Long distance touring on Alu?

James Latham

As my carbon felt isn't exactly up for the job of touring Europe (or maybe even Transamerica if budgets allow!) I'm looking to purchase something new that's more suitable. Thinking of picking one of these three, what do you think? Is it sensible to tour long distances on aluminium? All will be on reasonable paved roads

Kona Jake - Alu frame, steel fork. Tiagra Group, decent wheels. Wouldnt mind doing some cross in the next few months. Has rack mounts and is my first preference but can I get away with it?

Ridgeback Horizon - 6061 Alu, Sora Groupset, Alex Wheels, possibly more of a touring machine

Ridgeback Voyage - The steel but poor spec option! Shimano 2200, some Sora

All of these will take front and rear panniers, I like the idea of buying due to the distances involved on the trip and planning to put a few miles on it before it gets tested!

Budget is £600-700
Cheers for any advice

ride_whenever

i'd go for this

James Latham

lovely looking bike but I think I need a tripple and a little bit more conventional incase I need repairs...

cycladelic

What's the worry with ali?

I don't believe that you'd feel any difference between the two. I'm riding steel again, but have had a few ali' framed bikes and didn't have any probs.

OK - if steel breaks, you can get it welded, but the chances of that happening are slim.

MichaelW

lmost everyone I see touring on a bike (as opposed to riding a "touring bike") is using an Alu frame. I haven't seen a single broken Alu frame . The bog standard Taiwanese Alu factory frames are very strong and not the same as ultralight race bikes.

James Latham

have been considering a kona jake or dolan cyclocross. I thought a cyclocross might be a good idea as they are usually pretty well built, lots of clearance for guards and a bomb proof wheelset

any thoughts on these???

cheers

Valy

FWIW I say the Jake.

Even just because you will be able to shift from the drops and depending on how long you want to ride at any given time, the lack of thumb shifters on the sides of hoods would allow for more hand positions and reduce the risk of rubbing or discomfort against the thumb shifters.

Hoopdriver

For what it's worth: about ten years ago I did a 10,000-mile solo, unsupported trek through the Australian bush on an aluminium-framed Cannondale and had no trouble with the frame at all. Or indeed the bike in general. The bike is still around, in reasonable nick, and when I am back home in Australia (I am living in the UK for the time being) I still ride it.

Valy

I have an ossum question Hoopdriver.

How many tires did you use on that trip/what tires did you use? :P

Hoopdriver

I got some serious mileage out of my tyres! I set off from Sydney with a pair of Avocet Cross-K 700cx35 (this probably dates the trip a bit - I'd use Schwalbe Marathon Plusses today) and changed the rear tyre in Katherine, some 5000 miles later. Found the same type and size tyre at a bike shop there and continued. Coming down the northwest coast in the height of summer, in 50C+ heat, was hard on the rubber (not to mention me!) and I changed the rear again in Perth (same type and size)

the front, amazingly, was still okay.

By this point I was curious to see if I could make it all the way around on the same front tyre but by the time i reached Adelaide, it was really getting a bit dodgy and I replaced it. And that was it. Total number of tyres purchased en route: three.

I had a total of two flats.

Valy

I see.

Yes - having googled the tire it does see ma bit retro - the site that is and I have not hard about them before I don' think.

Thanks for the reply - just curious.

ride_whenever

306% range, lower maintanence and spares from any bike shop in the world, i'd still go hub geared.

Valy

What's the range of a normal set up? say, 12-25/32 with 48 at the front?