Tourer or Road bike

[digger1978gee]

Hi All,

I'm looking to ride LEJOG Spring/summer next year and was thinking of getting
a road bike or a tourer. What would be the best option for me.

I'm 5'8, 12 stone.
I'm looking to do a 12-14 LEJOG staying at B&Bs and maybe the odd YH.

Thanks

[tatanab]

In between the two according to what you mean by road and touring bikes.

I'd go for a traditional British lightweight touring bike, the sort of thing that is often branded an Audax bike these days. You need mudguards (road bike out). You need reasonable luggage carrying capacity (road bike probably out and probably less carrying capacity needed than an expedition tourer offers). You need a reasonable range of gears according to your pedalling style, so a road bike probably does not go low enough and an expedition tourer probably exceeds your needs.

[thirdcrank]

I don't think it matters too much what you call it, partly because there is a certain amount of overlap. I think some of the saddest posts on here are of the type "how can I fit panniers to (insert name of carbon fibre entry level racing bike)? or I have a bike with a bottom gear of 39 x 25, how can I fit something lower?

Unless somebody is taking your stuff in a van you need some way of transporting it - the amount depends on time taken and type of accommodation. Unless you are called Schleck you probably need lower gears than they use.

So, not necessarily a full tourer, but more to that end of the spectrum than a racing bike. It depends also on what you intend doing next. IMO

PS I've yet to read one saying "I've bought a Surly Long Haul Trucker, Dawes Super Galaxy, etc and I want to ride the Tour de France but I've found it's the wrong sort of bike for that sort of Tour"

[digger1978gee]

Great Info, I will definately be doing a lot of touring, so will be using the bike alot. Thanks for the guidance.
Any makes and models that stand out for a budget of around £1000.

Thanks

[tatanab]

The Surly Long Haul Trucker gets good reviews http://www.surlybikes.com/bikes/long_ha ... _complete/

Frame available from places like Wiggle. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Surly ... 360015706/
Complete bikes from http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product/19 ... -2010.html

Not really my market place because I tend to have custom frames and then assemble with parts of my choice. I've seen a Trucker and it looks pretty good.

[snibgo]

Spa Cycles are still doing the Dawes Galaxy Plus for £850, which leaves you some cash towards panniers, lights, pump, lock, computer, GPS and tools.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... 988&i=2247

(I have no connection with Dawes or Spa. Or anyone else, really.)

[meic]

I am not recommending any of these bikes, you never seem to find any one bike with everything as you would choose to have.

However they are good places to start thinking from.

http://www.hewittbikefitting.co.uk/inde ... age=hewitt

If you are spending the money it may be better to take advantage of his fitting service before buying your first serious bike.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s21p0

The Galaxy Plus there looks like a bargain and would be very competent. Much of the componentry on it is not the sort of quality that I would like for long term serious use but all that means is that you replace parts that actually do wear out with something better when the time comes.

[northernmonkey]

Hello mate,

+1 for the Surly LHT. Fantastic bike. Have a look at Gremlins recent post on this section headed Commuting Bikes.

Cheers

Mark

[digger1978gee]

Cheers for the replies, looks like i'll have some thinking to do.

[essexman]

These days there is an infinite range within racer-tourer eg There are racers and "cyclo-cross" designed as comfort sportives\fast commuters, then fast tourers\audax then heavy weight tourers designed for world tours.

A way to look at it is, how fit and flexible are you? Are you used to a drop racing position or are you coming from a hybrid\mtb upright position? If the latter then lean towards some of the suggestions on the list. If the former then look at the fast commuters\cyclo cross bikes.

Also, these days you can get mudguards for racers and good luggage fittings that dont need a pannier rack, buuut good tyres + agressive stems will make a heavy bike go faster, wheras a light frame cant be strengthened! Something to bear in mind.

Either way you should get a great bike for £1000 squiddlies. Oddly though you may struggle. every time i look at bikes they seem to cost: 500\800\1200\1700. I dont know why.

PS The surly is an attractive beast , but those Hewitt bikes look nice.
PPS a fitting service is a very very very good idea. My next bike i'm definetly getting to-fit.

[Jonty]

IMHO the answer to your question is a tourer. The Hewitt Cheviot is a nice bike but it would be more than £1000.
jonty

[vorsprung]

Just to be controversial I will offer an alternative

There are a number of "relaxed geometry" carbon fibre bikes for less than £2000
Yes, I know that is double your budget

For example
* Colnago Ace
* Look 566
* Bianchi Infinito
* Giant Defy Advanced
* Merckx EMX1
* Specialized Roubaix

If fitted with 25mm tyres, a Carradice SQR tour and Crud Road Racer mudguards any of these bikes could give a fast, exciting LeJoG kind of experience

[pete75]

For just over £1000 this would do the job you require and would prove a better long term investment than most of the brands mentioned on account that it uses a high quality, lugged, hand built frame. The finish on Ellis Briggs frames is superb, Sora kit is more than adequate and where it falls down(levers and hubs) EB use Tiagra. £45 on a B17 would be the only initial change I'd make.

http://customframebuilding.ellisbriggsc ... _bikes.php

[PW]

I'd be inclined to go to Harrogate & try a Galaxy Plus for size, then ask for a Schmidt front hub and IQ Cyo to be added. That's the £1,000 and you'll be able to cope with night, fog, and rain for a very long time.