Asian Tour - What Bike?

djbuttle

Hi there,

My girlfriend and I are planning a cycle tour from Central Asia - Pakistan starting in late summer this year. We plan to cycle the Pamir Highway and the Karakorum Highway. We are on quite a tight budget, so would prefer not to fork out for new Rohloff-equipped Thorns, or such-like if possible.

Would a uprated 2nd hand Dawes Galaxy be suitable. Is the frame solid enough to face the punishment of unmetalled roads, heavily loaded (with better wheels and racks), for several months? Any other recommendations, such as a customised MTB?

Many Thanks,


David

cycladelic

A Dawes will do fine. It's the wheels that you rightly need to focus on - get 36-spoke rear wheels.

Philip Davis

I agree with cycladelic - its the wheels you should invest your money on - they are the crucial part of a bike for that region. And remember a good quality wheelbuilder is as important as how many spokes you use or the types of rims.

A Galaxy frame - or any decent mtb frame would do fine. But rather than get hung up on not being able to afford an expedition tourer, focus on keeping your weight of kit down. Apart from making all those passes easier, the lighter your kit, the less strain there is on your racks/frame/wheels.

If you can't get a good Galaxy or equivalent tourer (they are often quite hard to get second hand), then I'd suggest something like the On One Inbred frame or complete bike - many people (including myself) have had successful tours on a bike like that.