Touring Bike, where to buy online/South West London



J

Jim Ley

Guest
Hi,

I'm contemplating a LEJOG ride maybe in the spring - well before would
be nice but I fear the days are a bit short and depressing, but none
of the LBS's have anything in the way of tourers, so I was wondering
where I should be looking for one, is buying online practical without
first having ridden one - I'd imagine not, but where can I ride one?
And where online is a good cheap place to buy if that is a relatively
logical option?

I was vaguely imagining 500-600 for the basic bike would be a
reasonably viable price range, am I fooling myself here?

Cheers,

Jim.
 
Jim Ley wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm contemplating a LEJOG ride maybe in the spring - well before would
> be nice but I fear the days are a bit short and depressing, but none
> of the LBS's have anything in the way of tourers, so I was wondering
> where I should be looking for one, is buying online practical without
> first having ridden one - I'd imagine not, but where can I ride one?
> And where online is a good cheap place to buy if that is a relatively
> logical option?
>
> I was vaguely imagining 500-600 for the basic bike would be a
> reasonably viable price range, am I fooling myself here?


Where in SW London? If a trip up to town is not too far out of your way
then any of the major places (Condor, Evans etc.) should have a
reasonable range of touring bikes.

The main criteria for a touring bike is that it is 1. a bike you can
happily sit on and pedal all day long and 2. able to carry the load you
want to take. Other than that a lotis down to personal preference and
the kind of touring you want to do (credit card to full expedition
camping).

...d
 
On 15 Sep 2005 14:22:01 -0700, "David Martin"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Jim Ley wrote:
>> I was vaguely imagining 500-600 for the basic bike would be a
>> reasonably viable price range, am I fooling myself here?

>
>Where in SW London? If a trip up to town is not too far out of your way
>then any of the major places (Condor, Evans etc.) should have a
>reasonable range of touring bikes.


Surbiton, I can certainly manage a cycle in to town... There seems to
be a few Evans, any idea which is likely to be best?

>The main criteria for a touring bike is that it is 1. a bike you can
>happily sit on and pedal all day long and 2. able to carry the load you
>want to take.


Well I'm pretty happy sitting on my cheap and basic hybrid all day,
but I have no real idea of loads other than by shoving it on my back
which I'm sure is going to be as annoying as anything very quickly.

Cheers,

Jim.
 

> I was vaguely imagining 500-600 for the basic bike would be a
> reasonably viable price range, am I fooling myself here?
>

No you are not fooling yourself. Get a few cycling mags and have a
look at the adverts. There will be Dawes galaxies available withing
your price range. You might even consider second hand. My
Galaxy was a snip at £200 s/h

It copes with my 20/21 stone frame plus four panniers and has been
used for 100, 150 and 200 Audax rides. A drop out fractured but I
can not complain too much, I was the third owner and I've certainly
given it a hard life.

Vernon in leeds
 
Jim Ley wrote:
> On 15 Sep 2005 14:22:01 -0700, "David Martin"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Jim Ley wrote:
> >> I was vaguely imagining 500-600 for the basic bike would be a
> >> reasonably viable price range, am I fooling myself here?

> >
> >Where in SW London? If a trip up to town is not too far out of your way
> >then any of the major places (Condor, Evans etc.) should have a
> >reasonable range of touring bikes.

>
> Surbiton, I can certainly manage a cycle in to town... There seems to
> be a few Evans, any idea which is likely to be best?
>
> >The main criteria for a touring bike is that it is 1. a bike you can
> >happily sit on and pedal all day long and 2. able to carry the load you
> >want to take.

>
> Well I'm pretty happy sitting on my cheap and basic hybrid all day,
> but I have no real idea of loads other than by shoving it on my back
> which I'm sure is going to be as annoying as anything very quickly.


Basically, can you fit a rack and panniers? Can you fit a couple of
bottle cages and a bar bag?

If the answer is yes, and you are comfortable on that bike, then I'd
reccommend saving a bunch of money by getting a decent rack, good
quality panniers[1] and bar bag, and trying that out. If you find that
it really doesn't do loads well [2], then get the new bike, and you
already have the luggage to go on it.

