What's your favorite touring bicycle? Mine is the Surly Long Haul Trucker!

[TopHatFox]

I think I'm finally gonna get mine, yay! If I sell my current 1980's Cannondale + fenders + rack + water cages + lights, it'll likely likely fetch $500; my 1980's Mongoose + rack + fenders + lights, maybe $300.

That's 800, meaning the LHT will cost me around the ~$800 + $500, new. I'd then need to get it fenders, a rear rack to start, water cages, a studded tire set, a smooth tire set, and lights. Why new? Because I can't seem to find touring bikes used around here unfortunately, and I really want the bike fit validated by the bike shop since I will likely take it across the country.

Have any suggestions for other touring bikes you've liked? And ways to make them cheaper to acquire? A Surly Cross-Check might be nice, too.

[Slevin]

I have a LHT I'd probably be willing to part with if you're interested / sized correctly. Mine is a 59cm 2009 in good shape.

[TopHatFox]

I have a LHT I'd probably be willing to part with if you're interested / sized correctly. Mine is a 59cm 2009 in good shape.

I'm 5' 8" w/ a ~83 cm (32 inch) inseam; A 59 cm frame might just fit.

Can you message me what part of the country you live in and a bit more detail on the bike? (how much you want for it, accessories like fenders, racks, or lights it'd bring, maybe even a few pictures).

Thanks!

[enigmaT120]

All the bike people I know told me to get a LHT, but I knew that when I tour it will probably be off road, so I bought a Salsa Fargo. So far about 6500 commuting miles, lots of gravel, and I'm happy with it.

[bryan]

noob jumping in: What makes a bike a touring bike? I rode the Oregon coast with a friend and apparently he had a proper hip retro touring bike whereas I just brought along my regular "performance" road bike. The only difference I noticed was his had column shifters, more spokes in the wheels, fenders, and it was a lot heavier.

[vexed87]

@bryan, they are built for endurance (more hard wearing and better suited to carry heavy loads, i.e. camping gear and supplies). They also typically have a more relaxed geometry than racing bikes for extended time in the saddle.

[bryan]

thanks. yeah I went off on my own and gathered that a touring bike has slightly different geometry than another bike to optimize for stability, especially with added front pannier load. I didn't have a front pannier on my bike that tour. And as far as ruggedness goes, is a heavy steel frame much better than a typical aluminum one? Could be easier to weld if it cracks I guess.

I was plenty happy with my bike's performance for that week..

[vexed87]

Which frame material? Sorry no easy answers, it depends on a few factors...

Mostly it depends on construction methods, your budget, your specific needs for the bike and the journeys you take!

Here's a good article on steel vs alumnimum agruments, http://tomsbiketrip.com/touring-bike-fa ... hing-else/

[bryan]

Thanks, that was the perfect FAQ for this noob.

[jacob]

No need don't be a gear-head. Touring is just a series of short (20-30M) rides that ultimately add up to a very long trip. Lots of people go touring using their regular bikes. What's most important is whether you're in cycling shape (endurance and stamina), whether the bike fits (knee, ankle, wrist, ... problems, ... ), whether it's in good repair, and whether it can carry what you need.

That said, touring bikes are probably the most universally useful bikes. They're solid, carry lots of stuff, and are able to go fast.

[JL13]

The best bike for touring is usually the one you already have. You don't even need racks and panniers technically. A rucksack, a couple dry bags an electrical tape/ties can attach gear securely to any bike.

http://www.bikepacking.com/gear/bikepacking-hacks/

[C40]

I used to have a Surley LHT. Good bike. I wish I hadn't sold it. Especially since I built it with much nicer components than the standard Surly builds.

What's stopping you from using your Cannondale? If it already can fit and has fenders and racks, those are what you need for touring. Is it worn out mechanically?

[TopHatFox]

What's stopping you from using your Cannondale? If it already can fit and has fenders and racks, those are what you need for touring. Is it worn out mechanically?

It's a fine bike, but I find it uncomfortable for riding long distances (30 mi+). The rack stays are attached via p-clamps since the frame doesn't have any eyelets. The rear fender stays attach on the rear skewer, which means I can't attach my grocery trailer hitch via the rear skewer. Also, a front rack attached via p-clamps on the fork, or a handlebar pannier, on a road bike sounds unsafe. I really don't think it's a good idea to stack fully loaded panniers on a road bike--not to mention the trailer if doing groceries. (I have cracked the rear wheel before). This means I end up using my mountain bike for groceries, even during summer. Inefficient.

The touring bike would make grocery runs more efficient, be safer, be more comfortable, and open up the possibility for fully loaded touring. It would also mean I'd have ONE 4 season bike (w/ a studded tire set) rather than one for three and the second for winter. This makes moving even easier.

[Toska2]

I like LHT more than Trek's 520. I am disappointed that it's limited on the 26" tire size. (2.1" advertised) . I thought long and hard about the Troll (2.7"). I decided the extra 1 3/4" chainstay length was needed for limiting heel strikes.

[enigmaT120]

Most off-road bike tourists seem to be bike packing now, with frame bags and stuff, and carry a hydration pack because their water bottle locations are taken up by the packs. Those packs would fit most bikes. I don't plan on jumping off any cliffs so front and rear racks and good panniers work fine for me. I don't travel light, even when back packing.