bicycle equivalent of an XT (in your garage?)
 

Seems the same sorts of problems (should that be progress..?) are happening in the cycling world, as in motorbikes. Steel bikes are becoming a thing of the past, as aluminium is everywhere. Not good for travelling far away from a modern bike shop.

I am looking for old steel mountain bikes, around 19" frame or for a 6ft'er. If you've got one you no longer want (in the UK/or Spain), let me know. Make, model, age, condition.

Give your old bike a new (recycled!) lease of life as a Southern & Central America tourer.

gracias...

Doug

What's wrong with aluminum?
 

I'm travelling for 20 years and thousands of kms on alu bikes, much of the time on gravel roads. Iceland, Patagonia, Canada, Alpine tracks etc. Didn't come across any probs up to now.

Admittedly the first frame broke after jumping from a loading ramp, but that was more than 15 years ago. Materials have improved considerably since then. The frame I bought after that (Kettler) seems to be indestructable ;-)

Hans

yep, true, alu has come along way. but I'd prefer steel because

a) I'm not a light-weight, so a frame that has some give in it is a good thing for me.
b) I prefer the more compliant, and less stiff, ride of steel.
c) I do tend to do things like jump off loading ramps, so repairability is in my mind.
d) if I do c) the frame may bend (and can be un-bent) rather than break.
e) if the frame breaks there's a chance of welding it.

Having said that, modern steel bikes over the past few years have been getting lighter. So, with those very thin gauge steel tubes, I'm looking for an older steel bike.

I also don't want to spend much money, and I think cheap steel is better than cheap alu.

Which frame are you using?

cheers

Bike Frame
 

I've got a German frame (KETTLER Bike - unfortunately no translation).

They used to have real good mountain bike frames somewhere inbetween trekking and race bikes. Perfect for travelling on bad roads. But I agree - it doesn't flex, but it is stiff enough to carry my weight plus heavy luggage summing up to about 110 kgs.

good steel frames can be sourced from ebay if you are uk based have a look at Genesis bikes they do some lovely steel frames and they also do a nice 8 speed hub geared mtb for around £800. Maybe a bit pricey but should go on forverer.

It may require shipping but surlybikes.com make some very simple steel bikes that are used frequently for expedition riding.

Steel still rolls (rules in some cases)
 

I just saw one parked up outside our fruit shop in Grenoble. I once did quite a bit of touring, and have to say that the Surly I saw today is absolutely what you're looking for (and what I'd get for a really long unsupported RTW)
I asked Google about it and got this: SURLYVILLE

Look beyond the silly photo at the top, the frame is clean, simple and just what the long distance tourer would want.

I have a history of fatigue failures on ally bikes (Cannondales, specialized & Proflex/K2), I've gone to carbon, which may feel fragile but I have field repaired (handlebar end through top tube) with a good epoxy and an alu patch.

Happy trails
Luke

Informative webpage
 

In the webpage via the link that Luke found is a pretty good distribution network of shops for those nations that can afford such new bikes in the first place - Canada, Aus and most of Europe basically, + one or two more such as NZ!!

The Bike Station
 

Hi Dougie,

You could try these guys:

The Bike Station - Home

You never know they might have some higher quality bikes that have been donated. I agree with you about steel, far prefer it to aluminium for feel (I've a Reynolds 853 mountain bike, it's luverly). Although modern alu bikes are much less harsh then they used to be. Plus all the issues surround re-welding etc. if you are going off the beaten track, make steel a good choice.

An older mountain bike would be better (if you get one in good nick) for another reason. The old mountain bikes had a geometry far more suited to touring than the very short seat tubed modern bikes which are designed for handling in technical trails.

You could do a lot worse than an old Specialised Stump-jumper or Rockhopper, maybe a Giant Escape? I think the old Orange P7s were nice bikes too. One issue you may have to deal with is that older mountain bikes (and we are going back 15 years or so) often had 1" head tubes, meaning that if you wanted to fit new forks, say with suspension, you would struggle to get ones with the correct width steerer tube. 1 1/8" is the norm now.

