Need a bike for my first cross country

[captenaj]

I'm driving myself crazy here. I am going on my first long bike tour (southern tier) and my $300 Diamondback comfort bike isn't going to cut it (although it did OK in the MS150 and in my first triathlon). I need a new bike but I can't even figure out what kind I need. Originally I though the Surly Long Haul Trucker was the bike for me (http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=18209) but when I told the guy at the LBS that the tour organizers recommended tires no wider than 28c he said if it was that fully supported and the roads were that nice then the LHT's weight was going to make me suffer needlessly. I hopped on a Giant OCR1W and loved the ride. But others have said the chain stays on the OCR1 are too short and my heel is going to hit panniers.

So do I want a touring bike? Is a road bike OK? I even tried the Surly Cross Check cyclocross bike and thought that was a nice compromise... until I got on the Giant OCR1. I know I have to find a bike that's comfortable but once I do that, the bike has to be incredibly durable and reliable AND be able to hold my stuff.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

[Starfish]

This is just idle musing, since I've never seen one in person, but I know Bianchi has a bike called the C2C...for Coast To Coast...that is supposed to be a comfortable, but fast/efficient, LONG distance road bike.

Seemed appropriate to mention, given its name!

[Blueberry]

Perhaps it would be helpful if you could give us a little info on what kind of tour you're taking - it's not clear whether you're hauling your own gear? Or credit card touring (staying in motels)? Or riding with a supported tour (e.g. they haul all your gear)? I know you referenced the LBS guy saying that was too much bike if someone else was hauling your gear, but wanted to clarify.....

28's would probably be a good width *if* you're not hauling much weight (<10 lbs) on the bike. More than that and you may want to think about a slightly wider tire.

You probably want to avoid a racing geometry - that will likely not be comfortable for day after day of 80+ miles. You'll probably want to set up a bike so your saddle and bars are about level, and you're not too stretched out. Otherwise, it really depends on what you're comfortable on, and what your needs for this trip/future trips are. I have three bikes that would work, and love all 3 - a Bike Friday Pocket Crusoe, a Trek 520, and a Surly Cross Check. The Cross Check has been getting lots of riding recently because it's just so darned much fun

CA

ETA: I find a good place to learn info on touring bikes in general (and read lots of great ride reports...) is crazyguyonabike.com (warning: I've spend many more hours reading journals than I *should* have...)

[captenaj]

Thanks for the responses. It is a fully supported tour. I will be carrying rain gear, lunch, stuff to fix a flat and probably my wind breaker once it warms up. That will probably add up to less than 10 pounds. But now when I commute to work I have just about that and I have to work to stuff it in my bag that sits in the center of my rear rack. I'm thinking I want one pannier plus a bag/map case on my handle bars.

I tried the Surly Cross Check and thought it was OK. But I was MUCH happier with the Giant OCR1W. But can the OCR handle the rigors of a tour? It has a 28C tire and a lot fewer than 36 spokes (as judging from the picture). Is it too short to allow a rack and pannier?

The Trek 520 seems like a good workhorse. I'll have to give that a try. Does anyone know how it compares to the Surly LHT? I think I'm looking at something a little lighter with narrower tires than the LHT. The Trek 520 has 32c tires while the LHT has 1.75. Which is wider?

[tjf9]

My Salsa Casseroll is billed as a touring bike. It's rack and fender ready with a reasonably long wheel base. It is steel, so heavier than the Giant, but so far, it's been a nice ride for me. I've only had it a week tho.

I'm not sure how it compares to the LHT, but it's another option to consider.

I love my new bike, can you tell?

[DirtDiva]

The 1.75 tyre is wider. The 32(mm) tyre is about 1.25/1.3inches wide.

[bike4ever]

OCR's come with a 25c tire. Check out the Casseroll from Salsa. These can be built up with whatever you need on them. The Salsa steel would be considerably more comfortable than the OCR aluminum on a long tour.

[Tuckervill]

I'd also consider what other tours you may tackle after this one, and get a bike that would do it all. What your LBS guy said was rather short-sighted, I think.

Karen

[Blueberry]

I've not ridden a LHT, but I understand that the 520 is a little lighter. I've got a generator hub and light on mine, which does add some weight. However, it's a *very* comfortable bike to ride long distances... I've spoken with my LBS and verified that the rims on it will handle at least 28's, so you have an option to switch to a narrower tire if you wish. I'm a slow rider anyway, so I haven't worried too much about it

I agree that you may want to think about whether you'll want to do a fully loaded tour later in you bike considerations. The Giant absolutely couldn't (except perhaps with a trailer, but they you would likely have rear wheel problems). I think any of the others could. I'd worry about low spoke wheels over that kind of ride, but that's me. I couldn't quickly find info on it - does the giant take a rack?? (my opinion only) - I would not want to go cross country with a seat post rack.

