Cheeseftw

Hey everyone,

I'm a complete newbie to bike touring and biking in general, but am so excited to gear up and plan my first tour! I've gathered some advice from a friend of mine who's more experienced in the subject, but now that I've found this forum and read through the stickies a little, I'm questioning whether the bike I've purchased makes sense for what I'm planning to do. Hopefully your experience will help me make up my mind on whether I'm alright to work with the bike I've got or sell it on and keep looking for something better suited. I'm budgeting around 1000 Euro for bike plus gear, but I'm open to spending a couple hundred bucks more if it makes sense in the long run.

I'm going to share a link to a Google Drive folder where I've taken some pictures of the bike, please let me know if there's anything else you'd want a closer look at - I have no clue what to look out for as you can probably tell! The bike cost me 250 Euros and it was seemingly the best deal after several weeks of scouting ebay and craigslist. I've also already ordered new tires (2x Maxxis Re-Fuse 700x40) upon my friends recommendation. As I said, I still have the option to sell off the bike and/or return the tires depending on the feedback and advice I'm getting from you folks.

EDIT: Please replace ** with oo. Sorry yes I guess I'm breaking the rules on my first post but my post won't make sense otherwise

drive.g**gle.com/drive/folders/1DtmTAlNIKRQF3D0waFwVLSSvY-l4yPfQ

Appreciate your time helping me!

Tourist in MSN

I have seen plenty of people tour on a bike like that. But since you would have almost all the weight on the rear rack, you have to pack light. You can fit a bikepacking type handlebar harness or a handlbar bag to the front to put some weight forward.

You did not say where you are located. A lot of people in continental Europe tour with flat bars like you have on your bike. In USA, drop bars are more common for touring.



But, if you plan to do a lot of touring, you might want to change to another bike, one that can be fitted with a front rack for panniers.

Cheeseftw

Thanks a lot for your thoughts!

I'm located in Germany and am planning to tour down south through France in August/September. My first tour will be around 700 km to visit a friend of mine, then see whether I want to continue by bike or not. I need to be ready for colder temperatures I guess, but I'll try to aim south and avoid snow.

You make a good point regarding front panniers, I plan to pack as light as possible (if backpacking taught me one thing, it's that too much luggage takes the fun out of it!) and I also assumed I could install a front rack for panniers? I'm not sure though. Can you tell from the pictures?

Tourist in MSN

Front panniers would be difficult to install on a suspension fork, there have been racks made that will work with them but generally the people that I have seen tour with suspension forks locked out the fork.

In the photo in my previous post, I took that photo of a gal I met in summer 2019 in Nova Scotia, Canada. She was from UK, she had traveled roughly 1000 km when I met her. I met several others on that trip that were touring on hybrid bikes like yours.

With backpacking experience, you would know how to pack light and probably already have a light tent and sleeping bag. I find that as long as it does not freeze, I can get by with not much clothing. Rain jacket, rain pants over a down vest with a stocking cap can keep you pretty warm as long as you are dry.

Photo below, the bike belonged to an Italian I met in Iceland, he had a suspension fork but I really can't say what he used as a rack. That was a mountan bike, thus was built a bit more robust.



Perhaps bike shops in your area can advise you on a front rack. But if you plan to do serious touring in the future, a good bike with a solid fork that is designed for a front rack would make more sense.

You can tour on almost anything, and I have seen people tour on stuff that I would not want to tour on. But you don't have to have the top of the line gear either.

In the photo below, my bike is on the left, the bike on the right belongs to a gal I met at the hostel in Halifax Nova Scotia, we traveled together for a day and a half, then our planned routes diverged. She was from Germany. She had a pretty heavy load on the rear of her bike. Sorry, I do not have a better photo, the light was poor in the ferry. You probably recognize the EU flag she mounted on the back of her bike.




I assume you would be using a stove that takes a butane mix. I have never been to France, but I have heard that it can be hard to find the threaded butane canisters in France, apparently the non-threaded ones are more common. But I have heard that the threaded canisters are sold at Decathalon stores so if your stove takes the threaded ones you might be able to get by. I took the photo below to explain the difference in canisters. Cannister on the left is not threaded, cannister on the right is for a threaded stove.




