26" steel touring bike in the UK

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
Gearoidmuar
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by Gearoidmuar »

Drop bars do give you three positions, but in my considerable experience they are not the best bars for touring.
The best are bullhorn bars. These give you not three positions but total variability of position. These were the first bars that I ever came across that made me totally forget about my hands when touring. The problem with drop bars is that only the position where your hands are next to the stem is the only one that's really comfortable. With your hand on the hoods your grip isn't great and on the drops itself, it's too low (not for racing but for touring).
Honking while climbing with bullhorns is the very business.
22camels
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by 22camels »

Thanks for the tip. So bullhorn are better than butterfly? I am actually thinking I might end up going for flat bars so the bike doesn't attract too much attention as it looks more like an ordinary MTB, but maybe this is fuzzy logic :)
hufty
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by hufty »

A problem with butterfly bars is the brake lever location - if you can't get them round to a wider part then you have to move your hands in towards the centre to brake, which can feel wrong especially on big hills.

Personally I prefer drops, mainly because this is what I'm used to. I respectfully put an alternative view to gearoidmuar, also with considerable experience :) that drops are comfortable for long hours in the saddle. Just ask any roadie. Most of the time I'm on the hoods or back from the hoods. This is comfortable as my hands and arms are in a natural position without a twist. Of course there's the flat bit for climbs, I only rarely use the drops which I would count as a fourth hand position. I brake from the hoods.

SJSC seem to recommend a straightish bar with a shaped bar-end that is centred over the bar's end not all in front of it. That seems like a good option to me. Often when riding my mtb on the road I'm not holding the bars. My loose fists are simply resting on the grips with enough pressure to stop things jerking around. (Nobody need post to tell me this is a new low in cycling recklessness.) So I would have no qualms about setting off on a long tour with flat bars - as long as you can move your hands around a bit for a change that's the main thing, and you can with any bars. At least with non-drops you have lots of choice for gear and brake levers.

I wouldn't factor in to your considerations what you think is going to be inconspicuous. You'll stand out as a tourist on a bicycle (in a nice way) whatever you ride, and your bike will stand out too. Not that you will need to worry too much about the risk of bicycle theft in the back of beyond of most countries, people everywhere being decent types in the main.
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mercalia
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by mercalia »

Gearoidmuar wrote:Drop bars do give you three positions, but in my considerable experience they are not the best bars for touring.
The best are bullhorn bars. These give you not three positions but total variability of position. These were the first bars that I ever came across that made me totally forget about my hands when touring. The problem with drop bars is that only the position where your hands are next to the stem is the only one that's really comfortable. With your hand on the hoods your grip isn't great and on the drops itself, it's too low (not for racing but for touring).
Honking while climbing with bullhorns is the very business.


realy cant agree with this view on drop bars. Even if u dont use the drops you have similar hand positions to bullhorn? And as for your comments about the hoods, that doesnt apply to sti. My rsx sti on my old Dawes 1-Down are very very comfortable, nice and large. Drop bars have an advantage when it comes to leaning your bike against a wall - the drop surface means more stability
simonhill
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by simonhill »

I have a LHT and am very pleased with it. About 16 months old and already 10,000kms on it. One short camping tour in UK and 2 x 2.5 month tours to Vietnam and Cuba.

I had it built to my spec by LBS. Mostly Deore, with flat bars, came to £1200 with CTC member discount. I did try one out before I bought, only cos one of the guys in the shop had one, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to as they don't carry built ones in stock. Thorn usually have bikes made up that you can try - but who wants a Thorn when you can have a LHT?

A test ride is good to have, but I don't really think that you get much of an idea after only a short ride, it has taken me a while to get used to my new bike. Thorn used to do a 30 (or more?) day money back guarantee if not happy, which gives a much better idea - but you need to get to Somerset.

When researching, I did find a website of LHT owners who were prepared to let prospective buyers try out their bikes. You could try searching for it.

Incidentally, where in Asia are you going? Interested in your expectation that you will be riding bad roads, I find most roads there far better that in the UK!
webber
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by webber »

vsf fahrradmanufaktur these do them http://www.chrisbikes.co.uk and http://www.bikefix.co.uk/fahrradmanufaktur ive got the tx 400 excellent bits of kit!!!!!
PH
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by PH »

Another for you to look at;
http://oxfordbikeworks.co.uk/OxfordBikeWorks/Home.html

I know nothing other than it's a nice website.
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horizon
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by horizon »

PH wrote:Another for you to look at;
http://oxfordbikeworks.co.uk/OxfordBikeWorks/Home.html

I know nothing other than it's a nice website.


Well spotted PH. :) Great website and interesting bikes. May not have quite the flexibility in ordering as Thorn but a beautifully simple concept.
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Spotty dog2
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by Spotty dog2 »

I have a Surly troll it is a very versatile frame able to build up a bike to suit your needs.The frame has big tyre clearances will take disc or v brakes has all the braze on you need and can run hub gears and tow a trailer with its clever rear drop out design.
I use Halo SAS wheelset which although a bit heavy are bomb proof,They are 36 spoke and can convert to solid bolt thru axle.A 48 spoke rear is available should you feel the need rim is 37mm so will take big tyres I have 3'' tyres fitted currently no problem.
An alternative to drop bars are ergotec folding butterfly bars,these are an open design at top to which I fitted bar ends.This gives about 5 different hand positions they can be folded in for transport or storage needs,SJS Cycles sell them.
Triton cycles sell the framesets or fully built troll but to get the bike you need would suggest building yourself to get the spec you need.If you shop around on net and look out for sale promos am sure you could build a very strong able bike for your budget
BrianP
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by BrianP »

Spotty dog2 wrote:I have a Surly troll . A 48 spoke rear is available should you feel the need rim is 37mm so will take big tyres I have 3'' tyres fitted currently
Triton cycles sell the framesets or fully built troll but to get the bike you need would suggest building yourself to get the spec you need.If you shop around on net and look out for sale promos am sure you could build a very strong able bike for your budget


Could I ask what 3" tyres you are fitting? It's good to hear they fit, so would love to know more. Is the 37mm rim available for 36 hole?

