on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
irc
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by irc »

I'd be bidding on this if I needed another touring bike.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Surly-Long-ha ... 3844&rt=nc
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Sweep
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by Sweep »

foxyrider wrote:
Still looks like a commuting bike!



Care to elaborate/explain?
Sweep
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Sweep
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by Sweep »

Bicycler wrote:
Then again, even later 80s/early 90s bikes can bring some annoyances.........

1" threaded headsets and quill stems...



Can you elaborate? What are the problems of these on a tourer?
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BeardyWeirdy
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by BeardyWeirdy »




I tried, but missed out on this - oh well, I am not good at winning things on ebay! - I will keep trying - thanks for the heads up
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foxyrider
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by foxyrider »

Sweep wrote:
foxyrider wrote:
Still looks like a commuting bike!



Care to elaborate/explain?


What is comfortable for a thirty minute commute will not be comfortable for a day in the saddle. As far as I can see, apart from a clean you've added a poorly designed rack and are calling it a tourer. Lots of elements make a bike fit for purpose and far be it for me to say what you have there isn't a potential tourer but I'd be looking at a better designed / more suitable rack (that model sits far too high - was it sold as a 29er rack?) and a different handlebar set up (butterfly bars most likely) to improve bike balance and day ride comfort.

Just observations, I am a velocipede salesperson of some experience and would be advising any of my customers the same
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Bicycler
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by Bicycler »

Sweep wrote:
Bicycler wrote:Then again, even later 80s/early 90s bikes can bring some annoyances.........
1" threaded headsets and quill stems...

Can you elaborate? What are the problems of these on a tourer?

No big ones. Just declining availability and the need to carry specific tools to adjust the headset.
MarkF
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by MarkF »

foxyrider wrote:Still looks like a commuting bike!


Why would that matter to me? It'll just have to "commute" all the way from Bilbao to Malaga. :D I've done that trip on a Dawes 501 and a bog standard Sirrus Sport, both were fine all day long but I expect this to be comfier.
foxyrider wrote:I would be looking for a better rack at least - that is just nasty and do you really ride with the saddle at that angle? Its either too high or needs levelling - you must be sliding forward off of that all the time. :lol:


Rubbish, it's a decent Tourtech rack that has been across the UK, France and Spain, it's a rack, 2 panniers attach to it, that's all I need from a rack. However, my Dawes 501 does have a Topeak Super Tourist DX rack, I'd fit it, you'd be happier, but it's black and I like the silver one on the Ridgeback.................The bike now has a Charge saddle set up for me. :wink:

foxyrider wrote:What is comfortable for a thirty minute commute will not be comfortable for a day in the saddle.


:D My tourer was stolen June 2012, I simply bought a Specialized Sirrus and immediately rode it 1200 miles, the same trip, my cousin rode a similar Ridgeback bike (a Bullit) that was totally new to him, after seat and bar adjustments, we were both comfy all day long....................
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bigjim
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by bigjim »

BeardyWeirdy wrote:



I tried, but missed out on this - oh well, I am not good at winning things on ebay! - I will keep trying - thanks for the heads up

Shame. Somebody got a bargain. Newish Brooks saddle as well by the look of it. I was tempted. :)
BeardyWeirdy
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by BeardyWeirdy »

Yes - it looked good. I put in a bid factoring in the cost of getting there and back - but not enough!

The surley frame was tempting to - but went way higher than I bid for it (500) - it went for nearly the same as other complete LHTs had sold. It went more than I can buy a new frame and for! I thought to build it up would be at least another 300.

I am sure something will come up one day!
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bigjim
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by bigjim »

There is a newish large revolution travellor on there starting at £200 and he is offering to post.
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Neilo
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by Neilo »

I would also go with the second hand option.

Image

Althoughthis is not second hand, I have had it for about 20 years.
It was re-roled a few years ago, and makes a great tourer. I have shortended the steerer since.
The only original parts are the seatpost and the bottle cage screws.

Neil
If it aint broke, fix it til it is.
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Sweep
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by Sweep »

not the frame?

sorry.
Sweep
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Neilo
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by Neilo »

:roll:
If it aint broke, fix it til it is.
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meic
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by meic »

Neilo wrote:I would also go with the second hand option.

Image

Althoughthis is not second hand, I have had it for about 20 years.
It was re-roled a few years ago, and makes a great tourer. I have shortended the steerer since.
The only original parts are the seatpost and the bottle cage screws.

Neil


I know that wall, I hope you were headed North with all that luggage on, coming down either way should enable you to test the bike's stability. Have you noticed that you have an empty space behind your saddle? You could fit a bit more there with a couple of straps. :lol:

There are no doubt a few pictures around of my old secondhand bikes leaning against it.
Yma o Hyd
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Neilo
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Re: on a budget - New bike or secondhand quandry

Post by Neilo »

North is was. Pretty stable going down to Llangadog, got to Aberaeron that day, but my kidney stone started playing up at Fishguard :cry: , so my wife had to come and get me.
I have never come down the other way into Brynamman, I must try it soon.
If it aint broke, fix it til it is.
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