Light touring 700C rim brake frame/set/bike recommendations
05-07-18, 09:37 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Light touring 700C rim brake frame/set/bike recommendations
Hi,
I am looking for a road touring bike - bare frame/set preferred to a complete bike. To be used with 28mm tires (contis so more like 30mm). Lowish weight.
Could be delivered to France! Or at least EU availability.
Drop bars, side pull rim brakes, front and rear rack mounting eyelets (though fork can be swapped)
Geometry: TTH 53 cm, long chainstays (>=43cm), slacker head tube(70-71°), around 74° STA, sloping HT if possible.
Alloy preffered, could deal with quality steel.
The Kona Rove in 50 fits me like a glove, but it is a heavier disc gravel bike. I guess I could build the frameset down to a 10,5-11kg bike, but it still would be pretty overkill for light touring on reasonable pavement and building it with 28mm tires would still make it sub par compared to a dedicated light touring rig (wouldn't it? I actually have an old kona dr dew frameset and dew deluxe alu fork lying around and geometry is about the same, but it seems overbuilt for the goal).
I would love to have something similar to my girlfriend's new found Ti tourer, photo attached for reference. Titanium out of budget for me unfortunately and these kind of bikes are as rare as unicorns.
Any reference to a bike or frameset?
I am looking for a road touring bike - bare frame/set preferred to a complete bike. To be used with 28mm tires (contis so more like 30mm). Lowish weight.
Could be delivered to France! Or at least EU availability.
Drop bars, side pull rim brakes, front and rear rack mounting eyelets (though fork can be swapped)
Geometry: TTH 53 cm, long chainstays (>=43cm), slacker head tube(70-71°), around 74° STA, sloping HT if possible.
Alloy preffered, could deal with quality steel.
The Kona Rove in 50 fits me like a glove, but it is a heavier disc gravel bike. I guess I could build the frameset down to a 10,5-11kg bike, but it still would be pretty overkill for light touring on reasonable pavement and building it with 28mm tires would still make it sub par compared to a dedicated light touring rig (wouldn't it? I actually have an old kona dr dew frameset and dew deluxe alu fork lying around and geometry is about the same, but it seems overbuilt for the goal).
I would love to have something similar to my girlfriend's new found Ti tourer, photo attached for reference. Titanium out of budget for me unfortunately and these kind of bikes are as rare as unicorns.
Any reference to a bike or frameset?
Last edited by NeoY2k; 05-07-18 at 09:51 AM.
05-07-18, 10:24 AM
#2
Senior Member
Light steel rim brakes, good luck with that. Disc are very popular these days.
05-08-18, 05:10 AM
#3
Senior Member
Maybe rather than specifically a touring bike, just look for an AL frame “casual” use bike from one of the major companies? They usually have rack and fender mounts on the frame. You can always put on whatever fork you want. Light weight carbon touring forks do exist these days. You could do a pretty light build that way. My road touring bike is a decent quality AL Schwinn frame(I think maybe made by Giant) that I put a nice AL fork on. It was cheaper and still definitely a couple pounds lighter than my all around touring bike frame-set, which is “nice” and made from heat treated butted steel. I really like that it’s not as flexy and more fun to ride too, being AL and lighter weight.
05-08-18, 10:19 AM
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Also define whether you want V/Canti brakes or side pulls.
Soma Smoothie ES or Pescadero come to mind as does the Surly Pacer. Both use side pull road racing style brakes, the Smoothie and I believe the Pescardero can also use center pull.
Soma Smoothie ES or Pescadero come to mind as does the Surly Pacer. Both use side pull road racing style brakes, the Smoothie and I believe the Pescardero can also use center pull.
Last edited by Steve B.; 05-08-18 at 10:23 AM.
05-08-18, 10:47 AM
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How did she get her hands on a Backroads' travel company bike?
05-08-18, 10:54 AM
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05-08-18, 11:07 AM
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2015 years Haofutan new design style
05-08-18, 11:17 AM
#8
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The full name is: Ankang Haofutan Titanium Technology Co., Ltd.
They are located in Shaanxi China
Their registered address is: No. 207, Minxing Village, Wuli Town, Hanbin District, Ankang Shaanxi, China.
They were established in 2013 and make tittanium frames, forks, handlebars, stems, seatposts.
https://haofutan.en.china.cn/
and these look cool! 10 fatbike models.
https://haofutan.en.china.cn/29759-T...-Fatbike-Frame
They are located in Shaanxi China
Their registered address is: No. 207, Minxing Village, Wuli Town, Hanbin District, Ankang Shaanxi, China.
