Comments on: Traditional Touring Bikes – Bicycles Made Specifically For Long Distance Touring

By: Bicycle Touring Pro

Bicycle Touring Pro — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:43:03 +0000

Hi Gary, This list of touring bicycles is far from complete and is no longer being updated.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

Gary — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 04:46:27 +0000

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

The other Mike — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:52:34 +0000

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!!!!!

By: Everyvillagehasitsjack

Everyvillagehasitsjack — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:41:02 +0000

By the way, Juan: respect mate. Well done

By: Everyvillagehasitsjack

Everyvillagehasitsjack — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:38:15 +0000

I’ve been getting your emails for a few months now: very interesting. I notice the Vivente Randonneur is mentioned above. I bought this bike a few months ago and went from Coonalpyn in South Australia to Melbourne in July, a distance of around 650 km. It took me 8 days and was by no means trouble free, but the bike was. I bought this one because it had all the right specs and came with a Tubus rear rack, a dynamo hub and light, a really nifty horn (the type you squeeze a rubber bulb), a rear light, disc brakes on the front and touring bars instead of the drop ones that I don’t like. All this for A$1800: A$150 more than a Surly LHT would have cost without any of those accessories. The bike performed really well and continues to do so: I ride to work (40k round trip) twice a week and I’m planning more trips of a week or so in the near future and hopefully six months swanning around the UK and Europe next year. I had to buy a front rack, but that was the only extra expense. I’ve also found the manufacturer very responsive so far: when I was looking for a pump that fits the brazed-on points (unsuccessfully in the end: they don’t make ‘em any more!), the CEO emailed me from his bike tour in South America to try and help. If anybody’s interested, I’m (very slowly) writing a blog on the trip on http://www.everyvillagehasitsjack.com: up to day 5, comments welcome. By the way, one thing I discovered after buying this bike was that I had been riding a bike that was too big for me for the last twenty years! The pic shows the bike all loaded up and ready to go.
[img]http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/P1050452.JPG[/img]