What kind of bike for comfortable longish day trips?
bisikletci
Posts: 13
[This isn't really a Road-specific question but it's difficult to know where to post it...]
Recently I've been doing some medium-to-long-ish distance day trips on my bike, anywhere from between 30km to 80km. I've been enjoying it but finding that my cheap-ish hybrid isn't that that comfortable for long trips and am looking to upgrade.
My question is, what kind of bike should I be looking at for these kinds of trips? They're more about taking in the scenery and relaxing than getting my head down and riding particularly fast or for exercise, and I'd like something as comfortable as possible, which both seem to suggest a road bike isn't the best option; I'd also like something that would put up with the occasional off-road stretch. Mountain bikes and town/Dutch bikes both seem to be reasonably comfortable but the added weight seems unnecessary and unhelpful given that I'm doing fairly long distances (though perhaps this doesn't matter much once you've got some momentum going?) and I'm mostly on roads or paved tracks. A tourer might be an option given that they're designed for long distances and comfort, but they seem pricey and these are day-trips, so paying for the extra strength to carry dozens of kilos of panniers seems unnecessary.
What do people think? Something like a fairly lightweight town bike or tourer, or a road-bike with fairly relaxed geometry both could fit the bill if those are things that exist... Or perhaps I should just be looking for a better-quality hybrid?
Grateful for any thoughts.
[EDIT - a couple of extra pieces of info I should probably have included first time around. Where I live and cycle is fairly flat. Also, while I'm looking for a recommendation for a general category of bike rather than a specific model, it's probably worth mentioning that I don't want to spend more than £700 and would be very happy if I could get away for a fair bit less, in case that makes a major difference to answers]
Recently I've been doing some medium-to-long-ish distance day trips on my bike, anywhere from between 30km to 80km. I've been enjoying it but finding that my cheap-ish hybrid isn't that that comfortable for long trips and am looking to upgrade.
My question is, what kind of bike should I be looking at for these kinds of trips? They're more about taking in the scenery and relaxing than getting my head down and riding particularly fast or for exercise, and I'd like something as comfortable as possible, which both seem to suggest a road bike isn't the best option; I'd also like something that would put up with the occasional off-road stretch. Mountain bikes and town/Dutch bikes both seem to be reasonably comfortable but the added weight seems unnecessary and unhelpful given that I'm doing fairly long distances (though perhaps this doesn't matter much once you've got some momentum going?) and I'm mostly on roads or paved tracks. A tourer might be an option given that they're designed for long distances and comfort, but they seem pricey and these are day-trips, so paying for the extra strength to carry dozens of kilos of panniers seems unnecessary.
What do people think? Something like a fairly lightweight town bike or tourer, or a road-bike with fairly relaxed geometry both could fit the bill if those are things that exist... Or perhaps I should just be looking for a better-quality hybrid?
Grateful for any thoughts.
[EDIT - a couple of extra pieces of info I should probably have included first time around. Where I live and cycle is fairly flat. Also, while I'm looking for a recommendation for a general category of bike rather than a specific model, it's probably worth mentioning that I don't want to spend more than £700 and would be very happy if I could get away for a fair bit less, in case that makes a major difference to answers]
0
Comments
-
Drop bars will give you more hand positions and greater comfort for distance riding than flat bars, which I assume you have on your hybrid.
Endurance rather than race geometry and the ability to run big tyres (28mm upwards) will also give long distance comfort for relaxed day trips.
This means considering a traditional tourer, a sportive bike or a gravel bike. A sportive bike is perhaps a bit too sporty for your needs. A gravel bike would be great if you want to combine off and on road riding. A tourer will cope fine with mild off road and will probably come with mudguards - not sure where you live but mudguards are a good idea for year-round day rides in the UK.
Sounds like you have a fairly low budget. Have a look at Edinburgh Cycles website. They do a good range of excellent value tourers which might suit you.0 -
Genesis Croix De Fer might be a starting point as a bike to try. Has all the attributes of a tourer, gravel adventure and road bike. Lug fixings for a rack at the back for touring, space for mudguards, really well built. Worth a look to try one out I reckon.
0 -
Maybe a light tourer - a steel framed bike, with mudguards and rack. I have a Dawes Audax light tourer - heavier than a light road bike, but a nice comfortable type of bike for the sort of rides you are looking for. I don't think Dawes sell that model any more, but they and other brands will have something similar.
Alternatively, you could go for a cyclo-cross bike like the Genesis in the previous post, or something like a Specialized Diverge:
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/reviews/road-bikes/specialized-diverge-elite-a10 -
Thanks all for the replies - I'l investigate a tourer/light tourer. The CdF looks a bit out of my price range but I think there's a cheaper version that I'll look at too.
Thanks again.0 -
Can you get something on the ride to work scheme?
If you can this would be in your price range (~£520) as Evans do Ride to Work on discounted bikes.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/bosa-nova-2015-touring-bike-ec0721110
