A replacment for a 30+ yo road tourer?
06-05-23, 06:25 AM
#26
Senior Member
I have had a Fuji World touring bike for nearly 20 years and decided I needed disc brakes due to arthritis in my hands and also because for some reason I can't seem to get cantilever style brakes to work efficiently. I also though it was time for an upgrade. I looked at getting a new bike. Since the kids came along I haven't been touring but mostly road riding though I wanted to keep the door open for touring in the future. I thought about some off the shelf options available in Australia, most of which tended to be more like gravel bikes. Also considered custom.
I ended up getting the frame of the Fuji World modified to fit the hydraulic disc brakes which to be honest ended up as a new bike re-using the old frame! Worked out spectacularly well from my perspective. An important thing for me was that when it was completed I essentially had a bike that was already dialled for me. As you don't have a steel frame you don't have that kind of option but I'm sure you can update components if you want to. If you buy a new one be careful that the geometry works for you and the kind of riding you do.
I ended up getting the frame of the Fuji World modified to fit the hydraulic disc brakes which to be honest ended up as a new bike re-using the old frame! Worked out spectacularly well from my perspective. An important thing for me was that when it was completed I essentially had a bike that was already dialled for me. As you don't have a steel frame you don't have that kind of option but I'm sure you can update components if you want to. If you buy a new one be careful that the geometry works for you and the kind of riding you do.
06-05-23, 06:42 AM
#27
I don't know.
Join Date: May 2003
Location: South Meriden, CT
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Bikes: '90 B'stone RB-1, '92 B'stone RB-2, '89 SuperGo Access Comp, '03 Access 69er, '23 Trek 520, '14 Ritchey Road Logic, '09 Kestrel Evoke, '08 Windsor Tourist, '17 Surly Wednesday, '89 Centurion Accordo, '15 CruX, '17 Ridley X-Night, '89 Marinoni
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Probably can't go wrong with a LHT. You might be able to find a Trek 520 still. Do they still make the 920?
06-06-23, 03:23 PM
#28
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Sydney AUS
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I imagine that you changed out the fork for a disc specific one? Necessary as non disc forks are not designed for the one side forces of disc brakes. How much do you think you spent on doing these changes? I ask because one would think it would be more cost effective to find a used disc bike that fits you well, and would have newer stuff in general all in all, take wider tires etc.
I looked at a few options with new bikes:
Curve GXR Steel
Norco Search XR Steel
Ribble CGR 725
Fairlight Farran
Shand Stoater
In reality these were all light tourers but I felt they were closer to what I liked about my existing bike. The first two I could get in Australia (as long as there was stock….) the others I would have had to order from the UK. Cost wise the local options would have been a little cheaper but I figured I’m still spending a lot so I might as well get what I want as I will be riding it for a long time.
You are also correct about tyre size. Mine only takes 38mm maximum and I admit I did pause a bit to think about that, but in the end I have a very versatile hardtail that handles the rough stuff.
In the end I went in part with emotion to re-use the old frame, and part because of how much I liked the ride and handling. It has Reynolds 853 in the main triangle which is a little unusual. As for newer stuff, after the upgrade it has a full GRX800 groupset and some nice hand-built wheels fitted to 12mm thru axle drop outs. The only relic is the 1” steerer…..
06-06-23, 03:33 PM
#29
Senior Member
Nomad, sounds like an interesting bike that's for sure. I get the emotion thing, I certainly wouldn't have gone your route but i too have an old bike that I keep purely for emotional reasons....
years ago I thought of changing stuff, but in the end I just left it as is, and used it on my indoor trainer for years during our Canadian winter. Still is sitting on the trainer but I commute in winter now, so it just sits there....
Anyway, interesting project you did.
Cheers
years ago I thought of changing stuff, but in the end I just left it as is, and used it on my indoor trainer for years during our Canadian winter. Still is sitting on the trainer but I commute in winter now, so it just sits there....
Anyway, interesting project you did.
Cheers
