Touring on a carbon mountain bike
05-27-16, 07:27 AM
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Touring on a carbon mountain bike
Hi guys and gals. I have a 2012 Trek superfly elite and I want to ride around Australia. Is this feasible or do I need a tourer? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
05-27-16, 08:37 AM
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Lots of folks tour on mountain bikes. The bikepacking bags are well suited to this kind of touring... with wide road tires you'll be fine.
05-27-16, 08:39 AM
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Bikes: 1997 Rivendell Road Standard 650b conversion (tourer), 1988 Schwinn Project KOM-10 (gravel/tour), 2013 Foundry Auger disc (CX/gravel), 2016 Cannondale Fat CAAD 2 (MTB/winter), 2011 Cannondale Flash 29er Lefty (trail MTB)
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What the others have said. It should be OK.
Possible drawbacks:
* comfort - can you ride it for hours and hours? do you have multiple grip positions? how comfy is the saddle?
* carrying stuff - I don't think your Superfly has rear rack mounts. So, you can carry stuff with bikepacking bags that strap to the frame, seat, or handlebars. Or, you can tow a trailer. Another option would be to replace the shock fork with a rigid fork with rack mounts, so you could carry panniers on the front.
Possible drawbacks:
* comfort - can you ride it for hours and hours? do you have multiple grip positions? how comfy is the saddle?
* carrying stuff - I don't think your Superfly has rear rack mounts. So, you can carry stuff with bikepacking bags that strap to the frame, seat, or handlebars. Or, you can tow a trailer. Another option would be to replace the shock fork with a rigid fork with rack mounts, so you could carry panniers on the front.
05-27-16, 09:25 AM
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Thanks Tim.
I was thinking I might try something like the origin8 drop ends to increase the grip positions. I don't really want to have to buy a whole new bar and then probably gear and brake levers.
The saddle is comfy enough for the couple of hours I spend on it two or three times a week. That sort of stuff I can play with over the trip.
I'm more concerned about carry and reliability. I have seen a couple of racks that are built for 29ers with disk brakes. Something like this
Topeak® Cycling Accessories ? Products - Explorer 29er Tubular Rack w/disc mounts
I think you can get kits that secure them to the seat post through a clamp too. A trailer would be a last resort.
I was thinking I might try something like the origin8 drop ends to increase the grip positions. I don't really want to have to buy a whole new bar and then probably gear and brake levers.
The saddle is comfy enough for the couple of hours I spend on it two or three times a week. That sort of stuff I can play with over the trip.
I'm more concerned about carry and reliability. I have seen a couple of racks that are built for 29ers with disk brakes. Something like this
Topeak® Cycling Accessories ? Products - Explorer 29er Tubular Rack w/disc mounts
I think you can get kits that secure them to the seat post through a clamp too. A trailer would be a last resort.
