[email protected] wrote:
> what's everyone think abt frame material?
>
> stick with steel?
>
> aluminum?
>
> titanium?
You haven't told us the two key pieces of information needed to give
you any sensible advice, namely:
(1) What do you mean by "touring"? (2) How much are you willing to pay?
For some of us, "touring" means a large Carradice saddlebag
<www.wallbike.com>, with perhaps a handlebar bag. Ideal for that is a
so-called "sport-touring" or "Audax" geometry bicycle, with 25mm-32mm
tires, possibly fenders, long chainstays, low bottom bracket. Something
not too different from what might have won the Tour de France from
1950-1976. For others, it means 90lbs of baggage hanging from front and
rear panniers. For that, you need something different, like the
Co-Motion Americano. Compare that with something like
<http://www.sjscycles.com/thornwebsite/audaxclassic.html>
or the various touring or Audax bicycles at
<http://www.merciancycles.com/bikes.asp>
For most general light touring (not camping out overnight), you won't
beat a custom bicycle made out of Reynolds 725, 531 or similar, in
sport touring geometry, with a Carradice Camper or Super C, and your
choice of handlebar bag up front. The general idea is like a Rivendell
Rambouillet, or the Thorn or Mercian bicycles above, but made by your
choice of builder, with your choice of fittings and paint job. Do you
want built-in lights? Kickstand? What type of brakes? Fenders? What
size tires? Do you want S&S couplers? Etc. Forget carbon
fiber-reinforced resin for touring. Aluminum won't get you many custom
builders who can get you whatever you want, and titanium is expensive
or else not available in an ideal configuration for touring, and you
still have to get the fork made out of something else, without any real
concrete benefit for touring. Both aluminum and titanium require fat
tubes which aren't the best for touring geometry and tires and fenders.
Your choice of builders in steel is nearly limitless, although I don't
know of any local to your area. Check the list at the S&S torque
couplers site:
<http://www.sandsmachine.com/fbplist.htm>
or at the Henry James site:
<http://www.henryjames.com/blocator.html>
You can do extremely well for about $750-$1800+ for the frame,
depending on your choice of builder and how fancy you want it. Or you
can go for something more generic, from Soma or Surly. Or you can go
the eBay route for something really inexpensive.
Tell us more, and you will get more. Don't forget to visit the Trento
bicycle pages, and to view Jobst's packing list:
<http://www.trentobike.org/General/Packing_List.html>
v