Brian
Spotty dog2
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by Spotty dog2 »

Hi Brian,
Yes my SAS wheelset are both 36 spoke, the back wheel runs on a solid 12mm bolt thru rear axle I also have a stub axle set for front wheel but run it on QR at moment.
The tyres are slicks with bit of tread 3G bikes BOA-G 3.45x26 they are quite heavy and on a 37mm rim are actually about 70mm wide but look able to take some abuse these I have for light trail road use I got them from http://www.classic-cycle.de
For off road I have some leopard duro 3.0 tyres off ebay an old DH tyre really heavy but tough as hell shud take alot of abuse.
The duros not suited to distance touring but show the bike can be built up into whatever you want it be, look on surly website on photo dump mine is 2 pics headed gladstonbury and worcester in troll section the front tyre was a surly black floyd fits a standard troll fork on the SAS wheel the back tyre is the BOA-G.
The 3'' steel mudguards I use also came from http://www.classic-cycle.de
BrianP
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by BrianP »

Thanks for those links. Terrific bike you have there. Hope it's ok to post images here for others to see.

Image

Image

That has to be the best looking Troll I have ever seen :D

is that an 18" frame? Same tyre front and rear?

Brian
Dudley Manlove
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by Dudley Manlove »

Spotty dog2 wrote:The duros not suited to distance touring but show the bike can be built up into whatever you want it be, look on surly website on photo dump mine is 2 pics headed gladstonbury and worcester in troll section the front tyre was a surly black floyd fits a standard troll fork on the SAS wheel the back tyre is the BOA-G. The 3'' steel mudguards I use also came from http://www.classic-cycle.de


Ha nice bike. I thought I was a fat tyre fan with my 2.35 big apples, but that puts me to shame. The troll's listed as having clearance for up to 2.7, but I guess in practice it's much more. Are they standard troll forks too?
BrianP
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by BrianP »

Just noticed the front tyre is a Surly Black Floyd.
andymiller
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Re: 26" steel touring bike in the UK

Post by andymiller »

Three comments and a recommendation. I'll resist the temptation to claim considerable experience.

First handlebars. This really is a matter of personal preference as no type is better than the others (butterly bars maybe better for people with bad backs - I don't know). People go round the world with flat-barred bikes. My impression is that the large majority of of cyclists using drop bars are from the Anglo-Saxon world (ie UK, North America, Australia, New Zealand) and, with the odd exception, the rest of the world doesn't use them. They may be sadly deluded, but they seem to manage just fine. What *does* seem to make a difference is not putting too much weight on your hands (support yourself from your core muscles), keep your wrists straight, and maintain a loose grip on the bars. I know all of thse are easier said than done but they do make a difference.

Second, discs. There are hydraulic and cable-operated disc brakes. Hydraulic disc brakes are very reliable but if something does go wrong they are a pain to fix. Which is why (my impression again) most touring riders who use discs use cable-operated discs (mainly? avid BB7s). Cable-operated discs are slightly more complex than v-brakes (the cable operates a cam which pushes one of the discs) but not massively so. People on internet forums fuss about how discs can get warped - and indeed they can, but the discs from Shimano and Hayes are pretty sturdy (try trying to bend one). Disc pads might be less easy to get hold of, but they weigh very little and last for thousands and thousands of kms - even more if the terrain is relatively flat. Three or four pairs might well last you your whole tour.

You might, if you are being really cautious, carry a spare caliper and spare disc. Personally I think the day-to-day practicality of disc brakes would make the extra weight worthwhile. They are much easier to maintain (OK I know v-brakes don't require you to be a rocket scientist), and they are also better adapted to dirt roads: I was converted to disc brakes after riding a v-braked bike through muddy puddles and then spending what seemed like forever listening to the rims grinding against the trapped muck - there's a reason why 99 per cent of MTB riders use disc brakes.

Third, I think there's a real tendency for people to go a bit mad when faced with the prospect of a dirt road, and to opt for the most-over-engineered and heavyweight solution they can find (eg DH rims etc). You really don't need all of that stuff - now I haven't been to South East Asia, so someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but I suspect you aren't going to be jumping steps, and that the worst thing you'll have to contend with are potholes (which you can steer round) and 'washboard' (which you usually can't). Definitely get a strong wheel for the back, but you don't need a 36-spoke DH-rimmed wheel for the front (or 48 on the back).

My recommendation would be for an [url-http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FROO456E2/on_one_456_evo2_frame]On-One 456[/url] which has all the fittings for attaching a pannier and is a seriously tough frame (made for people who actually do jump off stuff) and seriously good value. It does have the disadvantage from the perspective of a touring biker that it only has one set of bottle fittings but there are band-on options to enable you to add another bottle. They do do built bikes for £999 - but the spec isn't suitable for what you want: it might be worth asking them if they could build one to your spec.
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