# 8000+ miles, which Bike!?



## del (12 Jun 2011)

Hey guys...

As the title says, we are doing quite a long tour and we are all in need of decent tour bikes.

Having done hours of research and reading reviews we are still torn between numerous bikes and figured the best thing to do, would be to ask poeple who actually have used these tour bikes.

So then... any suggestions? 

Some extra info of what might need to be considered:

heavy load expected... the tour will last about 6 months, so we will be loading the bikes up with a lot of equipment.

Terrain is likely to be variable... aim to stick to tarmac where possible, but im sure there will be some beaten tracks along the way.

ideally we would like to stick to the £1000 mark, unless you guys really think its essential we spend more? 

We are all in our early 20's and active so spending £2000 for the top components is not really on the table for us.

Also it would be ideal to keep the bikes as simple/basic as possible should we need spares.



ok this is getting a bit complicated now... in summary we need decent all round tourers in the 1k mark
Dawes and thorns seem to keep popping up all over the place, seriously considered the Dawes horizon (cheaper) but figured in the long run, it migh be better to spend an extra few hundred now. Have had a look at byers cycles, they seem pretty resonable in price too, and Cotic 'x' (seem to be under the radar) but yeah, any advice on any of these or other bikes you think are suitable would be greatly appreciated guys!!! 

thanks!


----------



## Dave Davenport (12 Jun 2011)

Where are you going?


----------



## P.H (12 Jun 2011)

I'll be the first to say it, though probably not the last - Surly Long Haul Trucker;
http://www.surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker_complete/

It's everything you'll need from a touring bike and nothing you don't, IMO the best you'll find at that price. Yes you can get more expensive, better bikes but the benefit for the extra money would be marginal. Comes in 26" or 700c, the choice is yours, I prefer 700c but if I was going outside Europe/USA I'd choose 26" for the availability. Find a decent shop and you may get some options on the spec, also make sure the wheels are checked out, at this price point they may be machine built and would benefit from some human TLC before you set off.


----------



## Angelfishsolo (12 Jun 2011)

That is an amazing price for such a bike. I want one!!!


P.H said:


> I'll be the first to say it, though probably not the last - Surly Long Haul Trucker;
> http://www.surlybike...ucker_complete/
> 
> It's everything you'll need from a touring bike and nothing you don't, IMO the best you'll find at that price. Yes you can get more expensive, better bikes but the benefit for the extra money would be marginal. Comes in 26" or 700c, the choice is yours, I prefer 700c but if I was going outside Europe/USA I'd choose 26" for the availability. Find a decent shop and you may get some options on the spec, also make sure the wheels are checked out, at this price point they may be machine built and would benefit from some human TLC before you set off.


----------



## del (12 Jun 2011)

Thanks for the replies...

That definitely looks like a great deal, although im no pro when it comes to the individual components, but £944 seems like a decent price.

We'll be cycling to Kenya Dave, thats where the charity is located so it made sense to end the journey there, but we plan to take more than a few detours along the way.


Any other suggestions? keep them coming! : )


----------



## bigjim (12 Jun 2011)

Chainrings don't seem that touring friendly.


----------



## Dave Davenport (12 Jun 2011)

Hmmm... Africa; 26" wheels and a steel frame would seem to be in order. A 1980's steel moutain bike frame, some good hand built wheels and mid level MTB group set would do the job in budget.


----------



## P.H (12 Jun 2011)

bigjim said:


> Chainrings don't seem that touring friendly.



48/36/26 with a 11-34 cassette looks about right for me. Pretty standard fare, if you can't get up a hill in that bottom gear it's probably quicker walking


----------



## del (12 Jun 2011)

yeah the Surly LHT seems to be getting good reviews pretty much consistently and it has the advantage of an upright seating position which the others dont seem to have...

Still open to suggestions guys, comfort would be a priority


----------



## blockend (12 Jun 2011)

Steel MTB good but will be old or cult (read: expensive) or the Surly. You could do it on almost any bike but I'd want fat tyres and clearances.


----------



## bigjim (12 Jun 2011)

P.H said:


> 48/36/26 with a 11-34 cassette looks about right for me. Pretty standard fare, if you can't get up a hill in that bottom gear it's probably quicker walking



This is what I saw on the link provided, . I did not see any cassette details. A 38 lowest inner does not appear to be touring.