Matt :)

hey,

Yeah, I used to have a P7 about 9 or 10 years ago. The new P7's are 'thin-walled', and nothing like as good as the old P7's. I'd love a stumpjumper, but I'm trying to find one (or a rockhopper, etc) and then finding on in the right size.

And yeah, I know Surly bikes. But my spec is (currently) as cheap as possible. Surly's are perfect, but quite a few £'s. Then again, being able to carry spare spokes on the frame might just sway me!

the search continues...

Keep an eye on Ebay, I've seen a few older steel MTBs on there. Don't forget Marin as well, a few of them still about.

It's a shame Dougie, I've a 1990 Rockhopper languishing in my garage which would have been ideal but I've recently discovered a crack in one of the chainstays! :(

Matt

So... I have been through a few bikes since this first post, and found my ideal.

first up, forget 'ideal travel bike' nonsense. what a daft question 'what is the ideal/perfect travel bike?' I mean, come on, don't you see why it's daft? I guess if you don't see why it's a silly question, you never will.

so, my perfect travel bike is a Surly Long Haul Trucker, 58 cm in olive green. It's steel, it's heavy, it's long. It's not gonna fall apart, bend or crack. it doesn't pretend to be in the dakar, it's not loud, it's not a bike for wannabes. You don't have to wear matching clothing...

what's good? the ride, ooohhhh the ride. think of the best ride you've had, and then think how it would feel to just keep on riding. the LHT understands that your last ride was (maybe) good, and doesn't put it down. but it fills all the gaps and more.

I tried the whole MTB thing. short chain stays (bad for panniers), and you need to upgrade the chainset to make it more long road friendly (£££). and the position is just not 'long haul'.

I also tried another Surly (a Cross-Check), which was sold as 58 cm (you tyke CS!) but was actually a 60 cm. but it sold me on Surly's.

I tried a Raleigh R100, but it was way too racer like.

I tried a Kona Dew, nice enough but aluminium and disc braked. and not as comfortable as the LHT.

I tried (and own) a Thorn (the geeks travel bike), but found it spindly and a bit of a cliché.

I've tried an Orange P7, Marin Muirwoods, etc, etc..

I guess to the 'what is the perfect bike' silly question. try lots, and find what's right for you.

the baggage. oh, man. Carradice. the only option. these bags are fantastic, and made in the UK by some old dears who sign the bags with a biro. they really are the business. waterproof, and superb functionality (especially the courier bag).

I also worked out that I can do my 'work' on the road, while on the bike. I've just done a week of testing up the Highlands, and with laptop in tow I can work from anywhere. cool. trip across the US, and then heading south is on the agenda now.

I picked up a power monkey (adventurer, *puke*) solar charger for the phone. It works great, 40 hours of charge stored in the battery, and it charges of internal lights too.

this is the bike, loaded for non-stop touring. yep, everything is there that I need. and I also have my laptop so I can work. so, light touring we go...

Nice report DougieB and a pleasant change to get some considered opinion based on facts in the HUBB - I don't spend nearly so much time on here nowadays: as others have commented, the input has been "suspect".

Cheers!

That's a little harsh, Mr Walker-about
There are many people from all over the world who contribute valuable information, research, time and effort foc to help others.
- it is up to the individual to check/do his/her own research to verify whatever is offered.
Who knows? you might need a hand on your travels one day and post up...

this is the bike, loaded for non-stop touring

Mate, you're never gonna get on The Fully Loaded Touring Bike Photo Gallery with a skimpy rig like that!

You flogging the Thorn?

