suitable off road touring/adventure bike

wzzz – I reckon’ you might have a good point there.

I think my first “adventure bike” was a hand-me-down Raleigh Grifter in the late 70s. Wherever I went that was new and beyond the local fields (where I was allowed to play) was definitely an adventure.
If a bike could bring back that feeling to a cynical fat bloke in his mid 40s then I’d gratefully welcome it into my life

If a bike could bring back that feeling to a cynical fat bloke in his mid 40s then I’d gratefully welcome it into my life

It’s not the bike, it’s the cynicism 😉

I don’t mind the Adventure Bike tag. It differentiates it from CX which is what lots of folk were calling them previously. CX should be reserved for light, racy things with no mudguard or rack mounts.

If a bike could bring back that feeling to a cynical fat bloke in his mid 40s

Fat is just speed waiting to get out.

@Malvern – you must work in my office 😉

so at the weekend I committed!

got a 2016 Croix de Fer 20. £800 down from £1200 with pedals and shoes thrown in. very pleased, although curly bars have taken a bit more to get used to than I first thought! now gotta get it out and get it muddy!

Not a fan of labels, to me these are just what a bicycle should be.

I’m glad practical, useful bikes have made a comeback.
The roadie dream puts off as many people as it attracts and the alternatives were often stale, under developed tourers made by complacent manufacturers.

It’s pretty amazing that you can now buy almost anything from a track bike to a cargo bike, off the peg, with compromises to suit your intended use.

I think many newer riders have realised that pure road bikes aren’t for them and many people, happy on road and off, have been itching for more capable, modern touring/everyday bikes.

Positive progress.

ravingdave – Member
so at the weekend I committed!

got a 2016 Croix de Fer 20. £800 down from £1200 with pedals and shoes thrown in. very pleased,

🙂 nice one ! I an on my second CDF and really like it as an allrounder. Great for back road touring, good on off road stuff when required :

so at the weekend I committed!

Result! What colour did you get? I must admit I was casting a greedy eye over the green one hanging up (even as I laid down the deposit on a Vagabond).

Pics when it’s muddy mkeh?

We need now to find a bike for ElShalimo to rekindle his spirit!

Grifter 27.5+ anyone?

I’m thinking a year on a rusty 1980s ATB? Think of it like a meditative/punitive journey towards Knowledge Of The Adventure Bike Holy Grail.

After a lengthy succession of hardly-ridden lightweight XC MTBs – my cycling malaise was surprisingly cured by a West Country odyssey one long summer astride a second hand Raleigh Apex ATB. What a beast! I literally don’t remember what it cost me so it must have been low double-figures or maybe even a freebie.

The frame was forged by grumpy dwarves from a single gargantuan slab of octagonal unobtanium (Reynolds K2). It was slowed via barely-functional cantilever brakes and plastic brake levers. Must ‘fess up that I ditched the Flexstem. Even I have some standards.

A unique collapsing rear wheel design was furnished with rounded-off nipples that required me to carry a hefty pair of pliers for trailside truing purposes. i fitted a quill-stem riser adapter and high sweep bars which kept me upright so I could at least see what rock/tree/cow I was about to collide with.

Forget choosing a line, it goes where it wants to go. Much grinning was had, and fond memories retained. The Apex decal was missing the X so it was affectionately named ‘The Pink Ape’.

Sometimes it’s just the thing to swing your leg over whatever you have and pedal like a loon to places where it shouldn’t really go. It’s the doing it that counts. Just get the right saddle and it’ll be golden 8)

Malvern Rider – Member
… It’s the doing it that counts…

Bang on. 🙂

If this Pashley had fatter tyres, I wouldn’t be able to resist it.

What’s not to like? Proper frame made of Reynolds steel, decent stoppers, proper gears, and it’s got that most important requirement for enjoying a bike in UK weather, the ability to fit mudguards.

They even make a version with derailleurs for those who like to take road gearing systems into the mire. Ironically that version comes with mudguards… 🙂

I am looking at something like the ones in this thread and have to say I am stuck on what to go for I have around £2000 to spend and just can’t decide at all.

Currently have a 29er and a Canti Cross bike but happy to move these on if I can find something that does both a little monster cross ish..

If I had £2000 I’d be looking at a Shand.

Not so often mentioned is the Bombtrack Beyond, maybe worth a look – Columbus tubing, fixings for 5 water bottles (!) – looks almost identical to a Vagabond yet with tapered headtube.

What website would serve the second hand market for these bikes, as a potential buyer?

Malvern, thanks for the memories. Mrs M had a pink ape for several years, until we gave it away. It was a lump. Is the new Spesh stem suspension related to the Girvin FlexStem?

Spesh suspension stem? They didnt did they? Are we back to oval chainring territory?

btw yum:

Looked at Shand but just not sure about it.. maybe its the colour they have on their site…

I like that Bombtrack!!!

That Bombtrack looks lovely!

That Bombtrack looks lovely like an awol!

😀

I agree though, looks perfect for its intended use.

I thought it was a sequoia!

AWOL, Beyond, Vagabond. All very similar in weight and appearance. If I’d the budget/knowledge at the time would maybe have opted for the Bombtrack over the Vagabond, simply for the many fixing points for bottles, cages etc. Nonetheless glad I eventually chose just on strength of the demo ride as the Vagabond feels ‘just right’ for me. I couldn’t have guaranteed that with a mail-order bike. Never even got to try an AWOL which was my first choice on paper (wasn’t even aware of the others, though had seen a Fargo which seemed very expensive by comparison). I couldn’t be buying a touring bike (of any discipline) without first trying it out.

What size tyres can you go up to on the AWOL?

How about the Spa Elan Ti? Looks like would do the job, and great value.

Any one got opinions on a saracen hack 2? Looking at that or maybe a spesh sequoia for extended commutes and wet weekends. Won’t be loading it up with bags. Just commuting and bobbing around on road/fireroads /tow paths.
I’m generally between sizes and 5’11 1/2, I’m thinking going smaller frame as I’m not used to a stretched position, any thoughts?

I’ve the 2017 Croix de Fer, I use it as my commuter and winter bike. Not done any serious amount of off-road on it though about 1/3rd of my commute is along a canal tow path.

Came with 35C tyres but not sure what the maximum the frame can take especially with mudguards, possibly 38C but not tried.

I think some wider, flared, bars like the Cowchipper or Woodchipper would improve off-road handling as the supplied bars feel a bit narrow to me.

Looked at Shand but just not sure about it.. maybe its the colour they have on their site…

Fill yer boots :

colours, colours, colours

Having seen a couple of shand bikes in the metal I think they are lovely and the idea of being able to have the spec I want I like