Touring bike / frame. What to look for?

[NeilM]

Re:

The Tiagra triple crank is 50/39/30. I have changed the 11-28 cassette to a 12 -32 I had in the draw, and if that does not do the trick I will look at a Spa Cycles crank or possibly an XT which would use the same BB and get the gearing near enough as low as it is possible to go.

 

[Joe_Rides]

Re:

Genesis looks a nice bike.

I've been torn (still am actually) between building a MTB tourer or buying a touring specific bike. I prefer MTB's and flat handlebars, but like the range of hand positions on drop bars.

I bought a Trek 520 (2000's era) for not-a-lot a few weeks ago and intend to make it fit me a bit better. Never previously owned a "proper" touring bike but was quite pleasantly surprised with the mixed road/mtb specification on my Trek. For example it runs Shimano 105 cranks, but with an LX rear mech. The wheels are 700c, but the hubs are LX. Seems like the best of both worlds!!

The stem is too long for me so I intend to change that. And I'm going to run some CX knobbly tyres on it.

Hopefully going to ride Sustrans route 8 from Cardiff to Holyhead at some point this year.

 

[bagpuss]

Re:

I have found dual pivot brakes fine for stopping and I am a big s@d .
S/C I pushed the boat out and went for TA Carmina . Loads of ring sizes / options available . Gears are Campagnolo long cage 8 speed. Brooks B 17 saddle .
River Inn . Crossing into Austria by rebalrid, on Flickr

 

[hamster]

Re: Re:

The Tiagra triple crank is 50/39/30. I have changed the 11-28 cassette to a 12 -32 I had in the draw, and if that does not do the trick I will look at a Spa Cycles crank or possibly an XT which would use the same BB and get the gearing near enough as low as it is possible to go.

You can fit a 24T onto that along with a 48T top...you might not then need the 12-32 and it will give rather closer gear changes on the cassette. But I hate big jumps.

Ribble are doing Stronglight chainrings for comedy low prices at present.

 

[NeilM]

Re:

I'll have a look into that.

It is the new Tiagra 4700 chainset and when I looked on line I could not find anything but Shimano chainrings for it as it is 110mm BCD on all three rings.

 

[hamster]

Oh heck, just looked again and it's one of those stoopid Darth Vader 4-arm chainsets.

I take it all back.

Buy a Spa XD2 for £35 and enjoy compatibility.

 

[kingbling]

It's threads like this that get me in trouble :facepalm: I have a Nigel Dean Tour Ace F&F in the cave I was going to sell to my brother, since reading this thread now maybe not I have in the last hour been hanging shimano LX parts on it. It was originally built for 27inch wheels but it can take 700c which means I can use some 700x38s that I have. If it were to be built I'd have to build some new wheels for it to accommodate the tyres. But it's one of those builds where you have everything well apart from spokes in my case. I guess you don't really need anymore that a 3x8 on the gear front but wether to use drops or flats with bar ends for the bars if to use flats I could also use MTB combo shifters and levers which I guess amounts to the same as using a MTB tourer albeit with bigger wheels.

 

[NeilM]

Re:

In my limited experience with my 'other' touring project (Trek 830 from the 1990's), 3 x 8 well selected gears are more than enough.

 

[gerryattrick]

Re:

I was going to recommend an Equilibrium, but assumed you wanted a specific touring frame. I have an Equilibrium and it is a great, relatively light bike, for riding long distances in comfort.

One issue that might be considered a bit of a disadvantage for a heavily laden bike is the caliper brakes, which are less common on full touring bikes, but I am sure that good, well adjusted calipers will cope perfectly well.

 

[bagpuss]

Re:

As said a lot of very good priced st chain sets available at the moment .
Stronglight at Spa cycles and their own branded one real bargins
Sugino XD2 purchase just last Month for £76 , ready to replace my aging Shimano deoro.
Andel look well made a £100 .

For the price of some of them it is cheaper than buying a set of new rings :!: