Touring or Hybrid Bike

Rad Rich

I'm looking to do JOGLE this summer, I was just going to buy a touring bike, but because of my budget have started looking at hybrid bikes. Any advice on touring with a hybrid bike, I suppose tyres would need changing specifically for road use? I'll also need it for training. Any advice would be welcome.

Wooliferkins

I would advise a touring bike. What's your budget?

Rad Rich

Budget about 3 to 4 hundred, or less. Would consider 2nd hand bike.

Wooliferkins

Kingsway Cycles in Cambridge are offering Dawes Vantage at £429 might be worth a look if you can stretch your budget. Second hand is a good option and there are many options, from the for sale listings on forums such as here and the CTC site. GoingGoingBike is a bike specific auction site but is not as ubiquitous as Fleabay

Diogenes

Take a look at this, http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 155c018343.

It’s an excellent starter tourer and currently being sold at £350. Sizes are limited however but if you are short person then your luck is in.

A half decent hybrid would however be fine, just make sure you have the right frame size, a reasonable range of gears and the braze-on’s to carry a rack. Our group of weekend warriors have toured on allsorts from a Cannondale road bike (not ideal) to a full blown expedition bike (overkill) and everything between. I guess you are not hoping to break the lejog record so you just need comfort, decent weather and friends and you will have a huge grin on your face!

D

MichaelW

If you go with a hybrid you will need more handhold options, either bar ends or a triathlon style aerobar or butterfly-style treckking bars.
You can do Jogle on hybrid tyres. 28-32mm is probably about right depending on your weight/load.
Do you need front panniers? Non suspension forks are lighter and less to go wrong. Some have pannier rack eyelets. It is harder (bit not impossible) to fit front racks to suspension forks

shouldbeinbed

Diogenes wrote:

Take a look at this, http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 155c018343.

It’s an excellent starter tourer and currently being sold at £350. Sizes are limited however but if you are short person then your luck is in.

A half decent hybrid would however be fine, just make sure you have the right frame size, a reasonable range of gears and the braze-on’s to carry a rack. Our group of weekend warriors have toured on allsorts from a Cannondale road bike (not ideal) to a full blown expedition bike (overkill) and everything between. I guess you are not hoping to break the lejog record so you just need comfort, decent weather and friends and you will have a huge grin on your face!

D

EBC do great value budget bikes, if you plan on keeping cycling up, it might be an idea to consider a cyclo cross bike in your options All the benefits of drop bars generous gearing & tourer carriage but adaptable for rougher terrain or whipping along on the road.

EBC cross is £400 ish and well worth the money.

Garz

I would go second hand definitely for better value. Try a LBS for a traded in older model and barter them down or get some stuff thrown in to boot!

Rad Rich

Lots for me to think about, thanks for the feedback.

The other issue I have, I've decided to do a few swims on the way, some of the destination are are off-the-beaten-track, so I'm thinking a hybrid maybe my option.

Monty Dog

Hybrid bikes were created by companies as a means to market an mtb-looking bike to the masses - everything about them is a compromise and their actual utility as a bike is pretty limited - the straight bars and limited hand positions can make them uncomfortable for long rides and the position is too upright to help for faster riding. People have been riding touring bikes into pretty inhospitable areas for years - durability and reliability is most important.

teamtommy

Didn't someone do it on a unicycle once?

I'm sure there are special places in Hell reserved for people like me, but Halfords are flogging their Subway hybrid for £199, reduced from £450 at the moment. Even if it's rubbish that's still £250 you can spend on drugs and strippers en route.

unixnerd

+1 for Edinburgh Bicycle. I've had one of their tourers for years and it's a superb bike.

Nice thing about a tourer is having drop bars. You can change your hand position to ease fatigue and get down out of the wind when going fast or into a headwind. The front fork on a hybrid won't have mounts for panniers. With a good tourer you get a really strong rear rack with proper mounts and mudguards. I think my rack is rated for 50kg!

Rad Rich

I think the halfords subway hybid got small wheels. Think I'm going to get a touring bike.

cwbb

i have the subway hybrid limited edition it would do the trick great for panniers [if you need to do so the attachment screw holes are in place] wheels are 26inch so would suit pannier bags fine good enough gearing it also has a triple chainring.

unixnerd

I'm in Norway this week and I've hired a Felt hybrid. It's a decent bike but my word it feels slow compared to my race bike! No speedo on it so can't tell how much the difference is.

Hoopdriver

Definitely go for a tourer. As was noted above a hybrid is a compromise bike that doesn't really do anything especially well.