Good luck in your decision - you have to get the bike that feels right to *you*

[captenaj]

The Giant does take a rear rack but someone said my heal would be hitting a pannier if I used it. I'll have to check out the Casseroll from Salsa. I'd never heard of the brand so I was a little hesitant.

My problem with the Cross Check may have been size. I was sent out on a 50cm but today I started chatting with someone who was on a 46cm and she let me take it for a spin. I think that felt better. Now I'll have to take the 46cm for a longer ride. The problem w/ the CC is it has a dual chain ring in front. I'm looking for a triple. I guess that can be changed but all the add ons are going to start costing. *sigh* What's a girl to do.

[boy in a kilt]

The trek bikes are generally pretty good. I rode one for quite a while and only gave it up because of some unfortunate damage to the frame.

Here is what has worked for me in the past:

Tires: I run 700x28's on a pretty regular basis, sometimes hauling substantial loads. Since you aren't going to be hauling a lot of weight the tire size will be more a matter of comfort. I find that 32's are a good compromise. Fairly comfortable but without the massive rolling weight that goes with larger tires.

Wheels: The number of spokes generally depends on how much weight they'll be supporting. I've run a well-built 32 spoke rear wheel while heavily loaded with no problems. If you find a bike you really like that has 32 spoke wheels, go with it.

Triples: Don't compromise on this one. Get a triple. Current wisdom is 48/38/28 for touring bikes. I'm using a 50/40/30 and I'm happy with it.

Frames: Get what is comfortable for you and don't accept anything less. If the bike is comfortable, you will have a much more enjoyable ride. If your LBS won't make adjustments to things like stem length to improve your comfort, find another LBS.

Saddles: At best, you won't notice a good, comfortable saddle. At worst, it will become the bane of your existence. If you have a saddle you really like, have your new bike fit with that saddle on it. If you don't have one, don't be afraid to experiment until you find one. There are other people on this forum who can offer better advice on saddle fit for women than I.

And as always, experiment to see what works for you.

[KnottedYet]

The problem w/ the CC is it has a dual chain ring in front. I'm looking for a triple. I guess that can be changed but all the add ons are going to start costing. *sigh* What's a girl to do.

It cost me a grand total of $19 to turn my Surly Cross Check into a triple. The crank is ready to accept a granny chain ring. All ya gotta do is buy it! The LBS slaps it on, adjusts the derailleur, and away you go!

[Torrilin]

Heel strike is not as bad as it sounds. I've got a Jandd expedition rack (mostly for the extra length). If I set up my panniers wrong, I get heel strike despite the extra length. Set 'em up right, and everything's perfect.

Don't worry so much about the perfect bike for this tour. Worry about how well the bike handles normal things, like commuting. If it handles your normal daily load well, and you can move the bike easily like that, it will handle the tour well too. People can and do tour on all kinds of bikes .

(oh and feel free to ignore the tour organizers' 28mm tire thing if you like fatter tires. You can always bring a spare folding tire or two and some spare inner tubes to suit your preferred tire size.)

[captenaj]

I think I may end up ignoring the tour organizer's recommendation on tires. When I first tried the Giant OCR1W I thought it felt great. I tried it again today, went about 10-12 miles, and it wasn't so great. My hands were hurting a bit. Could it be that I am just not used to drops?

So I'm back to thinking about the Surly LHT. It was one of the first bikes I tried and I think it has been the most comfortable. The specs say "Crankarms:Sugino XD600:48-36-26t, silver." Others on this forum are recommending "50-40-30" I think. Is it better have smaller numbers or larger?

The tires on the LHT are supposed to be 26" by 1.5". How does the 1.5" translate into the 28c terminology? I know it's not just converting mm to inches.

The other bike I'm considering is the Specialized Sequoia Elite. I haven't ridden one yet but there is a LBS that has one in my size. Any opinions?

Thanks for all the feedback. It's been invaluable.

[Starfish]

The other bike I'm considering is the Specialized Sequoia Elite. I haven't ridden one yet but there is a LBS that has one in my size. Any opinions?

That's what I have. I did a 7 day supported tour, mileage 55-80/day, the first season I rode. I had a great time, and the bike was terrific. I'm a couple seasons past that now, and still have the same bike. Someday I want a racier bike, but it has been a great bike.

Fit is key. My bike fits me well, and I can ride a hard century and have no hand soreness, neck stiffness, etc. the next day.

It has the fittings to mount a rear rack if you want it. 25cc tires, which are plenty cushy for me...of course I don't ride loaded like a touring bike.

ETA: Actually, I did that tour about 1 month after buying the bike, and it still all worked out great.