42/53t double, 38/52/56t triple


----------



## P.H (12 Jun 2011)

bigjim said:


> This is what I saw on the link provided, . I did not see any cassette details. A 38 lowest inner does not appear to be touring.
> 
> 42/53t double, 38/52/56t triple


LOL  That's the chainring clearance on the frame spec, ie the biggest rings you can put in those positions, if that were a chainset it wouldn't even be very Tour De France friendly. For the bike specs, click on the tab on the left of the link...


----------



## bigjim (13 Jun 2011)

Ahhh.
Obviousley not as intelligent as you. Thanks for pointing it out so politely. Still confusing to dumb little creatures like me.


P.H said:


> LOL  That's the chainring clearance on the frame spec, ie the biggest rings you can put in those positions, if that were a chainset it wouldn't even be very Tour De France friendly. For the bike specs, click on the tab on the left of the link...


----------



## dellzeqq (13 Jun 2011)

The peeps at Brixton Cycles, who could have just about any bike they wanted, go for the Long Haul Trucker. 'Ride and forget' seems to cover it. 

http://www.brixtoncy...o.uk/surly.html 
frame and fork for £350 seems decent enough 
the Truckaccino bike complete is £999 


*Long Haul Trucker*

_*Heavy duty touring bike.
Geared only, rim braked, full braze-ons for front and rear racks, mudguards, 3 bottle cages and spare spokes. Ever wanted to cycle round the world carrying everything you own? This is the bike for the job.
26" wheels for 54cm and under frame sizes, 700c wheels 56mm and over. 135mm OLD
Red or Blue (some green ones left but not all sizes).*_


----------



## Soltydog (13 Jun 2011)

The LHT seems a great bike & always has good reviews, however I ordered 1 about this time last year & because of the size, largest frame & 700c wheels there was no stock in UK & delivery was initially quoted at 2 months, but then extended to 6 months  & even that wasn't guaranteed, so I opted for the Ridgeback Panorama instead, which is also a great bike, although a little more expensive, it comes with front & rear racks, bottle cages & mudguards


----------



## al-fresco (13 Jun 2011)

dellzeqq said:


> The peeps at Brixton Cycles, who could have just about any bike they wanted, go for the Long Haul Trucker. 'Ride and forget' seems to cover it.
> 
> http://www.brixtoncy...o.uk/surly.html
> frame and fork for £350 seems decent enough
> ...



Stoppit!! I don't need another Surly... but dammit they look so good!


----------



## del (13 Jun 2011)

Sounds like the LHT is the one!


I'll have a look around and see what deals i can get if we buy 4 bikes at once



Cheers guys


----------



## dubman (13 Jun 2011)

Another vote here , for the Surly , they are a great bike to ride


----------



## srw (13 Jun 2011)

Mildly off-topic, but does anyone else find it annoying that a "complete" touring bike, priced carefully at just under £1000, does not include anything that makes it capable of being used for touring: pedals, mudguards, bottle cages, even racks? I suspect that saddle won't be tour-ready either.


----------



## del (13 Jun 2011)

yeah it is fecking annoying  I spoke to a local dealer, and should be getting the Surly for just under 900 buttttt....
Getting the bike up and ready to go touring is probably going to add another few hundred on that  

Im hoping 1200 all in... and the bike will be up to spec and ready to eat the tarmac!


----------



## blockend (13 Jun 2011)

Bring back Raleigh. Randonneurs came with Brooks Pro saddle, pedals, pump, cages, bottles, spare spokes on special brazing, guards, racks and touch-up paint. Shall we say £250's worth in today's money?


----------



## hubbike (13 Jun 2011)

roberts roughstuff is worth a look

as is http://www.adventure-cycling-guide.co.uk/bike5.htm


----------



## dellzeqq (13 Jun 2011)

a friend is currently on her way to Kazakhstan on the Fahrad that you can see on hubbike's link.


----------



## vorsprung (13 Jun 2011)

I recently got an old steel framed 80s Peugeot MTB from the dump, for free. I put a different front wheel on (another dump acquistion), new grips, saddle and brake levers/blocks/cables, a used 8 speed chain and some special offer 26" semi slick Schwalbe Marathons from Spa Cycles. Total cost to me less than 100 quid

Could I ride it to Kenya? Probably

It's my daughters bike now so I am not allowed to ride it across Africa 

oh, btw if you are thinking "I wouldn't want to build a bike" you are doing the wrong challenge. If you ride a bike that far you will end up fixing it, best learn how to now before you start


----------



## vorsprung (13 Jun 2011)

A more expensive option is this

http://www.cotic.co.uk/product/bikes/roadrat/alfine/

£850 with sealed hub gear. Less if you feel able to do without gears.


