Gunnar bike for touring

wrote:
"Gooserider" wrote:

I don't know
what the parts spec will be, but the spec on the Windsor isn't bad at all.
I'm sure Surly will spec it with barcons, which make more sense on a touring
bike, if for no other reason than it makes mounting a handlebar bag easier.

Is this why tourists like bar end shifters?

It's a reason v. STI, but not v. Ergo.



I always wondered why

They (barends) are less likely to fail than are brifters of any brand
(to date), less likely to be damaged in a fall/crash and, they offer a
friction option in case other things go awry.

landotter wrote:
Ozark Bicycle wrote:

Keys words: "AT THE TIME". That time was 20+ years ago. Spend $150-200
for a 6SP bike with a non- index compatible drivetrain. If yer really
lucky, the frame will have 120mm (Ultra 6) rear spacing. Oh joy. And
then spend how much to get the thing up to modern performance standards
in shifting, braking, etc.?? i.e., You're suggesting spending $150-200
for a 20+ year old used frame and fork that likely needs to be modified
to accept a modern drivetrain. Then, a new rear wheel, at a minimum.
New FD, RD, headset, BB and shifters. Probably new brakes. New cables
and housing all around. New saddle, etc., etc., etc. I like old bikes
more than most people, but for the OP's needs, it makes next to no
sense to do something like that. Not with something new like the
Windsor Tourist available for $600 delivered to his doorstep.

Though I agree with the Windsor for the OP, I'd have no problem touring
on a $20 thriftstore Miyata with $100 of new bits. Fresh hyperglide FW
and chain should make the drivetrain happy, and you'll usually just
lose 11 and 13t cogs. Some fresh tires, repack bearings, service
cables, freshen bar tape and you're good to tour. Friction shift? Why
not? It's not like you're fighting in a peloton. But for somebody that
expects modern effortlessness, perhaps not a great choice. It's indeed
silly to throw money at such a bike in most circumstances.

S'funny you should mention a $20 Miyata specifically.

My current commuter is a Miyata 210 that I found at a garage sale for
C$20. Here's the mods I had to make:

-replace freewheel (old one had come apart and dumped its ball bearings
at the garage sale) $0, more or less, because I had a usable freewheel
in my parts pile.
-add fenders, $20.
-new bar tape (old cloth tape disintegrated after a month or so), $6.

The 210, being a tourer, had canti brakes. As powerful as anything out
there today.

I have a perfectly good racing bike in my shed, but this is my
rain/winter/commute bike. For anyone handy, garage sale bikes are a
great start.

SMS wrote:

Ozark Bicycle wrote:

The Windsor Tourist is "a heck of a deal' and seems like a good
solution for the OP.

No argument there. Unless he wants to wait for the new Surly for $1000.

I'm the OP

My "problem" is I don't know WHAT I really want. ha!

I'm 48 and sometimes think I should investigate a bent
for any serious LONG distance touring. But would I use
that bent on a daily basis as a commuter? Maybe not.

Maybe an upright is better as a daily commuter? If
only wanting to own ONE god bike for now does it
beehoove me more to have a god touring upright and use
it that once or twice a year for LONG tours.

I just don't have the money to have multiple expensive
bikes right now. Plus I'm a bit unsure of what exactly
I need....bent? Upright? Folder?

So the idea of going cheap and "playing"around some has
merit for for me.

wrote:
SMS wrote:

Ozark Bicycle wrote:

The Windsor Tourist is "a heck of a deal' and seems like a good
solution for the OP.

No argument there. Unless he wants to wait for the new Surly for $1000.

I'm the OP

My "problem" is I don't know WHAT I really want. ha!

I'm 48 and sometimes think I should investigate a bent
for any serious LONG distance touring. But would I use
that bent on a daily basis as a commuter? Maybe not.

Maybe an upright is better as a daily commuter? If
only wanting to own ONE god bike for now does it
beehoove me more to have a god touring upright and use
it that once or twice a year for LONG tours.

I just don't have the money to have multiple expensive
bikes right now. Plus I'm a bit unsure of what exactly
I need....bent? Upright? Folder?

So the idea of going cheap and "playing"around some has
merit for for me.

Yes, that does have merit. A good place to start would be with a solid
but inexpensive touring bike, to use for commuting and touring. No
sense in paying extra for fancy components, fancy paint or some
nebulous concept of "cool", until you figure things out through
experience.

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article ,
wrote:


My "problem" is I don't know WHAT I really want. ha!

I'm 48 and sometimes think I should investigate a bent
for any serious LONG distance touring. But would I use
that bent on a daily basis as a commuter? Maybe not.

Maybe an upright is better as a daily commuter? If
only wanting to own ONE god bike for now does it
beehoove me more to have a god touring upright and use
it that once or twice a year for LONG tours.

I just don't have the money to have multiple expensive
bikes right now. Plus I'm a bit unsure of what exactly
I need....bent? Upright? Folder?

So the idea of going cheap and "playing"around some has
merit for for me.

_ I think it's kind of a mistake to plan for long distance
touring when you haven't even done any short distance (weekend)
touring. It's not for everybody... You can do short distance
touring just fine on any bike that has mounts for a rack
and fenders( or just about any bike for that matter, things that
would be a horrible PITA over 3 weeks are okay to deal with for
a day or two ). Get some miles in and then figure out what you
really want.

_ Booker C. Bense

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