Need touring bike guidance

B

Bisquick

Well-Known Member
I am trying to spec a touring bike for some extended bike touring/packing. I have a small amount of general direction, but am having trouble nailing down the specifics. I am trying to keep this bike/project under $1000 if possible, and have some resale value. I am totally fine using used or older parts if they work for me and the use case. I have listed some things I think I need; I only think I need, I am open to suggestions. I am 5' 8" if that helps with frame suggestions.

Wants/needs:
Pannier mounting holes front and rear
Clearance for 2.0-2.1" tires
Disk Brake caliper mounts
Comfortable for extended periods
1 1/8
1x10-1x11


I don't know if it would be better to find a old MTB frame off the internet for a hundred or so, then retrofit the drivetrain and brakes. Are disk brakes even worth it? I worry about their performance in less than ideal conditions, or for long descents.

Don't know if my asks/budget ratio is off, but I cant seem to get a clear picture on what frame to even start with.
 
I would try to purchase a bike complete for less hassle. I think your worries about disc brakes are unwarranted. The only negative I see is that the pads don't last as long as rim brake pads. You can totally find something for less than $1000. I've seen people do super well with very little.

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$1,000 on a complete build might be a tough ask. Look into a used Surly Long Haul Trucker. We sell a few a year to kids doing those chaperoned tours and then they never ride it again.

Even something brand new like a Specialized Sirrus will hit the spot for around $800.
 
Bisquick said:
I am trying to spec a touring bike for some extended bike touring/packing. I have a small amount of general direction, but am having trouble nailing down the specifics. I am trying to keep this bike/project under $1000 if possible, and have some resale value. I am totally fine using used or older parts if they work for me and the use case. I have listed some things I think I need; I only think I need, I am open to suggestions. I am 5' 8" if that helps with frame suggestions.

Wants/needs:
Pannier mounting holes front and rear
Clearance for 2.0-2.1" tires
Disk Brake caliper mounts
Comfortable for extended periods
1 1/8
1x10-1x11


I don't know if it would be better to find a old MTB frame off the internet for a hundred or so, then retrofit the drivetrain and brakes. Are disk brakes even worth it? I worry about their performance in less than ideal conditions, or for long descents.

Don't know if my asks/budget ratio is off, but I cant seem to get a clear picture on what frame to even start with.
Click to expand...
-How extended? Days/Weeks?
-Are you bringing along all your camping gear, or are you credit card touring in hotels? That makes a huge difference for front/rear panniers and such.
-Where are you going? Is it hilly? 3rd world country? That makes a big difference for gearing or if you are concerned about bike parts.
-Road touring or offroad touring? You mentioned 2.0-2.1" tires which tells me bikepacking. That's huge when people tend to do 32mm to 40mm for touring bikes.

I would definitely not go 1x on a touring bike. You want gearing to get you up hills if you're fully loaded but also want to be able to keep a good speed on the flats. 2x is much better and I was actually quite happy with my 3x on the touring bike.

I decided to sell my touring bike because it had rim brakes. Besides sucking in bad conditions, they'll never be as good as disk brakes. Due to the wide tire sizes you're either stuck with cantilever rim brakes or bmx style V-brakes that you can barely get working with a fender.

Flat handlebars suck for long rides, you want multiple hand positions.

Try to find an actual touring bike. Building something up can possibly nickel and dime you to death. If you can find the right deal, someone may be selling a bike with accessories.

Have you looked at crazyguyonabike.com? Typically good info.
 
soundz said:
I would try to purchase a bike complete for less hassle. I think your worries about disc brakes are unwarranted. The only negative I see is that the pads don't last as long as rim brake pads. You can totally find something for less than $1000. I've seen people do super well with very little.
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People who ride bikes like that are the only reason I am considering doing something cheap. I have never done anything this extended, so I dont know how much a cheap setup would get to me after a while.
Santapez said:
I would definitely not go 1x on a touring bike. You want gearing to get you up hills if you're fully loaded but also want to be able to keep a good speed on the flats. 2x is much better and I was actually quite happy with my 3x on the touring bike.

I decided to sell my touring bike because it had rim brakes. Besides sucking in bad conditions, they'll never be as good as disk brakes. Due to the wide tire sizes you're either stuck with cantilever rim brakes or bmx style V-brakes that you can barely get working with a fender.

Flat handlebars suck for long rides, you want multiple hand positions.

Try to find an actual touring bike. Building something up can possibly nickel and dime you to death. If you can find the right deal, someone may be selling a bike with accessories.

Have you looked at crazyguyonabike.com? Typically good info.
Click to expand...
-How extended? Days/Weeks?
Considering doing something cross country, so 2ish months.
-Are you bringing along all your camping gear, or are you credit card touring in hotels? That makes a huge difference for front/rear panniers and such.
Would be mostly camping, maybe a hotel every other week.
-Where are you going? Is it hilly? 3rd world country? That makes a big difference for gearing or if you are concerned about bike parts.
Not third world country, but lots of the places I'm going can get pretty far from bike shops. I want to ride road until the TransAm trail (the off road moto one, not road one) then take that to Denver. After that should be mostly road again. Trying to find more off road to cut down on the road time though.
-Road touring or offroad touring? You mentioned 2.0-2.1" tires which tells me bikepacking. That's huge when people tend to do 32mm to 40mm for touring bikes.
More info above, but I think it will be around 60% off road. This is the reason I shy away from just getting a bike like Jim mentioned and selling after. Don't think I could stuff fatter tires on it.