You also have some spare cash to upgrade bits that you may want to
improve or that need replacement before you start, i.e. new tyres, get
the wheels nicely tensionse/sorted and so on.

If you have a bike that is comfortable all day then go from there,
unless you are looking for an excuse to spend money.

...d

[1] You really really do not want to do this with a rucksack. Much
nicer with panniers.

[2] ie feels really not nice when you have a touring load in the
panniers and you get it up to speed. It is a really good idea if you
are putting more than a modest amount of weight on to spread it between
the front and back of the bike, and keep it as low down and near the
hubs as possible. A fully loaded touring bike should feel like a
stately galleon under full sail, not like a nervous elephant.
 
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 14:22:01 -0700, David Martin wrote:

>> I was vaguely imagining 500-600 for the basic bike would be a reasonably
>> viable price range, am I fooling myself here?

>
> Where in SW London? If a trip up to town is not too far out of your way
> then any of the major places (Condor, Evans etc.) should have a reasonable
> range of touring bikes.
>

A friend of mine has a lovely custom bike from Condor.

But why not head Croydon way?
Forget the budget. Sell your children into slavery and get that
custom made Roberts. You know you deserve it.

Seriously though, the Edinburgh Bike Co-op always seems to review well
in Cycling Plus. They have a touring bike at that sort of money.
 
On 15 Sep 2005 15:50:42 -0700, "David Martin"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>If the answer is yes, and you are comfortable on that bike, then I'd
>reccommend saving a bunch of money by getting a decent rack, good
>quality panniers[1] and bar bag, and trying that out. If you find that
>it really doesn't do loads well [2], then get the new bike, and you
>already have the luggage to go on it.


I expedition toured on my Marin mountain bike (rigid frame) fitted
with road tyres, mud guards, pannier rack, front racks and bar bag. I
loved it. But now I have a Raven Tour and I really notice the
difference. Every time I take my Marin out now I cannot believe I
completed the Raid Pyrenean on it.
 
in message <[email protected]>, Jim Ley
('[email protected]') wrote:

> Well I'm pretty happy sitting on my cheap and basic hybrid all day,
> but I have no real idea of loads other than by shoving it on my back
> which I'm sure is going to be as annoying as anything very quickly.


Don't do that. The choice is between panniers and a trailer - personally
I much prefer the latter. Sticking it on your back is sweaty and tiring,
and (I am told) risks back injury.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; It's dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
;; Voltaire RIP Dr David Kelly 1945-2004
 
Simon Brooke wrote:

> Don't do that. The choice is between panniers and a trailer - personally
> I much prefer the latter.


Where one is better than the other is mainly a function of load. For
light and low bulk loads the extra weight and complication of a trailer
doesn't really justify the advantages of taking the load off the bike,
but for serious amounts and/or weights of kit there should be much less
impact on the handling with a suitable trailer, and they're much more
convenient to pack.

> Sticking it on your back is sweaty and tiring,
> and (I am told) risks back injury.


Indeed. Simple experiment: wear a loaded rucksack. Now take it off.
At which point are you more comfortable? QED...
Rucksacks can be handy on short trips with light loads where you'll be
on and off a lot, but for long journeys they're a Work Of Stan for cycling.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
vernon wrote:
> > I was vaguely imagining 500-600 for the basic bike would be a
> > reasonably viable price range, am I fooling myself here?
> >

> No you are not fooling yourself. Get a few cycling mags and have a
> look at the adverts. There will be Dawes galaxies available withing
> your price range. You might even consider second hand. My
> Galaxy was a snip at £200 s/h
>
> It copes with my 20/21 stone frame plus four panniers and has been
> used for 100, 150 and 200 Audax rides. A drop out fractured but I
> can not complain too much, I was the third owner and I've certainly
> given it a hard life.
>

I did lejog last year on Dawes Galaxy Tour. Me 14 stone plus full
camping gear. No prob except one broken spoke. Bike was £500 new with
panier racks front and back plus free Ortleib front bag. Always on
offer in CTC mag etc from Spa Cycles and others. Excellent bike and
very good value for money.

cheers

Jacob
 
[email protected] wrote:

> I did lejog last year on Dawes Galaxy Tour. Me 14 stone plus full
> camping gear. No prob except one broken spoke. Bike was £500 new with
> panier racks front and back plus free Ortleib front bag. Always on
> offer in CTC mag etc from Spa Cycles and others. Excellent bike and
> very good value for money.


