sbuckaroo

Hey folks. Getting back to cycling after three decades of absence. Would like (once I get my stamina up) to join some (short distance/lower speed) club rides. I also wanted to commute more. Was considering one bike for both and I came across the Surly LHT. Would that allow me to keep up with the pack or would it be too slow? I like it because of its forgiving gearing but was wondering whether it would be useful in those group rides. Thx.

brianmcg123

It depends on the pack and your fitness.

If you can average 15-16 mph on the LTH, then join a group that goes that speed.

If your wanting to hammer with an A group, you will have difficulty unless your one of the top riders.

f4rrest

Road bikes all have forgiving gearing these days, unlike 30 years ago where you were stuck with 42 chainring to get up hills.

Kevindale

It should be fine for what you want to do. The biggest things I see that will slow you down compared to typical road bikes are (1) wide tires, and (2) more upright riding position. It's also going to be heavier, and if you have much in the way of hills it'll be slower there, too.

However, if you will potentially using it for it's intended purpose, to haul stuff, dress it with fenders, go really long distances while carrying everything you need, etc., it's a great choice. If you will never do those things, then I think you can get a sturdy bike that will be faster and lighter.

Athens80

If the gear range is the critical factor, don't limit your options to touring bikes. Many bikes are available with compact (50/34) or semi-compact (36 small) chainsets. And bikes with modern Shimano 4703 groupsets give you the triple crankset and really low gears for climbs, along with a good range for more common ups and downs and flats. For functionality, if not for finish, many put today's Tiagra up against Ultegra of a couple of iterations ago.

As far as classes of bikes, endurance bikes should be in your consideration set, along with touring bikes. And low gearing is available on some conventional road bikes as well.

sbuckaroo

This is what I am looking for, since I don't plan to haul any load or to tour. So, any recommendations on moderately expensive endurance road bikes that meet those criteria would be appreciated.

WhyFi

What does "moderately expensive" mean to you?

Dean V

My Domane SL6 came standard with compact 34/50 and 11-32 cassette. That is quite low gearing and not uncommon on road bikes now.

GrainBrain

I'd love to grab a LHT for my n+1 tourer, but I don't think you'll like it as much since you're interested in keeping pace with others. Also the LHT is overkill for commuting. A light endurance bike with a clamp on rack would work great imo.

debade

I own the Trek 520 and a Trek Domane which is a very light, well geared carbon frame bike. The 520 and LHT are very similar bikes. If your goal is to stay with the pack, it will be safe to say you need something more like the a road bike. As mentioned by Athens80, you will be able to get great gearing on a road bike.

I expect the LHT would set you back around $1,300. I am not sure but I expect you may need to invest the same to a little more for a light, properly geared road bike. If you become less concerned with club rides (or you turn out to be a very strong rider) , you should be able to find a bike in that price range. But, I have not shopped for a road bike in that price range. The Domane is a higher priced bike than the LHT or 520.

I think finding the right bike will be less of a problem than finding the right 'club' rides. In my part of the world, it is hard to find a ride slow enough for me. It is hilly in CT and 14 mile pace is a good day on a 25 mile ride, for me. The club rides are no less than a mile per hour faster.

I now ride with a self organized group of friends for 25 to 40 miles depending on the season at a 13 mile pace. We stop for coffee and simply enjoy each others company. I am in it for the health and enjoyment. If you think you would be able to form a group like that, I think you will find greater flexibility with your bike selection. We do have one member who sometimes rides his touring bike but his starting point for biking fitness is above the rest of us road bike folk. f

Hope this helps a bit. Love to hear about people getting back into biking.

sbuckaroo

Would $1,000 be too low to meet those requirements?

sbuckaroo

This is very useful. So I probably need to relax my budget limitation by a few hundreds... By the way, which domane do you have? I just checked online and they run from $1,700 to $12,000!

fietsbob

On a tour, in Newcastle, England when I joined a local club on a ride, I was glad they had a culture of someone dropping back, to keep the hind most rider,

Me , of course ... accompanied..


I'd left my panniers back in my host's house, but still was on my Tour-bike with mudguards and pannier-racks.

an out to a light lunch, and back ride..

But some cycling clubs are completely social, others act like racing a spring classic..









