Touring on the cheap

4 1 3 0
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:39 pm
Location: Mentone Vic

Touring on the cheap

Postby 4 1 3 0 » Thu Jul 26, 2018 11:07 am

Hi guys
I'm thinking of doing some short weekend bike tours come spring and wonder if i could get away with using one of these type bikes as i was given one recently.
Thanks

https://goo.gl/images/d4B6uw

User avatar
RonK
Posts: 11508
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:08 pm
Location: If you need to know, ask me
Contact:

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby RonK » Thu Jul 26, 2018 11:17 am

Yes, that bike will be fine. Just throw on some panniers and go - without overthinking it.
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

4 1 3 0
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:39 pm
Location: Mentone Vic

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby 4 1 3 0 » Sun Jul 29, 2018 2:16 pm

Super thanks for that. I also have one of these that is my everyday Ride it has two pannier bags on it and a huge handle bar bag and frame bag. It has 25c Vittoria Randonneur tyres and Tioga gel road seat on it. I was thinking of using it as its mostly set up and i would be mostly on roads or gravel paths.
https://www.reidbikes.com/product/bikes ... road-bike/

User avatar
Thoglette
Posts: 6605
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:01 pm

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby Thoglette » Mon Jul 30, 2018 9:50 am

What RonK said:
RonK wrote:Yes, that bike will be fine. Just throw on some panniers and go - without overthinking it.
Try to avoid taking too much crap* (all you really need is a credit card and a mobile phone :D And a towel. :mrgreen: )

Some spare tubes, shoes you can wear off the bike, water/carbs and layers of clothes.

*25mm tyres are pretty skinny so you'll find soft ground/gravel a little challenging. If the bug bites the first thing you're going to want is fatter tyres. While the fashion has (finally) swung back to the other side of inch-and-a-half, 28mm was considered a "touring" tyre for a very long time and is still a big improvement on 25mm.
Stop handing them the stick! - Dave Moulton
"People are worthy of respect, ideas are not." Peter Ellerton, UQ

4 1 3 0
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:39 pm
Location: Mentone Vic

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby 4 1 3 0 » Mon Jul 30, 2018 4:06 pm

Super all sounds great then. Thanks guys for the replies it has helped a lot, I was a little hesitant but now I have a little advice it will make a big difference.
Thanks

4 1 3 0
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:39 pm
Location: Mentone Vic

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby 4 1 3 0 » Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:49 pm

Just a little update and maybe bit more advise needed. I also came by an old Giant iguana 640 Rigid 26r MTB it has 4130 Chro moly Frame. Was just wonder if one of those would be good. It already has a Topec Pannier rack and I have tracking bars. Its one of these.
https://goo.gl/images/Kmhk89

brumby33
Posts: 1933
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:52 pm
Location: Albury NSW on the mighty Murray River

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby brumby33 » Mon Aug 13, 2018 2:48 pm

Don't forget your toothbrush :P
"ya gotta hold ya mouth right"

VWR Patagonia 2017
2003 Diamondback Sorrento Sport MTB

User avatar
Thoglette
Posts: 6605
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:01 pm

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby Thoglette » Mon Aug 13, 2018 2:54 pm

4 1 3 0 wrote: I also came by an old Giant iguana 640 Rigid 26r MTB it has 4130 Chro moly Frame. Was just wonder if one of those would be good.
The picture says it all.
:D
If the price is right....
Stop handing them the stick! - Dave Moulton
"People are worthy of respect, ideas are not." Peter Ellerton, UQ

4 1 3 0
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:39 pm
Location: Mentone Vic

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby 4 1 3 0 » Tue Aug 14, 2018 11:00 am

Yep I managed to pick one off a hard rubbish over twelve moths ago. Had big ass nobly tires so I replaced them with 1.75 x 26 Maxis And put the Topeak Pannier rack on and have two large pannier bags. I have a trekking bar to put on and very large Handle bar bag. Its just I didn't know weather anyone I'n Australia used them to Bicycle tour with. The Rigid MTB that is. If anyone on here use's or has used one I would be Interested In ( ANY FEEDBACK ).
Thanks again. :)

User avatar
RonK
Posts: 11508
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:08 pm
Location: If you need to know, ask me
Contact:

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby RonK » Tue Aug 14, 2018 11:11 am

4 1 3 0 wrote:Its just I didn't know weather anyone I'n Australia used them to Bicycle tour with. The Rigid MTB that is. If anyone on here use's or has used one I would be Interested In ( ANY FEEDBACK ).
Thanks again. :)
As it happens, my main touring (bikepacking) bike is a rigid drop-bar steel mountain bike. It's called a Salsa Fargo.
But what does it matter what anyone else does?
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

Trevtassie
Posts: 825
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 10:57 am

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby Trevtassie » Tue Aug 14, 2018 3:23 pm

4 1 3 0 wrote:Just a little update and maybe bit more advise needed. I also came by an old Giant iguana 640 Rigid 26r MTB it has 4130 Chro moly Frame. Was just wonder if one of those would be good. It already has a Topec Pannier rack and I have tracking bars. Its one of these.
https://goo.gl/images/Kmhk89
My first two touring bikes were 1990s steel MTBs. My current bike is a Surly Troll, that's just a modern version of a 1990s steel MTB with more holes to attach things.

4 1 3 0
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:39 pm
Location: Mentone Vic

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby 4 1 3 0 » Wed Aug 15, 2018 2:47 pm

All sounds great guys. Thanks very much for the input.

avolve
Posts: 237
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2006 10:49 am
Location: The 'gong

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby avolve » Wed Aug 15, 2018 3:07 pm

Rigid and steel all the way. That Giant will treat you well. When you come to replacing those tires, going wider can afford quite a bit more comfort with only small impacts on rolling resistance.

Trevtassie
Posts: 825
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 10:57 am

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby Trevtassie » Wed Aug 15, 2018 6:13 pm

avolve wrote:Rigid and steel all the way. That Giant will treat you well. When you come to replacing those tires, going wider can afford quite a bit more comfort with only small impacts on rolling resistance.
I'm a big fan of wide tyres now. You can just roll over everything. You probably won't be able to stick anything much over 2.1 on that Iguana, but that still leaves you things like a Schwalbe Big Ben Plus in a 2.15 x 26. I have 2.5 extraterrestrials on my Troll and they are great for getting around, you can crash on up over curbs, even fully loaded, through pot holes, whatever and they just soak it up. The fatter tyres also seem to go better off road, you can run them at lower pressures and get good grip that way.

4 1 3 0
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:39 pm
Location: Mentone Vic

Re: Touring on the cheap

Postby 4 1 3 0 » Tue Aug 21, 2018 10:43 am

Only big problem I'm having now is a decent long distant comfort saddle. I don't really want to go the Brooks leather way and would like maybe gel. Just wonder If anyone has any input with a good soft saddle to put on the 26r ?
Any input would be greatfully excepted.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users