8 ms·

Just curious. For a similar bit shorter travel across Canada from east to west during summer, is there any recommended commercial bike? (commercial bike means c

Just curious. For a similar bit shorter travel across Canada from east to west during summer, is there any recommended commercial bike? (commercial bike means can buy in Costco/Canadian Tire/individual bike shops and not too expensive, say under 3000 CAD)

newsclues 4y ago
a touring bike is what you want, lots of brands make them, find a local shop and try a few to see what you like.
calt 4y ago
The Surly Long Haul Trucker is a favorite base bike. Getting the bags and racks etc won't be included. A good local bike shop would be my bet.
- hnthrowaway0315 4y ago
  Thanks, I'll check local shops. They are probably more familiar with the road and equipment needed.
wiredfool 4y ago
The Surly he was riding isn’t a bad choice. They’re pretty stout, and have all the necessary braze ons for racks and fenders. You’re going to need panniers and/or frame bags, though current style is to put a bit more weight on the front than he seemed to have.
gnfurlong 4y ago
Most of the popular touring bikes fit your budget. Really you're just looking for durable, a wide gear range and the capacity to mount gear. Surly disc trucker has historically been one of the most popular as an example, but there are a lot of others. Also, it can absolutely be done with cheaper. My partner and I finished a 4800 mile trip last year. I used a second hand cyclocross bike that I got off craiglist for ~500 a few years ago. She had a road bike that she bought for 200 from the local bike project.
- hnthrowaway0315 4y ago
  Thanks a lot. Touring bike then. I'll probably consult some bike shop owner to give opinions. BTW how did you train for the long ride? Did you go from say 100 and then inter-city?
ilyt 4y ago
Literally anything that's not build out of bargain bin parts will do fine. And better one will not necessarily prevent that many failures, over some point it's mostly incremental improvements in experience quality, not reliability. I had 3 bikes, 2 of them did around 10k, 3rd one, well, I bought it at start of pandemic, then we moved WfH so it did much less. Around 20% was riding around local forests, rest in city. The first bike was literally like $300 (...probably closer to $400 now with inflation and all). I only replaced the saddle for more comfortable one but that's all. No disc brakes, literally the fanciest thing on it was that it had shocks on front. But after finding job in big city and moving there I was using it for commute every day so after few years I decided "well, might as well buy something nice", bought one for I think like $2000, nice disc brakes, rear shock, lighter, "good" etc. Comparing those two I went from mechanical rim brakes to hydraulic disk brakes and they did feel nicer, but in the end the rim brakes stopping power was just fine, it didn't feel as that much of an upgrade. Sure, a bit lighter to use but I could still yeet myself thru the front tire on rim brakes (probably). And rear wheel disc brake was entirely a waste, there is way less braking force needed on rear to lock up wheel. In general I liked it but managed to break the frame (I was on max range of weight for that bike which probably didn't help), and decided to get something slighty cheaper, no rear shock (not much use for what I drive), cheaper accessories etc. (think it was about $1000). After a bit of riding turned out that only thing I missed was that tiny screw to adjust preload on brakes as the pads wear out. Drove few K so far, think some bearing in pedal broke (it's a bit wobbly), but not annoying enough yet for me to fix it. In every case I had to replace sprockets as they use, replace the saddle for more comfortable one and install some accessory bits, replace the handlebars for one that fit me better and few smaller bit. But even the cheapo was reliable enough. Generally the thing worth investing most is frame (as that will not change) and derailleur, as that will generally stay, brakes depending on riding (as I said, people driving hard off hills will probably have different needs than me driving some random forest dirt roads). Everything else you probably want to fit to your needs and you want to drive the bike for a bit to know exactly what you want.
- jamiek88 4y ago
  I e never heard anyone use the phrase ‘drive a bike’ before, always ‘ride a bike’, you use drive several times - is this a regional thing I’ve not come across before?
zwieback 4y ago
I have a Kona Sutra, really like it. I see a lot of Surly, like the one in the post, they seem to have a good track record.
walrus01 4y ago
I must confess that I just cringed incredibly hard at the thought of trying a 6000 km tour on a canadian tire bike. The budget of 3000 CAD for the bike itself before accessories is a possibility, but I advise you to get information from specialty bike shops that focus on road bikes, and ask them about good touring bikes. for the americans: a bike sold at canadian tire is often a $195 "bicycle shaped object" similar to what you'd see for sale at walmart. some useful info on touring bike frames and components: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-choose-a-bike-for-bike-touring.html https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-choose-a-bike... https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-touring-bikes-you-can-buy-2022/ https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-touring-bikes-you-can-buy-...
peterispedaling 4y ago
Hi! I wrote the post. Good answers below. Decent generic mountain bikes with disc brakes are found all over South America, being pedaled by casual riders and kids in the town squares. Starting a tour with that equipment and adding racks and such would be affordable, and parts will be replaceable. Surly/Soma/Kona/Salsa/Fuji/Etc. touring bikes come with the main advantage of mounting points. But more DIY riders are rigging things up with hose clamps.
