Recommendation for touring bike

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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Bonefishblues
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by Bonefishblues »

ElaineB wrote:Nothing rides like my Cinelli hobootleg loaded up, you have to ride one to understand, it is SO responsive, unlike the other many tourers I have ridden. One reviewer wrote that he wants to be buried with his Hobootleg! Try and find a secondhand one, not very easy, which says a lot about the bike.

I'm sure you're right :wink:
ElaineB
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by ElaineB »

Indeed I am!!
Bonefishblues
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by Bonefishblues »

ElaineB wrote:Indeed I am!!

It has always been an interesting and slightly leftfield option since it popped up a few years ago, but until now, never heard from an owner :)
LittleGreyCat
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by LittleGreyCat »

Derekn wrote:<snip>

Do you have a bike? - yes I have a very old Muddy Fox mountain bike. One of the original bikes made by them.
<snip>

I would also prefer straight bars.


One of the original original Muddy Foxes?

My brother in law had one and I thought it was an amazing bike.
This was around/soon after 1984 so a long time ago.

My first impression is that it should be good enough to tour on.

[Says he having just bought a Spa Wayfarer instead of fettling my '90s steel mountain bike.]
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horizon
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by horizon »

LittleGreyCat wrote:
[Says he having just bought a Spa Wayfarer instead of fettling my '90s steel mountain bike.]


You could do both - I am! :D
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
ElaineB
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by ElaineB »

For those worrying about the 130mm OLN on the Cinelli hobootleg, you may be interested to know the bike took part in the 2013 Tour d’Afrique. Check it out, google ’ Cinelli Hobootleg Tour d’ Afrique 2013’, the video at the bottom is very entertaining, but the bike is one tough cookie, they certainly weren’t worried by 5mm!
pwa
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by pwa »

ElaineB wrote:For those worrying about the 130mm OLN on the Cinelli hobootleg, you may be interested to know the bike took part in the 2013 Tour d’Afrique. Check it out, google ’ Cinelli Hobootleg Tour d’ Afrique 2013’, the video at the bottom is very entertaining, but the bike is one tough cookie, they certainly weren’t worried by 5mm!

It does look like a very capable bike. I'd prefer 135mm for loaded touring with all the panniers, but I'd only dock it half a point for that deficiency. I'm heavy and when I tour I tend to take my share of the clobber and some extra to help weaker family members, so I want my wheels as strong as possible. But this Forum is inhabited by very fussy folk like me who have very definite ideas about very small details, and I like your bike in every other respect.
Bonefishblues
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by Bonefishblues »

ElaineB wrote:For those worrying about the 130mm OLN on the Cinelli hobootleg, you may be interested to know the bike took part in the 2013 Tour d’Afrique. Check it out, google ’ Cinelli Hobootleg Tour d’ Afrique 2013’, the video at the bottom is very entertaining, but the bike is one tough cookie, they certainly weren’t worried by 5mm!

Imagine what it might have been capable with if it had 135OLN Elaine ;)

Being serious for a moment, the video of the African jaunt shows a bike which is made of a very different steel to the tourer. 'Life" is thin-walled Niobium alloy (whatever that is), and often used in race bikes typically, whereas the off the peg bike uses 'Cromor', which is Cromoly, thicker walled steel, more suitable for loaded touring.

It's all about doing some due diligence on what one's buying, which is readily available, if one looks*.

Maybe they do know what they're doing?

*although there's an inconsistency in Cinelli's product description, if one looks closely :wink:
boblo
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by boblo »

It's easy to get a bit fixated on these small details...

I've toured loaded up on 126, 130 and 135 - solo and tandem, off and on road. Without wanting to temp providence, I've had zero wheel failures (or even 'issues' not of my own making e.g. damage from crashing).

I'd happily continue to tour on 130. Incidentally both the Spa Tourer and Wayfarer frames have an OLN dimension of 132.5mm on the spec sheets. Does anyone know if this means dual compatibility with both 130 and 135 please?
pwa
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by pwa »

One benefit of buying from a smaller manufacturer like Spa or Thorn is that you tend to get better information on what you are buying. Just looking at how both Wiggle and Evans describe the Hobootleg as having "road caliper" brakes, when in fact they seem to be cantis, makes me wonder what they are playing at. Neither tells you how many spokes there are per wheel. Both tell you that the frame is made from "Columbus alloy", which is true in the sense that it is steel alloy, but most folk expect "alloy" to mean aluminium. The actual bike has a lot going for it but the retailers sell it very badly.
pwa
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by pwa »

boblo wrote:It's easy to get a bit fixated on these small details...

