Spa Cycles Rove for Touring

[ian5spot]

I am looking to replace my Thorn Nomad Mk2 for a trip through South America and getting a bike with room for 700 x 45mm tyres. Good quality 26 inch tyres are not so available in the Americas these days. One option would be the Rove from Spa Cycles which is styled as a solid fork mountain/adventure bike:

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s226p49 ... Cable-Disc

I will be mostly touring on roads but in places these will not be surfaced. Does anyone on this forum have any thoughts on its suitability as a long distance tourer?

[RobinS]

My personal views if I was buying a new bike for that purpose:

Stock tyres are too big and knobbly for touring - I would want smaller (40-45mm) Marathon Tours, needs mudguards. The picture is of a 1x, but the spec indicates 2x10 - I would want a triple with a 22 granny ring - I believe South America is very mountainous in places! Overall it looks as if could do the job, but it's a bit too "rufty-tufty" for my tastes.

[geocycle]

An interesting find and question. The rove looks good value and appears to be squarely aimed at bikepacking. I'm sure it would do the trip for you. But for me, the nomad you already have is the perfect tool for the job, especially if it has the rohloff. Yes, the 26 inch tyre issue could be potentially a problem in the event of a catastrophic failure but could be mitigated by carrying a replacement.

[pwa]

An interesting find and question. The rove looks good value and appears to be squarely aimed at bikepacking. I'm sure it would do the trip for you. But for me, the nomad you already have is the perfect tool for the job, especially if it has the rohloff. Yes, the 26 inch tyre issue could be potentially a problem in the event of a catastrophic failure but could be mitigated by carrying a replacement.

Take a stash of folding tyres. Start off with folding tyres as well, so that when they get a bit worn you can swap them with the spares and have to part worn tyres as your spares for the second half of the tour.

But if you are drawn to the Rove, it does look like a really good tourer for anyone happy with flat bars and intending going off tarmac. The Spa-built wheels are going to be good, and Spa make sure frames and forks have all the attachment points you will want.

[PH]

Are you looking at a complete bike or to transfer the Rohloff?
If the later, I'd suggest one of the similar frames that would suit the hub better, two spring to mind, Surly Ogre which I've had and there's something from Brother. The Ogre was fine as a do it all tourer, I'd expect there to be many similarities with the Rove, I went the other way and swapped the Ogre for a Nomad Mk3, mainly because much as I like the idea I rarely venture off-road. On road the Ogre was fine, TBH I didn't gain much by swapping, then I put the Nomad on 650B which I prefer, I should have tried that on the Surly. Would 650B be an option for you? I don't know what tyre availability is like outside the UK. If the main purpose of the change is tyre size, I think you can convert your Nomad.
I am a bit of a Rohloff fan, keeping it would be my starting point, though I know others are not so keen.

[ian5spot]

My personal views if I was buying a new bike for that purpose:

Stock tyres are too big and knobbly for touring - I would want smaller (40-45mm) Marathon Tours, needs mudguards. The picture is of a 1x, but the spec indicates 2x10 - I would want a triple with a 22 granny ring - I believe South America is very mountainous in places! Overall it looks as if could do the job, but it's a bit too "rufty-tufty" for my tastes.

Thanks for the response - I agree on the tyres and would like to fit something smaller and with mudguards in the 40-45mm range and Marathons would be a good option. They can give a good range with a 2 x 10 but need to get my head around what gearing would be most suitable!

[ian5spot]

An interesting find and question. The rove looks good value and appears to be squarely aimed at bikepacking. I'm sure it would do the trip for you. But for me, the nomad you already have is the perfect tool for the job, especially if it has the rohloff. Yes, the 26 inch tyre issue could be potentially a problem in the event of a catastrophic failure but could be mitigated by carrying a replacement.

