More touirng bike questions please?

Some more questions abt various touring bike options:

1. Brakes. Do all touring bike shave canti-lever? If
yes...why? Wouldn't something like V brakes used on mt
bikes work as well?

2. Folders. Is a folding touring bike inherently going
to make less sense...more trouble? Should one stick
with normal non-folding diamond frames?

3. Rim size. 700c vs 26"? is this a non -issue really?
Or some merit to using 26" rims for touring bikes?

wrote:

Some more questions abt various touring bike options:

1. Brakes. Do all touring bike shave canti-lever? If
yes...why? Wouldn't something like V brakes used on mt
bikes work as well?

2. Folders. Is a folding touring bike inherently going
to make less sense...more trouble? Should one stick
with normal non-folding diamond frames?

3. Rim size. 700c vs 26"? is this a non -issue really?
Or some merit to using 26" rims for touring bikes?

One other question...

What abt carbon fiber components on touring bikes? Such
as carbon handlebars to absorb some road shock?

And for that matter what abt handlebar "shape"?
Moustache bars, drops, what?

Thanks guys!!!

wrote in message
...
Some more questions abt various touring bike options:

1. Brakes. Do all touring bike shave canti-lever? If
yes...why? Wouldn't something like V brakes used on mt
bikes work as well?

Cantis work with drop bar levers without travel adapters, so that's why
they're commonly used. If you're using straight bars Vs are a better choice.
Or there's hydraulic rim brakes :-)

2. Folders. Is a folding touring bike inherently going
to make less sense...more trouble? Should one stick
with normal non-folding diamond frames?

Folders will inevitably be compromised - as will all bikes. Choice of bike
depends on what you want it for. S+S couplings are a moderately popular
choice for collapsing tourers. For a tourer for my purposes, I'd get a
conventional rigid DF.

3. Rim size. 700c vs 26"? is this a non -issue really?
Or some merit to using 26" rims for touring bikes?

Thorn are a pretty well respected manufacturer of touring bikes here in the
UK. They use 26" because the wheels are stronger - they aim their stronger
bikes at the full loaded expedition tourer, though they also use the same
wheels on their lighter ones.

Others use 700c because they're good enough. Personally I'd probably use the
big rims for a single tourer for me, and 26" for a tourer for my wife
because she's rather smaller than me. But since we use a tandem for that
job, the question is moot - it gets 26" wheels for the strength.

cheers,
clive

On Apr 18, 12:40 pm, wrote:
Some more questions abt various touring bike options:

1. Brakes. Do all touring bike shave canti-lever? If
yes...why? Wouldn't something like V brakes used on mt
bikes work as well?

Cantis work well enough, are traditional, work with combo shifter/
brake levers, tolerate slightly untrue rims, and can clear huge tires
and fenders. V-brakes are great, easy to set up, and work well with
bar end shifters and specific levers, the new Tektros being especially
nice and inexpensive.


2. Folders. Is a folding touring bike inherently going
to make less sense...more trouble? Should one stick
with normal non-folding diamond frames?

A folder can be a solution depending on the problem. A regular diamond
frame is the best bet for most folks.

3. Rim size. 700c vs 26"? is this a non -issue really?
Or some merit to using 26" rims for touring bikes?

Non-issue for the most part. However, if you run over some re-bar in
Bumfuque Missouri, the Xmart will have a perfectly decent 26" tire.
26" is also good to keep smaller frames proportional, like how Surly
does with the LHT.

On Apr 18, 10:42*am, wrote:
wrote:
What abt carbon fiber components on touring bikes? Such
as carbon handlebars to absorb some road shock?

Forget carbon bars. First, one small fall and it can crack. That's
what happened to my friend. His Merlin bike was leaning against the
wall. A big gust of wind came along and knocked his bike down. When he
started riding, his carbon h-bar started creaking. He rode home
gently, unraveled the tape and the bar was cracked! He tried to get it
warrantied, but the mfr denied it. He now has a nice Ritchey ALUMINUM
handlebar.

As for comfort, carbon bar does NOT absorb any road shock. If that is
a concern, try wider tires at a lower psi, i.e., 700x25/28 at
85-90psi. Wider tires = more air volume = need for less psi = comfort!