----------



## Brains (13 Jun 2011)

I'd use the Dawes Galaxy as the 'benchmark' bike and compare all others to this one.

My personal preference would be to go for the Thorn Nomad or the Thorn EXP (although the EXP may be double your budget) but a 2nd hand Nomad may be obtainable as Thorn buy their old bikes back when people upgrade.

A second hand Thorn would be a lot better than new lower spec bike


----------



## craigwend (13 Jun 2011)

Always worth a look

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s21p0


Dawes - Horizon, Vantage & Karakum within you budget, they will price match Galaxies... (if your buying four you may be able to do a deal!)


----------



## Dave Davenport (13 Jun 2011)

Might be worth having a word with Thorn. List price for a ready to go Sherpa is £1250 but maybe they'll cut a deal for four and some publicity.


----------



## samid (13 Jun 2011)

srw said:


> Mildly off-topic, but does anyone else find it annoying that a "complete" touring bike, priced carefully at just under £1000, does not include anything that makes it capable of being used for touring: pedals, mudguards, bottle cages, even racks? I suspect that saddle won't be tour-ready either.


If I were buying a new touring bike, I would much prefer it to come without pedals, saddle and racks unless they were Time Z-Control's, Brooks Team Pro and Tubus Cargo.


----------



## andym (13 Jun 2011)

personally I'd get an 456 or inbred from on-one.co.uk plus wheels from Harry Rowland or Spa Cycles.

But if you want something off the shelf then an LHT is probably a good bet.



srw said:


> Mildly off-topic, but does anyone else find it annoying that a "complete" touring bike, priced carefully at just under £1000, does not include anything that makes it capable of being used for touring: pedals, mudguards, bottle cages, even racks? I suspect that saddle won't be tour-ready either.



Well yes and no. If they specced the stuff I would have chosen anyway (at OEM prices) then great. But if it means buying stuff I don't want, or already have, and then having to eBay it then it's not quite so attractive.


----------



## del (13 Jun 2011)

thanks for all the suggestions guys, bit spoilt for choice now!!

Im still leaning towards the surly LHT, as it seems the most complete and ready to ride, so i'll probably end up ordering those in.

I have thought about building the bike up from a frame (or a used frame) but my current knowledge on this topic is lacking severly!! 
And since i will be in full time work all the way up untill the depature... im not really going to have the time to learn more than the basics i might need on a repair job... so its best i stick to a complete bike.


----------



## Brains (14 Jun 2011)

del said:


> I have thought about building the bike up from a frame (or a used frame) but my current knowledge on this topic is lacking severly!!
> And since i will be in full time work all the way up untill the depature... im not really going to have the time to learn more than the basics i might need on a repair job... so its best i stick to a complete bike.



May I suggest you nip down to the local dump and acquire the best bike you can find.

You task, should you chose to accept it, is to dismantle the bike completly, and then rebuild it completly from the ground up (including a frame respray) buying missing/worn parts of e-bay.
The proof that you have completed the task is then to sell said bike on e-bay for more than the sum of the parts

The actual work could be done in a single weekend, but realistically might be a couple of weeks of an hour per evening.
You will then learn enough to keep a bike on the road for your 8K trip


----------



## vorsprung (14 Jun 2011)

del said:


> .. im not really going to have the time to learn more than the basics i might need on a repair job... so its best i stick to a complete bike.



Then like I said above you are doing the wrong challenge. Unless one of your companions is a bike fixing whiz

Haven't you read any cycle touring memoirs? Al Humphries fixes stuff all the time.


----------



## Dave Davenport (14 Jun 2011)

Although Ann Mustoe managed to get all the way around the world without even knowing how to fix a puncture.


----------



## hubbike (14 Jun 2011)

There are plenty of people who don't have many repair skills but still go far (like me!!). But repair skills are easy to acquire and most problems are fairly easily fixed. and very few places on the planet don;t have bike shops.

Its worth learning:
how to repair a broken spoke
how to change brake blocks
how to adjust brakes and gears
how to fix punctures and change tyres

if you have a local bike recycling project they might be able to help

Al Humphrey used a string of pretty lousy cheap bikes that were donated to him. He was always fixing things because mid-range mountain bikes can only take so much... You could be lucky with a cheap bike, especially if you upgrade some of the components (a good way to learn some maintenance) but IME shelling out for a more reliable tourer will mean considerable savings in heartache and repair bills later.


