Is touring becoming a thing of the past?

[jamesgilbert]

The YHA responding to the way of the world ( & spending too much cash on on either city or ramblers hostels) has effectively killed off the classic cycle tour ( in the UK ) of old that was easy to put together, that I loved. Now you have to do it with B&B I suppose, not really the same as u dont meet people and can cost a lot?

With a little planning you could organise a tour in the UK staying with WarmShowers hosts, which would cost virtually nothing and you'd meet lots of interesting people. Whenever I've used youth hostels in the UK, they've seemed fairly cheap (around £15 a night in a shared room), although maybe there aren't many left compared with a few decades ago.

[ipswichcycler]

I wonder if many of these touring bikes are overkill for the work they will be put to. I’m surprised there is a market for them. Lets look at that market.
From puberty most boys [yes I am being sexist, but I believe the bicycle touring thing is usually a male thing] spend most of their time thinking about football, music and the opposite sex. I don’t think they think much about touring the world and they probably can’t afford it on an expensive touring bike anyway. I know there is the gap year thing but how big a market is that?
Then they become loved up. Into a long-term relationship, have children and responsibilities.
The shackles don’t start to loosen until they are in their early fifties. Loosen. Not unlock. Because you are always locked into a relationship involving people you love or loved. There are weddings, christenings, birthdays, Xmas and so on. Oh and there is the world of work. How are you going to do that world tour?
So reality. You may stretch things to 3 weeks away. Probably 2. Where will you go? Not so far and much of the world is not a good place to be at the moment. Those short tours are perfectly feasible and comfortable on a road bike that will take mudguards and therefore a rear pannier.
Do you think these expedition tourers are sold to dreamers or people who will actually test them to their limits?
I know there a those who do not fall into the categorys above but I've not met any [yes I,ve read about them] and still the question is. Is this a big market?
All my own opinion of course before you start shouting.

Sold to dreamers yes probably to a large part. I count myself in that category and have a nomad mk2. I know you don't need to and people are currently doing big trips on a unicycle and penny farthing and everything else in between... But still in dthe depths of winter is good to have a dream.

I hear what you are saying about whether people will test the bikes to their limits but forget the bikes how many people push themselves to their own limits of what they can achieve?

Ps. Also a teacher has 12 weeks hol per year so I think could probably fit a tour in there somewhere!

[Sweep]

Evans selling only cheap and nasty with v brakes... Seems not.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... e-ec070581

]

Curious beast?

2 chainrings and a 10 speed cassette.

[Sweep]

Also you can get some fine v brakes.

Tom seems to favour v brakes for this standard set-up.

http://expeditionbikes.co.uk/

[psmiffy]

“Do you think these expedition tourers are sold to dreamers or people who will actually test them to their limits?”

Personally I don’t like “road bikes” or hybrids – I like the strong frame and 26” wheels , wide tyres, wide handlebars and relatively upright position of the so called expedition bike

I don’t do credit card or train touring – I carry a fair load – I like that when I brake at 25-30mph going into a hairpin descending an alpine pass that the rear doesn’t start to shimmy and feel like it is catching me up – I like that when ascending a pass that the bike doesn’t feel like a piece of rubber under the load – I like that I don’t have to carry spare spokes because the wheels distort and the spokes snap – I like that I can carry my bedroom, my kitchen and my pantry on my bike – I like that I may not have tested my bike to its absolute limit – I like that it has enabled me to cycle to the places in the style that is mine – I like that but It has given me a lot of pleasure over the years and has rarely let me down - and last but not least I like touring my way.

(And on the subject of V brakes – Magura hydraulic are my preference – less tiring descending for 20-30kms at a time)

Just my opinion so don’t shout me down

[psmiffy]

As to the question “Is touring a thing of the past?”

No idea – Ive only been touring since I was 16 – In the UK I don’t really see any more or less tourers than I used to – In fact apart from catching a boat to the continent ive never really seen that many tourers in the UK – they must be about but not at a density that is really noticeable – be interesting to do a count at LE or JOG

Continental Europe is another matter – and to be more specific - on the cycling superhighways – the German Rivers – the Danube or the Elbe – or the Via Augusta – in season you can see hundreds if not thousands of Dutch and German cycle tourists (and a much younger demographic than the typical brit tourer) on a daily basis – all on trekking bikes, lots camping, others b&b or hostelling – a scattering of other nationalities generally on more exotic steeds thrown in – Brits included – I think someone mentioned the Chinese – not seen that many so far – but the Japanese are well represented – Outside of the main routes though you can cycle for thousands of kilometres without seeing another tourer until you maybe hit one of the pinch points when you will see a dribble for a day or two.