Rest of this is good info, think I may need to reconsider my budget which is the smart option. For some reason sending it on a garbage bike is also appealing.
 
How stupid would just be running my enduro bike?

Its a 2019 Giant Reign. Could pump up the suspension and lock it out as needed. Then just fit lower volume, easier rolling tires. Slap on some large rear panniers and a big handlebar bag with some more comfortable bars. Could also swap to a more comfortable seat. It already has the gear range I like. I know its comfortable, reliable, and maintained. It lacks bottle cages, but I could probably mount 2-3L up on the fork, 1L in the bike, and some more in the rear.

I have worried about it getting stolen. If I have to buy a new bike worth 1000+ then bags, I would be staking almost as much money. I think some insurance could ease my fears, and I don't have to purchase another bike.
 
Another question - have you done any touring? Bikepacking?

I've done some touring, but it's been awhile. First on an old 10-speed when I was in high school (35 years ago), then on a converted mtn bike (20+ years ago). All on road (or rail-trail path).

Flat bars on a long tour sounds like torture to me. I ran old Scott Open-4 Pro multi-position bars on the converted mtn bike and used every hand position possible throughout the day.

You will absolutely want more than a 1x for a loaded touring bike.

You will go a lot slower than you think you will. 2x slower if you're not on pavement.

Can you ride your enduro bike? Well... sure... any bike can be made to work as a touring bike if you're stubborn/tough enough. But do a weekend tour with it first and see how it feels. There is a reason why touring-specific bikes exist. The Salsa Marrakesh is a good low-cost option. Other than my personal hatred of flared drop bars, I wouldn't change much on the spec. All pretty tough and easy to replace parts. The most exotic parts might be the brake pads, which wouldn't be a big deal to keep spares with you.
 
People have gone across the country on everything. Pennyfarthings, bikes from Walmart, etc. Doesn't mean it's the best tool for the job.

For good reason most people doing it are on something without a suspension, steel frames, 32 or 36 spoke wheels, mid or sometimes lower tier drivetrain.
 
Mini-v brakes were a game changer for me. Agree it’s not better than discs but much more stopping power than the old diacompes I had on the Bruce Gordon I’ve had for a while. I think you can find nice Trek 520s for about your price
 
Ask @liong71er he went cross country. He'll probably have some good tips. His avatar is from the left coast I believe.
Good luck and enjoy your journey. 👍
 
Personally, I don't think flat bars are as evil as people make them out to be for touring/bikepacking applications. I do most of my bikepacking on flat bars including a 600 miles around the Adirondacks. Many people riding the divide are on flat bars. I think @liong71er was on flat bars when he did his cross country trip. @jimvreeland is doing most of his bikepacking stuff on flat bars. You can also get creative with bar ends and aero bars.

The enduro bike doesn't sound like a fun time based on the description of your route. Personally, I'd be looking for a cheap, used older rigid/hardtail or an old steel road/touring bike that will take bigger tires. I feel like it's doable for $200-500. If you need a rear rack, they make adapters that attach to your dropouts. There's also racks that mount on your seat stays. You can mount stuff to your fork with cargo cages and hose clamps. Or buy an additional fork that has eyelets.

Having said that, my friend and I rode through parts of the CO rockies and he was on his Yeti trail/enduro bike. But we were on a lot more single track and ridiculous terrain. He was faster than me going uphill even on gravel. I was on my rigid 29er mountain bike.

If you go with minimal gear, you can do it all with bags and no racks/panniers.
 
soundz said:
Personally, I don't think flat bars are as evil as people make them out to be for touring/bikepacking applications. I do most of my bikepacking on flat bars including a 600 miles around the Adirondacks. Many people riding the divide are on flat bars. I think @liong71er was on flat bars when he did his cross country trip. @jimvreeland is doing most of his bikepacking stuff on flat bars. You can also get creative with bar ends and aero bars.

The enduro bike doesn't sound like a fun time based on the description of your route. Personally, I'd be looking for a cheap, used older rigid/hardtail or an old steel road/touring bike that will take bigger tires. I feel like it's doable for $200-500. If you need a rear rack, they make adapters that attach to your dropouts. There's also racks that mount on your seat stays. You can mount stuff to your fork with cargo cages and hose clamps. Or buy an additional fork that has eyelets.

Having said that, my friend and I rode through parts of the CO rockies and he was on his Yeti trail/enduro bike. But we were on a lot more single track and ridiculous terrain. He was faster than me going uphill even on gravel. I was on my rigid 29er mountain bike.

If you go with minimal gear, you can do it all with bags and no racks/panniers.
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If there's actual off-roading involved, racks/panniers suck. The panniers will fall off and the racks will fall apart.

For mostly road they're nice as you can just pull the panniers off and it's easy to organize stuff.