atdrummond 4y ago
I would suggest finding a touring bike from somebody who has maintained it well; there are many reputable forums and sites for these secondhand sales. You’ll get a considerable discount and have a better chance to ensure it has all the features you want. I would then immediately ensure everything works to your satisfaction, using this post-purchase assessment to not only bring the bike to the state it needs to be but to inform yourself on how your bike is put together, so that you can more easily repair her whilst on your trip. I myself was able to pick up an incredible secondhand race bike built by a Japanese man who constructed such bikes for both the JP and US Olympic teams. Not only did I only spend a few hundred on it but I also was able to meet the man who built it and learn so much more about bikes and sprinting on them successfully than I had prior to the purchase. TL;DR: Go secondhand, you’ll get a better bike and you’ll find people in the community who will help you become a better and more knowledgeable biker.
mauvehaus 4y ago
Touring bikes are weird animals, and are built to a wholly different set of requirements than other bikes. Classic choices are the Trek 520, the Surly Long Haul Trucker, and the Kona Sutra. REI has consistently impressed me with their offerings as well. For the most part, frames get built with a carefully selected set of parts that balances reliability, repairability, and availability. Weight is really only a consideration for the wheels, and it's pretty far down the priority list even there. Over 5000mi/8000km, everything is consumable, except hopefully the frame and associated components. I didn't blow up a hub over 7000 miles of touring, but I replaced chains, the cassette, the chainring that got the most wear, a couple of spokes, a rim, a saddle, and maybe a few other things. Oh, and several tires. Mom and pop bike shop availability is clutch when you're miles from even a bigger town. A touring bike is not the bike to have the latest group set on, nonstandard spokes, or anything that you can't fix, replace, or make a workable substitution for in the boonies. AIUI, if you're touring internationally, you really want 559mm rims; 622mm is much less common outside of North America and Europe and finding tires can be a big problem. You'll often find that frames get built up with an absolute hodgepodge of components that only makes sense if you consider all of the above, plus the fact that gearing runs more on the mountain bike end of the spectrum. Components tend to run a generation or two behind bleeding edge, and manufacturers mix and match freely between road and mountain stuff as appropriate to get what they're looking for for durability and ergonomics. A good touring bike usually has mid-range components. Good enough to stay adjusted, beefy enough to hold up to a lot of miles with less maintenance than might be ideal. All that to say, I haven't answered your question per-se, but I hope this helps you understand for yourself whether and answer put forward by a salesperson is a good one. Most bike shops aren't making most of their money selling touring bikes. You run a very real chance of dealing with salespeople who are totally out of their depth when you shop for a touring bike. The ones that are both good and also honest will admit as much.
- loeg 4y ago
  > Over 5000mi/8000km, everything is consumable, except hopefully the frame and associated components That may be touring-specific? I have tons of components on my regular bikes that last well over 5000 miles, including spokes/rims/wheels and saddles (derailleurs, shifters, pedals, cranks). Many tires even last 5000 miles, although not the lightweight racy ones I use.
dghlsakjg 4y ago
Canadian Tire and Costco are two places you should absolutely avoid. If you aren't experienced with bikes their bikes look fine on paper for the price. In reality, you will spend lots of time and money to get them to perform properly, and will still have a bike that is likely untrustable. Go to an independent bike shop and explain what you want to do and your budget. They will be able to kit you out appropriately. For Canadian made bikes, my wife has a Devinci which, so far, has been great for rugged urban use with panniers and racks. I suspect that it would hold up great to touring travel. It should be totally possible to buy and outfit a bike for $3k CAD
olakease 4y ago
I have traveled from Spain till Iceland in a 300 euros bike. In my opinion, the bike is not that important if you do not carry too much weight, visit countries were certain spare parts are not available and finding someone that can weld aluminium is not impossible. Just avoid rear suspension. Do not put too much weight since this puts too much presion on the spokes. Instead spend the money in: good tyres (schwalwe, continental), paniers (ortlieb) and racks (tubus) and saddle (brooks) since this are the components that wear out really fast. Gas stove does not work well in moderate cold climate. I discovered this the hard way. If the temp. Is gonna be about 0C buy a petrol stove. You can save a lot of money being pragmatic. I.e chopsticks are lighter than titanium fork. If you travel alone buy a camping tent for two. You will need extra real state for your stuff. Enjoy the adventure!
- hnthrowaway0315 4y ago
  Thanks! I'll probably try intercity first and see what happens. Maybe there is a way for me to connect the dots without a tent.
wiredfool 4y ago
This just popped up today: https://theradavist.com/cycling-africa/ https://theradavist.com/cycling-africa/ Connecting Two Distant Corners: Cycling the Length of Africa. The two bikes -- a Knoa Sutra and a Surly Long Haul Trucker.

