Advice On Building A Touring Bike

[Iverider]

I just picked up this Steel framed 80s Novara for $150 in time warp condition. It was a "Wife-bike" So it mostly sat in the garage. With the addition of bar-end shifters and a rack or two this bike would ride comfortably all day long as long as the rider and the bike fit each other.

Thanks for the reply. I agree with everything you are suggesting. My issue was that I didn't want to buy ANOTHER bike

Key for me is comfort as you mention and I am going to make my way to the shop this weekend.

 

[bikiba]

i took the rattley front fender off of my 40s RF and put in 12 miles in about 65mins [ and found a $20 bill ] If i had a tad bigger tires, some hand breaks, 3 speeds and some aero bars i think i would be fine honestly.

 

[bulldog1935]

check out my 2 x 9 compact double here
the semi-log graph is good for visualizing the gear spacing, as well as the speed graph

this is a really good long-distance loaded drivetrain
It functions like a 1x in the cruising gears, and like a separate, shorter 1x when you're climbing serious grades

This outfit is in Germany, but it's worth the effort.
Their prices on pre-made Miche custom cassettes are cheap enough that shipping costs are irrelevant.
http://www.probikeshop.com/en/us/ro...#t=36&typeSearch=1&manId=225&page=1&search=13
Look at these choices in pre-made 10-sp cassettes
11/21 : 11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21
11/23 : 11-12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23
11/25 : 11-12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23-25
11/30 : 11-12-13-15-17-19-21-24-27-30
12/21 : 12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21
12/23 : 12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23
12/25 : 12-13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25
12/27 : 12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23-25-27
12/30 : 12-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-30 - I would get rid of the 25 & 27 and add a 16 & 26
13/23 : 13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-23
13/24 : 13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-22-24
13/26 : 13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23-26
13/28 : 13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25-28
13/29 : 13-14-15-16-17-19-21-23-26-29
13/30 : 13-14-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-30
14/23 : 14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23
14/25 : 14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-23-25
14/28 : 14-15-16-17-18-19-21-23-25-28
14/29 : 14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25-27-29
14/30 : 14-15-16-17-19-21-23-25-27-30
16/25 : 16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23-24-25


Good FD will make the 25T to 42T step easy - this is a new Ultegra CX70, but my old Shimano 600EX FD from '78 will do it just as well.

 

[bulldog1935]

above is a modern frame ('92 Viner - 130mm rear dropout spacing)

This is a '77 Raleigh (I cold-set the rear triangles to 126mm to fit 7 gears)
If you're limiting yourself to 122mm or 126mm rear dropout spacing with a 5- to 7sp freewheel,
the best approach is go wide on the freewheel, and use a cyclotouriste triple crank with half-steps and granny ring

this gives you the same kind of range and narrow gear-steps as the newer compact double above, and also uses a road double FD (here's my Shimano 600EX Arabesque FD)
What you do need is a very wide BB spindle (122mm)
Sun XCD makes the crank arms (best price in Japan), and TA still makes the Pro5Vis chainrings (expensive everywhere, but a little cheaper across the pond).
I have a really nice triple ringset 47/42/26 (bolted up sans crank arms) - with wear but very usable - hanging on the pegboard and would entertain selling it.
The two big rings split the steps between the rear cogs, and here's the gear analysis
you'll note there are a lot more gear overlaps, but wide range and close steps are there

 

[Iverider]

I don't understand the want for larger tires. They'll sap your power and require more effort to go forward. I like a cushy tire, but anything more than a 700x38 is overkill even if you're doing a few short single track offroad section. Good start to a bike though!!!

 

[bulldog1935]

I have a really nice triple ringset 47/42/26 (bolted up sans crank arms) - with wear but very usable - hanging on the pegboard and would entertain selling it.

Come to think of it, I have crank arms, too - they don't quite match - the drive is a TA Cyltouriste and the left is a Nervar, both 170mm.

 

[bulldog1935]

I don't understand the want for larger tires. They'll sap your power and require more effort to go forward. I like a cushy tire, but anything more than a 700x38 is overkill even if you're doing a few short single track offroad section. Good start to a bike though!!!

38s are wonderful on any surface except sand or mud, bigger knobbies will get you into the sand and mud OK.
Even my rated 30mm (measure 33) Strada Biancas are great gravel tires and run very well below 60 psi.
I agree with you, even on 26" tour bikes, most people go anywhere on 1.75" tires.
Here's an active discussion of Thorn Sherpa on iBob
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/internet-bob/TOMj1rt--Uc
and a review of that $1500 tour bike
http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/category/bikes/touring/product/review-thorn-cycles-sherpa-09-33983/

ps - the one big advantage to even bigger tires is you can run them at much lower pressures, which makes them less prone to flats

Something to say about soft tires and low pressures. I rode 40 miles today on The Italian Huffy, with the 38mm Compass Barlow Pass. These tires don't even have a puncture belt. I picked up a thumbtack in my front tire (40 psi) and heard it going around 1xR. I stopped - it wasn't completely planted, but it was deep. I was spooked pulling it out expecting to hear the air come with it. But it didn't puncture the latex tube. I've always read that latex would stretch around sharp objects without puncturing. I made it home, and it's still holding pressure tonight. (Might not have been so kind on the 60psi rear with more of my weight).

 

[bikiba]

So i settled on the bike. My 1957 Dutch. Been putting about 15miles on it every few days. Tomorrow i am going to take it on a 25miler. Really comfy. Orig everything.

The only changes i am going to make are:
- fix the 3 speed sturmey
- add a back caliper brake off of my 69 raleigh
- fix/cover the seat
- add some racks

i think tht is it...

 

[bulldog1935]

beauty of a bike. As long as your ride is peaceful and relatively flat, should do what you're asking.

In the Great Escape, James Coburn made it to Spain

(this is my favorite mental image of cycling)

of course my gear sets are for hauling load with spin on any terrain where you can keep a bike moving
here's the rest of my Raleigh:

In the early days of derailleurs, when they were 3- or 4-sp, front double rings were narrow and shifted by a suicide rod - or stop and shift by hand with no front derailleur (I have friends who still build occasional doubles without FD today).

alpine tourers would often mix Sturmey hubs with rear derailleurs to get hybrid gearsets with more gear options
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/hybrid-hd.html

 

[bikiba]

beauty of a bike. As long as your ride is peaceful and relatively flat, should do what you're asking.

the bike looks great. what year is it? And i am assuming the wheelset is new?

i discovered late last night that my bike above is rocking a Sturmey archer TWC. If you read up on these... the short version is they are complete crap-tastic. So i was testing the bike on the bench, shifting gears, braking... and ........ something happened internal and the hub seized... i havent had the time to open it up today, BUT i think i am going to have to upgrade my drive train/gears/crank before my trip