5 Tips For Choosing a Touring Bike
Here is a list of tried and true bike tips. We asked around and got the scoop from other touring cyclists and added our own.
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BY KRISTEN JOKINEN
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MARCH 15, 2017
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So you want to go for a bike tour. First, you need a bike, right? Sounds daunting. There are a lot of bikes out there, how do you narrow it down? For starters, there are only a handful of bike companies in the US who make touring models. Some of the most popular are Kona, Salsa, Surly, Specialized, Trek and Fuji to name a few. If you open it up to the global market of bike companies making tour bikes, there are big slew more to add to the list. So how do you choose? Well, here are 5 tips for getting you in the saddle and on the road heading out into the great wide open.
1. Don't sweat over the right brand. I have seen everything from a super pricey full set-up with all the bells and whistles, to a duct-tapped, rust bucket, that no way is ever going to make it to the end of the block on multi-year bike tours. So don't sweat if you don't have a fat wallet and wads of cash to spend on the perfect bike. Do your research and get what you can afford.
2. Find a big shop, test a bunch of bikes, and make sure you are on the right sized frame. You might have to take a drive, get yourself to a big city with a lot of shops to test some bikes. Ride as many different models and try some different sizes in your range. Ask someone at the shop to help size you. Not all bike brands are the same size or fit you the same. When you have narrowed down your size and a frame that fits you well, take it for spin. Go up and down some hills. Remember, your not in it for speed on a tour, it's all about slow and steady so being upright is important. Your wrists and back will thank you when you have logged a lot of miles.
3. Get a frame with low miles, but build your wheels. Steel frames are good. We have talked to other cyclists who didn't have a steel frame and they were riding just fine, but steel frames take a lot of the vibration out, so less on your body. There is the possibility to weld a frame back together if something comes apart when in a small village in Mexico if it's steel, where as a carbon frame is just done. Frames are frames, but miles matter. When buying a used frame/bike, how many miles are on the frame may matter if your about to embark on a multi-year tour and rack up a bunch of your own miles. So less miles is better. In my opinion, spend the money on the wheels. Ask around. Find a bike shop where their wheel builder comes highly recommended by riders. Get durable rims, tires, spokes and hubs and make sure those things are bomb proof. When your in the middle of no where, do you really want to deal with broken wheels, spokes, have tons of flats to patch? You will already deal with bike issues as it is, but if you can start out with a good set-up, invest.
4. Get a damn good saddle. Your beautiful butt will be so much more grateful with a well-fitting saddle. I know those cushy gel saddles look nice. They may feel nice on a short day ride too. But on a long tour where you are riding 7-8 hours a day, day after day in the saddle, they don't cut it. I personally think, as many other cyclists I meet out on the road do as well, leather is where it is at. Brooks makes some great saddles and has been doing it for years. But you can also find some other leather saddles out there. The deal with leather is that it is complete hell when it is fresh out of the box and shiny-brand new. There is a break in period. You hope that you outlive the break in period. But if and when you do, your butt will mold right into that leather saddle and it will fit you like a glove. Then protect it! My husband and I bought cheapy shower caps at a grocery store and they work great. Cover them whenever you are not riding, rain or shine, and get a good oil, like mink oil, to keep the leather soft.
5. Do your research, if your heading outside the US, make sure you can find spare parts or bring them along. This is a big one. You buy your perfect bike in the US and head into Mexico and Central America and realize, crap, no one carries big tubes with a presta valve. We have recently discovered this, and have been stuck waiting for tubes to be shipped that will fit our bikes. You can't plan ahead for everything, or carry a spare of every single part on your bike. But there are other cyclists who have gone before you and are a great source of info on what you can expect to find in parts along your route.
Well kids, now it's up to you. You have dreamed up the possibility of getting on two wheels and heading out to the open road, now get out there and find yourself a bike. The rest is just pedaling. And have fun out there, there is a whole world to explore!
1. Don't sweat over the right brand. I have seen everything from a super pricey full set-up with all the bells and whistles, to a duct-tapped, rust bucket, that no way is ever going to make it to the end of the block on multi-year bike tours. So don't sweat if you don't have a fat wallet and wads of cash to spend on the perfect bike. Do your research and get what you can afford.
2. Find a big shop, test a bunch of bikes, and make sure you are on the right sized frame. You might have to take a drive, get yourself to a big city with a lot of shops to test some bikes. Ride as many different models and try some different sizes in your range. Ask someone at the shop to help size you. Not all bike brands are the same size or fit you the same. When you have narrowed down your size and a frame that fits you well, take it for spin. Go up and down some hills. Remember, your not in it for speed on a tour, it's all about slow and steady so being upright is important. Your wrists and back will thank you when you have logged a lot of miles.
3. Get a frame with low miles, but build your wheels. Steel frames are good. We have talked to other cyclists who didn't have a steel frame and they were riding just fine, but steel frames take a lot of the vibration out, so less on your body. There is the possibility to weld a frame back together if something comes apart when in a small village in Mexico if it's steel, where as a carbon frame is just done. Frames are frames, but miles matter. When buying a used frame/bike, how many miles are on the frame may matter if your about to embark on a multi-year tour and rack up a bunch of your own miles. So less miles is better. In my opinion, spend the money on the wheels. Ask around. Find a bike shop where their wheel builder comes highly recommended by riders. Get durable rims, tires, spokes and hubs and make sure those things are bomb proof. When your in the middle of no where, do you really want to deal with broken wheels, spokes, have tons of flats to patch? You will already deal with bike issues as it is, but if you can start out with a good set-up, invest.
4. Get a damn good saddle. Your beautiful butt will be so much more grateful with a well-fitting saddle. I know those cushy gel saddles look nice. They may feel nice on a short day ride too. But on a long tour where you are riding 7-8 hours a day, day after day in the saddle, they don't cut it. I personally think, as many other cyclists I meet out on the road do as well, leather is where it is at. Brooks makes some great saddles and has been doing it for years. But you can also find some other leather saddles out there. The deal with leather is that it is complete hell when it is fresh out of the box and shiny-brand new. There is a break in period. You hope that you outlive the break in period. But if and when you do, your butt will mold right into that leather saddle and it will fit you like a glove. Then protect it! My husband and I bought cheapy shower caps at a grocery store and they work great. Cover them whenever you are not riding, rain or shine, and get a good oil, like mink oil, to keep the leather soft.
5. Do your research, if your heading outside the US, make sure you can find spare parts or bring them along. This is a big one. You buy your perfect bike in the US and head into Mexico and Central America and realize, crap, no one carries big tubes with a presta valve. We have recently discovered this, and have been stuck waiting for tubes to be shipped that will fit our bikes. You can't plan ahead for everything, or carry a spare of every single part on your bike. But there are other cyclists who have gone before you and are a great source of info on what you can expect to find in parts along your route.
Well kids, now it's up to you. You have dreamed up the possibility of getting on two wheels and heading out to the open road, now get out there and find yourself a bike. The rest is just pedaling. And have fun out there, there is a whole world to explore!
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