Cheap tourer that's still good?
- Thread starter Time Waster
- Start date
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What kind of touring are you planning on doing?
I got this Specialized Sirrus 3.0 X 13months ago: list price around £800…..my final ride-2-work bike. It took me and a lot of gear from Lands End to John O’Groats in May, through 50mph gales&rain in Cornwall & all points north!
Extras included Ergon GP5 bar ends and some kick-started Spirgrips (a truly brilliant combination for multiple hand positions…I had considered butterfly bars).
Obviously you’d need bags to suit, regardless of the bike. Ortliebs are great, and I love a decent handlebar bag with physical map on top. For ⅓ of my trip, I had camping kit aboard as well…..& those camping days were, in truth, probably the best part of my time 🏕. I have a pricey yet roomy Force Ten Xenon 2+ tent, but if starting now, I’d go for a cheaper Alpkit Aeronaut-2 - lightweight and sufficient, with inflatable tube👍
Of course, AFTER the trek, I discovered (and deployed!) a rear cassette with a lower gearing - that would have been handy with some hills I was forced to hike (not too many, mind!). The next trip, as yet unknown, will undoubtedly be easier 🤣
On the “don’t get too lost” front, I’m a massive fan of my Wahoo Roam, & on the tech safety front, the Garmin Varia. Combined cost of those is well over half that of the bike itself…but I do love a gadget 🤪
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
I think they're long gone, but I believe you can still get the gum
T4tomo
Legendary Member
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/rc120...ure-bike-grey/_/R-p-328330?mc=8603085&c=GREEN
must be right up there in best vale for New. Takes rack and mudguards. 1x with a lowest of 1:1 / 42-42
Otherwise a 2nd hand classic steel tourer from Spa, Dawes etc fitted with a 3x9 or similar to get a really low bottom gear for loaded touring uphills and mechanical simplicity.
bonzobanana
Guru
Also the suspension is Suntour and air suspension so you'd need to take a shock pump. Hydraulic disc brakes so not easy to maintain on a tour and Canyon has a total load rating of 120kg which could be restrictive when totally loaded up with gear depending on rider weight. Short 6 year frame warranties on Canyon too. Also as a direct to consumer brand you'll have no free support from your local bike shop. Factory to retailer direct brands like Halfords, Decathlon, Evans, Go Outdoors etc can out compete direct to consumer brands on price and yet still offer local service and support. I remember reading a forum posting where someone bought a Halfords bike and toured around the UK and made use of Halfords once or twice on his tour and managed to get a couple of punctures fixed free of charge because the bike was so new even though he had ridden it many hundreds of miles and when I say fixed I mean free new tubes. Also you have to be careful with Canyon as they do many proprietary items on bikes which can only be obtained from Canyon and at very high prices. That may not apply to this model though but you need to be careful.
I'm not really a fan of Canyon I've heard many complaints about their customer service and their CF frames and forks are coming from Quest Composites which is a poor factory with regard quality and staff conditions. They originally used CF frames from Giant which are very high quality but like many brands they stopped using Giant as they became too expensive as a OEM supplier and so they moved. I think touring is more about solidly engineered bikes rather than fashionable and trendy designs. Steel being the ideal frame material for long tours for its durability and maybe slight comfort improvement depending on frame and forks.
The touring bible is here;
http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/thorn_mega_brochure.pdf
It gives lots of great info about ideal bikes and how to configure as well as of course trying to sell you their touring bikes but you can just use it as a guide to the type of s/hand bike you need and how to configure it. Admittedly their advice is often about serious touring, weeks and even months of touring in countries with poor infrastructure. Probably un-necessary for light touring of just a few days in the UK.
My Orbit is only 3 years old.I think they're long gone, but I believe you can still get the gum
Kingfisher101
Veteran
New or secondhand and where are you going what type of touring? etc.
The cheapest will be a Dawes tourer secondhand I would think.
The cheapest will be a Dawes tourer secondhand I would think.
iluvmybike
Über Member
Given that the lady is small in stature (48-51cm frame) then a dawes will be no good - they are all quite long in the top tube. I'm of a similar stature and tried one and whilst seat tube height was good the reach was ridiculously long
All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
My route to the "perfect for me" touring bike was to start with a 1990s steel hybrid, a Marin Stinson, and then play around with handlebars, gearing, tyres and saddles until I found what works for me. I even built new wheels just to see if I could.
That bike has taken me many, many miles.