----------



## andym (14 Jun 2011)

I thought Al Humphreys had two bikes - he broke the frame of one and got another one (I think from Specialized).

Investing money in the frame, wheels and is definitely worthwhile, but for other things I'm not sure that spending more will get you more long-lasting/reliable kit
eg there are reasonable arguments for running a 7-speed cassette and chain, with friction shifters.


----------



## The_East_Stand_View (14 Jun 2011)

Hats of to you, a fab challenge for charity.

What country route will you take?


----------



## del (15 Jun 2011)

thanks

We are only planning a very rough route through europe as we want to allow plenty of scope for exploring!! but we aim to follow the Danube River for most of it and perhaps veering off every now again. 

Im in a little dilema about which route to take after Turkey, as Syria seems pretty unstable now aswell. Obviously safety is a priority, but nice scenary would be a bonus  but then the idea is to go through Saudi, to Dubai and then back across Saudi, Ship it across the sea to Eritea, then Ethiopia, and then to Kenya...

Thats the basic plan anyway... any thoughts?


----------



## willem (15 Jun 2011)

As for bike choice at roughly this price, I think there are two excellent options. The LHT is one of them, and the other is the German Fahrradmanufaktur T400. They represent very different styles, however, so it is up to you to decide what you like. In theory, the LHT is more a tarmac bike, whereas the T400 is more an off road tourer. But both are proper multi role bikes.
Willem


----------



## The_East_Stand_View (15 Jun 2011)

Del, I have no experience at touring so I don't want to give you bad advice. I admire what your attempting. Will you post a daily blog?


----------



## del (16 Jun 2011)

yeah I've had a look at the Fahrradmanufaktur T400 but it seems quite difficult to get a hold of in the UK.

Im quite set on the Surly now, they recommend their own racks as they are Tubular Steel which should be stronger, but is it worth it?
Or will aluminium ones suffice? bearing in mind we probably will have heavy loads? anyone got any experience on this ?


----------



## pkeenan (16 Jun 2011)

I'd go with Thorn... though that's cos I just have 

LHT does look a great bike...


----------



## andym (16 Jun 2011)

del said:


> yeah I've had a look at the Fahrradmanufaktur T400 but it seems quite difficult to get a hold of in the UK.
> 
> Im quite set on the Surly now, they recommend their own racks as they are Tubular Steel which should be stronger, but is it worth it?
> Or will aluminium ones suffice? bearing in mind we probably will have heavy loads? anyone got any experience on this ?



The world divides into people who have had aluminium racks break on them and have then bought steel racks nd those that haven't. I'm in the first group - for that length of trip, skimping on the racks seems like a false economy. 

I don't have any experience/knowledge of Surly racks, and Surly make good stuff, but you might also want to check out the Tubus Cosmo and Vega (I think that's the correct name). EDIT:in fact it's the Logo.


----------



## willem (16 Jun 2011)

I love Surly, but that does not include their overweight racks. Go for a Tubus Cargo rear rack and one of their front racks. They are stiffer than anything else I know, and they last. Th eonly snag is that they are epoxy coated, and this will scratch, and then start to rust. Being the obsessive type I am I had mine chrome plated.

Willem


----------



## P.H (16 Jun 2011)

There's nothing in the Tubus range like that Surly front rack. Most people (Including me) don't need the options of high or low mounting and a top platform, but if you think that at some point you may need extra capacity, a few days water and food for example, then it's be good to know you've somewhere to carry it. For the rear I'd prefer the Tubus , the lower set of rails make the top platform easier to use. I wouldn't be too concerned about rust, but if you are Tubus also do a stainless steel version for an extra £20 or even a titanium one for even more money!

I don't think decent aluminium rear racks fail very often and when they do it not likely to be catastrophic and probably bodgable till you get a replacement. If You're on a budget I wouldn't compromise on the front rack and get something like the Tor Tec Expedition for the back.

http://www.primera-s...-rack-6327.aspx


----------



## andym (17 Jun 2011)

willem said:


> I love Surly, but that does not include their overweight racks. Go for a Tubus Cargo rear rack and one of their front racks. They are stiffer than anything else I know, and they last. Th eonly snag is that they are epoxy coated, and this will scratch, and then start to rust. Being the obsessive type I am I had mine chrome plated.



Which is where the Cosmo comes in - stainless steel so absolutely no rust (unlike chrome which can rust). The side rails add to the weight but IME beiing able to mount the panniers lower does help handling.