newsclues 4y ago

a touring bike is what you want, lots of brands make them, find a local shop and try a few to see what you like.

calt 4y ago

The Surly Long Haul Trucker is a favorite base bike. Getting the bags and racks etc won't be included. A good local bike shop would be my bet.

hnthrowaway0315 4y ago
Thanks, I'll check local shops. They are probably more familiar with the road and equipment needed.

wiredfool 4y ago

The Surly he was riding isn’t a bad choice. They’re pretty stout, and have all the necessary braze ons for racks and fenders. You’re going to need panniers and/or frame bags, though current style is to put a bit more weight on the front than he seemed to have.

gnfurlong 4y ago

Most of the popular touring bikes fit your budget. Really you're just looking for durable, a wide gear range and the capacity to mount gear. Surly disc trucker has historically been one of the most popular as an example, but there are a lot of others. Also, it can absolutely be done with cheaper. My partner and I finished a 4800 mile trip last year. I used a second hand cyclocross bike that I got off craiglist for ~500 a few years ago. She had a road bike that she bought for 200 from the local bike project.

hnthrowaway0315 4y ago
Thanks a lot. Touring bike then. I'll probably consult some bike shop owner to give opinions. BTW how did you train for the long ride? Did you go from say 100 and then inter-city?

ilyt 4y ago

Literally anything that's not build out of bargain bin parts will do fine. And better one will not necessarily prevent that many failures, over some point it's mostly incremental improvements in experience quality, not reliability. I had 3 bikes, 2 of them did around 10k, 3rd one, well, I bought it at start of pandemic, then we moved WfH so it did much less. Around 20% was riding around local forests, rest in city. The first bike was literally like $300 (...probably closer to $400 now with inflation and all). I only replaced the saddle for more comfortable one but that's all. No disc brakes, literally the fanciest thing on it was that it had shocks on front. But after finding job in big city and moving there I was using it for commute every day so after few years I decided "well, might as well buy something nice", bought one for I think like $2000, nice disc brakes, rear shock, lighter, "good" etc. Comparing those two I went from mechanical rim brakes to hydraulic disk brakes and they did feel nicer, but in the end the rim brakes stopping power was just fine, it didn't feel as that much of an upgrade. Sure, a bit lighter to use but I could still yeet myself thru the front tire on rim brakes (probably). And rear wheel disc brake was entirely a waste, there is way less braking force needed on rear to lock up wheel. In general I liked it but managed to break the frame (I was on max range of weight for that bike which probably didn't help), and decided to get something slighty cheaper, no rear shock (not much use for what I drive), cheaper accessories etc. (think it was about $1000). After a bit of riding turned out that only thing I missed was that tiny screw to adjust preload on brakes as the pads wear out. Drove few K so far, think some bearing in pedal broke (it's a bit wobbly), but not annoying enough yet for me to fix it. In every case I had to replace sprockets as they use, replace the saddle for more comfortable one and install some accessory bits, replace the handlebars for one that fit me better and few smaller bit. But even the cheapo was reliable enough. Generally the thing worth investing most is frame (as that will not change) and derailleur, as that will generally stay, brakes depending on riding (as I said, people driving hard off hills will probably have different needs than me driving some random forest dirt roads). Everything else you probably want to fit to your needs and you want to drive the bike for a bit to know exactly what you want.

jamiek88 4y ago
I e never heard anyone use the phrase ‘drive a bike’ before, always ‘ride a bike’, you use drive several times - is this a regional thing I’ve not come across before?

zwieback 4y ago

I have a Kona Sutra, really like it. I see a lot of Surly, like the one in the post, they seem to have a good track record.

walrus01 4y ago

I must confess that I just cringed incredibly hard at the thought of trying a 6000 km tour on a canadian tire bike. The budget of 3000 CAD for the bike itself before accessories is a possibility, but I advise you to get information from specialty bike shops that focus on road bikes, and ask them about good touring bikes. for the americans: a bike sold at canadian tire is often a $195 "bicycle shaped object" similar to what you'd see for sale at walmart. some useful info on touring bike frames and components: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-choose-a-bike-for-bike-touring.html https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-choose-a-bike... https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-touring-bikes-you-can-buy-2022/ https://www.cyclingabout.com/best-touring-bikes-you-can-buy-...

peterispedaling 4y ago

Hi! I wrote the post. Good answers below. Decent generic mountain bikes with disc brakes are found all over South America, being pedaled by casual riders and kids in the town squares. Starting a tour with that equipment and adding racks and such would be affordable, and parts will be replaceable. Surly/Soma/Kona/Salsa/Fuji/Etc. touring bikes come with the main advantage of mounting points. But more DIY riders are rigging things up with hose clamps.

