old mtb for heavy-duty touring: recommendations please

[sylus]

No offence taken chap but yes that link with all the olds converted keeps me looking like an anorak

crazy guy on a bike is helpfull too even if a bit of a messy site to sift through and as to the bob..you mean yak?

tried one before and liked it for most of the trip but free camping made it a bit difficult to lob over the fence when fully loaded

 

[WayneO]

I would also look at the Trek 900 series , plus you said they're pretty available.

 

[hamster]

Any mid-range, early to mid-1990's bike should work well. Kona, Marin, Trek, Specialized all have potential.

Don't go for something with exotic light tubes- it needs to be tough and stiff to avoid flex. So a basic bike actually is better at the job than some high-end frame. Get a framebuilder to add extra bosses for mudguards in addition to a rack at the rear dropout, plus for low rider front panniers.

My touring weapon started life as a 1990 Zolatone Marin Palisades. Chas May did the braze-ons 11 years ago. This bike has been ridden on 4 continents. Fully loaded with 4 panniers and a bar-bag it's still rock-steady at 40mph.

 

[highlandsflyer]

That bike is red Hamster, and BOTM is red.

Get in there!

Love it, seeing steel working its passage long after other frames would have hung up their dropouts.

 

[hamster]

Always a sucker for peer pressure!
BoTM submitted, and thanks for the compliment!.

 

[jaypee]

I've not done any long distance touring but I do have a 92 Marin pine mountain in tange steel and a 87 raleigh lightweights avanti in full lugged 531, which seem to fit the two 'genres' of bike most recommended. While the Marin is the nicer bike to jump on and whizz about, the raleigh is much more stable and solid and deals better with loads. The ancient deore shifters and levers and running gear and huge weinmann rims feel like they'd survive a nuclear war and are very simple technology. It's got all the braze-ons you could want. I use the raleigh for camping trips and heavy shopping. Sounds amazing btw, I'd love to do that one day.

 

[oldave]

Were not early Saracens meant for such work? No chance of my doing any such trip (or indeed ANY touring) but I'd happily take my TuffTrax.

In the simplicity stakes, would not a screw on be better than a cassette free hub? Will find a 5-6-7 block most places where cycles exist - and if all else fails a single!

Good luck, have FUN!

 

[stewlewis]

Were not early Saracens meant for such work? No chance of my doing any such trip (or indeed ANY touring) but I'd happily take my TuffTrax.

Nick Crane took one up Kilimanjaro, must be OK.

 

[hamster]

In the simplicity stakes, would not a screw on be better than a cassette free hub? Will find a 5-6-7 block most places where cycles exist - and if all else fails a single!

The genius of a freehub is the support for the hub with the bearings at the axle tips. For a freewheel hub the right hand bearing is a long way inboard leading to bent and broken rear axles...ask a tandemist. So while freewheels are more available, freehubs will not break in the first place.

If you we're to be really pessimistic, pack a spare freehub body.

 

[bhumidravi]

Sorry for seemingly abandoning this thread: I had camera issues & an update without pictures was pointless. Finally managed to borrow a camera & take some quick shots this grey morning (apologies, it looked much better when I took pics with my dslr in glorious sunshine last weekend).

I ended up buying a 1990 Koga Miya Terra Runner & an extremely beat-up 1991 Terra Runner Carbolite for parts.

It's triple-butted, spline reinforced FM-1 chromoly steel with beautiful lugwork:

Full Deore DX, Suntour xc comp chainset, Nitto stem, handlebar, & bar-ends, Sakae Strong seatpost, San Marco saddle, Wolber AT 20 rims.

All components are in excellent condition, & mostly original, except for the LH shifter-brake levers (some late 90s crap v-brake sti) & the suntour xc comp chainset.

I immediately replaced the LH levers with those from the Carbolite, so now it's mostly matched again, although the LH shifter is DX push-pull and the RH is XT push-push. The rapidfire shifters feel rock solid, but I still think I'll replace them with thumbies before the big trip. Anyone have a pair for sale?

According to Mombat, the 42/32/20 Suntour xc comp chainset only came out in 1992, so it's not original. The granny ring is also 56 mm BCD, so I'll replace it with the 94/58 mm STX cranks from the Carbolite.

U-brakes get a lot of bad press, but mounted on the seat-stays I can't see how they'd be any worse than cantis. Does it really need replacing?

I originally planned on getting new wheels, but the Wolber AT 20 rims look super tough & barely worn. Koga Miyata hand build all their wheels, I don't think I could build a stronger wheel myself.

So far I've ridden it 100 km on roads, 50 km off-road. It's a great ride, very forgiving on gravel and bumps. The true test is how it handles fully loaded, but I haven't decided on panniers vs trailer yet. I think I'll rent a bob yak next weekend & see how it climbs and descends.