Building a Bike for Touring

roddycun

Hi there,

I must confess that I am not really a beginner cyclist, I have previously done a few long(ish) tours of Scotland and the Northern Isles and a few other 100mile plus tours. However, I have never been much of a techie have never really taken too much interest in the setup of my bike, mostly due to financial reasons.

Now I am looking to do a much longer tour, ie. Scotland to central Europe etc, but I would quite like to build up a bike from scratch, or there abouts, but have no idea where to start.

Does anybody know any books they can recommend using to assist in bike building or set up?

I am pretty handy with building things and I know a lot of this will be trial and error but I would like to try and not waste money on parts that are useless or do not fit.

Also can somebody suggest a good Audax bike at around the £500-750 range as I am a very light traveler and would appreciate some ideas.

Thanks in Advance,

Roddy.

Weejie54

You begin by finding a decent frame - and for touring, the accepted standard is steel (though there are people riding frames made from different materials). A great book is 'Touring Bikes' by Tony Oliver (out of print - and quite expensive if you want to buy it, better to try and obtain it from a library). This book will not tell you how to build a bike but it does contain a lot of information on the ideal touring steed. I bought this book not long after it was published in the early 90s, and it was very useful in helping me decide the kind of frame I wanted - for whatever kind of touring.
Once you have the frame and know what components you need, there are plenty of books and online sources to guide you through piecing your bike together.

blackhands

This is a good Audax bike - I use onr of these frames as a winter bike/day tourer.

http://www.surosa.co.uk/4347/products/S ... agra_.aspx

GyatsoLa

This book:

http://www.adventurecycle-touringhandbook.com/

has a very good introduction into what you need in a touring bike.

This website:

http://travellingtwo.com/

has a very good free download pdf on bike touring, including getting your bike right.

I've some experience this year, I've built up two! One a light and fast tourer, based on an Enigma Ethos frame (with S&S coupling for ease of transport). Its a straightforward build up with kit chosen for reliability and ease of repair - DT RR rims on Hope hubs, Shiimano Ultegra, Tubus rack.

I've just taken delivery of my off-road tourer - a custom steel frame from Robin Mather Cycles. Its got S&S coupling too, a Rohloff speed hub, SON dynamo hub for the front, Rigida Grizzly rims, Cane Creek suspension seatpost. Its designed for touring in remote areas, so its tough (I hope).

thefonz78

Decathlon have goo bikes they are made by giant. There tourer is £600 and is ready kitted out with dymo lights mud guards etc..

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/riverside-7-49820125/

technical information

* Brakes: Magura HS 11 hydraulic brakes. - extremely powerful and durable braking system. It is very reliable, and mounted on on the v-brake bracket.
* Accessories: Shimano dynamo hub, rear LED light stays on for up to 4 minutes when the bike is stationary. Stiff mudguards. Narrow aluminium pannier rack with bungee cords. SPD-compatible mixed pedals. Adjustable aluminium stand. - strong mudguards to protect the rider from being splattered. Trekking pannier rack with a 25kg load capacity. Can be used for all the luggage traditionally used when trekking. Extremely strong and stable stand. Powerful light set.
* Sizes: - S = 1.60m - 1.72m ; M = 1.70m - 1.84m ; L = 1.82m - 1.95m.
* Frame: 6061 aluminium. - lightweight, solid and easy-to-handle frame.
* Fork: SUNTOUR suspension fork with adjustable spring preload and remote lock-out. - suspension fork to dampen vibration and absorb shock. Remote lock-out for optimum efficiency on tarmac roads.
* Drivetrain: Shimano 27-speed drivetrain. Shimano DEORE shifters. DEORE Hollowtech cranks. Shimano XT Shadow rear derailleur. Shimano DEORE front derailleur. - the gearing enables you to tackle all gradients of slope. The drivetain ensures smooth gear changes.
* Position: oversize flat aluminium handlebars. Adjustable aluminium aheadset stem. Royal Freccia gel saddle. Aluminium seatpost. Ergon grips and bar ends. - the riding position has been designed to combine control and efficiency. Comkfortable saddle. The stem is adjustable for better positioning on the bike. Grips and bar ends optimise handlebar ergonomics.
* Wheels: double-wall anodised aluminium Rigida ZAC 79 rims. 36 galvanised steel spokes. Shimano DEORE aluminium rear hub. Shimano front dynamo hub. Schwalbe Marathon Plus trekking tyres. - double-wall aluminium rims for increased strength. Shwalbe Marathon tyres for efficiency and durability.