making my Giant SCR 2 a little more tour friendly

deal
deal Posts: 857
edited April 2009 in Tour & expedition
Hi I have never toured before but im thinking of giving it a try this summer, i dont want to buy a new bike without first knowing if it will get much use. Therefore my giant scr 2 which i have been using/abusing as my winter bike will have to do the job.

Current Specs:
9 speed Tiagra shifters, Tiagra front and rear deraileurs
30/42/52 FSA chainset ( this needs replacing anyway, crank arm keeps coming loose and bb is on its way out)
12-25 cassette

This is my currently line of thinking...
use Ultegra brakes from my other bike
buy a 26/38/48 mtb chainset
use the LX rear deraileur from my mtb and buy a 11-34 cassette and revert to 11-23 (or 11-21) when back in road use next winter

Are there any issues using the road derailleur with a mtb chainset ?
Is 26-34 a low enough ratio? I planning to tour Ireland solo for a few weeks, mainly camping so will be carrying some weight.

Im also concened about the wheels, I replaced the pretty useless standard alex wheels with fulcrum racing 5 evo wheels sometime ago but surely these are not suitable for touring, so would be greatfull for any wheel suggestions.

Ok so thanks for reading, would be greatfull for any advice.

Comments