Suggestions for Cannondale Quick CX3 to be used as a tourer?

[Martin Rees]

this is my bike. and to clarify I mean for long cycles over a few/several days and this is recreational not racing. I plan on using this for the Coast to Coast and then the London to Paris. I need a rack and panniers for this but as I have never toured before I don't know what to look for.

I would like 2 rear panniers and I don't know if I need a particular type of rack to allow me to mount these or will any rack do. I am a complete novice so any advice would be greatly appreciated. also any suggestions of modifications/changes/equipment that I might need will also be very helpful.

I would rather make some changes to this bike as I love it than purchase another however I also have a 10 year old Raleigh Tundra which I have upgraded the gears and put road tyres on, would this be better?
this is my Raleigh (this is so old the specs are not online but I love this bike)

its a solid frame and now has 21 gears with EZ shifters. again any help and advice would be very welcome

 

[steveindenmark]

Dont get bogged down with cycling correctness. Any rack that will take panniers will do the job as long as you dont put huge amounts of weight on it. I would also add a bar bag for all your bits and bobs. That is about it, the rest is your choice.

Personally, if you are going to spend most of the time on the road, I would change the tyres to something smoother like Schwalbe Marathons.

Steve

 

[roundisland]

2nd the bar bag, recently brought ortlieb ultimate. I've found it so useful.

 

[doog]

Look at your Raleigh and see if it has the mountings on the rear for a rack. If it has and the dale doesnt then you are halfway there, easy peasy or you are looking at clamps etc. You state you also have road tyres on it, then go for the Raleigh although you could always swap them to the cannondale.

The Cannondale looks too 'nickable' and blingy for touring as well, unlike the Raleigh (so you might sleep sounder at night) . Ive made a great tourer out of an old steel framed Raleigh, no crook would give it a second look, not worried about leaving it out in the rain or outside a shop.

 

[Martin Rees]

thanks for all the reply's and sorry for taking so long to come back to you. @doog I have checked and they bot have the mountings for the Racks so doesn't make the choice any easier. it has been suggested to take the Raleigh and replace the wheels for thinner ones (700's) but I don't know if hey will fit. and also replacing the handlebars with road bike ones and also upping the number of gears. would this be worth while or even possible to add bigger wheels? I would imagine that I would need to replace the from forks on the Raleigh to accommodate and not sure if I would be able to fit them to the back.

I see what your saying about the Nickability of the dale which is something I have considered as most of it is quick release.

@steveindenmark and @roundisland took this advise and got a cheap little bar bag to test. you are totally right and it is so handy just wish I had got a better one to begin with as I am now looking for a better one. thanks

its also worth noting that my touring isn't about speed as much as it about getting from start to finish. i'm not it for the race but more to say "yeah, I did that".

 

[steveindenmark]

Martin, because of all the changes you intend to make to make this bike a tourer, i would consider a new bike.

You dont need drop handlebars, personally I can never get comfortable on them and dont have them on any of my bikes. You can Tour on anything. I go to both extremes. I have a Koga World Traveller 29. It is a Tourer to go anywhere in the World. Its top spec, top of the range and is a fantastic bike, but expensive.

At the other end I have my Kickbike. No frills, great fun and capable of 100km a day touring. I enjoy both bikes just as much. They are 2 tools to do the same job.

I carry the same gear on both bikes. Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat etc. In my view you need to look at the kit you are carrying as much as the bike you are carrying it on. The lighter the kit you carry, the lighter the bike you can use.

Look on the "Crazy Guy on a bike" site. Look what bikes they are riding and what gear they carry. It will give you tips.
I started cheap. I had a single skin tent for about £6, dont do it. It was very, very light but if it rained I got wet and if it didnt rain the condensation got me wet. I have used my Vango 3 double skinned tent for quite a while now and it is excellent, even for 2 up touring.

I have an Exped 7 UL air mattress. The best bit of kit for bike camping, ever. Small, light warm, drys quickly. But not cheap. But I would rather save up then buy cheap rubbish over and over again.

Bags. Ortlieb all the time for longer tours. I have some others for day trips to the beach. Ortlieb are very expensive but will keep all your gear dry and will last for years. I have bought so many cheap bags that fall apart after one trip, i could have bought 2 sets of Ortlieb panniers. You can buy cheap, just make sure it is good cheap and not crap cheap.

I would look for a lighter bike, something without front suspension. There are lots in the local papers and e Bay. The Dawes Galaxy bike always gets good reviews but ask on here and someone might have something tucked away that they want to sell.


Here is my Kickbike on a day trip to the seaside. I do use it for full tours.




My Koga World Traveller in Mallorca last year. The price of the bike does not relate to the enjoyment of the holiday. But it helps to have the right tool for the job.



Steve

 

[Martin Rees]

@steveindenmark thanks for the advice. i decided to keep the cannondale and use this with only 1 modification. i am going to swap the front forks for a solid set rather than suspension the main reason for this is i permanently have it locked off anyway, other than this i will keep to the standard i think and make any modifications if and when i need them.

on that note does anyone have any recommendations for what to look for or a god set they have used/have. i would like to be able to attach small/medium panniers to them if this makes a different?

 

[Crankarm]

Solid fork - Surly Ogre for 700C although you could probably use a Troll fork 559C / 26" wheels) as there is a massive amount of clearance.

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/surly_ogre_29er_mtb_fork-ID_59676

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/surly_troll_fork-ID_59678

FWIW neither of your bikes look particularly suited to touring although of the two the Raleigh would be better imho as it does not have so high a head tube and you wouldn't necessarily have to buy a new fork unless you definitely wanted dedicated pannier mounts (p clips are crap).

My advice would be get a cheaper spec Dawes Galaxy on eBay (checking it's not nicked) which will serve you a lot better and will be miles better to ride on the road loaded than your current bikes.

HTH.