Buidling a decent tourer

I agree that a steel hard tail frame is a base for a 26" tourer, just make sure it has bosses for racks and mudguards. When I traded up from the Rockhopper based bike to a custom frame (Dave Yates) my priorities were firstly that the wheels to be as bombproof as possible - 36 spoke Mavic rim and LX hubs (XT may have been better), then brakes - to stop quickly with a load - Deore, and lastly drivetrain - reliable - Deore.

I used a butterfly bar (one of those continental things) and get on well with it but that is down to taste I used some large bar ends before and was OK with them too, you do need to move your hands around on a long ride. My saddle was the same old Terry that had not given me pain on previous tours.

There's an interesting couple of pages in the Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook about buying an old-skool (1990s vintage) MTB as a very cheap and serviceable tourer. there's a lot to be said for say a 7-speed cassette, and thumby shifters.

I think it's worth doing your sums carefully - building a bike from scratch is not necessarily going to be cheaper than buying a complete bike - especially if you have to buy tools. Set against that, it is good for learning how it all fits together, and of course you can build a bike to your own satisfaction/specification.

A Deore square taper chainset is hard to beat in terms of value and durability. Personally, I'd always pay a bit extra to get XT-level components for derailleurs etc. That's probably just prejudice as I know Deore/Alivio level components can take a lot of abuse, but on the other hand the price difference is usually only a few quid if you shop around or buy secondhand.

Definitely don't be a cheapskate when it comes to wheels - get them built by someone like Spa Cycles or a good local bike shop.

ride_whenever wrote:

Touring, hub gears all the way. Far simpler and easier. Just about any steel frame will do, but ideally something fairly light (for steel). I'd also stick to square taper cranks as they are easier to repair...

Hub gears are only simpler and easier until they go wrong. Yes you have the theroetical advantages of a bigger chain and having all the mechanicals inside the hub, but if they go wrong you're stuffed. My personal philosophy is to prefer stuff that is more easily fixable - even if it requires more day-to-day maintenance. If you're going to get a hub gear you also need to get a slot 'drop-out' frame.