFH’s Spesh looks great. I don’t think I’d mind doing that sort of touring on carbon.

Rik, I’ve taken it up and down stuff that I would never even have looked at on a “normal” road bike. Roots, rocks, mud, gravel, whatever. That pic was just one of the very few I’ve taken while riding it.

So far, the only limitation I’ve found has been grip, easily sorted with cross tyres. Am pondering doing the SPAM Winter Challenge on it. That’s how tough I think it is. So yes, only new, but I’ve given it quite a ragging so far and still haven’t found it lacking.

Yes but it’s not a road bike but an ‘adventure’ bike or what ever they call it these days.

A normal road bike – you mean the ones the pros hit 30mph on for 70 odd mile of cobbles on the Paris Roubaix every year. I doubt a years worth of a normal persons riding will match a pros on that one day, for like for like abuse in equipment.

I’m not saying your bike is not tough, I’m saying I sure you could do all the ‘ragging’ you’ve done so far on a race level sworks Tarmac and the bike would still be I one piece and fine.

I’m saying I sure you could do all the ‘ragging’ you’ve done so far on a race level sworks Tarmac and the bike would still be I one piece and fine.

Having ridden both, I have three words for you;
Bring. It. On!

Would love to see a Tarmac doing that! 😀

I’m not saying it’s perfect, or that it will remain perfect. Equally, I’m not saying it will have the round the world toughness and durability of a beautifully built steel tourer. It’s bloody good, though.

I’m keeping that one!

Gah!

I wonder if you were meaning this photo?

Something like that; looks purposeful. And I guess it doesn’t pay to weigh – probably end up being quite demoralising with a figure in your mind.

As far as the fork goes, I’m looking for a back up version fitting that description myself. Without much luck, I might add.

FWIW, I think CFH’s Spesh looks great. I don’t think I’d mind doing that sort of touring on carbon.

Me, too. I was just ribbing him, though I imagine him doing more of a credit card tour than a full-on loaded jaunt.

My current most-ridden bike

[url=https://flic.kr/p/oYkLwB]Eurobike ride 2014[/url] by james*o, on Flickr
Mid way through 740 miles over 4 1/4 days bivi-touring ride across France into Germany. SP hub and Edelux II = self sufficiency, something I’m now suprised I’d not done sooner. Makes so much sense.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/oWzmes]Eurobike ride 2014[/url] by james*o, on Flickr
The Rhine in the rain, last morning.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/fhE7DX]DSC_0134[/url] by ir_bandito, on Flickr

Ti On One Inbred ‘cross (frameset used to belong to McMoonter)
Built for last year’s LEL, running 105 kit, SP-PD8 dyno hub and Novatech rear on Velocity A23s (built by me).

Its now got slightly longer Ultegra cranks, upgraded the brakes to R517s and sporting an Axiom pannier rack for commuting duties. Its the loveliest bike I’ve ever ridden.

xcstu -liking the PDW fenders.
How did you attach the pannier rack (tubus fly?) around the brake calliper? Any pics of the non-drive side?

Not the lightest, but set up for some light touring…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/pPCGwP]Untitled[/url] by _atk, on Flickr

Jameso,
what is it please?

A ‘work in progress’ Andy, a try-out sample frame I had made.

Jameso – is that 650b?

Yep

650b in it’s original format?

@ jameso – Could that single a move across the board of mtbing / touring / possible direction in the future for gravel bikes?

NM, Not sure what’s meant by original, 650B is an original format, ie from the mid-20th century : ) There’s clear pros and cons imo, that’s the purpose of this test bike. It’s taken a lot of riding to really get to grips with it, compared to my Arkose 700C or older steel 700C ‘CX’ bikes I had for example. But no thread hijack intended on all that wheelsize stuff.