Originally Posted by
staehpj1
Someone here a while back claimed that dropped bars for touring was a US thing and everywhere else folks toured with flat bars. ....
I have not heard or said that, but I have on this forum commented that most touring bikes sold in USA are drop bar bikes, flat bar is the preference in continental Europe, UK is mixed.
I think Gauvins has toured in France, he might have more info.
I have not been to Asia, I have no clue about that. Mev might know. And Djb would know about Central America.
I have never seen any videos on GCN on touring, when did they start addressing touring? I did watch one or two on bikepacking a couple years ago but I have never seen a rack and panniers on a bike on their site.
Continental Europe, I have only spent a month there, and that was fully supported tripping where they provided the bikes, indoor lodging, etc., so do not have a lot of knowledge. But the few bikes I saw touring were all flat bar.
My Iceland trip, I saw lots of bikes from UK and continental Europe, the continental Europe bikes were all flat bar, the UK bikes were a mix. All the photos below are from my Iceland trip.
When I think touring in Continental Europe, the brands I think of are Koga and Santos.
https://www.koga.com/en/bikes/trekking/collection
https://www.santosbikes.com/nl/fietsen/travel
Two of my touring bikes are from Thorn, a UK company. That company makes frames in S sizes (for Short toptube for drop bars) and L (for Long toptube for flat bars). They also occasionally make a M (or Medium for people that want an in between frame). My Thorn Sherpa is size 610S for short top tube, 61cm, my Nomad Mk II is size 590M for medium toptube, 59 cm.
The couple in the photo below were from continental Europe, I met them on the north side of Iceland. Flat bars and ony rear panniers.
This was the bike for an Italian, we rode together for one day in the interior.
Bike below is the same bike as above.
I think this couple was from Switzerland, both Rohloffs but it was a mixed marriage, one had chain and one belt.
I am not sure where this couple was from, but the Hillberg tent makes likely a European or UK couple. Their English was not very good and I had no clue what their language was.
I do not recall where this guy was from, the yellow bike behind it is mine. With Vaude panniers, he was likely from continental Europe or UK.
These bikes belonged to a couple from Poland that camped next to me one night.
I met two Brits that had drop bars, I clearly remember one had 9 speed because he had busted his chain a couple times and was hoping he could beg some 9 speed quick links from people. One of their bikes is below, part of the other bike is off to the left.
I was sure that I had a photo of French family that I camped next to for a couple nights, but do not seem to have it. All I clearly remember is that their kid was in a two wheel trailer, and the roads had no shoulder. But they did not seem to mind using a two wheel trailer on a narrow road.