chefisaac

Was just curious if anyone commutes and tours.

Ridefreemc

If you mean someone who commutes to work regularly and then takes time off work to complete a tour by bycycle then yes. Often the same bike too. Sometimes the Mezzo folder for communte and tour and sometimes the Salsa Vaya.

chefisaac

Can I get your opinion on this topic please?

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...7#post14646297

tarwheel 

Yes, I'll reply on your other thread.

Papa Tom

Yes. I commute AND tour.

scroca

Pretty much the only kind of riding I do is commute and tour.

BassNotBass

Commute to work every day. Don't get to tour as often as I want because it seems that I'm always commuting.

gerv 

I tour often... but usually only as far as the office.

ezdoesit

Absolutely

nashcommguy

+1 The only time I do recreational/fitness rides is on my fg.

Mark Stone

Not at the same time. Wait, what was the question again?

MMACH 5

Yes. I like the relaxed geometry of touring bikes for my commute. And some of them actually gain stability and a smoother ride when loaded for touring.

rekmeyata

I commute and tour...well I use to commute till I got laid off. And touring for the time being has been limited to just weekends because I don't, or didn't have enough time to tour across the USA in 2 weeks! and besides, any vacations needed to be with my wife not with my bike. Even though now I'm laid off I'm not about to take off for 4 to 5 months to bike around America when I need to be looking for work. So the USA trip has to wait for retirement.

Ridefreemc

Not sure exactly what is being asked there, but I will ramble a bit to see if something I write helps you out.

I enjoy a smooth riding bike when i tour or commute so I would not be comfortable on my mountain bike. The one you show looks very capable for touring - especially with the smoother and narrower tires. I prefer a bike with 700c wheels and 35-40mm wide tires (smooth).

As far as touring equipment goes you can get out and tour on very little at first, and then as your budget allows you can add to your inventory. Best to try stuff out and get some experience touring before one invests in a lot of gear. Most often you really don't need everything that you brought with you (or that you thought you needed). Two panniers have done me fine many times.

Have you tried a few S24Os (sub-24 hour overnight rides)? They are a lot of fun in a short period of time. I can leave my house early afternoon on a Saturday, ride 30-40 miles, camp out, and ride home. No need to bring food for cooking, just bring a few things to eat and catch a meal on the way home (breakfast).

Also, relative to gear there are a few places online to pick up some nice used gear. Some of the classified sections of hiking, kayaking, and motorcycling forums have had some pretty nice stuff in good shape.

i love planning the trip too. You see so much on a short tour and learn a lot about the area, your equipment, and yourself.

One of my favorite S24Os is riding about 20 miles to a KOA with one of my children, renting a little one room cabin, and heading home the next day. Don't need to carry much at all. Can have the rest of the family drive down and join us at the pool and for dinner.

I would try what you have first. If you like touring then find a nice touring/commuting bike. My Vaya comes complete for about $1300, but you don't need to spend that much to get a nice bike. Go easy on the equipment - save your money and buy as you determine what your needs are.

AsanaCycles

I haven't owned a car for over 10yrs now.
so of course I commute to work on the bike
and yes, my favorite vacation/headspace is to get on the bike and do a tour, or simply just wonder.

I just finished a ride down the coast from Astoria.

Medic Zero

Sure!

rekmeyata

Plus 1 one these points.

The wider tires do provide more comfort and they last longer too.

And yes, short 24 hour or 48 hour weekend trips are a great way to figure out what works and what doesn't. One of the reasons why I went with a 4 seasons the Terra Nova Wild Country Sololite
tent instead of a cheaper lighter 3 seasons was the fact that 3 season tents wasn't strong enough for winds above 40 or 50 mph, and when doing a long cross country tour you could run into that and more; even though the 4 seasons tent weighed 2 pounds more I felt it was worth it.

I also found out that my lightweight 2 pound or so down sleeping bag wasn't necessary so I tried a 8 oz Sol Escape Bivvy bag and I like it, plus it was dirt cheap compared to a regular bag and it packed down to a very small size. So now the weight I gained going to a nicer stronger tent I got back because of the lighter bag. Plus some things you take along thinking you'll need and you get out there and find out you don't need it, or vice a versa.

There are other things too I like, such as the Peak Oly Elite sleeping pad, it's light and comfortable; and it's a 4 season pad meaning it will have better insulation then other pads between you and the ground.

For a stove I carry the lightweight MSR Whisperlite beside weight it can use any fuel.

For starting fires I carry a variety of stuff to make sure I get a fire, storm proof matches in a water proof hard plastic container; and a magnesium fire starter made by Aurora. Then take some drier lint with you for starter and/or you can get various fire starting fuels from tinder to paste to solid pellet or sticks of fuel.

Other stuff as well, but this stuff is what I like to use, you may not, so you need to go and try the stuff you think you might like on short trips to see what works. Some people say you can do this in your own back yard, this is true, but stuffing the stuff into a bike and pedaling somewhere and then deploying and using your camping gear is the true experiment.

A used touring bicycle can be had for under $800 and most of these either never got used that much or was used on one touring trip. There was someone here that bought a used Trek 520 for $150 and it was in great condition. But if you want new take a look at the Kuna Sutra, or the Trek 520, or the Fuji Tour, or the Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bikes. Any of those 4 touring bikes can be found for under $1,500 new and all are very highly rated touring bikes. Of the four I think the Trek is the most expensive and the Kona is the lowest costing of the 4.

goalieMN

1991 Diamnondback Ascent converted to a SS with fenders and a rack to commute. Surly LHT to tour.

fietsbob

Why, did you think it was exclusive, one Or the other when you asked?

chefisaac

nope, just wanted to see if people do both or not and also get opinions to the thread that I cross linked to.

hilltowner

That description fits me to a "T" and I use the same bike for both: a vintage Bridgestone MB-1 with Softride suspension stem, old pair of Scott aerobars mounted on a flat mt. bar with bar ends. I leave the rear racks on for the commuting season. Thinking about experimenting with the front low riders for commuting at least a bit this fall. I put a handlebar bag on for the tours but never use it commuting. My tours are fairly ambitious and last about two weeks. I look for road surfaces that will be a challenge: Maine logging roads, forest service fire roads in VT, Highway 389 in Quebec between Lab City and Baie Comeau. This summer it was the K & P trail in Ontario. Getting to and from the more challenging sections usually requires long stretches of pavement so I run on 1.5 " Schwalbe Marathons with a fairly road-friendly tread design but aggressive enough for the gravel and crud that is to come. I switch to S Marathon Winters when the ice starts to form on my commuting route.