Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Touring
Reload this Page >

Classic/Vintage Tourers?

Notices
Touring Have a dream to ride a bike across your state, across the country, or around the world? Self-contained or fully supported? Trade ideas, adventures, and more in our bicycle touring forum.

Classic/Vintage Tourers?

Old 01-06-22, 08:43 PM
  #26  
smudgy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: southern Illinois
Posts: 79

Bikes: Miyata 1000, Trek 520, Surly Troll, Surly Cross Check

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Liked 76 Times in 34 Posts
Originally Posted by Flatlander45
Hello!

This is my inaugural post!

Anyone out there currently touring on/with a classic/vintage set-up? Last year I rode from Asheville, NC to Nashville, TN on a 1984 Centurion Accordo with a pair of homemade cat litter bucket panniers and more recently picked up a 1981 Miyata 1000 with a set of Cannondale touring bags that I can't wait to clean up and use this summer. Anyone else afflicted with such retro sensibilities?
I have always toured on my Miyata 1000. It's all upgraded with modern wheels and components. I love it. very simple, reliable and comfortable. Only one downside that cannot be fixed. The frame will not allow for wide tires. A 35 is about as wide as it will take and with almost no room to spare. I love my old bike but sometimes I'm jealous of these new bikes and there fatter tires. I would love to ride on a 38 or wider sometimes. I also used to use Frostline panniers. Anyone remember Frostline panniers? I recently archived them and now I have a nice set of Arkels. Modern gear is nicer sometimes.
smudgy is offline  
Likes For smudgy:
Old 01-06-22, 08:58 PM
  #27  
Tourist in MSN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times in 1,122 Posts
Frostline panniers? I am impressed.
Tourist in MSN is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 12:30 AM
  #28  
badger_biker 
Senior Member
 
badger_biker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Rural Western Wisconsin
Posts: 1,510

Bikes: 10 vintage touring machines

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 112 Post(s)
Liked 126 Times in 66 Posts
In the 80’s I was enthralled with the Trek 720 but couldn’t afford one so I toured on my Bridgestone 400 sport touring bike with Frostline panniers and handlebar bag. I bought a 1984 Specialized Expedition frame and built it up with modern components as of the early 90’s and it has performed admirably on tours.

I later acquired a Miyata 1000 and last summer I built up a 1983 Trek 720. I don’t plan on using them for touring because the Expedition is perfect for my needs but they are fantastically comfortable bikes to ride. Now that I own arguably 3 of the best production touring bikes from the golden age of touring bikes I’ve fulfilled a long time dream and can leave this world happy 😊.

For off road touring I would want extra wide tires and disc brakes but otherwise I prefer vintage.
__________________
Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride - JFK
badger_biker is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 12:35 AM
  #29  
cyccommute 
Mad bike riding scientist
 
cyccommute's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,274

Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones

Mentioned: 150 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6147 Post(s)
Liked 4,092 Times in 2,325 Posts
Originally Posted by djb
Old stuff worked for us back in the day, but new stuff works better. Kinda like driving a car with a manual choke, points, biased ply tires and having issues driving over a high pass cuz the jetting is off.
Now of course if you have no idea what I just wrote, there you go.
At the same time I still love and appreciate old cars, and bikes, but new stuff does work better. (Still have my dt shifter tourer though)
Fully agree. I don’t miss hooks and springs or hooks and bungee cords. Nor do I miss chasing the bags down hills when they come off. I don’t miss down tube shifters at all. Nor broken axles on freewheel hubs. I don’t miss panniers on off-road touring nor trailers.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!



cyccommute is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 02:36 AM
  #30  
CMAW 
Pining for the fjords
 
CMAW's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Brussels
Posts: 709
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 130 Post(s)
Liked 443 Times in 150 Posts


I have a Koga Miyata Randonneur (Miyata 1000 frame) that I use for short tours, love the ride, friction shifting with bar ends is actually fun. Main disadvantage is max tire width (32 mm), which limits bad/off road use plus it has a tendency to shimmy if you're not careful in balancing your load (although a modern Tubus rack would probably do a lot in that respect). The bike excels in fast touring on good roads with limited luggage and that's what I use it for.
__________________
CMAW is offline  
Likes For CMAW:
Old 01-07-22, 07:54 AM
  #31  
djb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Montreal Canada
Posts: 13,191
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2732 Post(s)
Liked 953 Times in 784 Posts
Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN
Those rear panniers look like the shape and style of the Cannondale Overland, but they look a bit different for some reason. Were those a different brand?