And for that matter what abt handlebar "shape"?
Moustache bars, drops, what?

Like saddles, handlebar shape is a personal preference. Most people
prefer drop bars because it gives you more places to move around. Try
it out and see for yourself. Good Luck!

On Apr 18, 12:42 pm, wrote:
wrote:
Some more questions abt various touring bike options:

1. Brakes. Do all touring bike shave canti-lever? If
yes...why? Wouldn't something like V brakes used on mt
bikes work as well?

2. Folders. Is a folding touring bike inherently going
to make less sense...more trouble? Should one stick
with normal non-folding diamond frames?

3. Rim size. 700c vs 26"? is this a non -issue really?
Or some merit to using 26" rims for touring bikes?

One other question...

What abt carbon fiber components on touring bikes? Such
as carbon handlebars to absorb some road shock?

Nonsense. Use wide enough tires to act as suspension and you won't
need plastic handlebars.


And for that matter what abt handlebar "shape"?
Moustache bars, drops, what?

Nitto Maes, Noodle, or Randonneur are great and pretty inexpensive to
try. I like moustache bars, but they're not great for epic rides as
they're too wide, IMHO. I can ride flat bars further with less
discomfort. Don't make the mistake of getting too wide a bar like the
Rivendell set will lead you to believe is good--unless you happen to
be broad shouldered. Moderate width drops at saddle height works for
most folks and is a good place to start.

On Apr 18, 1:40 pm, wrote:
Some more questions abt various touring bike options:

1. Brakes. Do all touring bike shave canti-lever? If
yes...why? Wouldn't something like V brakes used on mt
bikes work as well?

Yes, but there's only one drop-bar brake lever on the market that will
operate V brakes correctly. For any other lever, you're stuck with
using a weird adaptor. Cantis are excellent. Use Kool-Stop pads.

2. Folders. Is a folding touring bike inherently going
to make less sense...more trouble? Should one stick
with normal non-folding diamond frames?

Stick with a conventional frame. I've got a Friday NWT and a
Cannondale touring bike. The Friday's great for travel, but there's
no way I'd pick it for a long tour that didn't need the folding
feature. The Cannondale rolls easier, carries loads easier, shifts
better (as mentioned in the other thread), accepts accessories more
easily, and doesn't try to topple over when I straddle it at a stop
light. (Top tubes are useful!)

- Frank Krygowski

On Apr 18, 2:26 pm, wrote:
On Apr 18, 1:40 pm, wrote:

Some more questions abt various touring bike options:

1. Brakes. Do all touring bike shave canti-lever? If
yes...why? Wouldn't something like V brakes used on mt
bikes work as well?

Yes, but there's only one drop-bar brake lever on the market that will
operate V brakes correctly. For any other lever, you're stuck with
using a weird adaptor. Cantis are excellent. Use Kool-Stop pads.

Not true as of last year. Tektro makes the quite excellent RL520 which
retails for $25 on the street. Add some cheap and cheerful Tektro 839
vees at $15 per end, and you get a brake set that stops excellently
for under sixty bucks. If you want lizards on the hoods, Cane Creek
rebrands the same levers for $25 more.

http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking...RKLEVRD/BR7212

I resisted vees till I got some cheap Tektros on the city scoot last
year and learned to dial them in. I like cantis--I'd run them on a
cross bike for sure, but for utility and general use, I'm sold on the
simplicity and power of vees, especially now that a cheap road lever
is available.

if short go with 26" wheels.
on 700c, 35 rear tires are needed for a camping load. After many
miles, conclusion here is 32 rears are cafe touring.

On Apr 18, 6:34*pm, datakoll wrote:
if short go with 26" wheels.
on 700c, 35 rear tires are needed for a camping load. After many
miles, conclusion here is 32 rears are cafe touring.

exapnding on that thought:
32 wide tires at camping loads restrict tire function by slightly
overwhelming the design parameters. When camp touring riding on a
quality Conti, Pasela, uh Scwlabe, you're wasting casue the 32 rear
tire isnot gonna deliver.