Primus makes a stove that works on both but I do not recall the model name, maybe it was Duo?. MSR Superfly also makes a stove that fits on both. My Superfly in the photo below works on both, it is on an unthreaded cannister in the photo.




On the front rack, talk to your friend and see what he thinks.

With broken supply chains all over the place, you might not be able to buy what you want, you might have to compromise if your trip is only a few months away.

andrewclaus

I strongly suggest a light load on the rear only, if at all possible. It took me about a decade of lightweight backpacking to be able to pack my bike without front packs. And what a difference it made when I finally did it!

I prefer road bike geometry with smaller tires, but that's personal. You may want to add bar ends to change hand positions. As noted, lots of people tour with flat bars and larger tires.

HobbesOnTour

It's perfectly normal to have doubts and see them bubble up in a quest for the "perfect" bike. (After that it Will be the perfect tent, stove, clothing, handlebarbag, gps etc. You may never get on the road!

I know a guy in Holland who makes a tidy income reselling touring bikes that were bought with high hopes only never to be toured on. The bike wasn't the problem, the head was.

The fact is you can tour on any bike (even a unicycle!). Of course, some will be better than others in certain situations.

To put your mind at rest, pop over to CrazyGuyOnABike. There's a thread there with pictures of all kinds of bikes organised by type and brand.

I've toured a lot of Europe with a no name hybrid with suspension forks with panniers front and back. I also know people with far superior "touring" bikes to mine that never tour because x is not perfect.

The best thing that you can do is to get familiar with your bike and what you like to do, touring wise. Lots of practice! An overnighter here, a weekend there. A week. And so on. There are no mistakes, only lessons!

The more you do, the more you learn. Maybe you'll find that your bike is not what you need, but at least then you will know what you need.

if budget is tight resist the urge to spend without knowing what you want. As soon as you start researching it's easy to get overwhelmed with lots of "must have" features.

As for a stove? Forget gas and go Trangia. 😀

Good luck!

Cheeseftw

See that's what I've been thinking as well. I used to backpack for years with one piece of luggage that holds 40 liters. Now two panniers with 20L each should be enough to store my personal travel kit, then the additional bike-related tools/spares as well as my camping gear come on top of that - but I figured I could just chuck them on top of the rack and strap them tightly and my repair kit can go on the handlebar or so in a small bag. Does that make sense or will I be struggling with too much weight at the rear?

Regarding tires: Since I've just ordered brand-new Maxxis Re-Fuse 700x40c - should I opt for different tires? What would you recommend? Right now, I'd still have the option to return the Maxxis if there are better options. My friend just recommended the Maxxis Re-Fuse saying they're the best and from the info I could find online they are supposed to be superb for rolling efficiency on paved roads.

Cheeseftw

Thanks for sharing those stories and the pictures. Lovely inspiration and gets me super excited to head out there!

Cheeseftw

Haha that's exactly what my mind is doing at the moment, yes! I'm generally over-plan too much, always want to use all resources available to get everything perfect before starting - but in the end I'll only know what I really want and need after having a crack at it. I'm going to keep scouting for good bike deals while I'm gathering all other parts of equipment I need, if nothing else comes up, I'm going to chuck it onto the bike I've got now and give it a spin.

Can you say anything on my tires of choice? The Maxxis Re-Fuse 700x40c I've ordered were pretty expensive, I figured good tires must be worth it, but if there are better options please let me know while I still have the option to return them.

HobbesOnTour

Yes
I don't know the tyres but they appear to be tubeless ready. If your wheels are not equipped to be tubeless then you are overpaying in my book.

Remember, this is mainly a US forum. Your ride in Germany/France and even on to Spain will be on a lot of cycling routes. Different circumstances.

Lots of discussion here and elsewhere on tyres and choices. Optimum generally is a function of surfaces, weight and preferences. I'd look at the gear I want to carry and how to carry it before buying new tyres

staehpj1

It wouldn't be my personal choice (I don't like typical touring bikes), but it is certainly capable of touring. Packing light is a smart move in any case, but this bike should carry plenty. If the bike suits you I think it will be fine and do an excellent job of carrying you and your gear.