My rear Cannondales that I bought a couple years ago at a swap meet look exactly like these.
My Austro-Daimler Bicycle: Steyr-Daimler-Puch trademarked Vent Noir
they were not cannondale, a cordura copy of that era of panniers, seems to me there were many brands with similar design. I'm having a memory blank on the name, I gave them away to a friend after I had gotten ortliebs in 93 or whatever.
These were well made, good construction, and had a removable side pouch that attached with two snap things and then a row of velcro on the bottom, so an easy on easy off thing to keep wallet passport etc to keep with you going into stores etc.
djb is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 07:59 AM
  #32  
djb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Montreal Canada
Posts: 13,191
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2732 Post(s)
Liked 953 Times in 784 Posts
Tourist, they were Rhode Gear, remembered because the mirror made to fit onto hoods was also by Rhode Gear.
djb is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 08:29 AM
  #33  
L134 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: San Diego
Posts: 704

Bikes: 1978 Bruce Gordon, 1977 Lippy, 199? Lippy tandem, Bike Friday NWT, 1982 Trek 720, 2012 Rivendell Atlantis, 1983 Bianchi Specialissima?

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 345 Post(s)
Liked 170 Times in 105 Posts
Originally Posted by smudgy
I I also used to use Frostline panniers. Anyone remember Frostline panniers?


Frostlines on the back. 1982, I think.
Still have them packed away.
L134 is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 08:48 AM
  #34  
Tourist in MSN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times in 1,122 Posts
Originally Posted by djb
Tourist, they were Rhode Gear, remembered because the mirror made to fit onto hoods was also by Rhode Gear.
I was not aware Rhode Gear made panniers. I have an old rear rack made by them, very similar in design to the Blackburn of that era. Have occasionally had that rack on my road bike.
Tourist in MSN is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 09:50 AM
  #35  
Happy Feet
Senior Member
 
Happy Feet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Left Coast, Canada
Posts: 5,126
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2236 Post(s)
Liked 1,313 Times in 706 Posts
Originally Posted by Flatlander45
Hello!

This is my inaugural post!

Anyone out there currently touring on/with a classic/vintage set-up? Last year I rode from Asheville, NC to Nashville, TN on a 1984 Centurion Accordo with a pair of homemade cat litter bucket panniers and more recently picked up a 1981 Miyata 1000 with a set of Cannondale touring bags that I can't wait to clean up and use this summer. Anyone else afflicted with such retro sensibilities?
Welcome to the forum Flatlander. As you can see, while not many still tour on the old classics, they love to talk about them

I have a soft spot for my first bike but also have outgrown it.

Happy Feet is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 03:06 PM
  #36  
Flatlander45
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Flatlander45's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Urbana, IL.
Posts: 3

Bikes: 1984 Centurion Accordo, 1981 Miyata 1000

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Thank you all for the warm welcome! I am hoping to reach my comment/post threshold soon so I can include some pictures of the bikes in question. I love hearing you all discuss your rigs (past and present). I am still quite a novice when it comes to bike parts and their maintenance and look forward to learning from those kore experienced.

Ran into some unfortunate news this morning. I took the Miyata 1000 to a local shop I trust to have them look the bike over (I picked it up last week on FB marketplace and posted pictures of it on a vintage bicycle sub****** where several of the members alerted me to a potential bend in the fork). Turns out, not only is the front fork bent, but the frame is most likely bent at the head tube (took measurements, chipped paint in a tell-tale location). May seek out a second opinion, but the fram may be toast. I never actually got a chance to ride the bike. I am spending the remainder of today contemplating my options. It came with Phil Wood hubs and bottom bracket, amount other parts/accessories that could help recoup my investment. I may try and finance a new/different tourer by selling off parts, or look for a frame in my size for ~$500 and use the 1000 as a donor. May reach out to some framebuilders about fixing the damage, though I shudder at the cost this endeavor will have on both my wallet and the Miyata’s paint.
Flatlander45 is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 04:08 PM
  #37  
djb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Montreal Canada
Posts: 13,191
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2732 Post(s)
Liked 953 Times in 784 Posts
Originally Posted by Happy Feet
Welcome to the forum Flatlander. As you can see, while not many still tour on the old classics, they love to talk about them