...

sbuckaroo

I don't think I will ever be in that type of speed driven groups, but I just need to keep up with the slower ones! That is why I was looking for the low gear that touring bikes offered. If I find them on a road bike that would be a winner.

debade

I think I got the Domane 4. something. It has the Ultegra set. I got it on sale for $2,500. I expect it will be my last road bike.

sbuckaroo

This is a sweet bike! but I am afraid it is well above my budget limit. Will keep looking.

datlas 

Depends on how you define "short distance" and "slower speed" club rides, but honestly that bike will probably be fine for commuting and casual club rides. If you want something more spirited get a road bike but that may not be ideal for commuting. You are going to have to make some compromises. Or get a used beater for cheap as a commuter and get a new sweet road bike for club rides.

Abe_Froman

I've got a Marin 4 Corners, which is basically a LHT for all practical purposes. Extra long chainstays, beefy steel frame, 36 hole rims. It's not light or nimble, but it IS plenty fast. I don't feel it slows me down at all. I've recently started doing some club rides with it. Fast tires make a world of difference.

I don't think this club is setting any land speed records...but I keep up comfortably at the 20-22mph cruising speed. Maybe I would feel different if I were in a morw hilly area, but even then 5-10 lbs isnt going to make or break you.

I do want a new bike though lol. It's totally overbuilt for anything other than loaded touring.

Abe_Froman

$1000 will buy a very nice bike, regardless of what style you're looking for. It might be 2 or 3 lbs heavier than bikes that cost thousands, or maybe have 1 gear less. It will be fast and reliable.

You'll need to shop around a bit though. Look for last years model in the bike shop. Nearly every maker has an edurance bike now. I've been teat riding a few bikes recently...they're all good IMO. Just comes down to price, and whether there are any specific small details you're looking for...tire clearance, discs, fender bosses, etc.

debade

I think this is good advice.

Nachoman

+1, especially for a re-entry rider after a 30 year hiatus.

VegasTriker

This SLT review is a bit dated but there are comments following it as recent as a few hours ago https://www.cyclingabout.com/surly-l...-touring-bike/. Looks as though it hasn't changed any in 6 years.

One thing to consider is that if you have been away from cycling for 30 years, will you still be happy and comfortable with a bike that has you leaning forward as this bike does (and so do most road bikes)? I bought and kept a high end road bike for decades but found my mileage dropping off year by year as the bent over stance got less comfortable. I finally gave it away a few years back. A more relaxed stance may be better in the long run and you will get more miles on it but perhaps a bit slower.

Nick Bain

LTH comes with 37mm tires so I would stay away from it for that reason. Unless your groups are going under 15 average.

It also has bar end friction shifter and v-brakes so I probably will not be very good for pack riding.

Looking at the bike I am trying to figure out in what world that spec would make sense? Beginner gravel perhaps?

Oldsport

For years my only bike has been my touring bike. It has V brakes and bar end shifters. I have front and rear racks on it, full fenders, and a dynamo hub. I ride 35 mm tires nearly all year. I am 6'4" 200lbs and I have a gimped leg, and I am nearly 40. I do not consider myself fast in any world. However, I had no problem keeping up with group rides in the 15-18 mph range. I couldn't pull for very long at that speed, but I could keep up in the draft all day. Keep in mind with my height and upright position my head and shoulders are well above the riders in front of me so I was still taking a lot of wind. Now, this is on some very flat riding along the Han River in South Korea.


Last week I built up a TI road bike. My average speed over 50 miles increased by about 3-4 mph while riding solo. I did my first group ride on two days ago with this bike. This was a fast group. Our average moving speed was just under 20 mph for about 58 miles. I couldn't have done that on my touring bike, but I felt great on my road bike. I do commute daily and all year (round trip 32 miles) so if I could only have one bike it would be my Bruce Gordon touring bike. That bike allows me to never drive to work.


Also, there are different road standards here in Korea. The main route back home takes me up a 33% grade for about 100 meters. Even though my gearing is 11-32 I cannot get up that hill on my new road bike. I take an alterative route home that is only 25%. The hill is so steep that I have fallen a couple of times trying to make it home. I normally keep my weight so far forward that my head is almost touching the handlebars. One time I made the mistake of bringing my head up just before the top of the hill and I did a flip backwards with the front wheel going up over the back wheel. All my mail is shipped to my work APO address. One Christmas my family received all our presents in the mail about the same time. I loaded everything in my 4 panniers and put a box or two on the back rack. The total weight going up that hill was about 315 lbs (rider, boxes, and bike). I am very grateful for that touring bike and the 17.x gear inches on it.

f4rrest

That is a beastly commute!