Tell me about this darkside/touring thing then…..

I'm interested in getting a (first) roadbike, my main ambition is to do a long distance tour, 1000 miles plus. think LEJOG with a circuitous route or similar.
the closest i currently have to Darkside is a Kona Dew but due to a recent house move and the long winter im thinkin of getting a race/ road bike anyway.
Im thinking about what style of bike to go for.

Objectives are:
Could ride road at a speed where i could join local club rides
Comfortable enough to spend 2-3 weeks on
Some kind of carrying capacity (either rack mounts or possibly a trailer instead?)

budget is under £2000 ideally closer to £1500

Current top of list is a van nic or similar Ti frame with rack mounts
second on the list is 'sportive' geometry carbon road bike and trailer.

Thoughts??

Current top of list is a van nic or similar Ti frame with rack mounts
second on the list is 'sportive' geometry carbon road bike and trailer.

Go with the former or something similar ( loads of steel ti touring frames) forget the latter ( you're going touring not racing) join a good club ( check out BC site and look for Go Ride type clubs) and drop calling it the darkside riders at a club will think you're a right t1t.

A proper touring bike will do it, though it won't feel fast nor light.

Any cheaper Ti brands than van nic??

Personally I would get a custom steel build from someone like Roberts, Bob Jackson, Mercian, Paul Hewitt etc. Why steel is as comfortable, cheaper, easier to repair and in touring bikes strength and comfort are far bigger issues than frame weight.

I suppose my problem with 'touring bikes' esp steel is an image one.

I dont really want a 'dawes galaxy esk' 4 panniers and a bar bag bike.

I want something i can ride fast all day from home and yet stick two panniers and a credit card too and do some light touring. Steel doesnt really fit that in my head…….

I had a frame built to do exactly that in 98 by Andy Thompson in 853.
It was built to use standard drop brakes, 23mm tyres and be able to fit Salmon mudguards. It now has it's 2nd groupset on it and I'll be out for the Saturday morning club run tomorrow on it.
I've trained on it, light toured on it, commuted on it and done trips in Spain and France on it. I reckon I've ridden at least 30,000 miles on it. Steel might do it, you know?

sabbath ?

Somebody'll be along in a minute to tell you not to say "darkside" any more.

kenny that was covered in the first reply 😉

ok sorry about the darkside thing but this is a big departure for me, ive been a diehard 'road, surely thats just boring and im too much of a wimp to fall off' man for ten years now so its taking a while to get my head round the idea of owning one!

Ooops, I should read things more closely.

p.s. firestarter, that looks about right. im now off to find out how many pennys………..

Darkside, blah blah, all roadies are miserable, blah blah, I averaged 40kmh on my MTB with high rollers, blah blah, leg shaving's for girls, blah blah

Where was I?

Oh yes, you need an audax bike. Go to a proper bike shop, and ask for one.

Shame about your snobbery, a Casserrol might just work for you except it's too cheap and not ti.

Does make me LOL a bit when someone is trying something new but has to have "the best". I've done everything you've described on bikes that you would consider beneath you.

whoa head bitten off in true stw style, I know i could get a £500 allez and do all this im just interested in find out whats available in a market i know nothing about. I had no intention to slag road riders btw, definatly due respect, just I never previously saw the appeal.

Thankyou OMN I ave just found an Audax bike group test and it looks spot on, cheers

love it!

Thankyou OMN I ave just found an Audax bike group test and it looks spot on, cheers

I have my uses, even if I am a miserable b*stard.

audax bikes are shyte for touring, as are road bikes.
for touring you need a tourer.

ffs 🙄

Something like this perhaps??

Salsa Casseroll, bloody marvellous, here's mine enroute to Bosnia last year, quick with no bags, quick with bags (tubus fly rack and 2 ortlieb 'front' panniers) and dead comfy. Good and fast mile eater, I rode up to 200km/day on it

i'd agree with posters saying try steel if you can't justify ti. i've done a few 7-10 day alpine road tours on a std ti race style bike with just a seat bag and rucksack, all up luggage weight down to 10-14lbs. any heavier and it can feel a drag, literally, unless you go the full-on world tour route. sincethen i've been riding a more sportive / audax style steel frame and carbon fork and a pound of frame weight aside, i think the feel of a well laid-out steel bike is equally good. sometimes i think it's better, but i can't articulate why that easily. i just prefer it, i know which one i ride more these days. relatively expensive steel over cheap ti can be a good move.

titusrider – Member
I suppose my problem with 'touring bikes' esp steel is an image one.

I dont really want a 'dawes galaxy esk' 4 panniers and a bar bag bike.

I want something i can ride fast all day from home and yet stick two panniers and a credit card too and do some light touring. Steel doesnt really fit that in my head…….

WTF?! You have too much money.

I like my Casserol a lot but to me ts unremarkable – it's just like road bikes used to be but no one makes anything like this any more, since fashion, alu etc have taken over.

I've never seen the point in a ti touring frame. Once you are loaded up lightness is irrelevant and stiffness is everything. Would be interested to ride one, kind of goes against the traditional "non bling" of touring – the gnarlyest riders doing the longest trips are always on old beat up steel bikes IME.

cynic-al – Member

I've never seen the point in a ti touring frame. Once you are loaded up lightness is irrelevant and stiffness is everything.

Al talks sense. Two issues for the OP though;

1/ How "racy" do you want the bike to be if it's your one-and-only road bike, i.e. how much of a compromise between speed and comfort does it have to be.

2/ Are you likely to want to ride it more if, in your mind, it's a better bike?

Ti may not be necessary, but as we're all over-biked for MTBing, what's the difference 🙂

i like mine it rides nice its comfy wont rust and has a lifetime warranty . Just hardly gets touched as i like my steel crosscheck 🙂

Audax, tourer? do you live anywhere near Somerset – you want SJS cycles.

Have a look at some of their Thorn stuff.

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/

"I want something i can ride fast all day from home and yet stick two panniers and a credit card too and do some light touring. Steel doesnt really fit that in my head……."

steel fits that to a tee in my mind ) but if you want ti for the sake of having a nice ti bike and / or the weight saving, why not?

Enigma etape!

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/commuting-reviews/enigma-etape-winter-bike-tested/2864.html

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/etape-08-31660

and on budget.

1/ How "racy" do you want the bike to be if it's your one-and-only road bike, i.e. how much of a compromise between speed and comfort does it have to be.

I'd always say if a bike feels slow that doesn't mean it IS slow – but a nippy handling bike is fun for sure.