ljg

Hello,

I am looking to buy a touring bike that has a steel frame with disc tabs. Ideally the disc tabs should be between the chainstays and the seatstays so that rack mounting is easy. Initially I was hoping for a frame that could take 29er wheels for serious offroading, but I'll settle for a 700c frame that can take 45mm wide tires.

Is there such a touring bike out there? I'm looking to spend about $1500 (less is OK, more is pushing it) on the whole bicycle (not just the frame).
I have no problems acquiring a frame and getting my LBS to build it up for me (they charge no labour on a build if I buy the frame from them....and they promise try to get any frame I want (they'll do there best anyway).

This will be my first new bike in a long time. I haven't toured before, but I've been riding further and further on my old Raleigh Rocky (cheap moutain bike build up into a reasonable commuter). I also commute daily and carry a ton of stuff in my ortleib panniers (easily 45 pounds, 20kg) so I figured I would need a touring frame for the ability to carry weight well.

I am starting to lean toward a Surly LHT and have a disc tab brazed onto the frame, and get a different fork for it. But mainly because I haven't found anything else that would work.

Any ideas for a bicycle that would work?

Leslie

markjenn

Lemond Poprad is disc/steel, although it's really a CX bike, not a touring bike, and I don't know about your 45mm (!!!) tire requirement.

- Mark

Giro

Bit over your price range, but the Tout Terrain Silkroad is disc only including an asymmetrical fork designed for discs and will take from 26" through 650B to 700C: LINK

justinb

Salsa La Cruz, maybe?

For more frames like this, go to mtbr.com, find the 29er subforum, then search for "monstercross"

fks

Gunnar Rock Tour

https://www.gunnarbikes.com/rocktour.php

TheBrick

karate monkey? Disk tabs in the wrong place I know but other than that could build up nicley I would guess.

Fueled by Boh

gunnar rock tour +1

built with LX and anything you have laying around, it should be reasonable price-wise. 975 for the frame... no fork included. just get whatever surly fork works. you're looking for a pretty 'niche' product with a pretty mainstream budget.

if the price of a US hand-made frame is off putting, maybe the surly is the way to go. I've worked on a lot of surlys, and i own a long haul trucker and i've never had any frame-oriented problems with any of them. The karate monkey would be nice because you can convert it to a SS if your rear wheel decides to suck up your derailer, or if you tweak your drive train beyond functionality. It would be really nice to have semi-horizontals on the LHT so you could SS it in the event of derailer problems, or so you could run an internally geared hub like a nexus or rohloff.

cyccommute 

Rocky Mountain Sherpa 30 is a steel framed bike with disc tabs. The Raleigh Sojourn is also a disc equipped touring bike with a Gunnar type disc mount.

tuz

You're in Canada, check out the Marinoni tourismo extreme.
I'm not sure the disk tabs are where you want them, but you can get a custom frame made (for around 1000$ I think).

The kona sutra also has disk tabs.

chipcom 

Surly Big Dummy!

tarwheel 

Salsa La Cruz. Geometry is pretty close to touring with relatively long chain stays, relaxed angles. Cost is only about $580 for frame and fork.

HardyWeinberg

+1!!

ljg

I have looked at the Rock Tour, and it's pretty much what I want, I just don't think I can afford it right now. I was hoping something more mainstream, but with a design like the Rock Tour was available.

Leslie

ljg

Thanks for the link! It looks close. I think the disc tabs would interfere with rack mounting though, (unlike in the Rock Tour) I would really like long chainstays, as I've got Size 13 feet and tend to wear big running shoes with toe clips, so the more heal room the better.

Thanks for all the input so far everyone! It really is helping!

Leslie

super-douper

soma has a doublecross available with disc tabs too, new for 2008. https://somafab.com/frames.html

doesn't look like that page is updates with the disc details
https://somafab.com/somanews.html

scroll down to 10-2-2007 you see


i like the color too

EDIT: whoops, looks like it's delayed until may https://somafab.blogspot.com/2008/02/...ated-name.html

Robert_in_ca

I was checking out the Soma Page after seeing super-doupers post and saw this.



https://store.somafab.com/newsodibrcor.html

Ken Wind

The Rocky Mountain Sherpa may not be a bad idea. I believe the Sherpa 10 and Sherpa 30 both have the same Reynolds 853 frame for 2008. You will need a new fork, and disc brakes, but you may be able to keep it within the budget if you get the Sherpa 10.

Edit: Actually, I'm looking at the 2008 Rocky Mountain Catalog right now, and I think they got rid of the disc tab on the frame.

cyccommute 

On the website, they list the '07 Sherpa 30 as an aluminum bike...not that there is anything wrong with that...and the 10 as steel. In the '08 catalog (which didn't download the pictures for me) the text on page 94 says disc mounts are on the frame and that the frames for both are steel.