Cycling UK Forum

I've got a 53cm Steamroller. Apart from a Dawes Horizon 15 years ago, the Steamroller's the only road bike I've ridden so I've nothing to compare it to.
It's not really like the Pompino. It will take one bottle cage - no rack, no mudguards. It's not really set up for a rear brake (no cable run - I have to use zip ties). That said, it's got loads of tyre clearance and is comfortable to ride. Plenty of toe overlap!
I've seen lots of good things written about it. I've started time trialling with it and it went very well. If I was going to buy a commuter, I'd either have the Pompino or the Surly Crosscheck. This has horizontal dropouts plus a gear hanger so the choice is yours. It will also take rack and mudguards. (http://www.surlybikes.com)
If you're in or around Pembrokeshire you'd be welcome to try the Steamroller.

I'm a big fan of fixed gear bikes. I think 20 miles would be an easy enough commute on one and there are many advantages. However, if you've loads of hills or the risk of some serious headwinds then gears may prove the better option. If you choose fixed I'd recommend a double fixed rear hub, giving you a gear change option if you're knackered or it's too windy. I'd also recommend clipless pedals - I find they make it much easier to ride.
Fixed gear bikes take some getting used to and although many people would ride nothing else, they're not everybody's cup of tea. If you haven't ridden fixed before I'd recommend trying one out before committing to buy one.
Take a look at on-one's "il pompino" (http://www.on-one.co.uk) a good value bike and well thought of.

If I read between the lines correctly my guess is that David is a technology student. If that's the case he's not inventing a holder for commercial development but undertaking a design project. David - am I correct? If so, lets not go down the "done it already" route which is unhelpful and not in the spirit of these forums - let's give him our ideas as to what we'd really like.

Thinking radically and in no particular order - waterproof, illuminated, integrated headlight (there's never enough room on bars for all our kit), crashproof, integrated into a barbag, aerodynamic, cheap, GPS compatible(?), integrated into the handlebar design. take a folded OS map.

I've got an Orbit Libra ( http://www.tandems.co.uk/products/tandems/libra ) .

I can ride it with my wife stoking (she's 5'4") or she can ride it with any one of our 3 children on the back who range from 10 years down to 5. In a few years no doubt my eldest two will be riding it together (and arguing about it too!).

I've got SJS kiddy cranks on the back and it's about to pull a CarryFreedom Y frame trailer (http://www.carryfreedom.com/).

I would guess you'd get a child seat on the back easily enough if there's enough seatpost showing (depends on type).

If you're near Pembrokeshire (but nobody is!) you'd be welcome to try it out.

Rich.

Simon - can I suggest you take a look at the threads re trailers?

[url]http://forum.ctc.org.uk/search.php?mode=results&keywords=trailer+and+carryfreedom&search_terms=any
&search_author=&search_forum=-1&search_time=0&search_fields=all&search_cat=-1&sort_by=0&sort_dir=DESC
&show_results=topics&chars=200[/url]

Also, take a look at http://www.carryfreedom.com/info.html which gives a good overview of the various trailer/pannier pros and cons.

I'm not suggesting a trailer is the right solution, just thought it might be worth taking a look at as a possibility.

Richard.

The Surly CrossCheck is a good steel frame. (http://www.surlybikes.com) It can be built as a geared or fixed/singlespeed machine.

If I lived in London again (not sure where you're based) I'd almost certainly go for a fixed gear bike. Extremely reliable, light and not particularly attractive to thieves. However, I appreciate this isn't to everyone's taste.

Can I suggest you take a look at http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=4414. In it I posted a reply regarding Specialized Avatar saddles which might be of interest.
Richard.

Reading between the lines, "tourer/load carrier" doesn' t mean full on tourer, but a useful utility bike that is a bit of a do anything machine. So, if it were mine (and it's not!) I'd do the following:

keep the suspension forks
Whale tale/crud catcher rather than proper mudguards
keep the V brakes
keep the flat bars (trim the width a bit maybe).
Put on bar ends for an alternative position.
Add a rack.
Total cost - around £60.
This gives you plenty of "bang for buck" and will let you test out the concept. If it gets pinched down the shops, it isn't a big loss.

For general loads and lightweight touring buy a set of panniers.

If you need to carry a big load or go on a major tour - add a trailer (£160-£250 depending on your choice) which will:

work on your other bikes
last for years
work on your new touring bike when you want
have a good resale value.

changing to a rigid fork won't necessarily change the geometry and if it did it wouldn't necessarily be too bad. My guess is that the suspension fork you've got has around 80mm of travel. If you get a Kona P2 rigid fork (for example) with an axle to crown length of 420mm it will have the same height as your suspension fork (100mm travel suspension forks require 440mm axle to crown length).
Wiggle has kona p2 forks for sale as does ebay. There are of course other manufacturers (on-one - http://www.one-one.co.uk for example.)
A non suspension corrected fork may be ok - if you've got access to one it's worth a try. Obviously the greater travel of your suspension fork the bigger the difference between a corrected and non corrected fork.
A suspension fork does make front panniers difficult but not impossible. Suspension adds a bit of weight but does make rough roads a bit more comfortable. My solution is a trailer (http://www.carryfreedom.com) - allowing me to use my MTB for touring if I want. I'm not a hardened tourist - If I was I'd get a specific touring bike - but it's an adequate compromise.
Hope this helps.

An overview of the pros and cons can be found on http://www.carryfreedom.com/info.html

I've just ordered a small y-frame (thanks for the advice Mick F) - I'll report back when I've tested it.

Try fixed gear. It will improve your all round bike riding and climbing ability. It will also show you that high tech. and loads of gears are not always necessary.

Having been suitably impressed with the CarryFreedom y-frame trailer (thanks Mick F) I'm having concerns as to whether the "car free" sections of the Celtic Trail / West Country way are going to be suitable for a 2 wheel trailer or whether the less attractive BOB is a better bet.
Any advice is gratefully received.

I was speaking to a bike shop owner yesterday evening who attended a dealer day recently where one subject was about reduced blood flow to the male "equipment". I can't remember the exact figures but certain saddles (Italian) reduced the blood flow to around 9%. It appears that the best saddles are the Specialized ones ("Avatar" rings a bell) that you are fitted for. Can't say whether there is any marketing hype in this but could be worth looking into.

I'm a fan of rollers rather than a turbo trainer. You need to concentrate on keeping your balance and they give a good workout (though perhaps not as good as a turbo trainer as the loading isn't so adjustable). Take a look at http://www.kreitler.com/