steel touring bike/allrounder

One of my new projects in 2012 will be a world-touring bike. I’d like a relative light steel bike with drop bar and disc brakes. Sometimes I want to use the bike with rack and heavy load, other times on pathways and even more technical paths.

There are few options, but maybe You could suggest more, or could help in decision. I’m interested in complete builds or frame only, too.

For example:
Genesis Croix de Fer
Cotic Roadrat

Any idea, opinions?

Many thanks!

Would you consider Titanium?

not sure either of those would count as a world touring bike.

surly Long haul trucker?

CRC are selling off Kona Sutra frames. Not the lightest in the world, but it would do everything you’re asking for. The early ones have slliding drop-outs too, for even more flexibility. I had one but wanted to go a bit lighter so bought a Van Nicholas Amazon frame and some Kinesis DC19 forks.

surly Long haul trucker?

i was going to say that.

or thorn.

LHTs are great but they’re not really going to be suitable for “more technical paths”. problem is, you want something snappy handling for technical stuff but very stable for carrying loads over long distances. I reckon you have to compromise somewhere.

Salsa Fargo, ticks all the boxes apart from the light weight one although it rides much nicer than its weight suggests. But then mine is an XXL which will be heavier than most. Lovely bike and designed as a go anywhere round the world offroad tourer.

Mine mostly does 11 mile commutes though the midlands though……

The Surly Long Haul Trucker is designed to be used with rim brakes. And the frame is a little bit on the heavy side, and the standover height is 32″, even in size 56, which is the smallest frame… :S

Singular Peregrine or Gryphon?

There’s a new LHT which takes disc brakes. Frame sizes go down to 42cm – it’s just that you have to use 26″ wheels below 56cm, but these are often recommended anyway as being stronger for off-road use and more easily replaceable if you’re in the remoter parts of the world.

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/disc_trucker

I’d like 28″ wheels, because of long-distance rides.

Most round-the-world cyclists use 26″….

.. but, as I said above, you’d find the LHT a bit of a liability on technical stuff anyway.

I can strongly recommend you buy a Roadrat. They are great frames and have the flexibility to be built into different styles of bike depending on what you want.

As if by chance I have one here for sale… cheeky link to my add

http://mobro.co/alcole

I don’t think any of your suggestions would be called “light” by many. Not sure how they’d fare with 4 heavy panniers on either – which IMO would be one way of defining a world tourer.

druidh – Member
LHTs are great but they’re not really going to be suitable for “more technical paths”. problem is, you want something snappy handling for technical stuff but very stable for carrying loads over long distances.

I don’t buy this for a second either I’m afraid – as if a slack angled bike is unrideable or even slow on techie/twisty trails? My Heckler is 67 degrees or so at the head tube, I may be slow, but it’s not the geometry that holds me back…

Anywhere properly off road (i.e. a bumpy surface) that you will ride a bike with <1.5″ tyres you won’t be going that fast – unless you are one of the cx riding legend on here 😉 – geometry (within reason) won’t be the limiting factor, if it is on any “techie” trail” (which I doubt).

You ridden an LHT Al? They just have a very “ponderous” feel to them. Hard to explain. Might be nothing to do with geometry, but that’s how it rides.

Oh – none of the previous candidates have taken up my offer of a seat for Sunday. You still interested? We’ve to be there for 10, so need to leave (from genks’s) about 8:00???

I’ve ridden plenty of bikes that feel that way – I don’ believe that would slow one down off road in the slightest (with caveats above).

My 2ps worth:

Don’t get a Roadrat for touring. As a fast commuter they are ace, but as a tourer? Err nope. Why? Too flexy under load/loaded up for a start. Secondly, the horizontal dropouts make it a REAL pain in the ass to get the back wheel out with rack and mudguards on. Those 2 reasons alone are 2/3 of the reason I sold mine.

But for a world-touring bike, I’d go with a steel MTB frame every time. 26in wheels are tougher, parts and tyres more easy to find, the frames are stronger, they’re lower to the floor and more stable…. There’s just loads of reasons why most serious tourers take MTBs. If I was doing it, I’d use my Inbred, no question

🙂

Oh so I am bottom of your list? 😉 probably – I’ll confirm, when you thinking of heading back for?

Dunno. Whenever we’ve finished riding I guess. It’ll be getting dark by 16:00 anyway, so back no later than 18:00. Would I be holding you back from a heavy date?

