When you are about to head off for a year and 20,000km of cycling Australia, New Zealand and the US, there is a lot to plan and many decisions to make. However, nothing comes close to the hours spent agonising over which bike to take. In my latest (and by far the most practical) column for Global Grapevine I’m going to take you through my thought processes, options and final decision on the bike that will take me across two continents from Perth to New York.
It’s hard to know where to start when looking for a touring bike; there is so much conflicting advice. There are some fantastic resources out there with loads of information and opinions. Two books I found especially useful were Essential Gear for Adventure Cycle Touring by Tom Allen and World Cycling Stripped Bare by Sean Conway so it seems fair to give them a particular mention. Sean goes through a lot of advice about specifications and equipment, while Tom shares his years of experience and names the specific bikes he’s had some good experiences with. These books, as well as other resources, led me to form a check-list of features that were essential or preferable on the bike I ended up with.
Steeling yourself
The first and most important consideration is the frame material. Steel has been used to build bikes for decades and is the only practical choice for a long-distance touring bike. It may be heavier than aluminium and carbon (never used for touring bikes), but it is strong and durable, and can be mended in almost any location. The equipment and skills required to weld steel are commonly available and so a steel frame on the bike was the only sensible choice. The geometry of the frame is another key point to consider. I enjoy the cycling position on my road bike but this is designed for speed and requires you to lean a long way forward. It is fine for shorter rides and even single-day trips, but I will be riding almost every day so something a bit more upright is desirable.
Aside from the frame material, which is generally agreed upon, there seem to be ongoing debates about other key aspects of the bike. You’ll find internet forums full of some pretty strong opinions and I’ll summarise briefly some of the main points here without getting too technical.
Wheel Size – 700c or 26” wheels seems to cause a lot of concern for touring cyclists. The 700c wheels are slightly larger and tend to roll more easily – they are the standard on road bikes – but 26” wheels have been used for decades and spare parts and tyres are readily available no matter where you are. I’m heading to developed countries with regular access to bike shops so the 700c wheels are the choice for me. If I was cycling across Africa the decision would definitely be the other way round.
Brakes – Cantilever/v-brakes or disc brakes? Disc brakes are becoming more and more common as they potentially offer far greater stopping power than more traditional mechanisms. I have some on my mountain bike but my road bike has v-brakes. I decided to go with cantilever or v-brakes as they are easier to maintain and replace. It is also worth noting that the real advantage of disc brakes lies in the hydraulic version rather than cable, as this allows far more force to be applied to the disc. Most touring bikes with disc brakes tend to be the cable type so a lot of the benefits are reduced anyway.
Gear shifters – The choice of gear system is an interesting one. The Rohloff Hub with its internal gearing and protected moving parts comes highly recommended but it is very expensive so I have decided to stick to a standard derailleur. In the future I may change this but it’s only my first go! In terms of changing gear, STI shifters built into the brakes are now very common but occasionally get jammed and require professional tools to maintain. I have had a couple of slight issues with my road bike. The main alternative is bar-end shifters. These are small levers on the end of your drops, and while they are slightly less intuitive, they are far simpler to repair. The bike I’ve chosen for my travels across Australia and beyond has bar-end shifters but I don’t think an STI shifter would have been a major problem.
Choices, choices
So which bike did I choose? Customisable or bespoke bikes were at the top of the list, but they come with a significant price tag that I have decided to stay clear of for the time being. As for off the shelf models, the Kona Sutra has been tried and tested for touring, but reviews of the 2014 model have been slightly unflattering and it has disc brakes, which while not disastrous, are not my preference.
Surly have their Long Haul Trucker model which is also popular, and incredibly stable under load. Ridgeback have the Panorama range and Dawes have the Galaxy, which by all accounts are very similar and would easily do the job. The bike I have gone with however, is the Cinelli Bootleg Hobo.
All the bikes above would have suited me for travelling Australia, New Zealand and the US, and I road tested the Ridgeback, Dawes and Cinelli. The Cinelli fits the bill in terms of the components and mechanisms. It has a steel frame, cantilever brakes, bar-end shifters and 700c wheels so it was always easy to rule in. Ruling the others out was more of a problem, so I took them all to Richmond Park for a ride.
Go with your gut
The final, intangible element in choosing a touring bike that is going to be such an integral part of your life, is to go for a bike that you’re going to enjoy riding and living with. Immediately the Cinelli stood out. I liked the appearance and the feel of being on board. It handled well despite the weight and felt sporty enough to keep me interested. The majority of the components are solid. The gears are fairly standard Shimano, the brakes are well made and, as a massive bonus, it comes with Tubus front and rear racks as standard. I have upgraded the tyres and will change the saddle, but generally very little needs to be added. I love it! The vast majority of the reviews I read were positive and it clearly stood out to me as the bike I wanted to be on.
So that’s it. I have the bike that’s going to take me from Perth to New York. I’m very happy with my choice and can’t wait to get on the road. It took a long time reading advice and articles so I hope this brief summary simplifies things if you’re going through the same process.
It is now just over 5 weeks until I fly to Perth so in about 40 days I will be setting off, travelling Australia with a bike, a tent and not much else! Most of my other equipment has been purchased, and the vast majority of the rest can be bought in Perth. I’m already going through the very weird process of saying goodbye to friends and family as time is getting short and life is still busy. I’m undoubtedly scared about what the future holds, but I’m unbelievably excited at the same time. I now just want to be out there!
You can follow my progress here, on my website and on twitter @lhyates89 and @GlobalGrapevine so please don’t hesitate to check out my adventures and get in touch. I would love to hear from you!
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