simonhill wrote:Your long term plan is to move from UK to European, to long haul stuff. I don't know how quickly you will be doing this, but you may want to be thinking about a bike for the end of your plan rather than the beginning.
Debate rages, but many would say a robust 26" tourer would be more suitable for fully loaded touring in Central Asia.
PS I am biased, I ride a Surly and tour amost exclusively in Asia.
Well, it is hard to argue with you seeing that you already have experience touring in Asia! Nearly everything I have read about 26" wheels is positive - especially regarding strength, manouveability, low gearing, and, importantly, getting replacement parts. To be sensible about touring I think I need to start at home, in the Lakes and in and around Scotland before I can head off towards Europe. It may be a year or more before I head off towards C. Asia.
I'm going to start looking at 26" wheel touring bikes - just out of curiosity - but so far I have only come across Surly and one or two others (like Thorn) but these are just out of my price range. It seems that people who own Surly's really love their bikes!! I'll have a look around for second-hand ones.
I've only experience riding a disk brake bike for a short while and really liked it - now, I am getting hung up on a touring bike with disk brakes over standard cantilever. Part of me feels like this is wrong and normal brakes are fine for what I want to do, another part of me nags away saying that disk brakes are stronger, more effective and work better in bad weather - they also don't ruin rims in the same way.
I haven't done this much research since I was at university!
thanks guys!
"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race."
H. G. Wells quotes