Sport Comfort Bikes

[Heifzilla]

I have an eleven year old Raleigh SC-200 that I am just starting getting into riding again after, well, a long time I am curious if a bike like this can be used for touring or really for any serious distance?

Thanks

[Zen]

Here are the specs
I'd have to say no. For touring or distance you'll want to upgrade a bit.

Find a bike shop that LISTENS to you and tell them exactly what you want a bike to do for you. my guess is you're looking at around 1K for a decent touring bike.
I'm looking for something in that range myself and I want to check out the Salsa Casseroll, Surly Cross Check and Jamis Aurora.
Save up.

[Heifzilla]

Here are the specs
I'd have to say no. For touring or distance you'll want to upgrade a bit.

Find a bike shop that LISTENS to you and tell them exactly what you want a bike to do for you. my guess is you're looking at around 1K for a decent touring bike.
I'm looking for something in that range myself and I want to check out the Salsa Casseroll, Surly Cross Check and Jamis Aurora.
Save up.

Can you tell me what doesn't work on my current bike? I'm curious so I can know what I need to look for, I'd like to learn more as to *why* a certain bike is designed for this or that or whatever. People show me bikes and say, "This is a touring/road/etc. bike" and I want to know the "whys* of it. For example, I have read that people who tour want a more upright position, and yet when I look at a touring bike it looks a lot like a road bike to me, and I don't see much more "uprightness".

Thanks

[Zen]

I'm not sure about the gearing. it may be alright but if you're carrying weight you might want a wider gear range.
Your bike will probably take a rack but since it's sort of a comfort bike it's probably rather heavy by itself.
And aluminum can be bone jarring. If you're seriously considering touring I would investigate steel.It's light, sturdy and smooth as silk.

[Heifzilla]

Thanks for your reply.

There are so many different types of bikes out there, some of the differences are subtle, some are totally obvious. I am enjoying learning about them. I don't know if I'm serious about touring...it just looks like something I'd like to try. I just don't want to go out and spend the money on a specialized type of bike and then decide it's not for me because that would be a waste of money. How does one try out touring without having to spend $1000 on a new bike? Is touring any sort of "take your bike, pack some stuff, and spend the night on the road" ride, or is there a specific mileage that you have to travel before it is considering touring, and not just an extended bike ride?

Thanks again for replying

[Zen]

I guess touring is in the eye of the beholder.
i took a 4 day trip last year with some of the Mid-Atlantic TE contingent. We averaged about 40 miles per day. It was flat because it was on the canal towpath. I didn't need a wide gear range but I did need a sturdy bike. The one I rode for that cost about $500 new but I definitely wouldn't want to take it on the road with any hills.

Maybe you can choose a destination like a state park that's about 25 or 30 miles away and do an overnighter just to get the feel of how your bike would handle that.

Here's a recap http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ght=Canal+trip