Ramblings over touring bike spec for South America, Part One

I’ve had a notion to try an epic bike tour, more likely than not in South America.

I’ve been looking at an Intec M02 Rohloff. https://www.soniccycles.co.uk/detail.php?id=991381
The spec is semi custom in as much as you can choose the colour or brake options, and there is a menu of upgrades.

I have a friend in Denmark who can get me an awesome deal on one for a bit more than the Rohloff hub would cost here in the UK. That has motivated into action.

You can spec the frame with either cantilever / v brake bosses or disc mounts. My Pacific coast riding buddy had Magura HS33 Evo II hydraulic rim brakes fitted to his Intec. After about 6000 miles in Alaska, Canada, the Pacific coast and into Mexico his rear rim collapsed. That surprised me as my regular 700c Mavic rims have done about 8000 miles of fully laden touring and show no signs of wear using cantilever brakes.

Riding in South America will involve many hundreds of miles on gravel roads, so rim brakes don’t look too promising.

Disc brakes would appear preferable. Probably cable operated BB7s. Would a disc braked wheel be as strong whilst carrying panniers long term?

Would a disc braked wheel be as strong whilst carrying panniers long term?

I’d possibly be tempted to chose something that can be more easily repaired, locally, over something thats less likely to break or wear out. Theres sense is choosing a cable disk over a hydraulic one, but I’d also have a frame that has brake bosses and rims that have a braking surface so you can junk the disks completely if you’re wanting for a brake pad.

Theres sense is choosing a cable disk over a hydraulic one, but I’d also have a frame that has brake bosses and rims that have a braking surface so you can junk the disks completely if you’re wanting for a brake pad.

Sadly it’s a canti boss or a disc mount choice. It would be easy enough to pack lots of extra pads for either brakes.

I rode from Alaska to the end of Argentina from May 2004 to May 2005 on a ’98 Kona Explosif with a Tubus rear rack and and XT discs. A fair chunk was offroad i.e. I did the Great Divide trail and went into the jungle and Altiplano.

I wouldn’t get too hung up about exotic super robust specs (but that’s my view). I don’t think the bike gets half the beating riding an mtb in winter here does. No mechanicals – 3 tyre changes, 4 chains.

As Maccruiskeen says, I’d go for something that can be fixed on the Camino Austral or replaced with something local.

BTW: I’d suggest staying off the Panamerica in Peru. It’s not that scenic and it’s dangerous. Everywhere else is absolutely fantastic, especially Bolivia.

Cheers,

Vik

Vik, that sounds an amazing ride. I crossed the Great Divide route a few times riding the TransAm through Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, it looks like an amazing ride. I’ve read some blogs of folks that have ridden down through south America, it looks amazing. I’m always surprised by how many bike riders that ride Camino Austral and beyond.

Did you keep a blog at all on that trip? Whereabouts are you? I wouldn’t mind picking your brains re your route etc.

Sadly I did all this before the blogosphere really got going so it all remains in my head.

GDR is a very interesting way to cross the US – you see signs like ‘next settlement 120 miles ->’. You get these enormous wide open spaces but I wouldn’t say it was spectacular.

I didn’t get ride across Colombia – reputationally it wasn’t quite safe enough then, but I’m sure I’d have been ok. I’d also investigate getting a boat from Panama to Colombia which could be very interesting.

Certainly adjust your route so you can ride straight across the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia for a couple of days when it’s dry – one of the most incredible cycling experiences.

Camino Austral is a gentle but wet way to start closing down the trip. I arrived in late autumn and I was permanently soaked for about a week. Still lots of friendly German/Dutch/French cyclists floating around, and I imagine in summer it’ll be like Critical Mass down there.

Just mail me if you need more info.

Cheers,

Vik

Thanks Vik.

My uncle did a lot of geological research in south America, between the two of you it should be possible to plot a spectacular and challenging route.

I agree with your views on the GDR, some of the bits in Wyoming look like the surface of the moon with about as many services.

With the exception of Avids has anyone had a brake failure mid ride in the last 10 years?

I’ve had shimano and hope seals go, but on both occasions if was in the getting out the shed before even setting off.

http://www.worldwidebikeride.com/

mate rode the world and a bit, that’s his blog.

Synopsis: On the 29th April 2008 I left my home in England to attempt to cycle the world.

What have I done so far? From England I went through Europe to Istanbul, along the Black Sea Coast through Georgia to Azerbaijan. I then took a boat to Kazakhstan and cycled from there through Kyrgyzstan to China, down to South East Asia, back to China again before visiting Korea and Japan. From Japan I flew to the States, went up to Alaska and have since cycled down from there to Ushuaia, the worlds southernmost city in Argentina.

That sounds far: 56,100km or 34,858 miles to be precise

So what’s left to do? I fly from Buenos Aires to Cape Town on the 21st March, then the final leg of the trip is riding back up through Africa, the Middle East and Europe to get home.

moonter, re the wheel strength, i ran a rear wheel for 4yrs with no spoke breakages.
i was roughly 20 stone for most of this time.

36 hole xt disc hub, built on a alesa/rigida sputnik rim, built with sapim strong spokes.
the ones on the right in this picture.

Also:Maybe of interest?

Would a disc braked wheel be as strong whilst carrying panniers long term?

Absolutely – why wouldn’t it be?

Pete aren’t any of your existing bikes up to the job? Rims last ages in dry braking BTW.

Thanks for the links guys.

Ton, I believe I bought that very wheel from you. It’s currently on my Harry Hall.

Al, after breaking my Flux I had a rethink. I value long term durability. I’d thought about riding the GDR on it. That 5 mile walk out from the Cairngrms in carbon soled shoes was a valuable lesson. I like the simplicity of a 26inch wheeled, hub geared touring bike. They’ve been proven in numerous trans continental tours through inhospitable terrain. That appeals. No doubt people have toured those same roads on Dawes Galaxies, but they seem a bit more fragile. On my last US trip I found myself on gravel forestry roads, always in the back of my mind were worries about dinging a rim, tearing a sidewall or over stressing the frame.

None of the bikes I have fit the bill, everything is too damn specialised nowadays. Back in the day I toured on and off road, rode audaxes, commuted and picked up chicks on my first Rockhopper. What bike could do that today?