A bike for LEJOG

hoathy

I'm planning on going Lands End to John O Groats again next year and am considering a new/different bike for it. Last time (in 2010) I rode my Kona Caldera with slicks and a rack (picture below) but I'm sure there is a more efficient option? I'm used to riding mainly MTBs but I do have a 700c Cannondale Bad Boy - I find the ride is great on it but its very harsh and I'm not sure I could stand it over the distance. I'm happy to build something from a frame or buy complete new/used. Not interested in spending silly money though!

arthur_scrimshaw

Might be helpful to give a budget? drop bars?
Also consider something that takes front panniers - Kona sutra?

hoathy

Budget is fairly flexible, I could bike to work scheme it and spend 1000 bucks on a new bike or build it up slowly out of bits.
I think I'd need to stick to straight bars. Front panniers probably aren't necessary as I reckon I could pack lighter than last time.
I'll check out that Kona.
Cheers.

southdownswolf

I did my solo JOGLE this year on a Specialized Allez, with just a Carradice Nelson Longflap on the back. I was staying in B&B's though and carried a minimal amount of equipment. Just 1 set spare cycling clothes, clothes for the evening, basic first aid kit, basic tool kit, Garmin Edge and a few extra spares. How much equipment are you intending to carry and more importantly, how much do you really need to carry with you? Are you planing on camping?

trek_dan

A set of sensible tyres on the Badboy and it should be a really good comfort bike in theory. What tyres are on it now out of interest? Maybe look at improving some of the other contact points like seat, grips, bars, upgrade to carbon forks etc

mikenetic

Surly Cross Check is well worth looking at. That's the bike I use for general duty now, and if I was to do LEJOG again it would be perfect.

You can buy them as a frameset then build them up. I put together a 105-equipped one with Ritchey finishing kit & Mavic Aksium wheels for just over a grand.

They are eyeleted for rear and front racks, so you can travel light or heavy, flexible mudguard and tyre choice as the clearances are massive (it's cyclocross-style frame), semi-horizontal rear dropout so you can configure it as a derailleur or hub-geared bike. If you want to go very light then the Carradice Nelson Longflap and a set of nice 25mm tyres would have you ripping along.

I'm going touring on mine later in the year. I've fitted a new 105 RD that will take a SRAM 11-32 cassette, and with a compact up front it gives a really low gear for climbing.

unixnerd

For value you can't beat the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op's own brand tourers. Had one for over a decade and it's a great bike. Available in disc or non-disc.

Only thing I'd change would be for lighter wheels depending on the load you want to carry.

hoathy

I'd be camping and unsupported, so quite a lot to carry. Tent, clothes, sleeping bad, thermorest etc.

So I defo need a rack. I like the crosscheck frame, but it looks like it's made for drops? Could I get away with straights? If I could do it without carrying anything I'd take my Synapse.

Probably worth pointing out I'm not a light guy, over 20st.

The tyres on the Bad Boy are Schwalbe Kojaks, which are pretty narrow. What sort of tyres would I be looking at, considering that a lot of the roads are pretty crap. I reckon its a real option, if i fitted carbon bars? Maybe even a headshok?

This is it as it stands:

amaferanga

Given the weight your carrying I can't see any point in changing from your Kona if you don't want a bike with drops.

MichaelW

amaferanga wrote:

.. I can't see any point in changing from your Kona ...

Ditto

You might want to change the bars to butterfly style or add some clip-on aerobars. If you are not using clipless pedals, stick some toe clips on and use them loose. You could also upgrade the tyre. Modern tyres don't have to be thin to be efficient.

MisterMuncher

A Bad Boy is a comfortable enough place to be for 50-60 miles at a stretch, in my experience. Schwalbe Duranos in 25 of 28mm flavour are a big improvement over Kojaks, whilst retaining a good deal of the ride character. Marathons/Marathon Pluses are the standard choice tourer tyre, but they sap the life out of the bike. I used them for winter riding because I hated the idea of changing flats in the cold and wet, but they're so utterly dead as to almost negate this benefit.

The fork is bloody stiff, though. Combined with the flat bar, very fatiguing on the hands, and that's what killed it for me after 3-ish hours. You may well be made of sterner stuff than me, though.

I think a carbon fork would be a better idea than a headshok, though. You'd be adding comfort whilst also reducing weight, and crucially without another mechanism to potentially fail.

trek_dan

I'd go up to 32C tyres personally, something like a Conti Gatorskin or Durano. Carbon forks will help remove road buzz and save a fair bit of weight, get some decent shock absorbing grips like Lizard Skins and I'd probably put bar ends to give your wrists a change of poistion. Personally I don't like them but it might be worth trying a suspension seatpost.