Touring Bike?

[stacie]

I have a friend who is doing a week long charity event of 545 miles. He is just beginning to workout and has no experience riding. He is considering buying a used touring bike. I have no knowledge regarding touring bikes and had not even considered it. Can anyone tell me the pro's and con's of this choice?

[pll]

I think my dream bike would be a touring bike (like the Moots Mootour). Touring bikes are sturdier, ready for racks, panniers (and the added weight) and fenders, more relaxed/upright ride ride, thicker tires. Must be heavier...

[stella]

Pros: more upright position but still option of drop handlebars. wider tires than road bike--steadier ride. generous gearing ratio.

cons: (not sure how much of a con for beginner rider): a little heavier bike than road bike. wider tires means more resistance on the road--you work a little harder to go fast, however--touring bikes are meant to be stable when they are loaded with panniers.

I liken the difference as that between a sports car (road bike), a jeep (mountain bike) and a station wagon (touring bike).

I have both a touring bike and a road bike. My touring bike is more upright but I still have the option of positions with the drop handlebars. it is a more stable ride on the garbage you find on the side of the road (such as dirt, sand, etc) due to the wider tires.

either way: suggest to your friend that he try to buy a used bike from a bike shop to make sure he is properly fitted + to ensure that the bike is mechanically sound, that the frame is in good shape, etc.

I hope this helps!

[Bad JuJu]

Stella +1.
Touring bikes are meant to be more comfy and stable for the long haul, but this generally means they're somewhat heavier than other road bikes. OTOH, I've been told that late-model touring bikes using newer lightweight steel alloys are not so heavy any more. Also, some will accept skinnier, lighter tires.

Adventure Cyclist Magazine just did an article on how to buy a touring bike and it included a little sidebar on using your touring bike for everyday faster rides. So your friend might want to check out their website-- Adventure Cycling (http://www.adventurecycling.org/index.cfm) --to see if the article is available there, or see if you local library has Adventure Cyclist--I don't think it's a mag you often find on newsstands.