I have a soft spot for my first bike but also have outgrown it.

hey there Happy, don't you worry, one of these decades you'll be back (and all of us) on a trike again ;-)

oh, I picked up a used fatbike and am having a fricking blast on it, a real lark. It has pretty narrow fatbike rims, 60, 55, 50mm? the narrowest for 4in tires anyway, so maybe could take 3inchers or something narrower. But it is 26" so not really sure that there are any options for plus size 26ers anymore, will have to figure out what can fit onto the rims, and we've got the whole winter to get through anyway so 4 inchers it is for a while.
Am just starting to get my head around how low pressures I can run, 5.5 psi has been great at times, even with undersized tubes (3" downhill tubes)
cheers
djb is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 05:05 PM
  #38  
smudgy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: southern Illinois
Posts: 79

Bikes: Miyata 1000, Trek 520, Surly Troll, Surly Cross Check

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Liked 76 Times in 34 Posts
Flatlander,
Sorry to hear about your frame. What size is it?
smudgy is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 05:11 PM
  #39  
Flatlander45
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Flatlander45's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Urbana, IL.
Posts: 3

Bikes: 1984 Centurion Accordo, 1981 Miyata 1000

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by smudgy
Flatlander,
Sorry to hear about your frame. What size is it?
Thank you. It’s 25”. I am 6’3” with a 34” inseam. Finding a frame that fits has proven difficult. There are a couple prospects on eBay that I may explore.
Flatlander45 is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 09:45 PM
  #40  
djb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Montreal Canada
Posts: 13,191
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2732 Post(s)
Liked 953 Times in 784 Posts
Originally Posted by Flatlander45
Thank you. It’s 25”. I am 6’3” with a 34” inseam. Finding a frame that fits has proven difficult. There are a couple prospects on eBay that I may explore.
ya, the other end of the scale is similar, not many XS around in used, a bit better with S, but even then rare.
I know you oldie bike guys don't want to hear it, but if a newer xl newer touring bike shows up, you might consider it.
good luck in any case.
djb is offline  
Old 01-07-22, 11:27 PM
  #41  
MarcusT
Senior Member
 
MarcusT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: NE Italy
Posts: 1,617
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 759 Post(s)
Liked 599 Times in 340 Posts
Originally Posted by BobG
I worked for Mel Pinto Imports in VA while I was in high school in the mid to late '60s. An immigrant from Morocco, Mel was one of the first US importers of European bicycles. In the 60s we shipped Gitanes all over the country. We also distributed TA and Stronglight cranksets including the TA triple. The Gitane "Hosteller" was an early entry level touring bike with racks and triple chainrings ...

It seems we've gotten soft over the decades. I don't know about you, but fully loaded touring with a 36 X 26, would be next to impossible on challenging hills. Maybe if it were 26 X 36
MarcusT is offline  
Old 01-08-22, 05:39 AM
  #42  
BobG
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NH
Posts: 1,011
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 314 Post(s)
Liked 116 Times in 81 Posts
Originally Posted by MarcusT
I don't know about you, but fully loaded touring with a 36 X 26, would be next to impossible on challenging hills...
Keep in mind the above "Hosteller" was just that. It was made for traveling light staying at hostels/hotels. In 1965 if you wanted a wide range triple you were likely going to install it yourself, probably using a TA crankset (short for "Traction Avant" in French). Some of the early homemade mountain bikes of the 70s also used TA triples. They were one of the few available until Shimano/Suntour/Sugino arrived on the scene later.

From American Cycling magazine (now Bicycling) August 1967 (yes, I'm a hoarder!). Half step + granny was common then ...


photo by Fred DeLong

Last edited by BobG; 01-08-22 at 07:55 AM.
BobG is offline  
Old 01-08-22, 06:27 AM
  #43  
bark_eater 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Eastern Shore, MD
Posts: 2,151

Bikes: Road ready: 1993 Koga Miyata City Liner Touring Hybrid, 1989 Centurion Sport DLX, "I Blame GP" Bridgestone CB-1. Projects: Yea, I got a problem....