P.H said:


> I don't think decent aluminium rear racks fail very often and when they do it not likely to be catastrophic and probably bodgable till you get a replacement. If You're on a budget I wouldn't compromise on the front rack and get something like the Tor Tec Expedition for the back.



Ah the voice of someon who has never had a rack fail on them.

A rear rack failing would probably fall within most people's definition of 'catastrophic' - one minute you're riding along and all is well and the next minute you're stuffed. You might ne able to bodge something if the rack failed in the right place but otherwise I'd be doubtful. 

The rear rack is the one that carries most of the load so I would say it's the last place to compromise. I wouldn't compromise on the front rack either though. There are lots of other bits of equipment that aren't 'mission-critical' wher you can save money.


----------



## hubbike (17 Jun 2011)

racks and wheels are the most common breakages on a long tour. why skimp. 

I've seen a alu rack fall to peices and bodging a repair isn't so easy (not many mechanics have TIG welders but almost every village can weld steel). If the aluminium bends then when you bend it back it will snap or significantly weaken the joint.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27474601@N07/4437621731

It could be catastrophic if part of the rack/pannier gets in the wheel and takes out spokes. you could be looking at a very buckled wheel and serious injury. 

Steel is stronger, more flexible, easily repaired, and often there is little weight difference. I use Tubus racks. The strongest available.


----------



## andym (17 Jun 2011)

Chuffing heck the Surly racks are heavy though: 1.1 kgs for the rear rack and 1.3kg for the front.

http://www.surlybike...echnical_stuff/

and their recommended maximum weights (or at least for the rear) are actually less than for the Tubus equivalents- which may of course mean they are being cautious.


----------



## del (17 Jun 2011)

Thanks lads

Guess il start researching and investing in tubular steel racks, the tubus logo/cargo seems to be my best bet and £40 cheaper than surly racks so cheers for that  

Every one keeps mentioning the wheels... I was hoping the ones the surly comes with would be good enough to manage the tour with perhaps a few spoke repairs, or am i being completely unrealistic.


Just a summary of my bike equipment so far...

Surly Long Haul Trucker, Tubus cargo rack, Tubus Ergo Rack, Brooks spring saddle, <--- Ive been told are pretty important for tours? 

Next im wondering on weather its worth getting a dynamo hub charger or solar panels of some sort or not at all and just charge up at stops... what do you guys reckon, has anyone tried solar or dynamo charing...? Just saw a new thread has been started on this topic! so i will look there for answers!


----------



## P.H (17 Jun 2011)

del said:


> Every one keeps mentioning the wheels... I was hoping the ones the surly comes with would be good enough to manage the tour with perhaps a few spoke repairs, or am i being completely unrealistic.


The components that make up the wheels will be more than adequate for your trip, a small upgrade to better brake blocks will prolong the life of the rims even further (Koolstop Salmon are often recommended). The one thing that may let you down is the quality of the wheel building, as I said when originally recommending the LHT wheels at this price point are often machine built. Find a local wheelbuilder with a good reputation and get them to slacken, re tension, stress relive and true the wheels and you'll be well set, cost is likely to be around £20 - £30.

Saddles are very personal, many tourers prefer Brooks but not the sprung model which is usually seen on very upright bikes. One of the downsides of leather saddles is they take a bit of time to mould to the rider and are not alway the comfiest until they have, how much riding are you going to get done before you go? It is the one thing I'd like to be sure of before I set off.


----------



## andym (18 Jun 2011)

P.H said:


> Saddles are very personal, many tourers prefer Brooks but not the sprung model which is usually seen on very upright bikes. One of the downsides of leather saddles is they take a bit of time to mould to the rider and are not alway the comfiest until they have, how much riding are you going to get done before you go? It is the one thing I'd like to be sure of before I set off.



The sprung saddles also have their fans.

The break-in time for leather saddles depends a bit on which ones you choose. The b17s and the Team Pros use the least elastic leather while the Swifts and Swallows use more elastc leather. The downside of more elastic leather is of course that it stretches faster. My Swift is nearly halfway towards its limit after 3,500 kms. The stretch rate isn't uniform (it seems tp stretch more quickly initally) so it might last 8,000 miles.

Its worth noting that Brooks saddles come in different widths and lengths - IIRC the B17s are shorter and wider - so if you already have a saddle you get on with it might be worth looking for a Brooks with similar dimensions.


----------



## del (20 Jun 2011)

ah right... I guess i'll try out the standard saddle on it which im assuming is going to be pretty rubbish.

