Comments on: Traditional Touring Bikes – Bicycles Made Specifically For Long Distance Touring http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/touring-bikes-bicycles-made-specifically-for-long-distance-touring/ Bicycle Touring Pro Mon, 21 May 2012 08:37:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Bicycle Touring Pro http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/touring-bikes-bicycles-made-specifically-for-long-distance-touring/comment-page-3/#comment-17085 Bicycle Touring Pro Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:53:24 +0000 http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/?p=1642#comment-17085 Lots of questions Yeoh. First of all, congrats on your order! Building up bikes from scratch is not my specialty, so I don't know if I am the best person to talk to there, but since you have some back, neck and knee problems, you are probably going to want to avoid drop bars and go for either flat or butterfly bars instead. You want those bars to be as high up as possible (not too high, of course). You just don't want to be bending over too far as you ride. As for riding on dirt and gravel roads, the frame of the Long Haul Trucker can handle that kind of stuff just fine. It is the wheels you need to worry about. Make sure you get strong wheels with at least 36 spokes. The more spokes a wheel has, the stronger it tends to be... and lighter wheels usually have fewer spokes. You will also want to get wider tires if you are planning to ride the bike a lot in off-road conditions. Did you get the Long Haul Trucker frame that is designed for 700c wheels? Or the frame designed for 26 inch wheels? Lots of questions Yeoh. First of all, congrats on your order!

Building up bikes from scratch is not my specialty, so I don’t know if I am the best person to talk to there, but since you have some back, neck and knee problems, you are probably going to want to avoid drop bars and go for either flat or butterfly bars instead. You want those bars to be as high up as possible (not too high, of course). You just don’t want to be bending over too far as you ride.

As for riding on dirt and gravel roads, the frame of the Long Haul Trucker can handle that kind of stuff just fine. It is the wheels you need to worry about. Make sure you get strong wheels with at least 36 spokes. The more spokes a wheel has, the stronger it tends to be… and lighter wheels usually have fewer spokes.

You will also want to get wider tires if you are planning to ride the bike a lot in off-road conditions. Did you get the Long Haul Trucker frame that is designed for 700c wheels? Or the frame designed for 26 inch wheels?

]]> By: Yeoh Cheeweng http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/touring-bikes-bicycles-made-specifically-for-long-distance-touring/comment-page-3/#comment-16911 Yeoh Cheeweng Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:44:12 +0000 http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/?p=1642#comment-16911 Darren, I have ordered online a Long Haul Trucker frameset from Bikeman.com which is in delivery. I am building this bike and would be grateful if you can advice on what components to install to make it comfortable for me. I am 63 years old and arthritis has affected my knees, lower-back and neck. I love cycling and have done so for many years and now beginning to embark on touring. Should I buy a carbon drop-bar and high-angled stem to reduce road vibration or would an aluminium one do just as well? Can a LHT ride on gravel roads safely or should I stay on paved roads? Darren, I have ordered online a Long Haul Trucker frameset from Bikeman.com which is in delivery. I am building this bike and would be grateful if you can advice on what components to install to make it comfortable for me. I am 63 years old and arthritis has affected my knees, lower-back and neck. I love cycling and have done so for many years and now beginning to embark on touring. Should I buy a carbon drop-bar and high-angled stem to reduce road vibration or would an aluminium one do just as well? Can a LHT ride on gravel roads safely or should I stay on paved roads?

]]> By: Bicycle Touring Pro http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/touring-bikes-bicycles-made-specifically-for-long-distance-touring/comment-page-3/#comment-11487 Bicycle Touring Pro Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:43:03 +0000 http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/?p=1642#comment-11487 Hi Gary, This list of touring bicycles is far from complete and is no longer being updated. The complete and annually updated list of touring bicycles (with more than 200 different bikes and tons of photos, etc) is available here: <a href="http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/touring-bicycles-buyers-guide/" rel="nofollow">http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/touring-bicycles-buyers-guide/</a> Hi Gary,

This list of touring bicycles is far from complete and is no longer being updated. The complete and annually updated list of touring bicycles (with more than 200 different bikes and tons of photos, etc) is available here: http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/touring-bicycles-buyers-guide/

]]> By: Gary http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/touring-bikes-bicycles-made-specifically-for-long-distance-touring/comment-page-3/#comment-11483 Gary Sun, 06 Nov 2011 04:46:27 +0000 http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/?p=1642#comment-11483 My wife and I are planning a unsupported bike ride across Canada and I've been considering the Trek 520, Kona Sutra or a Cannondale. I'm just wondering why the Trek or Kona are not on the list. Would they be fine for a tour across Canada or are they not heavy duty enough. Thanks. My wife and I are planning a unsupported bike ride across Canada and I’ve been considering the Trek 520, Kona Sutra or a Cannondale. I’m just wondering why the Trek or Kona are not on the list. Would they be fine for a tour across Canada or are they not heavy duty enough.

Thanks.

]]> By: The other Mike http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/touring-bikes-bicycles-made-specifically-for-long-distance-touring/comment-page-3/#comment-11393 The other Mike Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:52:34 +0000 http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/?p=1642#comment-11393 to Paul A. Landry, I'm not one of those folks who look down on Schwinn either. I am still riding a LeTour that I bought new in the Spring of 1983, I've put over 500 miles on it so far this year (2011) - before the LeTour I rode a Schwinn Continental that I bought new in 1973. People may "look down" on them these days, but they sure were built to LAST!!!!! to Paul A. Landry,
I’m not one of those folks who look down on Schwinn either. I am still riding a LeTour that I bought new in the Spring of 1983, I’ve put over 500 miles on it so far this year (2011) – before the LeTour I rode a Schwinn Continental that I bought new in 1973. People may “look down” on them these days, but they sure were built to LAST!!!!!

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