ahmeyer

I have dreams to tour across south america in the coming year, and i finally have the money to invest in a new bike. right now my experience is on the road, commuting in philly. now im looking for a versatile bike that can be used for touring along long stretches of all types of surface. i am debating between the surly cross check and a lemond poprad, but am also considering putting together a mountain bike with drop bars. i would go with the poprad but its tire clearance seems a bit limited, such that major offroad touring would be difficult if not impossible. maybe im wrong, so if anyone has experience with this i would appreciate any guidance. for now the debate is regarding frame set only.

Michel Gagnon

Do you already have one of these frames? Are you short or tall? And where do you want to ride?

Short or tall?
Some frames have good geometry in their tall size but not so good one in their small size. Or vice versa. In particular, frames designed around 700c wheels can't be scaled down very well.

Where do you want to ride?
I know you said "South America", but are you thinking of riding their "good roads" or the mountain trails? From various reports I see, most people end up riding a good percentage of their trip on paved highways, so then something more roadworthy than a mountain bike would be best.

There is also the tire size issue. 26" tires can be found almost anywhere, whereas 700c tires are hard to find outside North America and Europe. I have heard of people who were able to find 700c tires only in a few large cities in Argentina, and then only in 20 or 23 mm width : good for fast club rides, but not for touring in a remote area.


Which Frames?

I would prefer a touring frame, with its long chainstays and stable geometry. The key, however, is to find a frame that accepts wide tires and preferably one that uses 26" tires.

– If money is no object : Atlantis frame or a frame by a custom designer.

– A very good option: Bruce Gordon's BLT-X or Rock'n'Roll Tour -EX. These are real touring bikes ; in other words, their geometry is optimised to tour loaded, to face huge hills (22/34 first gear)... and their 26"-wheel version can use tires as wide as 2.125". So while you might do most of your tour on 1.5" tires, it's nice to be able to use wider tires in more rugged parts of your trip.

– Another good option: Surly LHT. Especially if you are short enough to use one of the 26"-wheeled ones. I have seen the 700c version and there is enough clearance for 700x37-40 tires with fenders. So if the 26" follows a similar design, it should be ok with 2" tires.

Coronado

I agree with Michel. If you're coming to South America you should use 26" tires, you'll find a replacement anywhere.

I'm from Argentina and it's really hard to find wide 700C tires. I found some weeks ago one of the last pairs of Vittoria 700x35 in a bike store. Of course I bought it, now I just need a frame