Well we are leaving late august so I should have a couple of months to get some high mileage days in. we'll be cycling the bikes back from Norwich to Essex so that will be a 100miler and give me a good idea of comfort of the bike/seat/setup. 

Im hoping the padded shorts will make a big difference too. 
Oh another thing im not sure about... the pedals... is it worth getting strapped saddles, or biking shoes? 

Im inclined just to go with my normal footwear and normal pedals only because reviews of biking shoes (long term) haven't been to positive, and strapped pedals... well if your going to fall you dont want your foot strapped in so you cant stand on it.


----------



## Yellow7 (20 Jun 2011)

Hi Del.

The padded cycling shorts are ok on short tours but not really healthy on long, hot tours. They give no room for ventilation and rashes can soon occur, the last thing you need on a long tour, a chap I rode some of Morroco / Western Sahara with had problems like this. Go for the brooks sprung saddle and kill 2 birds with one stone; no rashes and reduce the chance of broken spokes. (i've had none to date...rashes or broken spokes!)

As far as racks; Surly http://www.surlybike...rts/surly_rack/ a good compliment to the LHT?? Ok, there ferrous steel, not stainless, so have slight surface rust where the coating has worn from the pannier clips but hardly of much concern. The racks come with an almost meccano kit of screws and strap bars so will fit just about any frame.


Mark.


----------



## hubbike (20 Jun 2011)

+1 avoid padded shorts. on a longer tour they're of no use. cheap synthetic swim shorts are my weapon of choice. with a brooks, once your arse is used to the saddle its ventilation you need, not padding. also you look (and walk) like less of an idiot off the bike and they wash quicker. I'd recommend having some lightweight trekking trousers too. in long distance touring you adapt to the bike rather than the other way round.


----------



## upsidedown (20 Jun 2011)

Hi Del

Ref the wheels. If you go for the LHT and it comes with the Alex Adventurers that mine did you'll have no problems. I did well over 7000 miles on mine before the rims had gone, and that was through some pretty bleak rain, snow and ice. Never had one spoke go even with heavily loaded touring.

The Conti Contact tyres it came with were also brilliant.

cheers

paul


----------



## del (20 Jun 2011)

you guys are legends!

Ok so il definitely give the Brook spring saddle a go, £60 pounds isn't too bad considering it could make or break the journey!

thanks for the confidence about the wheels, i think il stick with them as they are and save money too!

Can i just ask, how much your load weighed on the bike ? did you have 30kg back and 10 front? etc.

Obviously i will aim to keep it as light as possible, but will the higher weights make a big difference to the effort you put in while cycling?


----------



## andym (20 Jun 2011)

There's nothing wrong with padded shorts - although chamois cream and washing them regularly obviously helps. Buy a good-quality pair of liner shorts - eg Ground. Effect Underdogs:

http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/product-detail-UND-SHO.htm

and wear under normal shorts.

Brooks saddles come in different shapes and sizes: the springs won't help if say you buy a short wide saddle when you'd have felt more comfortable on a longer narrower saddle.


----------



## Dave Davenport (20 Jun 2011)

Hmmmm saddles........ Very much a personal choice. I use quite a 'race' style saddle for touring, I've tried types designed with touring in mind but just don't get on with them.


----------



## yashicamat (20 Jun 2011)

Quite late here, but I love my LHT (with a Brooks saddle, although I opted for a B17) - wouldn't swap it for anything and while I don't intend to setting off to Africa at any point in the near future, I feel confident the bike is pretty well set up to deal with any issues!

Really great bike for the money - solid as a rock.


----------



## Blue Hills (21 Jun 2011)

Dave Davenport said:


> Hmmmm saddles........ Very much a personal choice. I use quite a 'race' style saddle for touring, I've tried types designed with touring in mind but just don't get on with them.



Agree. I'm no expert on touring at all but have a certain experience of saddles. My most comfortable saddle (ridden for 150 miles plus) is plastic and narrow. Guess it has something to do with individual shape and distance between sitbones. I'd agree with Dave - don't take it that one saddle is the best.


----------



## upsidedown (21 Jun 2011)

del said:


> you guys are legends!
> 
> Ok so il definitely give the Brook spring saddle a go, £60 pounds isn't too bad considering it could make or break the journey!
> 
> ...



Del

Not sure about the weight, but i'm 15 1/2 stones, carrying Trangia, fuel, sleeping bag, tent, clothes etc so not exactly lightweight. The weight does make a difference but the granny ring on the LHT's pretty forgiving.


----------

