Road Touring Bike

[BikeitGeorge]

Hello. I can get a good deal on a Specialized or Trek road touring bike.
This is the spec I think I might need.
• Frame size 54 cms (21 inch)
• Headset – handlebar height – spacers for adjustability
• 3 chain rings 52/42/30 for steep hills
• 9 speed cassette 11-32 (good quality)
• Mudguards not too close to tyre
• 28 inch (700) wheels with quick release – width?
• Type of tyres – suitable for wet weather
• Strong rack
• Make sure heels don’t hit panniers
• Pedals – wide for good foot grip
• Lights
• Comfortable saddle with quick release
• Calliper brakes not disc brakes
• Secondary brakes
• Colour – not too bright

Can anyone advise me which Specialized or Trek bike fits these requirements and any riding experience you have.
Many Thanks
George

[Brucey]

you will probably find that not all 21" frames give the same reach, or allow the same range of vertical handlebar adjustment. You also don't say what kind of handlebars you would like to have, or what kind of riding you plan to do.

Things like heel clearance will vary with foot size, rack type and pannier type.

BTW unless you are very fit or just like pedalling very slowly you probably won't use a 52T chainring that much, not with the smaller sprockets, anyway.

cheers

[Antan1]

I have a double chainring 52/34 and rear 10 sprocket 11/28 and find I rarely drop down off the 52 ring, unless it is a really steep climb, this combination seems to work ok for me at the moment but my bike is probably lighter at around 7.5 kg so that will make a difference as well
Rob

[BikeitGeorge]

I was thinking about getting a new road bike with drop handlebars for the main C2C and the Way of the Roses route. I also want to use the bike for other leisure rides using towpaths, greenways and quiet lanes. I'm quite fit and cycle up to 100 miles per week.Thanks

[cycleruk]

For touring I would suggest a bike that will take wide-ish tyres. Towpaths in general are not smooth tarmac and quite often can be muddy.
Rear frame width probably 135mm to give a stronger rear wheel.
You mention secondary brakes by which I assume you mean a set of intermediates on the bars?
If so these would possibly interfere with a bar bag if you wanted one.
I would suggest you find a dealer and have a look at some bikes as what you want will determine dimensions such as reach, style of bars, etc.
Why "Specialised" or "Trek"?

[niggle]

Is the restriction to Specialized or Trek a Cycle to Work Scheme issue or something? I am assuming that by 'road touring bike' you mean a drop bar bike with the ability to carry luggage and fit tyres up to at least 32mm wide with mudguards.

Specialized do not make a touring bike as far as I am aware. The bottom of the range Tricross crossbike uses cantilever brakes and can take a rear rack and mudguards, though I do not know about heel clearance. Many people do not think alloy frame and carbon forks are suitable for touring purposes, but with 32mm tyres and no load on the front forks it is probably OK for a lighter touring load (i.e. without a tent) on the rear.

The Trek 520 is a steel frame drop bar touring bike, but it is not in the official UK catalogue this year. All the Trek crossbikes apparently use disc brakes.

520 In this year's US catalogue: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/ro ... g/520/520#

If you search around you can find good deals on other brands of genuine touring bikes, e.g. this at £500 if it fits: http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... b0s21p2415

This is an even cheaper alu frame option (but with reassuring steel fork) £380: http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... ring-bikes For touring I would pick this in preference to adapting a Tricross, even if theTricross was the same price there are the questions about its suitability and more things to pay out on to adapt it.

Most touring bikes won't have the extra cross-top brake levers you want, but they can be added for a modest outlay compared to the over all cost of a touring bike. Most have cantilever brakes as caliper brakes will not reach round the wider touring tyres. None have lights, it is up to you to find and fit according to planned use.

[horizon]

I think that "road bike" is a good name for a lightweight racing or road bike of any sort. But we need to be clear that it excludes "touring" bikes. Touring bikes perhaps could be called off-road touring bikes or just touring bikes if in road manifestation. Lightweight touring bikes works as well. The OP apparently cannot obtain a touring bike as such from his two preferred builders: being clear about the name may have cleared up this confusion from the start. I also think cross bike is a category worth keeping and has the advantage of distinguishing it from a hybrid or off-road tourer.

[andrewjoseph]

I have a double chainring 52/34 and rear 10 sprocket 11/28 and find I rarely drop down off the 52 ring, unless it is a really steep climb, this combination seems to work ok for me at the moment but my bike is probably lighter at around 7.5 kg so that will make a difference as well
Rob

yes, but could you ride up steep hills carrying and extra 10-20kg of gear on 52-28?

to the op, i suspect even a 30-32 might give problems on steep grades when fully loaded. for cycle camping i have used 26 chainring with 36t sprocket and had to walk up some steep lanes.

[niggle]

I have a double chainring 52/34 and rear 10 sprocket 11/28 and find I rarely drop down off the 52 ring, unless it is a really steep climb, this combination seems to work ok for me at the moment but my bike is probably lighter at around 7.5 kg so that will make a difference as well
Rob

yes, but could you ride up steep hills carrying and extra 10-20kg of gear on 52-28?

to the op, i suspect even a 30-32 might give problems on steep grades when fully loaded. for cycle camping i have used 26 chainring with 36t sprocket and had to walk up some steep lanes.

26x36 = 20" bottom gear, for cycle camping I have a 22x32 = 19" bottom gear and could have used a lower one on a certain hill on Exmoor last August. 22x36T is probably the lowest gear you can buy in derailleur gearing, which is about 17".

For unloaded riding I find a gear of around 1:1 OK, e.g. I have 28x27 = 28" on my Genesis with Shimano road triple set-up and that is good for all hills up to 1:3.

[BikeitGeorge]

Thanks very much for all your advice. I'm planning to have a test ride on a couple of different bikes.

[fatmac]

Most of what you are after would be catered for with an 'Audax' bike. (Spa Cycles is one such.)