I've toured loaded up on 126, 130 and 135 - solo and tandem, off and on road. Without wanting to temp providence, I've had zero wheel failures (or even 'issues' not of my own making e.g. damage from crashing).

I'd happily continue to tour on 130. Incidentally both the Spa Tourer and Wayfarer frames have an OLN dimension of 132.5mm on the spec sheets. Does anyone know if this means dual compatibility with both 130 and 135 please?

132.5 would usually mean just that.
Bonefishblues
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by Bonefishblues »

pwa wrote:One benefit of buying from a smaller manufacturer like Spa or Thorn is that you tend to get better information on what you are buying. Just looking at how both Wiggle and Evans describe the Hobootleg as having "road caliper" brakes, when in fact they seem to be cantis, makes me wonder what they are playing at. Neither tells you how many spokes there are per wheel. Both tell you that the frame is made from "Columbus alloy", which is true in the sense that it is steel alloy, but most folk expect "alloy" to mean aluminium. The actual bike has a lot going for it but the retailers sell it very badly.

But one's next step if considering throwing c£1400 on anyone's counter (pre end of season discount) would surely be to do this:

https://cinelli.it/en/prodotti/hobootleg-en/

...and all's revealed (except they get a leetle confused about double and/or triple butting on the Cromor :wink: )
Bonefishblues
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by Bonefishblues »

pwa wrote:
boblo wrote:It's easy to get a bit fixated on these small details...

I've toured loaded up on 126, 130 and 135 - solo and tandem, off and on road. Without wanting to temp providence, I've had zero wheel failures (or even 'issues' not of my own making e.g. damage from crashing).

I'd happily continue to tour on 130. Incidentally both the Spa Tourer and Wayfarer frames have an OLN dimension of 132.5mm on the spec sheets. Does anyone know if this means dual compatibility with both 130 and 135 please?

132.5 would usually mean just that.

I think that's outrageous - allowing people to fit...130mm OLN rear wheels on a touring bike. Madness :shock:

Allegedly :D
pwa
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by pwa »

Bonefishblues wrote:
pwa wrote:One benefit of buying from a smaller manufacturer like Spa or Thorn is that you tend to get better information on what you are buying. Just looking at how both Wiggle and Evans describe the Hobootleg as having "road caliper" brakes, when in fact they seem to be cantis, makes me wonder what they are playing at. Neither tells you how many spokes there are per wheel. Both tell you that the frame is made from "Columbus alloy", which is true in the sense that it is steel alloy, but most folk expect "alloy" to mean aluminium. The actual bike has a lot going for it but the retailers sell it very badly.

But one's next step if considering throwing c£1400 on anyone's counter (pre end of season discount) would surely be to do this:

https://cinelli.it/en/prodotti/hobootleg-en/

...and all's revealed (except they get a leetle confused about double and/or triple butting on the Cromor :wink: )


That tells me that the fork is steel! Wiggle and Evans claim carbon blades on alloy steerer!

https://www.evanscycles.com/cinelli-hob ... e-EV359776
Last edited by pwa on 8 Aug 2019, 9:38am, edited 1 time in total.
Bonefishblues
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Re: Recommendation for touring bike

Post by Bonefishblues »

pwa wrote:
Bonefishblues wrote:
pwa wrote:One benefit of buying from a smaller manufacturer like Spa or Thorn is that you tend to get better information on what you are buying. Just looking at how both Wiggle and Evans describe the Hobootleg as having "road caliper" brakes, when in fact they seem to be cantis, makes me wonder what they are playing at. Neither tells you how many spokes there are per wheel. Both tell you that the frame is made from "Columbus alloy", which is true in the sense that it is steel alloy, but most folk expect "alloy" to mean aluminium. The actual bike has a lot going for it but the retailers sell it very badly.

But one's next step if considering throwing c£1400 on anyone's counter (pre end of season discount) would surely be to do this:

https://cinelli.it/en/prodotti/hobootleg-en/

...and all's revealed (except they get a leetle confused about double and/or triple butting on the Cromor :wink: )


That tells me that the fork is steel! Wiggle and Evans claim carbon blades on alloy steerer!

They're idiots then. But I repeat, anyone other than the clinically daft would surely due at least a modicum of due diligence, shirley?

Or is it just me :oops:
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