All this stuff though comes down to so many personal preferences that other people can't decide for you. Even myself I found myself mixing in a handlebar bag as it places things within reach, which then meant my panniers were oversized.
 
Santapez said:
If there's actual off-roading involved, racks/panniers suck. The panniers will fall off and the racks will fall apart.
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I think @trailhead might tell you otherwise :)

Santapez said:
All this stuff though comes down to so many personal preferences that other people can't decide for you.
Click to expand...
This is really the correct answer. Many a times I think something will be horrible, but then I see someone else do it with great success.
 
That is why I said to do at least one or two weekend trips to sort out the gear. I would want to do quite a few trips from a few days to a week before I started a cross-country trip.

My flat-bar dislike comes from some 35+ years of road riding. I'm just really used to having many hand position options during long days in the saddle. I would at least dig up a set of Ergon grips with the built-in bar-ends. But everyone has their own level of tolerance for such things. Some folks love flared drop bars whereas I can't stand them. I also discovered I'm more sensitive to things like drop-bar width than I ever would have thought. A mere 20mm (10mm each side) was the difference between my hands hurting after an hour of riding or being able to ride all day.
 
I would go with a 29er mtb like this one and run appropriate tires...

Sold

Selling my Kona Unit frameset. Model year is 2020. I bought this new in March 2020 and It’s been ridden twice since. Other projects took parts from this so it’s spent most of the time hung up waiting for another opportunity. Time to let it go Size Large Boost spacing Internal dropper routing...
www.mtbnj.com www.mtbnj.com
 
Ian F said:
That is why I said to do at least one or two weekend trips to sort out the gear. I would want to do quite a few trips from a few days to a week before I started a cross-country trip.

My flat-bar dislike comes from some 35+ years of road riding. I'm just really used to having many hand position options during long days in the saddle. I would at least dig up a set of Ergon grips with the built-in bar-ends. But everyone has their own level of tolerance for such things. Some folks love flared drop bars whereas I can't stand them. I also discovered I'm more sensitive to things like drop-bar width than I ever would have thought. A mere 20mm (10mm each side) was the difference between my hands hurting after an hour of riding or being able to ride all day.
Click to expand...
When I did the southern tier route for some reason all the Europeans had flat bars but they all ran some sort of bar end or bar end contraption.

I also road with some people who had clip on aero bars for additional hand and body positioning.
 
I agree with everyone and the converting the enduro bike is kinda stupid. I haven't found any other people who have done it, except shorter bikepacking trips on singletrack. Most of the bags racks would have to be custom for it to work, and I dont want more mechanical things to worry about.

Ian F said:
That is why I said to do at least one or two weekend trips to sort out the gear. I would want to do quite a few trips from a few days to a week before I started a cross-country trip.

My flat-bar dislike comes from some 35+ years of road riding. I'm just really used to having many hand position options during long days in the saddle. I would at least dig up a set of Ergon grips with the built-in bar-ends. But everyone has their own level of tolerance for such things. Some folks love flared drop bars whereas I can't stand them. I also discovered I'm more sensitive to things like drop-bar width than I ever would have thought. A mere 20mm (10mm each side) was the difference between my hands hurting after an hour of riding or being able to ride all day.
Click to expand...
I haven't done any bike packing at all, so a few weekend trips to random NJ places are going to have to happen before I leave. Think the most adjustment for me will be riding any major road, and camping solo.

Also kind of on board with riding drop bars. Have been on two appropriately sized road bikes with them and I absolutely hated them. I am thinking very comfortable high sweep multiple position flats with good grips.
Santapez said:
If there's actual off-roading involved, racks/panniers suck. The panniers will fall off and the racks will fall apart.

For mostly road they're nice as you can just pull the panniers off and it's easy to organize stuff.

All this stuff though comes down to so many personal preferences that other people can't decide for you. Even myself I found myself mixing in a handlebar bag as it places things within reach, which then meant my panniers were oversized.
Click to expand...
Don't think I am going to be doing any serious trail riding. The TransAm trail is a enduro motorcycle doubletrack route. Lots of long loose jeep roads, with variable conditions. I also think I am skipping the hardest parts of the mountain passes out west.

Think I will have to go with some form of panniers, because I have never packed light for anything.
The Kalmyk said:
I would go with a 29er mtb like this one and run appropriate tires...

Sold

Selling my Kona Unit frameset. Model year is 2020. I bought this new in March 2020 and It’s been ridden twice since. Other projects took parts from this so it’s spent most of the time hung up waiting for another opportunity. Time to let it go Size Large Boost spacing Internal dropper routing...
www.mtbnj.com www.mtbnj.com
Click to expand...
Haven't found many lower cost rigid fork bikes yet. They're either 20 years old or too expensive.

What do you think about a entry level mtb? Lots of used options in that space. Something with a suntour coil fork and entry level drive train.
 
I end up using a rear rack because I carry for two and also don't have the clearance between tire and seat for the seat bag. My partner also on a small bike but 27.5 wheels so can just fit a small seat pack.

Haven't had issues with rack reliability, though it is a good quality rack and I check the bolts often.
 
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