Thanks - My cycling partner will be on 700c tyres so having similar tyre sizes would be useful, but carrying replacements is an option I am considering

[ian5spot]

Are you looking at a complete bike or to transfer the Rohloff?
If the later, I'd suggest one of the similar frames that would suit the hub better, two spring to mind, Surly Ogre which I've had and there's something from Brother. The Ogre was fine as a do it all tourer, I'd expect there to be many similarities with the Rove, I went the other way and swapped the Ogre for a Nomad Mk3, mainly because much as I like the idea I rarely venture off-road. On road the Ogre was fine, TBH I didn't gain much by swapping, then I put the Nomad on 650B which I prefer, I should have tried that on the Surly. Would 650B be an option for you? I don't know what tyre availability is like outside the UK. If the main purpose of the change is tyre size, I think you can convert your Nomad.
I am a bit of a Rohloff fan, keeping it would be my starting point, though I know others are not so keen.

Thanks - Intending to go with a derailleur, although I have considered the Mk 3, although 650B tyres are probably harder to get in S America than good 26 inch tyres

[simonhill]

How long and how far is this trip. Good tyres last a long time.

[brumster]

How long and how far is this trip. Good tyres last a long time.

And you can always carry a couple of spare folding 26" tyres too. The Rove does appear to offer great touring / bike packing potential, especially off road and the rougher and more technical the terrain is the more likely the rolling benefits of the 29er wheels will be noticed. However if heavily laden I'd still favour stiffer / stronger 26" wheels on the Nomad. The most important thing though is to just go and do the trip and have a great time.

[PH]

Stock tyres are too big and knobbly for touring - I would want smaller (40-45mm) Marathon Tours,

Thanks for the response - I agree on the tyres and would like to fit something smaller and with mudguards in the 40-45mm range and Marathons would be a good option.

Before you go too far down this route, it'd be worth a trip to Harrogate for a test ride and to have that size tyre fitted. If it's anything like the Ogre, I'd consider you'd need the volume of the big tyres to overcome the inherent stiffness of the design. I tried 37mm Marathon Supreme on the Ogre, if it'd been OK on those I would have kept it.
I'm not saying the Rove will be the same, or that your opinion would match mine even if it was, but it's a lot of money on a big trip so I'm recommending you find out for yourself.

[pete75]

My personal views if I was buying a new bike for that purpose:

Stock tyres are too big and knobbly for touring - I would want smaller (40-45mm) Marathon Tours, needs mudguards. The picture is of a 1x, but the spec indicates 2x10 - I would want a triple with a 22 granny ring - I believe South America is very mountainous in places! Overall it looks as if could do the job, but it's a bit too "rufty-tufty" for my tastes.

Spa will build a bike how you want it. You're not limited to a standard spec like the big brands.

[ian5spot]

Stock tyres are too big and knobbly for touring - I would want smaller (40-45mm) Marathon Tours,

Thanks for the response - I agree on the tyres and would like to fit something smaller and with mudguards in the 40-45mm range and Marathons would be a good option.

Before you go too far down this route, it'd be worth a trip to Harrogate for a test ride and to have that size tyre fitted. If it's anything like the Ogre, I'd consider you'd need the volume of the big tyres to overcome the inherent stiffness of the design. I tried 37mm Marathon Supreme on the Ogre, if it'd been OK on those I would have kept it.
I'm not saying the Rove will be the same, or that your opinion would match mine even if it was, but it's a lot of money on a big trip so I'm recommending you find out for yourself.

Thanks - good point about having larger tyres to overcome frame stiffness. Fortunately I live in Harrogate so a visit to Spa Cycles is 'a walk in the park' (or across the Stray!)

[simonhill]

Ian

I'd still be interested to know rough length (time and distance) of the trip.

[TimeTraveller]

I was pointed to this, maybe thinking of just the frameset, only thing is the boost front fork, probaly will swap out for my krapus fork on my current bike. Invested a bit in a new front wheel build so would like to use that..
well see how things go.. mite still jump a bit deeper and go for a surly