Steel frame for a touring / town / do everything bike

tom_cat

Dirt Disciple
Hi, first post on here.

I keep spending evenings on the internet trying to decide on the right thing to get as I come close to having enough money for a frame for my second bike. I'm trying to build a general shopping / pootling around bike with the abillity to do a laden tour next summer. I was originally thinking about being able to set it up to do a bit of off-road too, but on second thoughts I think it'll be too much faff to switch between the set-ups and so should save up for something dedicated to off-road when I have this one sorted.

So...

I have come to the conclusion that I have two options that seem good. I have wheels and most of the other kit sorted already, just the frame to decide on.

1) New kit - On one inbred frame with swap-out dropouts paired with a thorn mt. Tura fork.

pros - loads of braze ons for racks, totally futureproof, with the ability to swap to discs / suss forks if I so wish in future

cons - cost: £300

2) Retro mtb frame - Kona Kilauea / Orange prestige etc

pros - cheap: £50-150

cons - no ability to upgrade. I'm also a woried that the geometry or these frames mill be a bit aggressive, a lot of pics of bikes I've seen look like they have a large saddle to bar drop.

To be honest writing it down like that it seems like a no-brainer, that the new frame seems like a much better idea. But just interested in the input of people on this board.

Thanks.
 
reading it, it seems like a nobrainer to get the retro bike! discs are overkill for most things, especially just for touring...like you said you are going to get a proper offroad machine for off road...so with that decided!


How about a proper touring bike?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRED-JAMES-TOURING-BIKE-/220825105742?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item336a33b54e


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TREK-700-...0735136684?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item4aad4dcbac

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAWES-STE...0867984569?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3a68e5a8b9


For 300 quid i imagine you could get a very nice roadbike-tourer.
 
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Why not get a 2nd hand Inbred? They go for retro money but have the modern geometry and 'futureproofing' that you crave!
 
Yeah, I'd thought of that, the only difference being the swap-out option but then this doesn't really open a lot of other pathways apart from if I was ever wanted to buy some kind of hub gear or ride fixed. May well get a vertical drop out inbred frame off ebay.
 
1duck":3oio215k said:
How about a proper touring bike?

I already have some nice ceramic rim 26" wheels, V brakes and an MTB drivetrain. Something built around 26" wheels / mtb basis seems like it'd be more versatile, and perhaps just a bit more fun, with the ability to tackle dirt paths / fire road without getting shaken to bits. I already have a nice road bike.

That's me reasoning anyway. Also I can build the bike up soon and get going, then swap the frame / fork as soon as I can afford them.
 
tom_cat":29wacdwl said:
1duck":29wacdwl said:
How about a proper touring bike?

I already have some nice ceramic rim 26" wheels, V brakes and an MTB drivetrain. Something built around 26" wheels / mtb basis seems like it'd be more versatile, and perhaps just a bit more fun, with the ability to tackle dirt paths / fire road without getting shaken to bits. I already have a nice road bike.

That's me reasoning anyway. Also I can build the bike up soon and get going, then swap the frame / fork as soon as I can afford them.


I guess I got the wrong message from your original post! on one always seem a bit expensive to me, i'm probably wrong but its also summer bike inflation as well.
 
If it's an everyday cum tourer you're after I would go for the Kilauea and build it to fit you...

My Kilauea was an 18" frame with long seat post and a long flat stem because that's what I wanted - you could buy a larger frame (making assumptions here...) fit a shorter seat post and a hi-rise stem (or a lower stem and riser-bars - or both!).

Rack mounts are there on the stays so you could build a very lightweight tourer - and disks really aren't necessary?

But I guess it all boils down to personal preference in the end... ;)
 
Lava Dome/Cinder Cone or Orange P7/Clockwork.

Plentiful, cheap. competent, tough, adaptable.

;)
 
Been commuting on a Lavadome with an adjustable stem for a few months - minimal saddle to bar drop - only problem is how squeaky the adjustable stem gets
 

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