Ch

ha ha, very true. thankfully.

been very interesting spending the last year or so in the bicycle touring world. and realising just how much of the world you miss by whizzing by on a motorbike, all encased in the protective gear and visor/goggles. also realising how that old line 'in a car you are watching tv, on a motorcycle you are part of the scene' (or whatever it is) is just nonsense, when compared to being on a bicycle. everything really is relative.

anyway, roll on the extended tours.

yeah, the thorn audax mk 1 must go. clearing my stuff out. but it's a 58 cm, so too small for your good self. know anyone who'd be interested?

managed to get a decent price for the Cross Check frame and fork. paid for a Big Agnes Horsethief and sleeping mat. Have you seen those back-less sleeping bags? excellent for skimpy touring.

cheers,
Doug

So I guess you had a change of mind then! :rofl: (or won the lottery)

Nice bike though. :thumbup1:

not exactly, I still don't want to spend much money...

all the bikes were second hand. the LHT frame was new, £300. but the second hand bikes I went through left me with a haul of spare parts, which went to make up the complete Surly.

well worth spending the money, to get the experience though. I'd be gutted to have missed out on that, and taken random advice and bought a new Dawes Galaxy with full front and rear panniers; 'cause that is what you absolutely must have to travel'.

all in I've spent less than a pair of Touratech's metal panniers. it's taken a while (a year and a half?), and I've done many 1000's of kms to work out what fits me.

one thing I've noticed, switching from motorbikes to pushies, is the stench of road-kill.

cheers,

Hi D where did you get the frame from?

atb

wiggle, with a good discount.

Dougie, that's a brilliant bike.

I was going to respectfully disagree with you about the availability of steel-framed bicycles. I see many more now than I did 10 or 15 years ago. Once the aluminium/titanium/carbon/thermoplastic (anyone remember TP?) crazes ran their course, people started realizing again just what an excellent frame material steel has always been. I see lots of custom builders using steel again, along with mass-production specialists such as Surly.

I'm just finishing up a Thorn Nomad, myself. Didn't realize I was a geek.

yeah, to be honest when I first posted I was thinking a mountain bike was the thing to travel on. So, try and find a steel mountain bike and you'd have to agree with me that there are (practically) none :-) at the time custom build (I was/am on a budget) was not something I'd considered.

but then I picked-up and rode up a varying array of bicycles, and realised (as with motos) that what you first think is perfect is often the opposite. So, I no longer think a mountain bike is such a great travel bike. Certainly not 'the' travel bike. but to find that out you really need to try stuff.

I'm just about to fit some fat tyres to the LHT and do some off-road touring up north (Scotland). It'll be interesting to see how it goes.

there are plenty of frame builders here in the UK, using steel. I have discovered around ten to fifteen.

two of the higher end builders:

custom cycle frames, cycle shop derby, campagnolo uk – Mercian Cycles
Roberts Cycles - handbuilt lightweight custom bicycles and frames (the geek in you will want to read About us -> design philosophy)

I saw three Nomad's on my last excursion into west africa, all very happy owners.

here's mine
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/b...a/P1010048.jpg

That appears to be the very scenic location of a crime that's been blocked off with "Police line; do not cross" tape.

Its actually the bottom of the Maribor world cup downhill course in Slovenia. I had a trip there a few years ago. It was very strange having ridden my bike with my little trailer through the mountains for a few days along some lovely tracks to turn a corner and find myself at a ski resort with people with big downhill rigs flying about. Would have been rude not to try a few sections.:funmeteryes:

some more pics here if you want to look slovenia pictures by anagallis_arvensis - Photobucket

Just a wee update to this thread -

I have taken my own advice and bought an early '90s mountain bike with a steel frame from 'The Bike Station' (a bicycle recycling place in Edinburgh). I got a Specialized Hardrock - an entry level, fully rigid, steel framed mountain bike with that nice relaxed early 90's geometry. It wasn't that cheap for a bike as old as it is (£150) but the reason for that is that the entire drive train has been replaced with brand new components - and as this is expensive to replace, that presumably accounts for the price. Its also been fitted with Deore v-brakes which is good, as those cantis were always a bit rubbish!

