need help, road bike or tour bike



oliver88

New Member
Feb 27, 2011
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I live in Oregon, this summer my friend and I want to ride to California an back an camp along the way. However I only want to spend 150-300 on a bike. Welding modifications are an option. I found a few road bikes on eBay in my price range but don't want to spend money if its not the right kind. Also size help would be nice I'm 511 and 160lb
 
There was recently a discussion here started by someone who wanted to do loaded touring on a steel road (racing) bike. Generally not a good idea. You might try to find that thread and read it. Otherwise, your budget is pretty low. And your information is pretty sparse. If you are skilled enough to fit braze-ons for racks on a steel frame, you will at least need to find one that will fit wider tires, and has a frame inherently strong enough to take the weight. Better to try to find a deal on an old Trek 520 touring bike. Oh and, not to be discouraging, but you will probably need to find some real good deals on the racks and bags, since those can be quite pricey.
 
Originally Posted by oliver88 .

I live in Oregon, this summer my friend and I want to ride to California an back an camp along the way. However I only want to spend 150-300 on a bike. Welding modifications are an option. I found a few road bikes on eBay in my price range but don't want to spend money if its not the right kind. Also size help would be nice I'm 511 and 160lb
To oversimplify ...

  • you will want a frame whose chainstay is [COLOR= #0000ff]17.25"[/COLOR] long +/- a fraction ... fenders will be a big plus unless you are certain that the roads will always be dry
  • 700c wheel size is generally better than any other size for most cycling
  • 700x28 tires ([COLOR= #808080]or, larger[/COLOR]) are better than narrower tire for touring

And, by my reckoning ...

  • the [COLOR= #ff0000]combined[/COLOR] horizontal measurement of the frame's [COLOR= #ff0000]top tube + stem[/COLOR] should be about [COLOR= #ff0000]67cm-to-68cm [/COLOR]for someone who is 5'11" tall.

BTW. That's a pretty tough budget you've set for your bike.
 
My suggestion is spend the money and get a good used touring bike. It will be beyond your price range. When your ride is over....sell the thing on Craig's list and recoup most of your money.
 
Originally Posted by doctorold .

My suggestion is spend the money and get a good used touring bike. It will be beyond your price range. When your ride is over....sell the thing on Craig's list and recoup most of your money.

That sounds like pretty good advice.. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon14.gif
 
Take a look at the $599 Windsor Tourist from Bikes Direct. Steel frame with some nice components and features.