Tourist in MSN

If you are used to camping that light, that should work just fine. I do not know many people that backpack with only 40 liter pack. No need for front panniers if you can do that. Extra stuff on top of the rack can just go in a drybag, but some extra space in the drybag is nice for when you buy too many groceries. Do not forget to bring a cork screw.

Regarding weight and handling, your rear panniers should be as far forward as practical while giving you enough clearance to avoid heel strike as you pedal. If your center of gravity on the rack is further back than needed, the bike can have a tail wagging the dog feeling.

Tools and spares, I keep a small multi-tool and two spare tubes where they are handy. Any additional tools and spares are in the bottom of panniers, I like to pack the most weight dense items low in the panniers, least dense stuff like sleeping bag up high. Lower center of gravity on a bike aids in handling.

I like to have a handlebar bag that is easily detachable to take into grocery stores and restaurants, that is where all my valuables are.

Ideally, if you get get your stuff all together at least a few weeks before the trip so you can do some fully loaded test rides of 50 to 100 km to test for handling, that would be great. Use a 10 kg brick to simulate weight of food for the test rides.

andrewclaus

Test rides will tell you everything you need to know. With my bike, when I moved the entire lightened load to the rear, it was extremely stable and I was able to ride that loaded bike no-handed for the first time.

I'm not sure of the volume of my old panniers, but I backpack with a 50L pack and I never come close to filling it up. On the bike, I carry more volume and mass, mainly for lock, tools and spares. I carry one more layer of insulation for riding in rain/sleet/snow, which I find colder than walking in the same conditions.

The valuables I used to keep in a handlebar bag went into a ziplock baggie that packs in the top of the left pannier, and I make a habit of grabbing that at every stop. I didn't like the weight/payload ratio of the handlebar bag and its mounting bracket. It turns out the mass affected the handling of my bike. I bought a cue clip to hold a map on the handlebar stem.

Managing consumables is important. For tours in developed areas, with grocery stores and cafes passed every day, I'll only carry enough for the night's campsite, or a picnic lunch and snacks if I'm planning a town stay. I keep pack space available for up to three days of food, and up to four liters of water capacity (seven liters for up to two nights without water in remote arid regions). Excess food and water storage is strapped on top of the rack if needed, along with tent pole and foam sleeping pad.

I switched to a stoveless style of camping on my long distance hikes and that helped me reduce pack volume on the bike. There are plenty of threads on that topic.

Cheeseftw

Thanks, that's good info. I'll keep the tyres in the box for now while I'm gathering the rest of my gear then decide whether I want to use them.

Cheeseftw

Thanks for the tips, I'll keep that in mind for sure and I'm already planning test rides with a friend of mine. The 40L was perfect for my backpacking, but I stayed in hostels then, so the camping and bike related gear comes on top of that. I'll just go with 2 panniers to start and test whether that works for me.

Cheeseftw

Thanks I appreciate that. Sounds like trial and error is really the best I can do! Regarding stoveless camping: I was planning to do the same thing, especially because I love campfires and will want to get one going any chance I get, so I'd just pack a little pot and cook when I get a chance. Are campfires forbidden in most countries/areas (in Europe) or am I going to get plenty of opportunities?

djb

another opinion that this bike will work perfectly well for your first tour.
As stated, just use common sense and your previous experience hiking to not take too much stuff, and it will be fine.
The bike looks in such good shape that I strongly suspect that the tires that are on it (35mm I think) will be fine also. Just keep proper pressures, especially on the rear tire because of having more weight on it.
I have ridden in France a lot and in general, the quality of the roads there and in Germany are very good, so these tires should be fine.
Basically most modern tires, if in very good shape, will work fine for your needs. Just figure out how to change a tube if you get a flat and you should be good to go.

by the way, the gearing on your bike will be fine also for riding with panniers.
Have fun, don't worry too much.
Just don't take too much stuff, carry enough water and snacks, use sunscreen and do many practice rides with your full panniers on so that you know how far you can comfortably ride , and also figure out eating, taking breaks, etc etc during a 50, 60, 70km ride or whatever you are comfortable doing.
It helps a lot to know how far you can easily go, so you can plan your days.
It also helps a great deal to do a few short days at first, to get used to things and not be totally exhausted at teh end of the day.

servus from Kanada

Tourist in MSN

Looks like a slight translation error, I am in USA and when we talk about backpacking, that is camping, with tent, sleeping bag, etc. Thus, I assumed you had that gear in a 40 liter pack.