I’ve a steel Marin Team MTB, too… But I need sg faster. And I prefer drop bars. I like the slooping geometry of Cotic and Kona, because I have a relative short inseam length, so standover height is crucial, but need long top tube.

No, just wondered.

I am IN! 😡

Singular Gryphon is beautiful, but I don’t like EBB, especially on touring frames.

Kinesis do a belter but cant remember its name at the moment

And… Could You help me to find out which is the lighter – and still reliable – frame among these? 🙂

no discs.. but nice bikes..

Ridgeback – proper tourer

http://www.ridgeback.co.uk/bike/panorama

Thorn

Nice bikes, shame their website sucks – wnat to even take a quick look – need to download PDFs..

http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/ThornModelOverviewLoRes.pdf

also stuff from
Fahrrad Manufaktur, etc

Pete,

Secondly, the horizontal dropouts make it a REAL pain in the ass to get the back wheel out with rack and mudguards on. Those 2 reasons alone are 2/3 of the reason I sold mine.

On my Pearson I fitted the rear guard stays with SKS securiclips, then you can easily unclip the stays when pulling the wheel out backwards.

I have a 56cm Kona Sutra frame for sale it is the older type with really nice adjustable CNC’d dropouts at the rear so you can run hub gears, singlespeed or gears….not an inbred style sliding dropout, sliding disc mount nightmare. May have other bits for sale too if you’re keen

Email me in profile for more info

drotos – Member
And… Could You help me to find out which is the lighter – and still reliable – frame among these?

Don’t take the piss fella.

http://justfuckinggoogleit.com/

Don’t take the piss fella.

http://justfuckinggoogleit.com/

Thanks, but I’ve not found too many informations. So… please, let me ask questions, mate! 🙂

How about the new Surly Orge? Its a touring/ utility version of the classic Karate Monkey. Its ugly obviously but you can fit drops no probs, I’ve got drop bars on my old style Karate Monkey.

Got to be singular…

Singular Gryphon is beautiful, but I don’t like EBB, especially on touring frames.

Why? My EBB is rock solid in the singular, installed with a bit of copperslip it never moves, it never creaks and doesn’t seize when I want to adjust it.

I bet you can fit drop bars to a KM…

…the fact that it’s designed for flats and therefore always going to be a compromise is neither here nor there!

Sancho – Member
Kinesis do a belter but cant remember its name at the moment

Tripster? That’s aluminium though.

I’ve just pulled the trigger on a Sutra frame from CRC. The Quidco cashback plus £50 off your next £100 spend clinched it for me. I don’t think there is any bike that will do exactly what you want (I wanted the same but realised I’d have to sacrifice weight if I wanted a touring bike) the closest I could find would be the Honky Inc on CRC HERE! – I haven’t looked at the sizes available though.
Oh and if any one has some P2 road forks for sale I’d be interested…

I bet you can fit drop bars to a KM…

…the fact that it’s designed for flats and therefore always going to be a compromise is neither here nor there!

Drops on a Karate Monkey are fine, ugly but fine. Its no compromise at all, you just need to choose the stem you use with them carefully. To make sure I’m totally out of step with modern life I even run mine with bar end shifters and V brakes 😛

If you’re serious about going round the world, take a look at the bikes they ride in 3rd world countries.

Basic, steel, and strong. Cheap readily available parts.

Me, I’d buy a bike specifically for the tour and for general purpose stuff, I’d get one of Sam’s Gryphons. The EBB is a Phil Wood, and gives no problems.

For a world tour we did a few years back we used cheap old Kona smokes. They were absolutely great for lugging heavy loads over rough ground. The frames can be had for £100 on CRC at the moment too. They’re a heavy load of pipe, but very well suited to the job. I also used mine as a commuter and an mtb for a while, so versatile enough.

cheap bikes are not always a good idea – they may not be that strong.

Big Dave – Member
Drops on a Karate Monkey are fine, ugly but fine. Its no compromise at all, you just need to choose the stem you use with them carefully.

Not ugly at all – but the handling will always be compromised, unless you go about 2-3 sizes smaller.

I’ve no experience of touring bikes, but I like the look of the Salsa Fargo, they do it in titanium too if you have the money. It seems to be pitched at the off-road touring scene, so might suit.

The Dawes Super Galaxy seems to be a touring classic.

For example:
Genesis Croix de Fer

not sure either of those would count as a world touring bike.

I think Vin Cox would probably disagree with you 😉