I've fitted the Brooks B17, riser bars, Blackburn rack and Specialised Hemisphere tyres off my old bike (now dead in a ditch) and thats it.

I'm hoping to go to iceland this year and if I do I'll splash out on some new wheels - Mavic XM317s on Deore hubs from Merlin for a little over £100 (good place for wheels!) and follow Dougie's advice and get some Carradice luggage.

The bike rides surprisingly nicely on the road and in general I love it. The simplicity of it means it will be a breeze to maintain and its low value means it is unlikely to get pinched. All in all I am very happy and would recommend this as a way to get a cheap, tough, adventure touring bike.

Of course, the proof is in the pudding and we'll see how I feel after a few tours, but right now I am extremely happy and have hardly spent any money (in cycling terms!).

Cheers,

Matt :)

Nice pickup Matt, those bikes from that era are classic. There are plenty for sale as well and over here if person looks around, you can find them very cheap and in some cases barely used.

I recently upgraded to an all mountain heavy bike (it's only up or down around here) but miss the old hard tail for cross country riding. Just did a classic point to point gravel tour on the weekend and a couple of the bikes were hardtails (Kona Pahoehoes) and they looked sleek compared to the heavy bikes.

Might have to scuffle around for a hard tail like you have, although no suspension on the front while navigating rocky descents will take some getting used to again:)

Definitely. I ride a '98 Norco Team Edition hardtail off-road and recently experimented with a fully rigid set up - it was absolutely knackering on rocky/rooty trails and my arms and shoulders ached for a couple of days afterwards! Was so happy to get some Rockshox fitted!

The Hardrock is going to be a 90% road bike, so the front sus doesn't matter quite so much.

:)

Too funny, my old hard tail was a Norco Team Edition as well:) You'll see a few of the Norco's around as they are based here, but I didn't know that they were common over the pond as well.

You'll have to toss the old bike in a box and come over to B.C. Plenty of cross country rides for whatever a person feels like ranging from touring on abandoned rail beds to mountain ridge rides. Here's a couple of examples nearby. And of course, plenty of technical stuff as well. A fridge of cold beer and spare room always available for fellow bikers (motorized or human powered).

Cycling the Kettle Valley Railway

Seven Summits Trail Epic | International Mountain Bicycling Association

:)

That's a tempting offer! I'd love to ride BC!

I actually got the Norco frame in Australia, I worked as a mechanic in a bike shop there for a while. Although they did sell them here in the UK for a while too. Haven't seen any new ones for a few years though.

The Team Edition is just the sweetest hardtail I've ever ridden, with the possible exception of a Litespeed I had a shot of. It's Reynolds 853 and feels just perfect to me, although that could just be because I've had it so long we're like an old married couple!

Matt

Options, the bike
 

What is ideal for one is not for another...

I'm considering the Great Divide Route... so I would like

26"wheels - easiest tyre to get anywhere
S&S couplers - for easy of transport around the place
Front forks - say 100mm coil sprung
Disk brakes - less hastle with mud, more stopping power
Steel frame - less likely to be damaged..
chain stay lengths around 450mm ... pannier clearance
Orlieb panniers - water proof + reliable...

At the moment I have for consideration
Thorn Ripio Thorn Ripio Frame & Mt Tura Fork Review - BikeRadar
Gunnar Rock Tour Wilber Force: Gunnar Rock Tour and a rant. :innocent: What is the cost of a coat of paint? :rofl:
Salsa Fargo2 Salsa Cycles | Bikes | Fargo 2 Frameset (yes it is for 29".. but fitting 26" to it would not be difficult.
Surly ...

maybe better building one myself? :hammer:

----------------
I have an old 1990's MTB - chain stay length 430mm, no suspension. I find that with luggage a bit flexable. It has been around Tasmania, south island of New Zealand and unnumbered MTB trips ... looking for the next bicycle. The other bicycle is a carbon framed roadie, nice for a days ride.