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Vintage steel frame bicycle for touring

Posted: 5 May 2014, 10:39am
by Dredicek
Hello,

I never go tour by bicycle. I like to go to Central and South america by bicycle. I am bloody poor and i got idea to grab my old claud butler bicycle (80s/90s) and do some fittings and upgrades. I like to put two panniers on back, on top of rack some bag and on the handlebars camera bag. I don't expect to put any panniers on front wheel. I feel myself that i don't want to carry the crap.

Today I was cycling to work with my 18kg backpack on my back and I had feeling that the bike is not really happy. Im bit worry if it is good idea to "convert" this bicycle to touring one. Is it my worrying just cause I'm not used to carry some weight on bicycle??? or is it really essential buy one of "touring" frames. BTW I would like to use bicycle for communing so i would like bicycle what go reasonably quick (i don't wanna be late at work :D)

Re: Vintage steel frame bicycle for touring

Posted: 5 May 2014, 11:03am
by Vorpal
People can tour on pretty much anything. Buying a custom touring bike just makes some aspects easier. When iw as teenager, I did most of my touring on a 70s Raleigh Super Grand Prix that was a bit too big for me :)

Chances are pretty good that your bike can made suitable for touring for not too much money.
If the frame is sound and the bike is in decent condition mechanically, mudguards and some way to carry luggage are probably the basic necessities. After that, you may want to consider the gearing. Typically, you need lower (easier) gears for touring than commuting, but if you currently use mainly the hardest gears for commuting, you might not need to change anything. If, on the other hand, you only use the easiest gears for commuting, you probably will need some easier gears to tour on. It is possible, even on an older bike to have an arrangement that will satisfy both activities.

Maybe you can post some pictures?

p.s. I don't know about the bike, but I wouldn't be happy with an 18kg backpack!

Re: Vintage steel frame bicycle for touring

Posted: 5 May 2014, 11:37am
by Dredicek
one more point, rear of my bicycle is bloody heavy compare to front. It still has 10,5 kg but its unbalanced.

btw so i don't need to be worry about next say 30kg on my bicycle?

Vintage steel frame bicycle for touring

Posted: 5 May 2014, 11:44am
by RonK
Whatever bike you take to South America, it will have to be strong and in good condition to survive the roads.

You would probably be better off to fit a front rack and distribute your 18kg backpack load.

Re: Vintage steel frame bicycle for touring

Posted: 5 May 2014, 11:50am
by mercalia
30 kg load seems a lot? thats 4 1/2 stone i dont think i would want that on a bike. how heavy are you?

Re: Vintage steel frame bicycle for touring

Posted: 5 May 2014, 11:59am
by Dredicek
say if you crossing desert you need water… I have 80 KG

Re: Vintage steel frame bicycle for touring

Posted: 5 May 2014, 12:08pm
by tatanab
Dredicek wrote:I am bloody poor and i got idea to grab my old claud butler bicycle (80s/90s) and do some fittings and upgrades.
That's not "vintage". It is almost new. I have touring frame that was custom built in 1991 and I would not hesitate to take it on tour - except I have newer ones. One serious point though, it looks to me as if you have 27" wheels. If so you really must take a spare tyre or two because 27" are not at all common these days.

with my 18kg backpack on my back and I had feeling that the bike is not really happy.
I am not surprised. You've raised the centre of gravity considerably. This might be ok for a short distance but you will find the bike is a lot happier when you put the weight in panniers etc.

Re: Vintage steel frame bicycle for touring

Posted: 9 May 2014, 7:06pm
by nmnm
tatanab wrote:You've raised the centre of gravity
I'm never sure of this point. Snooker cues are easier to balance vertically in the palm of a hand if you have the heavy end up top. We don't move the top end, we move the bottom end, the end in the hand. And with bikes we move the wheels out from under us to induce lean. I find the bike fine with big rucksacks but actually quite tricky with heavy pannier weight at axle height. My back prefers panniers, of course.

I wonder about the costs of getting the bike to south america vs the costs of buying same or better out there, if cash is scarce.

Re: Vintage steel frame bicycle for touring

Posted: 20 Aug 2014, 3:18pm
by Aubergine
Continuing this post since I have a similar question - I'm thinking of cycling in South America next year, likely along the salt plains in Bolivia and some fairly off-road tracks.

I have a ridgeback voyager bike, which survived me very well in Kyrgyzstan, the Himalayas, Morocco etc. I added an additional gear ring at the back so I can cope with mountain passes.
My boyfriend thinks that it may not be up to scratch for South America and that I should invest in a mountain bike. I'm slightly loathe to get a mountain bike since:
1.I don't want to buy another bike when my current one is great! and 2.I imagine it will be much tougher when we are on tarmac roads.

Any thoughts? If I should get another bike, any recommendations? Thank you!

Re: Vintage steel frame bicycle for touring

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 1:33am
by nmnm
Aubergine wrote:survived me very well in Kyrgyzstan, the Himalayas, Morocco etc
Not sure what your boyfriend's experience qualifications are but you yourself are surely one of the most experienced world tourers hereabouts and I'd trust your own views on this! :D

Re: Vintage steel frame bicycle for touring

Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 4:43am
by Vorpal
Aubergine wrote:Continuing this post since I have a similar question - I'm thinking of cycling in South America next year, likely along the salt plains in Bolivia and some fairly off-road tracks.

I have a ridgeback voyager bike, which survived me very well in Kyrgyzstan, the Himalayas, Morocco etc. I added an additional gear ring at the back so I can cope with mountain passes.
My boyfriend thinks that it may not be up to scratch for South America and that I should invest in a mountain bike. I'm slightly loathe to get a mountain bike since:
1.I don't want to buy another bike when my current one is great! and 2.I imagine it will be much tougher when we are on tarmac roads.

Any thoughts? If I should get another bike, any recommendations? Thank you!

A tourer is closest you will get to teh best of both worlds. But if the off road is really rough, a tourer may not be ideal. On the other hand, you are correct that a MTB will be much harder to ride on the road. If most of your miles are going to be on road, maybe it would be best to skip the roughest off road? Maybe you could put semi-slicks on whichever bike you decide to take?