Knowing what works for me I had a conversation with John at Spa in July, resulting in a Spa Aubisque with 2x9 gearing, tubus rack and a lowest gear of 30/40, that will help when I venture into Devon.
That bike has taken me many, many miles.
Knowing what works for me I had a conversation with John at Spa in July, resulting in a Spa Aubisque with 2x9 gearing, tubus rack and a lowest gear of 30/40, that will help when I venture into Devon.
Kingfisher101
Veteran
Yes but thats you, everyone is slightly different with their proportions etc.
Merlin do a Gravel bike for £599 with Claris Groupset, this would be o.k I think. Merlin Malt G2 Claris Gravel Bike - 2022 | Merlin Cycles or this Merlin Malt G2P Tiagra Gravel Bike - 2022 | Merlin Cycles, this one has a 32 on the back which gives a lower climbing gear.
vickster
Legendary Member
Ridgeback do tourers too eg...probably need to hunt for stock, but start in an XS frame. Pretty colour too
https://activesport.co/epages/80c85...-7a95-4b1c-9c30-e64b314f3f2e/Products/RB21500
or a steel option with triple, guards, rack, available in small (need to check sizing), albeit over budget (might be able to negotiate a bit) (ActiveSpprt say it's due in stock at £1099)
https://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/b...nolds-steel-touring-road-bike-in-green__43986
https://activesport.co/epages/80c85...-7a95-4b1c-9c30-e64b314f3f2e/Products/RB21500
or a steel option with triple, guards, rack, available in small (need to check sizing), albeit over budget (might be able to negotiate a bit) (ActiveSpprt say it's due in stock at £1099)
https://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/b...nolds-steel-touring-road-bike-in-green__43986
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Definitely. Bought my 1996 little used Super Galaxy for about £250
off EBay this year and it was a local seller. An absolute bargain. 
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Gillstay
Veteran
I found a good ridgeback like that and for some reason it was very comfortable. Gave it away to help a friend out and not found the same combination since. Second hand Koga next. Great bit of kit and under 500 notes all in.Agree with posts above about gearing, the desirability of having something that doesn't look too flash/nickable. Plus the simplicity of flat bar.
Have never ridden one but have read and heard lots of good things about Spa tourers and they look very sensibly specced.
Also agree with going for 8 or 9 speed - definitely no need for anything above 9 speed if you use a triple.
Hybrids (I'd personally go for steel) definitely make good tourers - if you are handy you can pick up second hand ones and replace certain bits. Invest in good wheels and use the money saved by buying second-hand to invest in premium quality racks and panniers (Tubus and Ortlieb for me) which can of course be used on other bikes you have now or may get in the future.
This cost me £30 though of course stuff was added. 8 speed triple though have built up a related bike as a 9 speed triple - the basis of that cost me £21. Both quality steel.
As you can see I don't go easy on the loading
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Time Waster
Veteran
There's no budget really just curious about what people would consider the best, new, budget tourer for a female needing a 48-51cm or 16"-18" frame. If people wouldn't go cheaper than the £950 flat bar 8 speed spa tourer then that's good enough. She's liking the look of genesis tour de fer 10 and the spa tourers. However spending less for a good option will always appeal.
Use would be main bike for leisure riding, no longer commuting by bike as home working or train to work. Annual tour for 2 weeks plus covid permitting a few shorter tours. Camping in tents when touring. Got a helsport 3 man extended tunnel tent that's 4 season but very light for its size. Very compact too, will fit into an ortlieb 20l pannier with poles and space to spare.
She's a former mountain biker but has been road riding for a long time now. Cityjets on her old mtb that she also used touring. She's thinking of a tourer that will allow 4 pannier rig. She loves the wide range triple 9 speed SRAM. The only option close is a spa tourer with parts swapped out from standard. No other tourer at any price has as wide range of gears as her mtb. Even new MTBs don't quite get as close.
Use would be main bike for leisure riding, no longer commuting by bike as home working or train to work. Annual tour for 2 weeks plus covid permitting a few shorter tours. Camping in tents when touring. Got a helsport 3 man extended tunnel tent that's 4 season but very light for its size. Very compact too, will fit into an ortlieb 20l pannier with poles and space to spare.
She's a former mountain biker but has been road riding for a long time now. Cityjets on her old mtb that she also used touring. She's thinking of a tourer that will allow 4 pannier rig. She loves the wide range triple 9 speed SRAM. The only option close is a spa tourer with parts swapped out from standard. No other tourer at any price has as wide range of gears as her mtb. Even new MTBs don't quite get as close.