The Dawes Galaxy is pretty much The Canonical British Touring Bike: it
will certainly do the stuff.

Having said that, drop handlebars do take a bit of getting used to,
especially if you're used to a more upright riding position from a
hybrid. I wouldn't want to start off with them on an 800 mile ride, I
think that shoulders, neck, arms and wrists could all suffer a bit. But
once you have got used to them the greater variety of hand positions
makes for a good way to get more comfort while in a more crouched
position, and that position means less work against the wind.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
Jim Ley wrote:

> On 15 Sep 2005 14:22:01 -0700, "David Martin"
> <[email protected]> wrote:


> >Where in SW London? If a trip up to town is not too far out of your way
> >then any of the major places (Condor, Evans etc.) should have a
> >reasonable range of touring bikes.

>
> Surbiton, I can certainly manage a cycle in to town... There seems to
> be a few Evans, any idea which is likely to be best?


I shouldn't think there's much to choose between any of them. The one
in Kingston is well stocked and it's just a 10 minute ride from
Surbiton. I think they all use the same catalogue, so they can
basically get you anything from it.

--
Dave...
 
On Fri, 16 Sep 2005 09:24:11 +0100, Simon Brooke
<[email protected]> wrote:

>in message <[email protected]>, John Hearns
>('[email protected]') wrote:
>
>> Seriously though, the Edinburgh Bike Co-op always seems to review well
>> in Cycling Plus. They have a touring bike at that sort of money.

>
>No longer listed on the web-site, sadly.


They had them in the Edinburgh shop a couple of weeks ago. I bought
my County tourer about five years ago, and mine has the older
non-compact frame. It's been a really good bike, the more so
condidering the price.. My only problem was a tendency for it to
break spokes in the rear wheel early on. Some attention to the wheel
from LBS (Spokes in St Andrews) completely eliminated the problem,
although I am not light, and tend to carry a good bit of extra weight
with me when commuting over the bumpy Fife roads between Kirkcaldy and
Cupar.

At the price of these bikes, you can affoprd to do a bit of tweaking -
I've added and swapped bits over the years. It now has Avid Shorty
brakes, and stops very convincingly. My aging back is catered for by
an adjustable stem, and my aging backside is provided for by a
Specialized Body Geometry saddle, which suits me well, although not
everybody likes them. I plan to try a Brooks some time soon - which
one suits a tourer best? I run it on Specialized Nimbus tyres, that
just fit under the mudguards, and I've never had a puncture since I
fitted them.

The next upgrades will be a hub dynamo, and slighyly lower replacement
gearing - it's always been a little overgeared for me, and the passage
of time isn't helping :-(
--
Best Regards
Richard
 
In message <[email protected]>
[email protected] (Jim Ley) wrote:

> On 15 Sep 2005 14:22:01 -0700, "David Martin"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Jim Ley wrote:
> >> I was vaguely imagining 500-600 for the basic bike would be a
> >> reasonably viable price range, am I fooling myself here?

> >
> >Where in SW London? If a trip up to town is not too far out of your way
> >then any of the major places (Condor, Evans etc.) should have a
> >reasonable range of touring bikes.

>
> Surbiton, I can certainly manage a cycle in to town... There seems to
> be a few Evans, any idea which is likely to be best?
>

The Cut at Waterloo has the greatest chance of having a touring bike in.
Evans at Kingston only has mountain bikes " for riding round Richmond Park"
A year or so ago Dawes deliveries were slow so I ordered a Thorn Club Tour
from St John St Cycles and despite a slightly bent wheel on delivery
have been very satisfied.

Regards

Paul Luton

--
CTC Right to Ride Representative for Richmond upon Thames
 

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