mark03

This week I noticed that REI has brought back the ADV 1.1, with a new list price of $1699. I haven't followed the market closely through the pandemic, but my wife is in the market for a touring bike and we are looking at this one, along with the Surly Disc Trucker and a couple of others.

Could those familiar with the "old" ADV 1.1 / Randonee / Safari comment on what has changed for the better, or worse? How does the value compare now vs five years ago? I realize inflation is a thing but I am finding the new prices a bit hard to stomach. If we can find a used LHT in the right size we might go for that instead.

GamblerGORD53

At least the frame shape is OK, tires and the TRP brakes.
The rest is a fail to me. Thru axel forks?? The rack support eyelet is lame. Eyelet rims. Not sq taper crank.
Sizes are very strange > NO 56 cm, only fits drop bars... Nuts.
Not Rohloff14, big phooey.
But yah, NO stock bike would suit 5% of what I like. LOL.

mstateglfr 

^ Take this post with a massive grain of salt. GG's views of the proper way to tour, and ride a bike really, are as far from mainstream as views can get.

New model- https://www.rei.com/product/220761/c...es-adv-11-bike
Old model- https://www.rei.com/product/122462/c...es-adv-11-bike

Based on listed spec, it looks like the same bike that was sold for the last few years. If you are asking how that then compares to REI's Randonee touring bike from like 2016 or 17 or so, its pretty much the same bike but with disc brakes instead of rim brakes.

Random thoughts on the bike-
- It used to be a screaming deal 5 or 6 years ago. End of year stock was priced at like $800. That isnt realistic now.
- The spec is perhaps the best there is on a stock touring bike under $2000. Fuji Touring isnt too bad, as an alternative.
- A 15mm thru axle fork is...odd. Its a drop bar bike and a 12mm thru axle would be more than enough.
- Front and rear racks come standard. Thats compared to no racks on a Surly DT.
- CURRENTLY PRICED AT $1358.99 which, to me, seems like an obviously great price. There is a 20% off member sale right now.
- Wide gear range should work for most people in most conditions, but a cassette swap is easy and relatively inexpensive if a wider range of gearing is needed.
- Quality drivetrain components are a higher level than whats on Surly DT.
- Geometry is pretty neutral, especially the steering.


It costs $640 less than a Surly DT and you get front and rear racks, a higher spec drivetrain, cable hydro brakes instead of just cable brakes, centerlock hubs instead of 6 bolt.
The Surly DT is thru axle in the back instead of QR, for what thats worth. And the Surly is an STI shifting drivetrain vs the bar end shifters of the REI Co-op ADV 1.1

pdlamb

Comparing this one to the version that took me across the country, the one that I rode the long way home from work Friday:

Back to steel frame and fork, good. Aluminum fork always seemed a bit strange to me.

Gearing (26x34 low) I'd call marginally high, especially since the tires grew to 38 vs. 35. Why don't they put a 36 cassette on there to start with, since the rest of the bike can take it?

Derailers are (still) Shimano Deore, a solid choice.

15 mm through axle and bottom bracket du jour. I'm glad mine has square taper BB and 10 mm QR (personal preference and parts availability).

Bar end shifters vs. brifters. Maybe brifters are better, though I've rarely had problems switching to my bar-end bike. Coin toss.

Bar looks more comfortable than my old "ergo" shape.

The saddle that came on mine was the single most uncomfortable thing I've ever tried to ride on. Took me a week to order a B-17, and I've never looked back. I might give the new WTB two weeks to see if it was going to be a problem. Note saddles are highly personal, so YMMV.

Rear rack on mine is still in use, this one comes with a front rack, too.

Price on sale today is $60 better than list was 15 or so years ago, IIRC. Nominal inflation would take the price up $500-600 in that period, so it's still a fair price. Get a test ride, if possible, and buy it while it's on sale if you like it! If you can't get a test ride before the sale expires, go ahead and order one, then ride it for a few weeks and take it back if you hate it.

staehpj1

It looks like a great deal for someone who likes a traditional touring style carrying a full load of gear. It isn't my cup of tea, but if I were looking for that type of bike I'd be tempted. I personally am not a fan of bar end shifters so those are a negative for me, but some consider them a plus.

timdow

Very similar to the old Disc Trucker, and on sale at $1359. You should be able to find a good used road touring bike (Trucker, Fuji Touring, Randonee, etc.) on CL or Facebook for 1/2 that.

One thing that would sway me toward the 1.1 is disc brakes. I had a rim brake Trucker, and now have a Fuji touring disc, and like the disc brakes much more as they offer a lot of confidence. A used bike might be ideal, but you might have to wait until one comes along (and therefore miss the REI sale).

tyrion

I had a similar 3x10 drivetrain on my (stolen) Randonee and you can just replace the 26t chainring with a 22t one for really low gearing. Easy and cheap.

For $1,358.99 I don't think you can't beat that deal, especially given REI's service. Some unusual choices in the build (hydro brakes, front TA, etc.), but I'm sure it works. The only real weak spot I see is the WTB rims - I'm pretty sure they don't make rims with 36 holes, so it's going to be 32 spokes per wheel.

Tourist in MSN

Looks like a good price. That said, I like you am having trouble figuring out what is a good deal and what is not these days.