They were established in 2013 and make tittanium frames, forks, handlebars, stems, seatposts.
https://haofutan.en.china.cn/
and these look cool! 10 fatbike models.
https://haofutan.en.china.cn/29759-T...-Fatbike-Frame
05-08-18, 11:53 AM
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The current Trek 720 (not the vintage one) is designed as a light touring bike. It may not satisfy your very specific wishes regarding geometry, but it fits the big picture of "light touring bike" to a t.
05-08-18, 01:41 PM
#10
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Thread Starter
Damn these titanium frames are sweet! (though you have to buy them by 2 at least).
My girlfriend's Backroad's popped up at the lbs as used bike. Crazy bike. Rides like a relaxed road bike, turns like an MTB, and dampens road buzz like nothing I ever rode before! (that thing actually is smoother on 25c than the 40-559 on grainy asphalt...)
Indyfab, any more info on where these frames came from/who made them and designed them for backroads?
Thank you very much for the Soma Pescadero reference, it is a lovely frame that perfectly fits my bill! I don't know how I could have missed it, as I love Soma !
Thank you also for the recommendation of going with a more conventionnal AL/CF "sport" bike, and the trek 720. They get close.
TBH found an used Cyfac randonneur bike for a very good price, so jumped on the occasion and will be picking it up thursday. A tad sportier geometry than I was looking for but pretty much the same as the mentionned Soma Pescadero, with an ultralight AL frame, carbon touring bike with rack eyelets and crazy good components. 12h train round trip to pick it up...
Thank you very much for your answers, and very happy to see that this style of bike is not dead yet! Will now know where to redirect friends looking for a sport touring bike though, as many touring cyclists here just don't want heavy overbuilt Surly/Genesis to ride on EUs reasonably maintained roads, yet don't fancy the harsh front end of most of the "confort sport" road bikes available here. Good middle ground.
My girlfriend's Backroad's popped up at the lbs as used bike. Crazy bike. Rides like a relaxed road bike, turns like an MTB, and dampens road buzz like nothing I ever rode before! (that thing actually is smoother on 25c than the 40-559 on grainy asphalt...)
Indyfab, any more info on where these frames came from/who made them and designed them for backroads?
Thank you very much for the Soma Pescadero reference, it is a lovely frame that perfectly fits my bill! I don't know how I could have missed it, as I love Soma !
Thank you also for the recommendation of going with a more conventionnal AL/CF "sport" bike, and the trek 720. They get close.
TBH found an used Cyfac randonneur bike for a very good price, so jumped on the occasion and will be picking it up thursday. A tad sportier geometry than I was looking for but pretty much the same as the mentionned Soma Pescadero, with an ultralight AL frame, carbon touring bike with rack eyelets and crazy good components. 12h train round trip to pick it up...
Thank you very much for your answers, and very happy to see that this style of bike is not dead yet! Will now know where to redirect friends looking for a sport touring bike though, as many touring cyclists here just don't want heavy overbuilt Surly/Genesis to ride on EUs reasonably maintained roads, yet don't fancy the harsh front end of most of the "confort sport" road bikes available here. Good middle ground
.
05-08-18, 02:05 PM
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If you don't mind modernizing an older road frame--one with eyelets, long reach brakes, and preferably built from Reynolds 531 tubing--then you will have a lot of choices in France. Heck even older racing bikes--like some of the Peugeot PX 10 models--are essentially road bikes with eyelets that can easily take a 28c. But you may want to deal with a shop that can handle the work of "modernizing" the frame.
05-09-18, 11:22 AM
#12
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Maybe rather than specifically a touring bike, just look for an AL frame “casual” use bike from one of the major companies? They usually have rack and fender mounts on the frame. You can always put on whatever fork you want. Light weight carbon touring forks do exist these days. You could do a pretty light build that way. My road touring bike is a decent quality AL Schwinn frame(I think maybe made by Giant) that I put a nice AL fork on. It was cheaper and still definitely a couple pounds lighter than my all around touring bike frame-set, which is “nice” and made from heat treated butted steel. I really like that it’s not as flexy and more fun to ride too, being AL and lighter weight.
Could you please point me to carbon touring forks with eyelets?
I once found some but then lost the link and never found again...
(I'm not building only one bike at the moment hence the questions)
Thanks,
Nicolas
05-14-18, 04:23 PM
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https://www.amazon.com/Ritchey-Cross.../dp/B000MM97K0
