Choosing the Right Bike for NZ Touring
 

Hi everyone,

Looking for some input on potential touring bikes. Found some (seemingly) good second-hand options and wondering if they're appropriate for the hilly terrain of New Zealand. Some important notes: I'm 160cm/5'3" tall and this would be for self-supported touring (like 15kg/30-ish pounds).

Hybrid bicycle | Trade Me
Seems like a great deal for a hardly used bike. I would adjust the gears to accommodate lower settings, and I don't mind doing this given the low price. I would be able to test this before buying.

49cm 2015 Hybrid bike plus free stuff | Trade Me
I've read multiple accounts of cycle tourists using the Kona Dew, so seems like a very solid option as is. I'd prefer a steel frame, but again read that it's fine for touring. Would not be able to test this before buying.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Kona Dew Plus looks kinda sweet, aluminum frame saves weight & works fine for touring. Has disc brakes & nicer saddle etc. Always nice to test-ride a bike but if it's measurements are close to something you're already comfortable with it's not always necessary.

Door # 3.. Brompton or Bike Friday Tikit/ NWT. you really dont need big wheels to tour,
besides there are airport handling fees skipped by having it's suitcase packing.

And toeclip overlap issues are gone, that are issues on big wheel small frames..

trailer kit even turns suitcase into a Trailer ..

made sized to buyer in Oregon.

IDK the Special handling fees for the Long Flight across the Pacific , but the folding / suitcase option

does represent a savings each time you board and have them hit you with another 'It's a Bicycle' Fee.

I would go Shogun first.

Significantly lower cost.
Entry components on Kona, so its not like you would drop much lower (if at all) i omonent level for the Shogun.
Listing mentions mounting points for front and rear racks.
You can test ride it to confirm it fits.

At worst, its a piece of junk or doesnt fit. You can use that knowledge to get the Kona or keep looking.

At best, you have a bike for less than half the price of the Kona thats tuned up and ready to ride. The ad also mentions its 21spd, so it has a triple ring crank. The gearing could be good as is and no need to fuss with changing it.

You just sugggested a bike that is $1000usd more expensive than the more expensive option listed.

Just as I was thinking about buying the Shogun... sold in the last ten minutes. My heart is broken.

However, after checking out the thread full of converted touring bikes, I'm much more confident that I can find a great used bike that isn't inherently made for touring.

I appreciate the feedback. The Shogun and I weren't meant to be, but I'll keep looking.

Thanks!

I think one of the more important considerations is the low gearing of a bike for NZ hills, followed by the attachments for pannier racks. I have toured NZ for over 10 years using a non-suspension mtn bike bought for $500 new. It had eyelets for rear panniers and I used U-bolts to attach front panniers. Avoid mtn bikes with front suspension. You also have to be careful when mounting panniers to avoid heel strike. This may be a problem with many non-touring bikes. Also look for solid wheels. 32 spoke minimum, 36 even better.

I now ride a Surly LHT disk model and do not regret paying the extra for a touring bike.

Hey

You can tour on anything in nz, its not that bad

I rode all over on an old Avanti super sprint 14speed, fully loaded with 52/48 road gearing. yup I had to get off and push up Arthurs pass, but it was ok everywhere else. Bit rough on the knees if you are heavy though.
I later switched to an old shogun 500 with 27 speed and a low of 32 teeth and a rear cassette of 11-34, and this was fine for fully loaded (I was training for south America) all over the north island.

A friend just revived a really bad old 10 speed and rode it all over the south island (it really was a heap, I don't think you could have given it away)
an old montari mountainbike would be decent for touring on

Are you in NZ? if so get in touch

FWIW I think the Shogun looked just a bit too cheap as far as the components. I'd venture that bike would be fine around town, but I'd hesitate to take it on a journey.

The Kona would be a much better choice. You'll be glad you spent a bit more when you're out in the middle of nowhere going up a big hill.

You really should be looking for a bike for a 5'3" tourist.
26" MTB wheels are easier for smaller riders to handle and permit smaller frames with less geometry bodging.
Non sus lightweight MTBs are a bit of a rarity but you might find some old-skool Konas or Treks
If you dont like MTB flat bars, Euro-style butterfly bars give plenty of handhold options, retaining the MTB controls.

Buy a Bike when You get there , sell it when you leave.

I assumed suppmich was from NZ since the links were from there. Buying bike on-the-spot seems like it could work, assuming limited route mileage.

Not from New Zealand, but currently on visa here. So I'm either going with a cheaper bike to get me around both islands for three months, then sell it at the end of the trip. That, or invest in a great bike that I can take to Australia and potentially Singapore to London. I have three months to find a great bike, so I'm not very fussed at the moment :)

Im talking about touring logistics from having hauled a Big Bike carton in and out of and around airports many times ..

