what bike to build for a round the world trip?

[turbocabbage]

I am busy planning a round the world bike trip leaving this spring. I am planning on building a custom touring bike for this purpose, and I'm currently trying to decide what components to go for. So my three questions are:

Wheel Size: 26inch or 700c wheels?

There seems to be a consensus that 26inch wheels, tyres, tubes, spokes etc are much easier to buy in Asia and South America than 700c. From my own experience of third world countries, any spare bike parts will be hard to come by, regardless of wheel size and anything you can get will not be of high quality. But plenty of people seem to think that any that will be available will almost certainly be for 26 inch, and of course a substandard tyre or spoke which is compatible with your wheel is greatly preferable to waiting for a couple of weeks to have one shipped to you.

Regardless of what wheel size I go for, I will be putting on the fattest, beefiest touring tyres I can buy, and taking a spare pair of tyres, spare spokes and plenty of tubes. So, what do people reckon, are 26 inch parts so much more easily available in 3rd world countries that it would be sensible of me to with this wheel size in terms of spares? Bearing in mind that I'll have spare set of tyres with me.

On a related note, how likely is it that I will need to replace a rim? Bearing in mind I'll be riding on rough roads with a heavily laden bike for 10s of thousands of km. I've only ever broken rims before when they've been worn down by rim brakes, and I'd be running disc brakes, and also going for the strongest rims and fattest tyres I can get.

Frame: aluminium or steel?

I have an aluminium road frame already which I'm thinking of using. I've used it for touring before, but not on very rough roads. Would a steel frame cope with the extra weight and rough roads of touring better than an aluminium one, or does it not make much difference if I run fat high volume tyres? The other advantage I see to a steel frame is that steel is much easier (and therefore cheaper) to weld if it does get cracked.

Bearings for hubs, bottom brackets and headset: cup and cone or sealed cartridge?

Sealed cartridge bearings last longer without maintenance compared to cup and cone. However, it is simple to take apart a cup and cone and clean, regrease or replace the bearings, and the hub or bottom bracket will last a long time if this is done regularly. When a sealed cartridge bearing finally does where out, it the whole thing needs to be replaced. Which brings us back to the question of availability of spares.

Loose ball bearings and grease can be bought just about anywhere, they are not bicycle specific components. Whereas a bearing cartridge for a high end hub is specialist part which will probably be specific to the make of the hub. So I would obviously take spares. But I think it might be better to go for a cup and cone design, as I know I would be able to replace the bearings easily. Also I believe that sealed cartridge hubs need special tools to be taken out and replaced? And does anyone know if it is possible to put loose bearings in a sealed cartridge design hub as a temporary fix in an emergency?

Any input you can give is much appreciated!

 

[biggs682]

Steel frame as easier to repair, wheel size unsure but if you look at a lot of the so called expedition bikes most seem to be 26" equipped these day's.

I would have thought you want the ability to repack and repair as much as possible but why not start of with sealed units and a couple of spares then a set of get home loose bearing's and cups.

Must be loads of people who have done similar journey's and they are the people who you need to find.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[derrick]

Got to be a steel frame, Have never recommend steal before, the only reason i am now is that if it broke you could get it welded any where.

 

[2IT]

I am busy planning a round the world bike trip leaving this spring.

Any input you can give is much appreciated!

This cycling dutch girl has been traveling the world for years. I think throughout her journals/blogs/ sponsors you could get information on what has worked for her. Good luck to you too.

http://cyclingdutchgirl.com/

 

[MichaelW2]

Steel for touring bikes is a good balance between strength and comfort It isn't overly heavy. My reynolds 521 ST bike is comparable in weight to a midrange aluminium hybrid.
It is easier to find a touring style bike in steel, unless you go for a custom Koga.
A Thorn Sherpa or Nomad will serve you wee, and is ready made off the shelf with durable components. I would give serious consideration to using Euro style butterfly trekking bars rather than drops. Modern drop-bar controls are not ideal for touring.
The fattest tyres you can get are overly wide for touring but fattish 26" rubber is a sensible choice.
When it comes to hubs, note that when people rave about the Shimano XT hubs that are 15 years old and good as new, they are not talking about modern style XT, which is totally different.

 

[raleighnut]

I'd go for a steel frame but not for the 'ease of repair' but for the fact that it stands up to abuse long after an aluminium frame has given up the ghost.
I'd recommend a squares taper crank but be aware that the shafts on caged bearing ones are nowhere near as high quality now as they once were as they're only fitted to basic bikes these days (so they're cheaply made and the machining/case hardening is pants) A good tip to prolong BB life is to rotate the crank arms 1/4 turn every few thousand miles to shift the area of pressure/wear around the shaft.
As for brakes it'd make sense if you're going for a custom frame to have V-brake bosses fitted as well as disc brakes that way if you have a problem with the discs/calipers in the back of beyond you can always cobble a set of V-brakes on (and some racks fit onto those bosses)
Wheels, I'd go for 26" handlaced using a 36 spoke 4 cross pattern on the rear simply for strength, and shod with Schwalbe Marathons, as for hubs I'm not really sure which is best but if you want disc brakes it'll limit your choice (I'd want a good set of serviced older ones myself similar to those @MichaelW2 mentioned but my touring bike has old Maillard 'wideflange' ones that are 20+ yrs old but that is a more 'road' orientated bike)
Anyway that is my tuppence, good luck and Happy Trails.

 

[Spoked Wheels]

Hope I can remember all the questions....

26" wheels. Not only would be easier to source a replacement wheel but they will be definitely stronger than a 700c or 29er.
Fattest tyre? I'd go for a touring Marathon + .

Will you wear a disc brake rim? Not like you would wear down a rim beake rim for sure. If the wheels were built properly you shouldn't have to worry too much but if not and perhaps there is too much spoke tension then you might break the rim as metal fatigue will crack the rim. This is no time to try to save weight so plenty of good quality spokes and good rims are important. BTW, only double butted spokes..... some people like to use a mixture for touring rear wheels, there is no evidence that it helps the wheel but there is evidence that straight spokes last much less than doubled butted spokes.

Steel frames can be easily welded so your chances to get it fix in case of broken tube are much better than with Alluminium frame.

Hub bearings? If you master the technique to service a loose ball bearing hub before you go then no need to look elsewhere. If you can't get it right then I'd look at sealed cartridges and find out how to replace them.... you might need tools though.

As for bottom bracket, etc.... most touring cyclists prefer square taper BB, they just seem to work and are more reliable. Shimano UNO55 is one I'd recommend and avoid Stronglight ones.

 

[biggs682]

Steel frame as easier to repair, wheel size unsure but if you look at a lot of the so called expedition bikes most seem to be 26" equipped these day's.

I would have thought you want the ability to repack and repair as much as possible but why not start of with sealed units and a couple of spares then a set of get home loose bearing's and cups.

Must be loads of people who have done similar journey's and they are the people who you need to find.

Good luck and keep us posted.

thinking on from my earlier comments , i remember seeing somewhere how somebody was doing a similar thing and how they used an early 90's Marin mtb bike thtat they had fully rebuilt before setting off and then had another one built which was sent out to the halfway point in time for his arrival just in case it was needed .

cant help thinking that keeping it simple has to be the answer ie rim brakes not discs

 

[Tim Hall]

Steel frame as easier to repair, wheel size unsure but if you look at a lot of the so called expedition bikes most seem to be 26" equipped these day's.

I would have thought you want the ability to repack and repair as much as possible but why not start of with sealed units and a couple of spares then a set of get home loose bearing's and cups.

Must be loads of people who have done similar journey's and they are the people who you need to find.

Good luck and keep us posted.

I don't understand your comment about changing from sealed units to loose bearings with cups (and presumably cones). Surely if a hub is built for sealed/cartridge bearings, it won't have a cup for the lose balls to run in, so you're stuck with sealed bearings.

To the OP, I'd go for a cup and cone bearing (a) because they're easy to adjust and (b) they're designed to take the sideways load of a cornering bike wheel.

 

[Pale Rider]

A Rohloff hub makes some sense if money isn't a problem.

They are famously bombproof, although the downside is if it does go pop there's nothing you can do with it.

Any gear hub will give you the benefits of long chain life - the line is always perfect and it's not being scraped across a cassette so wear is minimal.

Another chain benefit of gear hubs is the higher chain line keeps it out of the way of some thrown up road dirt, again meaning longer life.

The chain on my hub gear bike stays significantly cleaner than the chain on my long cage deraileur bike.

 

[steveindenmark]

Not to be a killjoy but it does not have to be steel. Ask Mark Beaumont or Nicolai Bangsgaard, both RTWers on Koga Alu bikes. I agree steel is easier to weld but in reality, how many frames do these RTWers break? I have read dozens of bike books but have not read where someone has broken a frame. Racks yes, frames no. But I know it does happen, but it must take some effort.

Rohloff hubs are well spoken of but if they do go wrong, yes they do, you are pretty screwed.

There are plenty of off the peg bikes you can use. Long distance touring is blooming now. My suggestions would be lots of gears with a granny ring, big tyres, its not a race and make sure you get a few hundred loaded miles under your belt before you set off to make sure you get all the niggles sorted and you are comfortable with it.

I have a Koga World Traveller and I love it.

 

[biggs682]

I don't understand your comment about changing from sealed units to loose bearings with cups (and presumably cones). Surely if a hub is built for sealed/cartridge bearings, it won't have a cup for the lose balls to run in, so you're stuck with sealed bearings.

To the OP, I'd go for a cup and cone bearing (a) because they're easy to adjust and (b) they're designed to take the sideways load of a cornering bike wheel.

I was commenting about bottom bracket's and 4 hours in a&e no excuse I know
Also start of with sealed units and take a spare set of older cup and cone type as a back up

 

[turbocabbage]

So, after a bit of thought, I think I'm going go for a steel frame with both disc and rim brake bosses, with sealed cartridge bearings in the bb and hubs. I'm going to take a few spare bearing cartridges with me in case they do go wrong, but I think they're still a safer bet than open cup.

I'm not yet decided on wheel size. I have a feeling that any spare bike parts would be hard to come and of poor quality by in rural parts of poor countries, so I'd take spare spokes and a spare pair of tyres with me. In which case 700c vs 26 inch isn't so relevant perhaps? And I'm sure there must be some decent bike shops in the bigger cities of developing nations? I've travelled in Mongolia and China before, but not cycle toured, so I'm not speaking from experience. Or do most people think that 26 inch wheels and parts are so much easier to come by outside of Europe and North America that it would be foolhardy to go with anything else?

 

[KneesUp]

Not to be a killjoy but it does not have to be steel. Ask Mark Beaumont or Nicolai Bangsgaard, both RTWers on Koga Alu bikes. I agree steel is easier to weld but in reality, how many frames do these RTWers break? I have read dozens of bike books but have not read where someone has broken a frame. .

It happens - https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=432320 (has pictures) Chris' journal is a great read, by the way, although I'm some months behind since I lost my tablet and don't read in bed!

 

[steveindenmark]

No doubt it does.

But it is very rare.