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 752 Post(s)
Liked 732 Times in 419 Posts
I think we're softer, bigger and infected with a false pride about occasionally walking up a hill. I've done a short tour on a Koga Miyata Cityliner, in the same class as a Miyata 1000. It was way to whippy with 330 pounds of bike, me and gear on the tires. The bike was set up with 3x7 gearing with rapid fire shifters and 38-40mm tires. I rebuilt a set of veteran Jandd bags, and adapted them to Tubus racks. It rode much better with less over all weight carried and the heavy stuff in the front panniers.

I've taken a Trek 728 on a unloaded joy ride and it had a nice springy ride with 230 pounds of me in the saddle, I'm not sure how it would handle another 40 pounds of gear, or the extra 20 pounds of Covid weight. This bike has Bruce Gordon racks and bags, but needs a a bunch of work and paint, so it waits.

I also have a very clean Bridgestone T700 with racks and a full set of Rhode Gear bags. I haven't ridden this one yet but, this is the one for "playing dress up" . Im not sure about the head bands and cut offs, but I do have a bunch of vintage camping gear, so I'm sure I could entertain my self for a long weekend "reenacting" Funny thing though, my misspent youth found me living out of a backpack, and the bulk of my "kit" was from the 30's to 50's. So all this 80's stuff is solidly in the stuff I was aware of as a kid, but would never be in the "handmedown" supply chain. But maybe my kid will be taking a 50 year old bike across country.

Next time I try a loaded tour it will be on a mid 90's T700 Cannondale frame. Touring was deprioritized with Covid. I haven't built it up yet, but it will have some sort of Shimano 3x7 index/friction drive train, perhaps with a 94/58 bcd crank. It looks like I'll be running 35mm tires on this bike, which is not as nice as a squishy 40mm, but an improvement over a 27x1 1/4 "vintage" wheelset. I've got a new dynamo wheel set and lights sourced. The Tubus racks from the Miyata will swap over and will hold a set of Ortlieb luggage. Over all this bike is an attempt to put together a functional machine that combines a bunch of "peak" technologies. A big part of the "vintage charm" was the initial $50 buy in for the frame and parts.

Last edited by bark_eater; 01-08-22 at 06:38 AM.
bark_eater is offline  
Old 01-08-22, 06:50 AM
  #44  
djb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Montreal Canada
Posts: 13,191
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2732 Post(s)
Liked 953 Times in 784 Posts
Originally Posted by MarcusT
It seems we've gotten soft over the decades. I don't know about you, but fully loaded touring with a 36 X 26, would be next to impossible on challenging hills. Maybe if it were 26 X 36
I've always preferred the view that we've gotten smarter about gearing. I came into the touring game a bit later than many here, so had the advantage of soon having access to well performing derailleurs, 13-30 and 50/40/28 which got changed to a 24 pretty quickly.
The htfu attitude has always been there throughout the decades, partly due to technical limitations but mostly imo from hubris and all that.
Hard legged racer types have always looked down at regular people for being wimpy, but let's face it, taking care of your knees and legs with less lugging the crap out of your knees is even accepted and proven in the racing world now for a few decades, and as a very average skinny guy, having lower gearing over the decades of touring has been a real factor that I can still tour at close to 60 and look a lot younger than I am because I'm still active--and I credit taking care of my knees as part of still being active.
djb is offline  
Old 01-08-22, 07:35 AM
  #45  
stevel610 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Valley Forge: Birthplace of Freedom
Posts: 1,298

Bikes: Novara Safari, CAAD9, WABI Classic, WABI Thunder

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 364 Post(s)
Liked 456 Times in 239 Posts

Need one of these too!
__________________
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
stevel610 is offline  
Old 01-08-22, 07:58 AM
  #46  
Jeff Neese
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,486
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1080 Post(s)
Liked 681 Times in 438 Posts
Originally Posted by bark_eater
...
I've taken a Trek 728 on a unloaded joy ride and it had a nice springy ride with 230 pounds of me in the saddle, I'm not sure how it would handle another 40 pounds of gear, or the extra 20 pounds of Covid weight...
The Trek 728 frame is the same as a 720. Or more correctly, the Trek 720 was built off a 728 frame. If you wanted just the frame you'd order a 728 but when Trek delivered it as a complete bike, they called it a 720. That was in 1982, and in '83 afterward it was just called the 720. So, a Trek 728 frame will handle just about anything you can throw at it, same as a 720.

I had a second set of super-light road wheels built for my 720, for when I wasn't touring on it. It handled great as a road bike - very responsive and fun to ride. Obviously not as light and fast as a "real" road bike, but it made up for it in comfort. I could stay on that bike all day long.
Jeff Neese is offline  
Old 01-08-22, 08:25 AM
  #47  
bark_eater 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Eastern Shore, MD
Posts: 2,151

Bikes: Road ready: 1993 Koga Miyata City Liner Touring Hybrid, 1989 Centurion Sport DLX, "I Blame GP" Bridgestone CB-1. Projects: Yea, I got a problem....

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 752 Post(s)
Liked 732 Times in 419 Posts
Mines cosmetics are kind of rough. Extra unused brazeons, patched paint and no decals. The wheelset is nice but 27". When I get to it, I think it's going to be a full "Resurrecto" with paint, decals and maybe a 650b wheelset. I think it's hard use days are over.
bark_eater is offline  
Old 01-08-22, 09:56 AM
  #48  
fishboat
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 1,888

Bikes: Lemond '01 Maillot Jaune, Lemond '02 Victoire, Lemond '03 Poprad, Lemond '03 Wayzata DB conv(Poprad), '79 AcerMex Windsor Carrera Professional(pur new), '88 GT Tequesta(pur new), '01 Bianchi Grizzly, 1993 Trek 970 DB conv, Trek 8900 DB conv

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 750 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 799 Times in 467 Posts
Originally Posted by Flatlander45
Thank you. It’s 25”. I am 6’3” with a 34” inseam. Finding a frame that fits has proven difficult. There are a couple prospects on eBay that I may explore.
There's a 25" Miyata Gran Touring bike in Neenah, WI for $250..ad has been up for 25 days..may be some room for an offer. I think(??) the Gran Touring model was a Six Ten(?), precursor to the 1000. There's also a 25" Six Ten in Chicago (CL).

https://appleton.craigslist.org/bik/...420637795.html

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/b...429320627.html
fishboat is offline  
Old 01-08-22, 10:11 AM
  #49  
Tourist in MSN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times in 1,122 Posts
Originally Posted by bark_eater
...
Next time I try a loaded tour it will be on a mid 90's T700 Cannondale frame. Touring was deprioritized with Covid. I haven't built it up yet, but it will have some sort of Shimano 3x7 index/friction drive train, perhaps with a 94/58 bcd crank. ....
I would strongly recommend an eight speed instead of seven. The hubs are more readily available, the Sram PG-850 11/32 cassette is readily available and is cheap. I have that Sram 850 cassette on three different bikes, plus a few spares on the shelf too.

If you want to stick with Friction, go ahead, but the Shimano indexed bar end BS-64 shifters work great, the rear is either friction or indexed. But, because they work great, unfortunately they fetch good money on Ebay which is a downside to them. The Shimano eight and nine speed derailleurs were interchangeable, lots of them out there. I am using 1990s vintage XT rear derailleurs on three bikes and have a few spares on the shelf.
Tourist in MSN is offline  
Old 01-08-22, 10:22 AM
  #50  
Tourist in MSN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times in 1,122 Posts
Originally Posted by djb
...
Hard legged racer types have always looked down at regular people for being wimpy, but let's face it, taking care of your knees and legs with less lugging the crap out of your knees is even accepted and proven in the racing world now for a few decades, and as a very average skinny guy, having lower gearing over the decades of touring has been a real factor that I can still tour at close to 60 and look a lot younger than I am because I'm still active--and I credit taking care of my knees as part of still being active.
I have been really surprised over the past decade or maybe two, they used to race on corn cob freewheels and cassettes, but now you see racing bikes that have much more reasonable gearing.

I do not remember how long ago it was when Hamilton broke his collar bone, but could stay in the race because one of the mechanics had a compact double that he put on the bike. Without the lower gearing, Hamilton likely would not have won a stage in the Tour de France. Suddenly compact doubles were a popular way to have lower gears on a road bike.

In the 1970s I bought a used early 60s racing bike, it had a 13/21 freewheel and the double crank had 52/48 chainrings. I was pretty close to using the lowest gears just for riding on the flats. But years later the racers clearly realized that sensible gearing was what they needed if they wanted to win.
Tourist in MSN is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.