atdrummond 4y ago

I would suggest finding a touring bike from somebody who has maintained it well; there are many reputable forums and sites for these secondhand sales. You’ll get a considerable discount and have a better chance to ensure it has all the features you want. I would then immediately ensure everything works to your satisfaction, using this post-purchase assessment to not only bring the bike to the state it needs to be but to inform yourself on how your bike is put together, so that you can more easily repair her whilst on your trip. I myself was able to pick up an incredible secondhand race bike built by a Japanese man who constructed such bikes for both the JP and US Olympic teams. Not only did I only spend a few hundred on it but I also was able to meet the man who built it and learn so much more about bikes and sprinting on them successfully than I had prior to the purchase. TL;DR: Go secondhand, you’ll get a better bike and you’ll find people in the community who will help you become a better and more knowledgeable biker.

mauvehaus 4y ago

Touring bikes are weird animals, and are built to a wholly different set of requirements than other bikes. Classic choices are the Trek 520, the Surly Long Haul Trucker, and the Kona Sutra. REI has consistently impressed me with their offerings as well. For the most part, frames get built with a carefully selected set of parts that balances reliability, repairability, and availability. Weight is really only a consideration for the wheels, and it's pretty far down the priority list even there. Over 5000mi/8000km, everything is consumable, except hopefully the frame and associated components. I didn't blow up a hub over 7000 miles of touring, but I replaced chains, the cassette, the chainring that got the most wear, a couple of spokes, a rim, a saddle, and maybe a few other things. Oh, and several tires. Mom and pop bike shop availability is clutch when you're miles from even a bigger town. A touring bike is not the bike to have the latest group set on, nonstandard spokes, or anything that you can't fix, replace, or make a workable substitution for in the boonies. AIUI, if you're touring internationally, you really want 559mm rims; 622mm is much less common outside of North America and Europe and finding tires can be a big problem. You'll often find that frames get built up with an absolute hodgepodge of components that only makes sense if you consider all of the above, plus the fact that gearing runs more on the mountain bike end of the spectrum. Components tend to run a generation or two behind bleeding edge, and manufacturers mix and match freely between road and mountain stuff as appropriate to get what they're looking for for durability and ergonomics. A good touring bike usually has mid-range components. Good enough to stay adjusted, beefy enough to hold up to a lot of miles with less maintenance than might be ideal. All that to say, I haven't answered your question per-se, but I hope this helps you understand for yourself whether and answer put forward by a salesperson is a good one. Most bike shops aren't making most of their money selling touring bikes. You run a very real chance of dealing with salespeople who are totally out of their depth when you shop for a touring bike. The ones that are both good and also honest will admit as much.

loeg 4y ago
> Over 5000mi/8000km, everything is consumable, except hopefully the frame and associated components That may be touring-specific? I have tons of components on my regular bikes that last well over 5000 miles, including spokes/rims/wheels and saddles (derailleurs, shifters, pedals, cranks). Many tires even last 5000 miles, although not the lightweight racy ones I use.

dghlsakjg 4y ago

Canadian Tire and Costco are two places you should absolutely avoid. If you aren't experienced with bikes their bikes look fine on paper for the price. In reality, you will spend lots of time and money to get them to perform properly, and will still have a bike that is likely untrustable. Go to an independent bike shop and explain what you want to do and your budget. They will be able to kit you out appropriately. For Canadian made bikes, my wife has a Devinci which, so far, has been great for rugged urban use with panniers and racks. I suspect that it would hold up great to touring travel. It should be totally possible to buy and outfit a bike for $3k CAD

olakease 4y ago

I have traveled from Spain till Iceland in a 300 euros bike. In my opinion, the bike is not that important if you do not carry too much weight, visit countries were certain spare parts are not available and finding someone that can weld aluminium is not impossible. Just avoid rear suspension. Do not put too much weight since this puts too much presion on the spokes. Instead spend the money in: good tyres (schwalwe, continental), paniers (ortlieb) and racks (tubus) and saddle (brooks) since this are the components that wear out really fast. Gas stove does not work well in moderate cold climate. I discovered this the hard way. If the temp. Is gonna be about 0C buy a petrol stove. You can save a lot of money being pragmatic. I.e chopsticks are lighter than titanium fork. If you travel alone buy a camping tent for two. You will need extra real state for your stuff. Enjoy the adventure!

hnthrowaway0315 4y ago
Thanks! I'll probably try intercity first and see what happens. Maybe there is a way for me to connect the dots without a tent.

wiredfool 4y ago

This just popped up today: https://theradavist.com/cycling-africa/ https://theradavist.com/cycling-africa/ Connecting Two Distant Corners: Cycling the Length of Africa. The two bikes -- a Knoa Sutra and a Surly Long Haul Trucker.