You guys just are talking shopping points, Preferences on products, limiting the pick to heads or tails.

I suppose it could be viewed that way. Or it could be viewed as a question was asked about 2 specific bikes and the answers, except yours, have been focused on the question.
Again, you proposed a bike that is $1000USD more than the highest asked about bike. The idea of a portable bike is a neat one and perhaps the OP hadnt considered it. But shelling out $1000 more than the proposed budget for a bike is a barrier for most everyone in cycling.

staying home is even less.

Hey Suppmich
look up "dump shops" near you they run out of the recycling centres and usually have a dozen used bikes, some are decent and you will get them a lot cheaper than on trademe

Hello
I think one of reason that the advise is odd is that we are not clear as to what you are doing/want to do. If you are backpacking around New Zealand, planing on going to Australia next and then potentially Singapore and looking to move to bike touring. I would look at two plan the first as you have seen almost any bike will work to tour so get a cheap bike that is good for riding. Two go with something like a bike friday or a bike with S&S so that you are not paying the bike fee when flying. The second is more up fount but with 150USD bike fee pre flight you should make up the higher cost of the bike. An example of S&S Travelers Check | Bikes | Surly Bikes

A bit more information about what you are doing/planning would help with suggestions.

That gives a decent amount of time to find a good used bike, eh? In my area a savvy tourist visiting DC for a week could buy a cheap bike if only for riding in local area--cheaper/more convenient than public transport. But if you're into bike touring & can spare the cash a new bike would be nice.

To clarify, I am planning a three-month bike tour of New Zealand (both islands). After that, I head to Australia where I may do a round-trip tour from Melbourne to Sydney--maybe one month in duration. Once that's complete, the ultimate touring dream would be to then fly from Melbourne to Singapore where I will bike from there all the way to London. Probably six or seven months for that leg of the tour. Both Australia and Eurasia legs are just aspirations at this point, as it really depends how I enjoy touring around New Zealand. I can't imagine not liking it though!

This also influences my budget for bikes. I can either go with a cheaper bike that will be used solely for New Zealand. After the tour is completed, I'll sell it before leaving to Australia where I'll buy another bike for the Australian and Eurasian leg of the tour. However, if I end up finding a great bike at a solid price that's actually wonderful for touring I can take it with me to Australia. I would only be flying three times (NZ>AUS, AUS>SIN, UK>USA) with the bike, so I guess the bike fees don't seem like such a big deal. Please correct me if I'm being too laissez-faire about that.

As for the folding bikes, I hadn't considered it just because they're expensive and not the most aesthetically pleasing, hahaha. However, I did find a TradeMe listing for a folding bike that's steel and full-sized! My only concern is gearing, would 12 speeds be enough if I adjust them to accommodate a bigger range? Not even sure it fits me, looks small enough for a 160cm person??
Corex Folding BIKE 26 TYRE SIZE | Trade Me

This one also seems decent.
GT Mountain Bike Small | Trade Me

Question: given the potential length of my touring, would cantilever brakes be okay? Should I shell out the money for v-brakes/wait for a bike with v-brakes if everything else about the bike is good?

Cheers!

Are there really bikes in decent shapes to be found at dump shops? In my mind, I'm thinking they're old, rusted bikes that are juuuuuust decent enough to not be thrown into the landfill, haha.

I'd splash down for a new bike considering you're planning on at least 4 months of touring or at least think about a better used one. The folder you linked doesn't seem to be designed for air travel especially, I don't think it would fit in an airline 'legal' case. GT's are OK but AFAIK a mass-market brand aimed at casual riders so components may not be esp robust. You could buy a nice used old-style non-suspension MTB frame & put on a mix of good new/used parts; lots of folks who favor flat-bars do that. Tourists seem to favor canti brakes over V-brake, both can work well.

I have canti brakes on a few of my bikes, one of which is a loaded touring bike.
Surly still has canti brakes on the LHT.

They are perfectly acceptable and just as good as vbrakes. Theybare actually more versatile than vbrakes because there is more room for wheel wobble or for a misaligned brake pad. And there is typically more room for fenders/larger tire.

Probably swap the tires on the GT to slicks simce itll make for a smoother ride.
Not sure of the components, but they look entry level (shimano acera level?) If the work, then perfect. If the bike isnt actually well tuned up(though its advertised as tuned) then that could make for more costs to get it into reliable riding condition.

I agree. If you sign up for the bicycles.net.au forum they have a thread called Touring Australia and Touring Overseas. A number of Australians are on those threads/forums and would be happy to help. RonK and AussieBiker perhaps... If you get in contact with RonK, pass on my regards :thumb: