Anyone doing this. I have seen racks for the suspension forks. I have also read about people using trailer. Is there anyone that has done either and what do you think.
I have two Specialized Bikes a Sirrus and a StumpJumper. I don't envisage doing more than 50 miles per day.
Mountain Bike for touring
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Neil Fox
Re:Mountain Bike for touring
Dear Mr/Mrs Homer (or may I call you Motor?),
I've been doing a few tours on a mountain bike for a couple of years. I bought a 2nd hand Scott with sus. forks and hardtail to add a new dimension to my biking. I've never been able to find front pannier carriers that satisfy me so on the Scott I use the following luggage configuration. A fairly standard rear luggage carrier on which I mount traditional (25 year old!) Karrimor Iberia panniers and a front bar bag that clamps on to the handle bars. The latter is particularly useful for mounting a map. I was lucky in that the Scott had sufficient ready-tapped and brazed-on mounting points for the rear carrier. Not all mountain bikes have these but I know that you can have them brazed on if you want them.
A mate of mine has a trailer (A Yak Bob ?? or similar name), and he swears by it. He goes touring with another mate and they put all the luggage on the trailer and take daily turns pulling it. However, it's a real pain when you have to negotiate those access restricting chicanes that are commonly mounted on cycle tracks. They have to uncouple and carry it over.
Hope that helps.
I've been doing a few tours on a mountain bike for a couple of years. I bought a 2nd hand Scott with sus. forks and hardtail to add a new dimension to my biking. I've never been able to find front pannier carriers that satisfy me so on the Scott I use the following luggage configuration. A fairly standard rear luggage carrier on which I mount traditional (25 year old!) Karrimor Iberia panniers and a front bar bag that clamps on to the handle bars. The latter is particularly useful for mounting a map. I was lucky in that the Scott had sufficient ready-tapped and brazed-on mounting points for the rear carrier. Not all mountain bikes have these but I know that you can have them brazed on if you want them.
A mate of mine has a trailer (A Yak Bob ?? or similar name), and he swears by it. He goes touring with another mate and they put all the luggage on the trailer and take daily turns pulling it. However, it's a real pain when you have to negotiate those access restricting chicanes that are commonly mounted on cycle tracks. They have to uncouple and carry it over.
Hope that helps.
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Lizb.bird
Re:Mountain Bike for touring
I tour on a Scott MTB front suspension. Depending on where I am going, and how much stuff I want to take, I am not a minimalist. I have both, rear panniers with bar bag & saddle bag or BOB Yak trailer. The trailer is used the most. I have hit on the chicane problem and once encountered a flight of steps on a cycle route. But my preference is the trailer. Have not taken the trailer it on mountain tracks yet, hopefully this summer but on hard pack cycle tracks its great. Heading to Shetland with it in a few weeks.
Liz
Liz
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hamster
Re:Mountain Bike for touring
It's no problem. I have ridden the USA Pacific Coast (820 miles) in 14 days on an MTB. Just swap out the tyres to thinner slicks.
Nowadays the same bike has drop bars as I find them more comfortable, but that's not to say they are essential
Nowadays the same bike has drop bars as I find them more comfortable, but that's not to say they are essential