I am not impressed by the front rack. The best front racks have a hoop between the two sides so that the rack can't bend in a crash, or in a crash the hoop type rack would put less stress on the two rack bolts on each side. The second best type of front rack (that lacks the hoop) would be something like a Tubus Duo that attaches to both sides of each fork blade for better stiffness. I would suggest minimal weight in any front panniers.

I am guessing that you could put 45mm fenders on it if you wanted to.

Marathon tires are sensible.

Seatpost with two bolts is nice for infinite angle adjustment.

Front fork lacks the mounts for an anything cage if you wanted that instead.

I can't tell from the photo if the handlebars are wider at the shifters or not. Some people like that type of bar, I prefer the conventional drop bar.

I am not a fan of thru axles, hydraulic brakes, etc., but that is where the world is going. And some people prefer those newer features.

Calsun

I trust REI when it comes to bikes. They have an in-store bike shop and are not going to put cheap parts on their bikes. They have enough volume through their stores and online sales to be able to put together a special bike at a good price.

If you go to the REI website you can use their Compare feature to see exactly what the differences are between multiple bikes.I would not recommend the ADV 1.1 as it has shifters at the ends of the handlebar drops and it is much easier to use combo brake and shift levers which is what is provided on the ADV 2.2 bikes.

Trakhak

That's a terrific bike for the price. Intelligently spec'ed. For example, having just switched from a square-taper bottom bracket and crankset to Hollowtech II on two of my bikes, I'm tempted to make the switch on all of them. It's trivially easy to install and remove Hollowtech II cranks and BB, including swapping BB cup spacers to achieve the correct chain line.

Smart of REI's marketing department to recognize that American touring riders, unlike Europeans, tend to be fans of steel frames and forks.

indyfabz

Yeah. At some point I replaced my 26t with a 24t on my LHT. The part cost next to nothing.

indyfabz

+1 on that front rack. I can even see that being damaged in a topple with panniers attached.

And I think those bars do flare. REI’s old Mazama had similar bars.

veganbikes

It is the wrong color but overall looks like a decent starter touring bike. Yes some stuff they did on it might not make as much sense but it is decently spec'd for the price.

mark03

Thanks everyone. We are not far from the Portland (OR) area where there are quite a few used bikes for sale, so we may look for a used disc trucker or similar, and buy the ADV 1.1 at the end of the sale as a backup plan. I think brifters would be preferred over bar-ends, which gives the Surly a slight edge, but otherwise it sounds like the 1.1 has most of what we want.

Interestingly, I seldom see ADV 1.1 or Randonee bikes on the used market, but plenty of Surly LHTs and DTs. I wonder what the relative sales numbers were...

grolby

This bike is an amazing deal. The oddities, like that 15 mm thru-axle for example, shouldn’t present any practical difficulties. Very nice to see it has post mounts for the brakes, they’re not readily compatible with most modern road brakes but the customer buying this bike unlikely to be looking to upgrade to high-end road parts and post mounts are far less finicky and easier to adjust than flat mounts. The HY/RD is a great brake for this kind of bike, you get the automatic pad advancement of hydraulic brakes as they wear, but you can run a new cable if something happens on the road. Just really smart choices there - affordable and practical.

I would venture to guess that it’s going to be easier to find a Hollowtech bottom bracket in stock at a random bike shop than the right length square taper unit nowadays. This technology is nearly 20 years old, super widespread and totally interchangeable - you can use basically any standard Hollowtech BB the shop has in stock. This runs the other way, too, if you break a crank. If the shop has a Hollowtech crank in stock, you can probably use it. I think this is actually a more pragmatic spec in 2023 than a square taper BB.

phughes

I did the same. Probably the best upgrade I did.

Polaris OBark

I have the TRP Hylex brakes on my touring bike, but I did eventually replace the calipers with XT. The levers are, in some ways, nicer than my Ultegras.

ignant666

Good lord, you know how to make a man feel old. It is frighteningly possible that you are correct.

timdow

Did you purchase the ADV 1.1?

mark03

We had one shipped to the store for pick-up this week, but yesterday we bought a well loved 2009 LHT Deluxe (with S&S couplers) for about half the price.

timdow

Good find that should do it.

Tourist in MSN

If you are new to S&S couplers, it is a good idea to carry a wrench that can be used to tighten them. One of my couplers started to come loose during a ride a few years ago. Instead of carrying the S&S wrench on my bike (with the spare tube, etc.), I carry one of these.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/234810548902

I had to use a file for a couple minutes to make it fit better on the coupler. Shipping from Asia can be slow.

If you decide to pack it for airline travel, I have been happy with the S&S Backpack case. And if you get a case and pack it for travel, the first time you get it packed in the case, as you remove it from the case take lots of photos as you unpack it so that you can refer to the photos later to know how you packed it, which items in which order, etc.

And if you never pack it in a case, that works too.

ADDENDUM:

I cut some sleeves from an inner tube, not sure what size but it was mountain bike size that I use to keep dust and dirt out of the coupler threads. I stretched it over the ends of the coupler "nuts".



S&S sells some very expensive grease. I am not sure how important that grease is, but I bought it and have used it very sparingly on my coupler threads. But if you only rarely used your S&S couplers, maybe a good grease like Phill would be adequate instead of the expensive S&S grease.