Want to tour but....

[DeepBurn]

I am going to be buying 2 bikes soon (for me and the better half) and have been searching the second hand market as I am on a bit of a budget (upto £150ish x2). That doesn't include any kit by the way.

Me and my wife are keen to do some touring - starting next year in Northumberland. Obviously we want the best bike suitable to our needs. However I notice on ebay for example a lot of the bargain second hand bikes are Hybrids.

Are hybrids a decent bike to get started with for touring? What are the pros and cons?

Thanks

 

[mcshroom]

I started touring on a hybrid. If they are not the road bike with flat handlebars end of the spectrum then they can tour quite happily.

Try and find one without front suspension unless you plan on riding a lot of rough off-roads (more than canal paths and forestry trails), and look for a decent set of components.

What you will probably find with flat bars is that eventually your hands get uncomfortable keeping them in that one position, so bar ends are a good idea to allow you to move your hands around a bit. If you really want hand positions then trekking/butterfly bars work well but I'm not sure that they are that much better than long bar ends having tried both.

 

[sidevalve]

You could do as I did and buy older bikes {no I don't mean pre war}. Some of the good makers used to produce very good machines that may easily cover your needs. Dawes and Carlton come to mind but there were many others. I've seen several going for £100 - £150. OK they may need new tyres or chain but it's not rocket science and the frames although steel were very high quality and well worth a bit of time and effort.

 

[DeepBurn]

I started touring on a hybrid. If they are not the road bike with flat handlebars end of the spectrum then they can tour quite happily.

Try and find one without front suspension unless you plan on riding a lot of rough off-roads (more than canal paths and forestry trails), and look for a decent set of components.

What you will probably find with flat bars is that eventually your hands get uncomfortable keeping them in that one position, so bar ends are a good idea to allow you to move your hands around a bit. If you really want hand positions then trekking/butterfly bars work well but I'm not sure that they are that much better than long bar ends having tried both.

Thnaks for your advice.

I think that a hybrid - for our current needs - is going to be suitable. And as I say I'm sure once we get out riding we'll soon know what we like/don't like & need to change or look for in a newer bike.

 

[DeepBurn]

You could do as I did and buy older bikes {no I don't mean pre war}. Some of the good makers used to produce very good machines that may easily cover your needs. Dawes and Carlton come to mind but there were many others. I've seen several going for £100 - £150. OK they may need new tyres or chain but it's not rocket science and the frames although steel were very high quality and well worth a bit of time and effort.

I think I'd sooner buy and older 'higher spec' bike than a new(er) one for the same price but with worse features/more weight etc etc.

Just reading this forum & other cycling websites I've already improved my knowledge in the space of a month or so so I'm a bit more confident when looking at bikes on ebay whether they will be a good fit for me.

 

[DeepBurn]

What you will probably find with flat bars is that eventually your hands get uncomfortable keeping them in that one position, so bar ends are a good idea to allow you to move your hands around a bit. If you really want hand positions then trekking/butterfly bars work well but I'm not sure that they are that much better than long bar ends having tried both.

How much and how easy is it to fit bar ends. Have my eye on a bike but it has flat handlebars.

 

[Dayvo]

Bar ends are a piece of cake. Allen key is all you need (and maybe a knife to remove surplus grip).

I've done two long tours (6 weeks) on hybrids (heavily-loaded) and managed no problem. One day I will buy an out-and-out touring bike, but a decent hybrid will do a good job for you.

 

[mcshroom]

Cheap as well. I got these from decathlon (they now cost £7, I think they were £6 when I got them): -

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/3-position-bar-ends-black-id_669438.html

 

[DeepBurn]

Bar ends are a piece of cake. Allen key is all you need (and maybe a knife to remove surplus grip).

I've done two long tours (6 weeks) on hybrids (heavily-loaded) and managed no problem. One day I will buy an out-and-out touring bike, but a decent hybrid will do a good job for you.

That's really good to know thanks.

I won't be doing anything as long as 6 weeks I wouldn't think, probably a week max once we get into the swing of it all but who knows one day maybe?!!

Tbh can't wait to buy my 1st ever non-mountain bike & get started though.

Cheap as well. I got these from decathlon (they now cost £7, I think they were £6 when I got them): -

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/3-position-bar-ends-black-id_669438.html

Excellent - nice cheap conversion just what I like haha!

 

[derrick]

Nothing wrong with mtb with slick tyres on, we just did a week in holland, full suspension, no bar ends, just fitted some slicks, most bikes can be used for touring if set up for it.

 

[DeepBurn]

Nothing wrong with mtb with slick tyres on, we just did a week in holland, full suspension, no bar ends, just fitted some slicks, most bikes can be used for touring if set up for it.

I'm sure you're right but I've only ever had ultra cheap mountain bikes around £100 or so!!

 

[tyred]

For that budget, I would look at a 1990s "rigid" MTB, fit some slick tyres like City Jets in 26 x 1.5", a set of mudguards and a decent rack. These bikes have nice low gearing, are strong and sturdy and usually quite nice to ride when fitted with slicks.

I love my old steel road bikes and they can be picked up quite cheaply but they came with ridiculously high gearing which will need to be lowered for riding in a hilly area. This could potentially get expensive depending on how you go about it. Chrome rims are also common and these give shite braking in the wet, not really what you want if you want to go touring with luggage, and again, it costs money to change to alloy wheels so in you case for your budget, I would look at old MTBs.

 

[sidevalve]

Sorry to disagree at all with tyred but old MTBs can also be overweight and unresponsive, and still need "sorting". It's as easy to change a cassette [and therefor if you need to the gear ratios]/chain/tyres on a decent named road/touring [made when "tourer" wasn't a euphamism for cheap hybrid lash up] steel framed model. You will also find I suspect that very few of the quality builders used steel rims in the last 25 years for any of the bikes you would be considering.
Nothing wrong with older MTBs if you find a good'un but I think an older [but quality] tourer would suit you better.

 

[alans]

Tbh can't wait to buy my 1st ever non-mountain bike & get started though.

I regard my mountain bike as best suited to cycle camping in preference to my touring bike which I use for credit-card touring.
The mtb has bar ends on the flat bars.The knobbly tyres have been replaced with semi-slick tyres;mudgaurds have been added plus front & rear pannier racks.The very low mtb gears are ideal for pootling up hills with a large/heavy load on.
ymmv

 

[lukesdad]

For that budget, I would look at a 1990s "rigid" MTB, fit some slick tyres like City Jets in 26 x 1.5", a set of mudguards and a decent rack. These bikes have nice low gearing, are strong and sturdy and usually quite nice to ride when fitted with slicks.

I love my old steel road bikes and they can be picked up quite cheaply but they came with ridiculously high gearing which will need to be lowered for riding in a hilly area. This could potentially get expensive depending on how you go about it. Chrome rims are also common and these give shite braking in the wet, not really what you want if you want to go touring with luggage, and again, it costs money to change to alloy wheels so in you case for your budget, I would look at old MTBs.

This ^