With Covid, I have no clue how soon hostels will be back to the pre-covid operations of sharing rooms, etc.

Thus, if you have almost 40 liters, not counting tent, sleeping gear, maybe some cooking gear and groceries, you are adding some additional volume.

If you have or plan to buy the Ortlieb Backroller panniers, the Ortlieb 31 liter rack pack works well on top of them. The Backrollers that have a strap that goes over the top of the pannier, that strap can instead be used to hold the rack pack in place on top of the panniers. See photo:



At the time of the photo, I probably only had 15 or 20 liters of stuff in the rack pack on top in back. It comes in handy to have some extra volume for when you see some delicious baked goods in the grocery store.

Have a great trip.

Mymy 2021

Hi im pretty new to biking and my bike chain isnt really works. So when i pedal I dont move at all and i can feel some resistance from the chains do you have any ideas.

djb

dearest mymy, may I suggest you moves your bike so that the front wheel is not up against the from the wall

Russ Roth

Get bar ends for an extra grip position, I prefer the short ones that stick out the side, not the old fashioned long ones. With a rear rack carrying most you can look at a front bag for holding the sleeping bag and strap the tent to it, that'll remove some of the weight from the back and help to balance the weight. There are straps that will let you attach small racks to the front that will work for smaller bags should you decide you need them. For my first tour I did fine with a rear rack with two bags and a backpack, the backpack was a bad idea but if I'd had a front bag to ditch the backpack it would have been better.

You should start your own thread, lube the chain and make sure it works.

djb

Good suggestions about ergo style grips with bar ends.
With bars like this, it's pretty important to be able to change hand positions regularly, and grips with bar ends allow that.

djb

Guten tag herr cheese,
ive ridden a lot on bikes that had similar regular t round grips like yours, but when i bought these sort of grips, the ergonomic shape makes less pressure on a small part of your hand, distributes the pressure better, AND just as importantly, you can change the angle of your hand to sort of the position when you go to shake someone's hand. This change of position puts the pressure on different parts of the hand, so I regularly switch positions, and it makes a real difference for overall hand comfort.

https://www.ergonbike.com/en/product...28&s=gptouring

of course, how the bike fits you makes a difference, and as you ride more and get stronger, you will put less pressure on your hands because you pedal stronger and more steadily.

In my opinion, getting some good ergonomic grips with barends is more important than new tires, but of course both are fine, I just mention this if you want to choose where to spend your euros.

tschus
for others, here is the persons bike

gauvins

1. Do not worry too much about your bike (Cube is a well known, quality brand). 40mm tires are perfectly suited for your plans (I assume that you'll mostly ride on pavement/gravel paths). And since this is perhaps the worst time in history to purchase bicycles, I'd stick with what I have.

2. I assume that you are familiar with Eurovelo. If not, this is a very useful resource.

3. If you cannot fit all of your gear (minus your tent) inside your rear panniers, you are probably carrying too much stuff. You may want to share your packing list.

Have a great trip

HobbesOnTour

Campfires? Are you planning to stealth camp?
Well, wild or stealthcamping is pretty much forbidden in Germany, no?
I'd imagine in a post Covid world stealthcamping is going to be treated very differently. Already in the UK popular spots are being checked regularly now after shenanigans during lockdown and places where people have camped for years are gone. The last thing you want is to draw attention to yourself and a fire will do that.

I've not come across many campsites that allow campfires, except for communal ones.

A stove gives you the opportunity to camp in the wild, eat/drink something hot discreetly. It can save money in some places.
On the other hand, you're never going to be too far from a town or village where you can eat or drink something hot and charge your phone, although it will be more expensive

Again, I'll suggest to you to look for info closer to home. With all respect, touring in the US can be very different to Europe.