Touring has never really been mainstream and probably never will be but there will always be people who see it as an accessible adventure.

[Mark1978]

I wonder if many of these touring bikes are overkill for the work they will be put to. I’m surprised there is a market for them. Lets look at that market.
From puberty most boys [yes I am being sexist, but I believe the bicycle touring thing is usually a male thing] spend most of their time thinking about football, music and the opposite sex. I don’t think they think much about touring the world and they probably can’t afford it on an expensive touring bike anyway. I know there is the gap year thing but how big a market is that?
Then they become loved up. Into a long-term relationship, have children and responsibilities.
The shackles don’t start to loosen until they are in their early fifties. Loosen. Not unlock. Because you are always locked into a relationship involving people you love or loved. There are weddings, christenings, birthdays, Xmas and so on. Oh and there is the world of work. How are you going to do that world tour?
So reality. You may stretch things to 3 weeks away. Probably 2. Where will you go? Not so far and much of the world is not a good place to be at the moment. Those short tours are perfectly feasible and comfortable on a road bike that will take mudguards and therefore a rear pannier.
Do you think these expedition tourers are sold to dreamers or people who will actually test them to their limits?
I know there a those who do not fall into the categorys above but I've not met any [yes I,ve read about them] and still the question is. Is this a big market?
All my own opinion of course before you start shouting.

Nice post . As yes, responsibilities, which is why we buy expensive road bikes so we can get as far as possible and yet still be back home in time for a family outing to the farm.

[simonhill]

I'm sure plenty of people buy expedition tourers and never use them to anything like their potential. Most of my thousands of kms in Asia could probably have been done on a road bike, but as I have said before, I like the security of a strong and fixable bike when off the beaten track.

I think that most people don't realise how many cyclists are out there doing it. They get their info from blogs, etc but there are plenty of cyclists who don't write one.

A recent post on here talked about ten cyclists all meeting on the early stages of the Stans route. If this is 10 over a couple!e of days, imagine how many are doing it each year.

A few years ago I rode the NW circuit in Vietnam. There were 2 published route guides and both did the ride (about 13 days) in a clockwise direction. I looked at the profile and reckoned the other way was best. I passed 18 cyclists going the other way. When I asked each if they had seen any other cyclists they all said no, apart from a coup!e of meet ups in a large town en route. So if you went their way, you were the only one on the route, if you went my way, plenty of people were. Two very different perceptions of numbers.

I often wonder when I don't see anyone for days if anyone is a day behind or a day I front - maybe that's why I take so many days off nowadays.

I use V brakes on my rubbish Surly!

[Tangled Metal]

Evans selling only cheap and nasty with v brakes... Seems not.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... e-ec070581

Also you can get some fine v brakes.

To clarify that I should have said in my branch. That was what I meant as IIRC I was talking about trying bikes on for size and looking at them. Personally I could buy anything online but without seeing them I tend to rule them out as an option.

[Tangled Metal]

As to the question “Is touring a thing of the past?”

No idea – Ive only been touring since I was 16 – In the UK I don’t really see any more or less tourers than I used to – In fact apart from catching a boat to the continent ive never really seen that many tourers in the UK – they must be about but not at a density that is really noticeable – be interesting to do a count at LE or JOG

Continental Europe is another matter – and to be more specific - on the cycling superhighways – the German Rivers – the Danube or the Elbe – or the Via Augusta – in season you can see hundreds if not thousands of Dutch and German cycle tourists (and a much younger demographic than the typical brit tourer) on a daily basis – all on trekking bikes, lots camping, others b&b or hostelling – a scattering of other nationalities generally on more exotic steeds thrown in – Brits included – I think someone mentioned the Chinese – not seen that many so far – but the Japanese are well represented – Outside of the main routes though you can cycle for thousands of kilometres without seeing another tourer until you maybe hit one of the pinch points when you will see a dribble for a day or two.

Touring has never really been mainstream and probably never will be but there will always be people who see it as an accessible adventure.

