Sign up for our RoadNews Newslette.r Written on the road
as we travel around the world on our bicycles including free
downloadable video links
MORE INFO HERE
Commuting and touring bikes are combined in this
article
because they serve a similar human powered utilitarian purpose. These
useful bicycles
are the workhorses of the sport. Speed and looks are less important than
functionality, durability, and reliability. Commuting bicycles and touring bikes carry groceries
and laptop computers or camping gear and travel clothes. They have to be
reliable and adaptable in even the worst weather. The weight of the
commuter or touring
bicycle is secondary to these issues. Most importantly, on a bicycle tour
or daily commute the cyclist must be comfortable and not have mechanical
problems. Both of these types of cycles are difficult to find used or for
sale new but hopefully this guide will help.
I have spent 30 years riding, racing, commuting, and
traveling by bicycle. During my recent years as a recreational bike tourist I have
researched what makes a good touring bicycle. The start of
your once in a lifetime dream trip or the middle of the Bolivian wilderness is
no place to discover that a wrong bike or part was chosen months earlier. It
is always a long walk when pushing your loaded rig.
Traveling by
bicycle is not yet a mainstream sport in the USA and Canada so few answers to touring
specific equipment questions can be found in local bike shops. Instead bits and
pieces have to be gathered from other touring cyclists and far flung corners of
the internet. I believe that experience is still the best teacher and I
sit in this classroom everyday as we bicycle tour around the world.
The majority of Touring bikes purchased off the
showroom floor may appear to be less expensive but after some time in the saddle
it is always necessary to replace parts and upgrade components. Because of
this stock bikes often end up costing more than if they were custom build from
the start. I have concluded that most stock bicycle will always have
costly shortcomings and never satisfy individual needs.
The only way to build a personal dream touring
bike is buy a favorite frameset and hand pick every component that goes on it or
upgrade and modify a current bike. Of course all of the choices involved
in building the ultimate touring bike are confusing which is why I have created
this technical portion of our web site. I do not claim to have all of the
answers. No one does. When I am unsure or undecided on a certain
topic I will clearly state this. I do not want to suggest that my personal
opinion is fact. I really dislike it when others claim that their
preferences are best for everyone. I continue to be open minded and will
listen to someone else's ideas. On the equipment pages listed below, I
have written a general informative overview for each topic, present options widely accepted in the bicycle touring community, and then explained my
personal feelings, preferences and experiences. Everyone likes something
different in their touring bike and I hope these pages help your decision making
process.
I believe for this web site to be useful to
readers it is
not enough to lay out all the choices but it is also important to point readers to
specific online stores where each component can be purchased at low prices.
Most of the online retailers I recommend pay us a small commission for sales they
receive through the links on our web site. This commission is not passed
on to the consumer which means that it does not cost extra to shop through
our web site. Shopping through our links helps us maintain these web pages
and continue our around the world bicycle tour. If you find this information useful or at least entertaining please use either
the specific product links or general store gateway links to make your
purchases. We appreciate it.
We currently have a few
sponsors.
We truly believe in both of them and have no problem recommending them even if
they did not support our travels. I
do not have outside commitments or obligations to sway my
opinion. We could suggest any type or brand of bike touring equipment or
components but have narrowed these choices down to a limited number of top picks.
I hope you find the information here helpful and always welcome your feedback.
Tim trying to repair a mysterious clicking sound
originally thought to be the bottom bracket. Tim's bike broke in
the worst place; a remote village in the central Mexican Mountains.
It turned out to be a poorly made bottom bracket shell / frame that gave
the bottom bracket enough room to creak as I pedaled.
Tim working on failing rim on a three day climb in the Andes Mountains in
southern Ecuador. Notice that there is a large cliff on the side
of the road and no shoulder for Tim to safely work on his bike. He
looks mad because equipment failures should not spoil an adventure of a
lifetime. Choose wisely.
Riding in the rain without fenders can make for a very
wet ride. Honduras was a very wet country for us. It is
difficult or impossible to find good quality fenders in the USA.
Standing on a loaded touring bike puts a lot of stress on the
frame and causes a lot of flexing of the rear triangle. My Chrome-Moly steel
frame set flexed so much that it actually shifted gears.
Custom Touring Bicycle and Bike Upgrade Buyers
Guide -
Maps
Panniers or
Bike BagsCheap will not keep your gear dry and real cheap will fall off
your bike every time you hit a bump. This is not just a luggage issue it
is a big safety concern.
Front and Rear
Bicycle Touring RacksThe forgotten
workhorse that holds all that gear you stuffed in your panniers or tied on top
of your touring bicycle.
Bicycle
Touring SaddlesThe #1 physical problem
on tour is a sore butt. When I discovered my solution to saddle sores, I
realized that I was the last to know.
Handlebars, Grips and Padded Bar
TapeUpright mountain
bike
straight with bar ends or road drops with multiple aerodynamic hand positions. Are you comfortable?
HeadsetsCan you ride no handed?
Maybe you have pitted bearing.
Bike ComputerMine always seems to break but I keep looking.
KickstandsBecause your
loaded touring rig can not stand by itself but you would be surprised how often
you want it too.
Fenders or
Mud Guards"What is that smell? I
hope that was just water we rode through."
Commuting and touring bikes are combined in this
article
because they serve a similar human powered utilitarian purpose. These
useful bicycles
are the workhorses of the sport. Speed and looks are less important than
functionality, durability, and reliability. Commuting bicycles and touring bikes carry groceries
and laptop computers or camping gear and travel clothes. They have to be
reliable and adaptable in even the worst weather. The weight of the
commuter or touring
bicycle is secondary to these issues. Most importantly, on a bicycle tour
or daily commute the cyclist must be comfortable and not have mechanical
problems. Both of these types of cycles are difficult to find used or for
sale new but hopefully this guide will help.