Well I think I live on the LEJOG route judging by the number of people you see of a summer day going up the A6. I often see them as I ride home (that is between 5pm and 5:30pm). They are often with panniers front and rear, but some with just rear panniers, something on top, a bar bag and sometimes a rucsack too. They are on a real mixture of bikes from old school tourers (some must be rather old - the riders and the bikes) through to modern hybrids or trekkers. I have to admit, with no science or polling theory to back this up, that the men tend to have either tourer/road bike with drop bars or they are on a mountain bike type of bike with rigid forks, but you do see women riding mostly hybrids I would say with butterfly bars being more common with women than men. You do get couples on tandems and even groups of tandems (all couples I'm guessing except I have seen a parent and child once). Occasionally you see the bike packer type with a full on MTB with bags like the Alpkit range tucked in under the seat and a roll type of bag under the handlebars (sometimes these people have rucksacks). The one thing I would say is about 80% perhaps more would be what I would say was of a retired age or getting that way. You do see younger riders, typically in their 30s but most would be towards the higher end of 50s with a smattering of 40s to 50s in there. The one thing I will say is touring is not dead if you live on a popular tourinng route. I think that backs up the earlier post from the guy who did the NW Vietnam tour the "wrong" way. I know people who did the C2C or the Roses way East to West and passed a lot. That was after they had done it the traditional West to East way when they saw a lot less people riding it.

BTW The Danube is one our list of tours to try as I understand it is easy enough for kids to do. Looking at the Austrian section which is more popular and tarmaced a lot of the way. not sure whether to hire bikes or if it is more expensive than taking the bike by train there. We also looked at riding from home to Heysham to try to get to Ireland but the ferries don't allow cyclists (with trailer) to go on the routes direct to Ireland from their. Shame as it is so close to home for us.

[hondated]

Also you can get some fine v brakes.

Tom seems to favour v brakes for this standard set-up.

http://expeditionbikes.co.uk/

I really must be sad as this photograph appeals to me far more than one of the latest CF bikes

[pwa]

I haven't toured properly, with camping gear, since I started having the kids about 19 years ago, but I don't remember carrying as much stuff as some people seem to carry these days. I had 2 medium sized panniers on the rack, with a tent and a sleeping bag on the top. No front panniers, no bar bag. Traditional 700c wheeled tourer. It got me from Lands End to John O Groats, and over the Stelvio Pass. And I got used to go cruising past overloaded German / Dutch cycle tourists.

When I resume touring (soon I hope) I will be sticking with 700c and 36 spokes, and keeping the load as light as I can.

[foxyrider]

Also you can get some fine v brakes.

Tom seems to favour v brakes for this standard set-up.

http://expeditionbikes.co.uk/

I really must be sad as this photograph appeals to me far more than one of the latest CF bikes

I doubt i could lift it!

[ChrisF]

Well, my original question has certainly created a lot of answers! Many thanks for all the responses. It seems to me that there are two main types of answer:
a) touring (i.e. for more than one day) is a niche activity, and what there is is heavily weighted to older, especially retired people (like me ). Maybe this is true and could account for the apparent change of direction (and change of name?) for CTC. (Please don't comment on this suggestion here, there are other suitable threads!)
b) people who are touring are tending to use audax-type machines, or trekking type machines (essentially MTBs with no suspension?). That's' probably true as well, but it's odd that when I asked in 3 LBS's, no one suggested I could use one of their stock bikes, and how it could be used for touring. Only one said that they could order a touring bike for me. I guess, though, that this fact just reinforces the niche aspect.

So, thanks again and I have just one more question for now - and this is just for 'ipswichcycler' - please tell me what the yellow bowls and black box (attached to the stem and bars of your Thorn) are for?

[highlander]

I've found it interesting to watch the current trend of so called bike packing. This appears to attract younger mountain bikers who use small harness-type things with waterproof stuff sacks to carry gear. It's a mazing how much kit can be carried. Bikepacking tends to be off road and multi-day, so is very like cycle touring. I've just bought a Surly Disc Trucker to allow me to mix the two disciplines - i.e. road touring and off-road touring. Living in the Scottish highlands as I do there is a surprising lack of roads, but loads of forest tracks and footpaths. My combining the two you can actually create some fantastic tours.
But to answer the original question I don't believe cycle touring is on the way out. There is a current trend for road bikes, possibly bigger even than the recent trend in mountain biking, and those are the bikes the shops will stock and sell. I don't believe cycle touring per ce will ever become that popular - it looks too uncomfortable and uncool for most, although the current bike packers are probably pretty cool…

I recall years ago when backpacking started to become popular. You couldn't buy a lightweight pack or tent or stove in any of the mainstream outdoor shops. Now that backpacking, or at least the so-called "wild camping" has become trendy you can buy decent kit in most outdoor shops. I guess it's a question of sale and demand.